029: Prevent What’s Preventable: Vaccine Preventable Diseases with Cherise Rohr-Allegrini

Cherise Rohr-Allegrini is the program director at the Immunization Partnership, whose goal is to improve vaccination rates in San Antonio and across Texas.

Every year millions of people suffer and die from vaccine-preventable diseases. The Immunization Partnership strives to increase vaccination rates through education and advocacy.

Dr. Rohr-Allegrini talks about how the success of vaccines has ironically contributed to the rise of the anti-vax movement, how the way scientists talk about vaccines is important to increase vaccination rates, the autism-vaccine controversy, the tantalizing approach of polio eradication, and her background in studying vector-borne diseases in developing countries.

The MicroCase for listeners to solve is about Sandy Sanchez, the pregnant bird-watching game warden who becomes sick with a mysterious illness that may threaten her baby.

Participants:

Karl Klose, Ph.D. (UTSA) Cherise Rohr-Allegrini, M.P.H., Ph.D. (The Immunization Partnership) Jesus Romo (UTSA)