In the Bubble with Andy Slavitt

Incoming CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky gives her first major interview. She and Andy discuss her background as a young girl who wanted to grow up to be financially independent and how that turned into a storied career that led her to the pinnacle of public health. She discusses the challenges she faces in this epic role and her priorities for the CDC. There’s never been a more important time...

Here’s the toolkit for everyone who needs to physically be at work — either now or in the future. Andy’s got you covered with expert advice on how to stay safe at work with attorney Jessica Rosenberg and Director of Harvard’s Healthy Buildings program Joseph Allen. They’ve got answers about Plexiglas, filtration, bad bosses, your rights, and more.   Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and Insta...

When do the country’s top scientists think we'll be gathering indoors again? How about when most adults in America will be vaccinated? And what's the number one thing you can do this year to slow the pandemic? We all want to know what’s going to happen in 2021, so Andy got you some answers from a few of the smartest people out there. You’ll hear from Larry Brilliant, Leana Wen, Anthony Fauci, Mega...

If you didn’t catch this Best of In the Bubble episode the first time around, you are in for a treat! And even if you've heard it already, go ahead and give it another listen. If there is one expert Andy could talk with about coronavirus and how we are really doing, it is epidemiologist Larry Brilliant. Larry, who helped eradicate smallpox and is hard at work on coronavirus, grades our performance...

Andy counts down his top 10 moments of the year, including a look inside an emergency room COVID-19 unit, our “Safe or Not Safe?” toolkit, and Andy’s all-time favorite clip of Zach. We’ll revisit some of our favorite In the Bubble guests like Kumail Nanjiani, Kara Swisher, and Ed Yong. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You may even break out in song. Either way, it’s an episode you won’t want to miss.   ...

Enjoy this Best of In the Bubble episode where Tina Fey joins Andy to talk about comedy during Corona-times and other unfunny periods in recent history. They chat about stuck-at-home life (with a cameo from Tina’s daughter), SNL in isolation, and how American culture is being re-shaped. Then, Andy shares fresh polling from leading health care pollster Mollyann Brodie about how Americans are really...

It’s the episode you’ve all been waiting for: Andy closes the year with a recap of 2020 and predictions for 2021 with Dr. Anthony Fauci. Andy brings you into the bubble with Dr. Fauci by asking some of the questions he received from you. This is a conversation you don’t want to miss.    Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and Instagram @andyslavitt.   In the Bubble is supported in part by liste...

Andy’s two themes for 2020 are “surviving” and “remembering,” so Andy reflected on the year with the ultimate survivor: Senator Tammy Duckworth. He caught up with her in her D.C. office before she leaves for the holiday recess. They review the job Congress did in 2020, the low points many Americans have faced, and the promising notes for the future. As a wounded warrior and a Senator, her approach...

Andy is joined by Heidi Larson, Founding Director of The Vaccine Confidence Project, for a conversation about, well, vaccine confidence. They discuss what causes vaccine hesitancy, how to boost confidence in the COVID-19 vaccines, and how to convert those who are on the fence about taking it. Plus, the particular trust issues among communities of color.   Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and...

Frankly, it's a little embarrassing it's taken this long to do this toolkit, but better late than never: In the Bubble answers your questions about bubbles. Andy and Lana enlist the help of epidemiologists Emily Gurley and Saskia Popescu to get a better understanding of what a bubble is (and what it isn't), how to build a safer one, what to do if someone in your bubble gets sick, and more. Plus, w...

Andy calls up author and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Laurie Garrett to explore one of the most challenging questions of the day: how will Biden reach Trump supporters on the vital issues of the pandemic? It’s a question that needs an answer.    Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and Instagram @andyslavitt.   Follow Laurie Garrett on Twitter @Laurie_Garrett.    In the Bubble is supported...

This toolkit tackles one of the most pressing topics in the world: how you will get your COVID-19 vaccine and when. Get answers about the science from Dr. David Agus, and the logistics from CVS Health's Tom Moriarty. Andy asks them your questions about when you can get it, which one you'll get, and more. Plus, a fun little bit of vaccine history from David.   Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt...

Dr. Megan Ranney recorded her shift in a COVID-19 ER in Rhode Island the day after Thanksgiving and was kind enough to talk to Andy about it. Though her job is both physically and mentally exhausting, she manages to remain hopeful. This is a rare look inside a hospital’s COVID-19 bubble.    For more of Andy's conversation with Megan, check out In The Bubble's Patreon page at www.patreon.com/intheb...

Andy calls up Ashish Jha, Dean of Brown University's School of Public Health, to discuss what to expect during the next three stages of the pandemic. Ashish also describes going through what he calls "among the most surreal experiences of my life" – testifying in front of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee about hydroxychloroquine. Plus, Ashish’s projections for 2021 i...

On the day before Thanksgiving, let's listen back to In the Bubble's first-ever toolkit episode. The topic is, unfortunately, just as relevant today as it was when it first aired this summer: how to talk to people in your life who disagree with you about masks and social distancing. The panelists are Lanhee Chen, presidential health policy advisor to Mitt Romney, and United States of Care co-found...

Andy brings you an inside look at President-elect Biden’s COVID-19 efforts with task force co-chair Vivek Murthy, former US Surgeon General and one of Biden’s senior advisors in the pandemic. Andy and Vivek discuss what the President-elect is thinking about the pandemic, the (lack of) transition, and his priorities come January 20. Plus, how they hope to reverse the damage done by — as Vivek puts...

Andy calls up one of the country’s leading experts on pandemic preparedness, Johns Hopkins University's Tom Inglesby, to get the best possible view on the winter wave hitting the country. Johns Hopkins has been the gold standard for COVID-19 information and Tom also has a prominent role on the Biden-Harris COVID transition team. They discuss why Andy thinks the next three months are the most dange...

Andy talks about what should be happening with the presidential transition right now in terms of managing the pandemic. Former Trump VA Secretary David Shulkin provides expertise on how a typical transition goes — and the cost of President Trump’s refusal to concede. David was there for the Obama-Trump transition and details how he sees today's norm-shattering process playing out. The saving grace...

Could this be a light at the end of the tunnel? Andy evaluates the remarkable news that Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine proved more than 90% effective with physician, scientist and author Eric Topol. How excited should you be? What do we know and what don’t we know? What’s the timing and what comes next? Plus, a look at President-Elect Biden's COVID-19 task force. Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt...

With COVID-19 cases surging around the country and winter fast approaching, this may be the most important toolkit episode yet. Infectious diseases physician Nahid Bhadelia and indoor air quality expert Richard Corsi answer every tough question about winter safety – from holiday gatherings, to indoor dining, and flu season. Understand what’s happening with indoor particles and how to make sure hom...

Andy is joined by Jessica Yellin to break down where we are on the precipice of history. They walk you through what's yet to be counted, what may end up in court, what Trump may do next, and what Biden should do next. And not to be lost: what this all means for COVID-19. Brew another pot of coffee – this may take a while. Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and Instagram @andyslavitt. Follow Je...

Andy’s brought Mike Birbiglia, Chelsea Clinton, DeRay Mckesson, Kara Swisher, 12-year old Catie, Julián Castro, Andy’s mom and a number of other surprises to keep you entertained while you vote! Plus two co-host epidemiologists, Caitlin Rivers and Farzad Mostashari, to review safety tips for voting. You'll laugh, you'll think, you'll be inspired ... but most importantly, you'll vote!  Keep up with...

Andy calls up The New York Times White House correspondent Michael Shear, one of three journalists who tested positive for COVID-19 in the days following the superspreader event in the Rose Garden. Shear recounts what happened to him, his experience covering the Trump administration's pandemic response, and what he thinks might happen after the election, either with a second Trump term or a Biden...

Our mental health is getting beat up during this pandemic: anxiety, depression, substance abuse and suicidal ideation are all on the rise. Andy talks about it with two inspiring guests: Stephanie Wittels Wachs, the host of Last Day, and Gary Mendell, the founder of Shatterproof. Both have moving personal stories and are out to change how stigma, mental health, and addiction are talked – and though...

Academy Award-winning director Alex Gibney chronicles the United States' failed response to the COVID-19 pandemic in his brand new film, Totally Under Control. Andy and Alex cover what went wrong and why. Hear the first draft of history get underway even as we live it.  Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and Instagram @andyslavitt. Follow Alex Gibney on Twitter and Instagram @alexgibneyfilm. ...