In the Bubble with Andy Slavitt

Testing remains one of the most confusing elements of the pandemic for many people. In this Toolkit, Andy talks to diagnostics expert Mara Aspinall and immunologist Gigi Gronvall to answer your questions about rapid antigen tests – when people should get tested, how accurate they are, why they're in short supply, and much more.   Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and Instagram @andyslavitt. ...

Andy catches up with the aptly-named Dr. Larry Brilliant, who has spent his life working to eradicate deadly diseases. They discuss why eradication of COVID is not possible, what a long-term COVID plan should include, what future variants may look like, and what vaccine innovations he wants to see and why. Plus, how Delta is similar to the fictional virus Larry helped dream up for the movie Contag...

Eighteen months into this pandemic, we all still have lots of questions. Luckily, we can turn to our own Dr. Lisa Fitzpatrick for some answers. She covers the timing of your flu shot and booster shot (and shingles shot if you're over 50), if you should mix vaccine brands, if variants can evade tests, and even how to approach the holidays with unvaccinated family members. And don't forget, if you h...

Andy calls up Dr. Ashish Jha, Dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, who wants to remind everyone that just like the stock market is not the economy, the daily case count is not the pandemic. They discuss the danger of covering COVID like a political horse race, why he appears on Newsmax so frequently, and how he deals with COVID skeptics in his own extended family. Plus, a cold ope...

Andy calls up Dr. Céline Gounder, who just wrapped up a two-week rotation at Bellevue Hospital in New York City. They discuss her current COVID patient load compared to a year ago, the city's new vaccine requirements, and her honest assessment of the Biden administration's COVID record. Plus, why trust is so important when we ask people to do things like getting vaccinated for the common good.   K...

As booster shots roll out across the country, Andy calls up Katherine Wu, who got a Ph. D. in microbiology and immunology before joining the stellar science writing staff at The Atlantic. They discuss what we know about how the boosters will work, what to expect during our upcoming second pandemic winter, and what the future of COVID looks like. Plus, how Katherine approaches effectively communica...

Andy talks with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent, about his 20 years in cable news, what motivates people to peddle misinformation online, and how we can let go of some of the anger, resentment, and trauma from the past 18 months. Whether he's talking to millions of people on TV or one AC repair person in his home, Sanjay rejects the approach of many of his TV counterparts and l...

Andy clears up a lot of the confusion surrounding boosters on this must-listen Toolkit with Dr. David Agus and Tom Moriarty of CVS Health. From who can get one to why we need them and where they'll be available, this Toolkit is chock-full of all the latest information on COVID-19 booster shots.   Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and Instagram @andyslavitt.    Follow David @DavidAgus and CVS...

As we await the FDA’s final decision on booster shots, Andy talks with the person tasked with making the final determination: Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock. Only on In the Bubble will you get a chance to hear how she’s approaching this decision, how close we are to vaccines for kids under 12, and more from the person in charge at the Food and Drug Administration.   Keep up with Andy o...

Andy gets back to basics with Pulitzer Prize-winning science journalist Laurie Garrett. They get into how and why viruses mutate, why the variants don't seem to be causing too much trouble for the mRNA vaccines, and how our actions are, as Laurie puts it, "aiding and abetting" COVID. Plus, her big takeaways for how a little empathy at home and in our systemic approach can change the trajectory of...

Andy calls up The Atlantic's Ed Yong, who won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the pandemic, to talk about how we got where we are now and where we need to go next. They cover what went wrong up to this point, why we can't think of vaccines as a panacea, and what Ed thinks about giving people in the US booster shots before many people around the world get their first dose. Plus, Andy we...

Andy and Dr. Fauci cover all the latest questions you have, including boosters, variants beyond Delta, breakthrough infections, and vaccinating the globe. Plus, what Dr. Fauci and the Biden administration are doing to prepare for the next pandemic.   Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and Instagram @andyslavitt.    Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus conte...

Revisit this episode from June, where Andy starts by answering the one question no one else will about the Delta variant. Then, journalist Jessica Yellin joins Andy to discuss his new book Preventable. They talk about key figures like President Trump, Jared Kushner, and Dr. Deborah Birx, what lessons we need to take with us from the pandemic, and why we should feel hopeful now. Plus, you’ll hear s...

Andy goes to Florida — ground zero in the battle over how to respond to COVID — to hear directly from kids and what they have to say about the pandemic. Two young people have been working to make adults hear their voices: 21-year-old David Hogg and 14-year-old Alana Nesser, both of Parkland, Florida. In 2018, adults failed to keep David and his classmates at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School sa...

With 180,000 reported COVID cases in kids last week alone, and school just getting started, Andy has a vital conversation with pediatric infectious disease specialist Dr. David Kimberlin about how the Delta variant has changed everything we thought we knew about children and COVID. They cover what David's seeing on the ground in his hospital in Birmingham, the latest on vaccines for kids under 12,...

Listen in as Andy gets a Global Pandemic 101 course from Dr. Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust. Farrar gives a clear picture of the effort and urgency of vaccinating the globe, the vital role of the US on the world stage, and the criticality of the next 270 days. Plus, hear their plans to force the issue with world leaders.   Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and Instagram @andysl...

Andy and former FDA commissioner Dr. Mark McClellan detail the next big moves in the COVID battle including FDA approvals, what’s happening with clinical trials for kids, boosters, mandates, and what the adverse reporting system really says about vaccine safety. Plus, they discuss the #COVIDSafeZones initiative launched with 30 other public officials.   Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and I...

So you’ve been vaccinated. And now you’re hearing that you could get infected? Or be contagious? Andy gets to the bottom of this when he calls up one of the clearest explainers he knows, Johns Hopkins epidemiologist Jennifer Nuzzo. They discuss why although you may get infected with SARS-CoV-2 eventually, vaccinated people are still unlikely to get COVID-19, and what that means. Plus, Andy breaks...

One mom rages against COVID with Andy this week: Survivor Corps founder Diana Berrent. Diana is a fierce advocate for those with remaining COVID symptoms and she has taken a number of amazing actions on behalf of them. This episode will grip you, speak to your heart, steel your spine, and give you some brand new information on some undiscovered questions about how COVID-19 works in our bodies.   K...

Andy poses your top questions about sending kids back to school to pediatrician and vaccinologist Peter Hotez and indoor air quality expert Richard Corsi. They’ve got you covered on how Delta affects kids' risk of infection, wearing masks, staying safe while eating lunch, and much, much more. Plus, Lisa talks with parents, kids, and school leaders in Missouri as schools open up for another year.  ...

As vaccine distribution continues to ramp up around the country, Andy calls up Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear to understand how it’s all working on the ground in a state like Kentucky. Listeners have a chance to get “in the bubble” with Andy and Governor Beshear to hear their candid conversation about leading through this challenging moment, as well as how best to support communities as we work to...

Andy and renowned epidemiologist Michael Osterholm discuss how Delta is upending the pandemic landscape. They cover when the wave may end, what Michael thinks we should do about kids and schools, and how it's caused him to rethink his own interactions with his unvaccinated grandchildren.   Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and Instagram @andyslavitt. Check out In the Bubble’s Twitter account...

Andy continues his conversation with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, and today they discuss vaccines for kids under 12, when Pfizer expects to receive full FDA approval, vaccinating the rest of the world, and more. Plus, hear Albert's recollection of the day he learned that the Pfizer vaccine trials showed 95.6% efficacy. If you missed Part 1, make sure to go back and listen from the beginning.   Keep u...

Andy gets answers to listeners’ most important questions from Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla in Part 1 of a two-part interview, including how the Pfizer vaccine is holding up against the Delta variant, if we'll need booster shots, the data out of Israel showing waning immunity after six months, if Albert is wearing a mask indoors again, and more. Bourla is back next week to talk about kids under 12, ful...

Andy calls up physician, scientist, and author Eric Topol for a can't-miss, in-depth conversation on the Delta variant. Andy and Eric cover why it's taking over, what vaccinated people should be thinking, and whether there's more variants like it to come. They also discuss the latest vaccine data out of Israel and why the FDA hasn’t fully approved the COVID vaccines yet. Plus, a sneak peek at Andy...