Hi there! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger ("Germ") & Chris Sanford ("Worm") welcome special guest Dr. Zachary Rubin who will answer your travel health questions focused on vaccines:

• When it comes to immunity, which is better: Natural or Vaccine-induced?
• How many vaccines at once are too many?
• Does jet lag suppress my immune system?
• We plan to travel to Costa Rica with our sons who are 9 and 7 years old. Why do they need to be immunized before travel for all these rare diseases we never see anymore?
• What consequences do you worry about regarding immunizations or immunology science because of funding cuts at HHS, FDA, CDC, NIH?
• There are a ton of supplements on the market claiming to boost my immune system. Do any of them work?
• I just got assigned to travel to India for work–I need to leave in 36 hours from now, and I’m scrambling to get my shots before I go! Will they still work for me at this late date?
• My doctor tells me that getting a COVID-19 booster is important before my upcoming trip around the world… but I really worry about what it could do to my DNA. What does Dr. Rubin say about that?
• From Darlene in Portland: MMR vaccine: safe or poison? Why all the social media buzz? RFK, Jr. says he’s going to find the cause of autism ASAP. Your thoughts?

Please learn more about our guest: oakbrookallergists.com, follow him on the socials @rubin_allergy, and check out his new book "All About Allergies."

We hope you enjoy this podcast! If so, please follow us on the socials @germ.and.worm, subscribe to our RSS feed and share with your friends. We would so appreciate your rating and review to help us grow our audience. And, please send us your questions and travel health anecdotes: germandworm@gmail.com.

Our Disclaimer: The Germ and Worm Podcast is designed to inform, inspire, and entertain. However, this podcast does NOT establish a doctor-patient relationship, and it should NOT replace your conversation with a qualified healthcare professional. Please see one before your next adventure. The opinions in this podcast are Dr. Rubin's, Dr. Sanford’s & Dr. Pottinger’s alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the University of Washington or UW Medicine.