The MHA released a new episode of the MiCare Champion Cast, which features interviews each month with experts in Michigan discussing key issues that impact healthcare and the health of communities.
The December 2023 episode, released during National Influenza Vaccination Week, features Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, MD, MPH, FIDSA, chief medical executive for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and Dr. Matthew Denenberg, MD, pediatric emergency medicine physician at Corewell Health.
The episode explores vaccine misinformation, common misconceptions and tips for patients and providers to navigate vaccine hesitancy. Bagdasarian, who serves as a cabinet member of Gov. Whitmer, kicks off the episode with a statewide look at routine childhood immunization rates in Michigan.
“In 2017, our statewide vaccination coverage rate was almost 76% for children between the ages of 19 and 35 months,” noted Bagdasarian. “Now we’re down to about 66% in that age group for things like measles, mumps, rubella…vaccines that have been around for decades.”
Denenberg, interviewed later in the episode, shares his insight on pediatric respiratory illness from the hospital perspective, recalling the 2022 ‘tripledemic’ that led to a surge in pediatric COVID-19, flu and RSV hospitalizations.
“Last year was particularly severe…the worst I’ve seen in my 30 years,” said Denenberg. “It’s important to get vaccinations not only for the health and safety of a child, but for the community around them. As providers, we need to work with our patients and families so that they trust us, trust in the science and trust in the vaccines.”
Both Bagdasarian and Denenberg noted it’s not too late in the season to get vaccinated against the flu, COVID-19 and RSV if eligible. To find more information about the 2023-2024 flu season and ensure everyone in the family is up-to-date on routine immunizations, visit the MDHHS website. To find a vaccine nearby, visit Vaccines.gov.
The December episode is available to stream on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts and SoundCloud. Questions or idea submissions for future MiCare Champion Cast episodes can be sent to Lucy Ciaramitaro at the MHA.