LSHTM Viral

Jan 29 2025 60 ep. 22 mins 232
LSHTM Viral Podcast artwork

An award-winning podcast focusing on the science behind public and global health, and solutions to improve health and health equity worldwide. Brought to you from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

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HMPV: Should we be concerned about this ‘new’ virus?

Jan 29 2025 12 mins  
In this bonus episode of LSHTM Viral, we explore human metapneumovirus (HMPV), a respiratory virus recently making headlines due to an outbreak in China and rising cases in the UK. But is this something we should be worried about? Host Karl Byrne is joined by Professor Martin Hibberd, an expert in emerging infectious diseases at LSHTM, to break down what HMPV is, how it compares to

S3E10: Season 3 reflections and goodbye for now!

Aug 13 2021 6 mins  
Join Amy and Karl as they reflect on the LSHTM Viral season 3. They discuss how far have we come with vaccinations worldwide and key takeaways from the expert discussions throughout the season. Thank you to all the experts who appeared on the podcast and the dedicated LSHTM Viral listeners that helped LSHTM Viral win a Gold CASE Award for Digital Communications (Frequent Podcast Ca

S3E9: Where are we with COVID-19 vaccines and what’s next?

Jul 21 2021 25 mins  
In this episode of LSHTM Viral, Karl Byrne speaks with Beate Kampmann, Professor of Paediatric Infection & Immunity and Director of the Vaccine Centre at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. They delve into the future of vaccines, our perception of risk and how vaccination programmes are going to be monitored in the future. Beate answers burning audience questi

S3E8: Vaccine equity - it's not over everywhere unless we share

Jun 01 2021 38 mins  
The explosive COVID-19 outbreak in India has shone a striking light on one of the biggest moral issues of our time - vaccine equity. Subsequent halting of vaccine exports is severely affecting Africa and developing countries, and although 1.9 billion doses have been administered globally, many developing countries are yet to receive a single dose. In this episode we are joined by t

S3E7: Signed, sealed, delivered - vaccine purchasing and distribution

May 20 2021 28 mins  
How do countries get access to COVID-19 vaccines in the first place? In this episode, Prof Daniel Bausch of LSHTM shares his thoughts on the global vaccine purchasing and distribution systems. An expert in the control of emerging viruses, Dan also discusses with host Naomi Stewart what the focus on COVID-19 means for other vaccination programmes and trials, how the pandemic may end

S3E6: From lab to jab - How to make a vaccine

May 11 2021 16 mins  
This week, Karl Byrne talks about the latest vaccination figures as well as other breaking COVID-19 news, including an exciting citizen science project where over the last year gamers playing EVE Online- a massively multiplayer online role-playing game, have carried out real world research that would have taken scientists over 330 years to complete. In our main feature, Karl tells

S3E5: Who gives the green light for COVID-19 vaccines anyway?

Apr 20 2021 22 mins  
Who are the experts and groups around the world approving and regulating the new COVID-19 vaccines? And what do they need to consider amidst the urgency of vaccinating the world? In this episode ahead of World Immunization Week, Naomi Stewart speaks to Prof Annelies Wilder-Smith from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Prof Smith sits on WHO’s Strategic Advisory

S3E4: How do we know vaccines are safe?

Apr 08 2021 19 mins  
In this episode we explore the crucial stages of clinical trials and testing vaccines. How do clinical trials account for different demographics? How do we know vaccines are safe for everyone? We are joined by Dr Ed Parker, Research Fellow at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and member of the Vaccine Centre. Ed walks us through the purpose of a clinical trial an

S3E3: What's in a vaccine?

Mar 24 2021 31 mins  
Vaccines have arguably made the greatest contribution to global health of any human intervention apart from the introduction of clean water and sanitation. With new vaccines being developed at an incredible rate to tackle the current pandemic, we take a look at how vaccines work and what goes into each shot. Karl is joined by Helen Fletcher, Professor of Immunology at LSHTM, to tak

S3E2: A brief history of vaccines

Mar 09 2021 33 mins  
How did vaccines come to be and how have they changed over time? In today's episode, Naomi Stewart speaks to historian Dr Gareth Millward from the University of Warwick, on the history of vaccines and how vaccination programmes have evolved in the 20th century. Professor Liam Smeeth from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine then walks us through the vaccine landscap