Infectious Dose is a science-forward podcast by virologist-turned-science-writer Heather McSharry, PhD, breaking down vaccine myths, viral threats, and public health headlines — one episode at a time.

SummaryHoliday travel is stressful enough without adding surprise stomach bugs or mid-flight fevers to the mix. In this episode of Infectious Dose, we get practical — not paranoid — about staying heal...

Infectious Dose is a science-forward podcast by virologist-turned-science-writer Heather McSharry, PhD, breaking down vaccine myths, viral threats, and public health headlines — one episode at a time.

@danielleshine.dietitian and I were all set to post our usual Halloween content until this truly horrifying (yet predictable) collaboration between die-hard MAHA influencers Moms Across America, Courtney Swan, MAHA Mommas, and the MAHA Mom Coalition dropped.Yikes. The sheer amount of misinformation packed into one post is genuinely frightening, and far too dangerous to ignore. Swipe through to see our evidence-based corrections–WITH receipts.Beware of people like this: so deeply entrenched in misinformation, pseudoscience, and conspiracy that they’ve lost sight of reality. They thrive in groups and, like a cult, are always recruiting new members.The content they produce is harmful: it’s filled with falsehoods that influence other people’s choices about health and nutrition. Deliberately discrediting qualified experts like dietitians is a calculated tactic to create distrust of evidence-based science and healthcare–a hallmark of medical conspiracism the wellness industry thrives on. Spreading misinformation about health and nutrition is reckless, dangerous, and causes preventable illness and death. When people forgo credible health interventions in favor of pseudoscience, they die more often and faster. That’s true for infectious diseases, cancer, and nutrition. MAHA influencers distract with fake risks of tap water, Wi-Fi, and cooking utensils, while their figurehead, RFK Jr, is destroying evidence-based science and public health right in front of us. Creating blanket fear of “chemicals” that don’t pose a risk to you doesn’t improve health. The truth? MAHA is not about health or safety. RFK Jr. is firing experts, gutting research and regulation, defunding food and healthcare support, and undoing decades of progress in disease prevention. That’s the real nightmare.

Explore the vaccine discovery process from ancient practices to mRNA vaccines. Learn how scientists overcame challenges to save lives.

Changes in the vaccine advisory process in the United States have disrupted immunization guidance, which reinforces the need for independent evidence review to inform decisions regarding immunizati...

American fertility rates, like those of most countries, have been dropping since about 1960 for many reasons related to broad social, economic, technological and demographic changes. At a White House ...

Looking for a new job opportunity in academia? Check out this job opening for a Postdoctoral Research Associate on jobs.ac.uk!

Country Club Elementary School in California's Bay Area canceled an author visit moments before it began. Why? It covered book bans.

Topics such as health and longevity are extremely popular on social media, as demonstrated by the success of the ‘Huberman Lab’ podcast. Timothy Caulfield, professor of health law and science policy, ...

A neurologist lectures on encephalitis lethargica—the real “sleepy sickness”—until science and nightmare blur in this Month of the Macabre episode from Infectious Dose.

More than 420 anti-science bills attacking longstanding public health protections – vaccines, milk safety and fluoride – have been introduced in statehouses across the U.S. this year.

The last Ebola patient in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was discharged today, marking an important milestone in the efforts to end the outbreak.

Scientists are hunting for ancient RNA in Svalbard’s permafrost, hoping to shed light on the evolution of viral diseases