TWiV explains why RFK Jr.’s proposal to let H5N1 infections in birds ‘rip’ is a bad idea, phase 1/2 trial of combined influenza/COVID mRNA vaccines, and how your first influenza virus exposure shapes the B cell response to influenza vaccination 50 years later.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Rich Condit, and Brianne Barker

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Links for this episode

• Support science education at MicrobeTV
• ASV 2025
• RFK Jr. says let H5N1 rip through flocks (NY Times)
• Combined flu/COVID mRNA vaccine (Nat Comm)
• Rare syndrome after COVID vaccination (NY Times, medRxiv)
• Imprinting lasts 50 years (Immunity)
• Imprinting protects against H5N1 and H7N9 (Science)
• Letters read on TWiV 1203
• Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!

Weekly Picks

Brianne – Node-Focal Plane Image Competition
Rich – Periodic cooking of eggs
Vincent – The use of placebo controls in clinical trials

Listener Picks

Anne – Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@microbe.tv

Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.