NEW IMMIGRANT JOINING US NOW IS
DOCTOR LEANA WEN WELCOME TO THE
SHOW THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
JOINING US HERE TODAY AND WHAT
WE HAVE TO
KNOW WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION
BEHIND WRITING THIS BOOK AND
CAN YOU TOUCH ON SOME OF THE
KEY POINTS THAT YOU WANTED TO
CONVEY TO READERS.
>> ABSOLUTELY GOOD MORNING.
IT'S GREAT TO
JOIN YOU. I INITIALLY WROTE
THIS BOOK BECAUSE I WAS THE
HEALTH COMMISSIONER FOR THE
CITY OF BALTIMORE AND I WAS SO
PROUD OF THE WORK THAT
WE DID AND YET I DON'T THINK A
LOT OF PEOPLE REALIZED ABOUT
ALL THE GREAT THINGS THE PUBLIC
HEALTH DOES EVERY DAY THAT'S
LIFESAVING AND LIFE CHANGING
FOR EXAMPLE IN BALTIMORE.
I ISSUED A BLANKET PRESCRIPTION
FOR THE OPIOID ANTIDOTE
NALOXONE TO EVERY SINGLE
RESIDENT IN
OUR CITY AND A 3 YEAR
PERIOD EVERYDAY RESIDENTS USED
NALOXONE TO SAVE THE LIVES OF
MORE THAN 3,000 FAMILY MEMBERS
AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
WE ALSO HAD ANOTHER PROGRAM
THAT'S STILL GOING STRONG NOW
COULD BE MORE FOR HEALTHY
BABIES THAT'S REDUCED TO THE
INFANT MORTALITY IN OUR CITY BY
38% IN A
SEVEN-YEAR PERIOD. AND I WANTED
TO ILLUSTRATE THESE STORIES AND
SHOW PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT PUBLIC
HEALTH DOES
EVERY DAY. NOW WHY WAS READING
THE BOOK ALSO REALIZE THAT IN A
WAY MY OWN STORY YOU MENTIONED
THAT I'M AN IMMIGRANT MY
PARENTS AND I CAME TO TO THE
U.S. FROM
CHINA N JUST BEFORE I TURNED 8
AND WE CAME WITH $40 TO HER IN
A WAY
OUR STORY IS ALSO A STORY OF
PUBLIC HEALTH BECAUSE PUBLIC
HEALTH WAS ALSO LIFE
CHANGING FOR US AS
AND IN THE TIME OF COVID WHEN
PEOPLE HAVE REALLY BEEN HEARING
ABOUT THE FAILURES OF PUBLIC
HEALTH. I WANTED TO PUT HOPEFUL
PICTURE ON END AND SHOW PEOPLE
WHY IT IS THE PUBLIC HEALTH
MATTER SO MUCH IN OUR LIVES AND
IT'S THIS PARTY.
>> A QUOTE THAT YOU OFTEN SAY
PUBLIC HEALTH SAVE YOUR LIFE
TODAY. YOU JUST DON'T KNOW IT
EXPLAIN WHAT YOU MEAN BY THAT
PHRASE.
>> PUBLIC HEALTH IS ALL ABOUT
PREVENTION WHICH BY DEFINITION
MEANS THAT WHEN WE ARE
SUCCESSFUL. NO ONE HEARS ABOUT
IT YOU CAN PICTURE IT CHILD WHO
WAS TRAGICALLY LEAD POISONED
BUT WHAT ABOUT A CHILD WHO
COULD HAVE BEEN LEAD POISONED
IF NOT FOR THE HOME REMEDIATION
THAT WE DID TO REMOVE DANGEROUS
LEAD PAINT. YOU CAN SEE THE
PICTURE OF SOMEBODY WHO
WAS SHOT, BUT BUT WHAT ABOUT
SOMEONE WHO WAS THE BENEFICIARY
OF A COMMUNITY VIOLENCE
PREVENTION PROGRAM THAT STOPPED
THE SHOOTING IN THE FIRST PLACE
I MEAN THIS IS THE FRUSTRATION
OF PUBLIC HEALTH IN RUNNING THE
HOST OF A
I WAS ALWAYS
EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED THAT WE
DID ALL THIS GREAT WORK.
BUT WHEN IT CAME TIME TO DECIDE
THE BUDGET
OURS WAS ALWAYS THE FIRST ON
THE CHOPPING BLOCK BECAUSE
ELECTED LEADERS DON'T OFTEN SEE
HIM SOMETHING
THAT LITERALLY DIDN'T HAPPEN
AND SO IN A SENSE. I WROTE THE
BOOK TO TRY TO MAKE THE CASE
FOR PUBLIC HEALTH THAT WHAT
EVERY ISSUE DOES THAT YOU CARE
ABOUT WHETHER IT'S EDUCATION
WITH THE
OR OR PUBLIC
THAT PUBLIC HEALTH IS ESSENTIAL
TO ADDRESSING EACH AND EVERY
ONE OF THESE ISSUES.
>> I LOVE THAT YOU'VE BEEN ON
THE FRONT LINES OF FIGHTING THE
OPIOID EPIDEMIC AS YOU'RE
MENTIONING THROUGH YOUR OWN
STORY
A MOMENT AGO AS WELL THROUGH
PRIOR POSITIONS WITHIN
BALTIMORE TO IMPROVING THAT AND
CHILD HEALTH. LESSONS HAVE YOU
LEARNED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF
PUBLIC HEALTH.
>> ONE IMPORTANT LESSON THAT WE
HAVE SEEN DURING COVID-19 IS
HOW COVID DID NOT CREATE
HEALTH DISPARITIES THE HEALTH
DISPARITIES ALWAYS BEEN HERE
BECAUSE OF SYSTEMIC INEQUITIES
BUT COVID CERTAINLY UNMASKED
THESE ISSUES AND I THINK IN
ORDER TO OVERCOME THEM. WE HAVE
TO FIRST START BY ACKNOWLEDGING
THAT DISPARITIES ARE NOT A
0 SUM GAME. YOU DON'T ADD YEARS
OF LIFE FROM ONE GROUP OF
PEOPLE AND SUBTRACTED FROM
ANOTHER ACTUALLY THIS IS A CASE
OF ALL BOATS RISE.
YOU FOCUS ON HELPING THE MOST
VULNERABLE YOU INTENTIONAL
FOCUS ON EQUITY THAT'S
SOMETHING THAT
HELPS EVERYONE ON THE OTHER
HAND IF YOU DON'T FOCUS ON
WHICH IS GOING TO SEE THE
DISPARITIES GAP WIDENED EVEN
MORE AND SO I MENTIONED ARE
PROGRAMMABLE 12 PEOPLE FOR
HEALTHY BABIES
FOR EXAMPLE, SUCH A GREAT
PROGRAM THAT WE REDUCE INFANT
MORTALITY CITYWIDE 38%
BUT ALSO CRITICALLY BECAUSE WE
HAD AN EQUITY GOAL, WE ALSO
REDUCED THE DISPARITY BETWEEN
BLACK AND WHITE INFANT
MORTALITY BUT OVER 50% IN THAT
SAME TIME PERIOD WHICH I THINK
IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT
ILLUSTRATES THAT YOU CAN DO
BOTH YOU CAN IMPROVE HEALTH FOR
EVERYONE, BUT ALSO FOCUS ON
SING DISPARITIES AS WELL.
ANOTHER LESSON LEARNED,
ESPECIALLY AS IT APPLIES TO DE
TO COVID IS THAT PUBLIC HEALTH.
YES, OF COURSE
COLORS NEEDS TO BE BASED ON
SCIENCE IN HIS BIG I DID BY
SCIENCE BUT GOOD PUBLIC HEALTH
ISN'T JUST ABOUT THE SCIENCE
YOU CAN GET THE SCIENCE RIGHT.
BUT IF YOU GET THE POLICY AND
COMMUNICATION WRONG. YOU HAVE
FAILED BECAUSE ULTIMATELY
PUBLIC HEALTH PENS ON WINNING
HEARTS AND MINDS, IT DEPENDS ON
WINNING OVER THE PUBLIC'S TRUST
AND I THINK WE HAVE SEEN DURING
COVID HOW MUCH WHEN THAT PUBLIC
TRUST IS ERODED HOW DIFFICULT
IT IS TO GET BACK.
>> GUARDS THAT COVID-19 HAS
SPARKED SO MUCH MISINFORMATION
AND FEAR IN OUR SOCIETY THAT
IT'S CREATED
A DOUBLE BY WHY DO YOU THINK
THAT THERE'S STILL SUCH A
HEIGHTENED LEVEL OF VACCINE
HESITANCY AMONG THOSE WHO I'VE
NOT BEEN VACCINATED AND WHY
THERE'S STILL DISTRUST
OR MISTRUST IN THE COVID
VACCINES THAT ARE OUT THERE
RIGHT NOW THAT HAVE BEEN
APPROVED FOR EMERGENCY USE.
>> YEAH, I TOUCH UPON
THIS IN LIFE LINES AS WELL
ABOUT THE POLARIZATION IN
THIS COUNTRY. I MEAN EVEN IF WE
HAVE SOMETHING LIKE MASKS WHICH
TO ME IS JUST A PIECE OF CLOTH.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT DOCTORS
HAVE BEEN WEARING FOR MANY
YEARS AND HOSPITALS TO SEE THAT
MASKS HAVE SOME HELP TO
COME THIS SYMBOL OF CULTURE
WARS INSTEAD OF WHAT THEY ARE
WHICH IS PROTECTING YOU AND
PROTECTING OTHERS. NOW WE'RE
SEEING THE SAME THING
REFLECTING OF SCENES AND YOU
KNOW I I THINK WHY THERE'S
VACCINE HESITANCY IS
COMPLICATED. IT COMES DOWN TO
THIS I MEAN JUST THERE ARE SOME
PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY
ANTI-VAXERS WERE ACTIVELY
SPREADING DISINFORMATION BUT
WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHY MANY
PEOPLE ARE STILL NOT GETTING
THE VACCINE. IT COMES DOWN TO
ONE THING. THEY SAY THAT THEY
ARE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE
VACCINE. AND THEY ARE ABOUT
THE VIRUS WHICH OBVIOUSLY IS
BACKWARDS BUT IF WE UNPACK THAT
A LITTLE BIT AND IT'S THAT
THEY'VE HEARD ISSA FORMATION
ABOUT
THE VACCINE. AND AT THE SAME
TIME THEY'RE NOT SURE HOW
SERIOUS COVID REALLY IS AND HOW
BIG OF A PROBLEM IT REALLY IS
SO YOU COMBINE THESE 2 THINGS
TOGETHER AND PEOPLE ARE NOT
GETTING VACCINATED AND IT'S SO
TRAGIC BECAUSE SO MANY OF THEM
PEOPLE ARE NOT GETTING BACK
SUDDEN NOW OUR PARENTS
AND I HAVE 2 LITTLE KIDS I TALK
A LOT ABOUT MOTHERHOOD IN MY
BOOK LIFELINES AND I JUST
CANNOT IMAGINE THAT IT'S SO
HEARTBREAKING TO SEE AND TO
THINK ABOUT THE KIDS
WHO MIGHT BE ORPHANS FOR MIGHT
BE LOSING ONE OR BOTH PARENTS
BECAUSE OF THE DISAPPROVE MASON
OF MISINFORMATION THAT THERE
IS.
>> DOCTOR WHEN WE THINK ABOUT
THE DELTA VARIANT RIGHT NOW HOW
IS THAT CHANGING THE PUBLIC
HEALTH. PLAY BALL.
>> WELL THE DELTA VARIANT IS BY
FAR THE MOST CONTAGIOUS VARIANT
OF COVID-19 THAT WE'VE SEEN
WHICH BY THE WAY THE
ORIGINAL STRAIN. CAUSED A
GLOBAL PANDEMIC IS STILL
SOMETHING THAT'S EVEN MORE
CONTAGIOUS THAN THAT IS
CERTAINLY VERY CONCERNING.
I THINK THAT WE NEED
TO KEEP OUR FOCUS ON
VACCINATION BECAUSE ULTIMATELY
THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO GET US
OUT OF THIS PANDEMIC
YES WE SHOULD FOCUS ASKING FOR
NOW INDOOR SPACES, ESPECIALLY
IN AREAS OF HIGH COMMUNITY
TRANSMISSION. BUT ULTIMATELY
THE ISSUE
IS THAT WE HAVE THE SURGE OF
THE DELTA VARIANT'S BECAUSE
PEOPLE DIDN'T GET VACCINATED IN
THE FIRST PLACE. AND I I LOOK
BACK AT THE SURGES THAT WE HAVE
FOR LAST LAST WINTER.
I MEAN WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS
EXTREMELY POWERFUL TOOL THEN WE
DO I THINK THAT'S THE MOST
HEARTBREAKING PART OF IT THAT
WE CAN ACTUALLY END THIS
PANDEMIC WE CAN STOP THE SPREAD
OF FUTURE VARIANTS THAT MAY BE
EVEN WORSE. BUT IT REALLY
DEPENDS ON US GETTING PEOPLE
VACCINATED THEM JUST LASTLY
WELL.
>> HAVE YOU DOCTOR YOU RECENTLY
WROTE AN OP ED IN THE
WASHINGTON POST WHEN YOU SAY
WHILE DELTA DOES CHANGE
THE RISK CALCULUS IT DOESN'T
MEAN THAT WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO
HUNKERING DOWN AT HOME YOU WERE
TALKING ABOUT VACCINATED PEOPLE
HERE EXPLAIN HOW VACCINATED
PEOPLE SHOULD CHANGE THEIR WAY
OF LIVING IN THE NEAR TERM.
>> IT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND I
THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S
BEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE'S MINDS
BECAUSE FRANKLY I THINK THE
LATEST CDC GUIDANCE
HAS BEEN A BIG CONFUSING
THERE'S BEEN A LOT THAT'S
CHANGING SO I BREAK IT DOWN TO
THIS CONSIDER YOUR MEDICAL RISK
AND THE MEDICAL RISK OF PEOPLE
IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD IF YOU'RE
VACCINATED SO IF YOU'RE
VACCINATED EVERYBODY A HOUSE
THAT IS VACCINATED AND
EVERYBODY IS GENERALLY HOPING
YOU COULD SAY THE VACCINES
PROTECT BE 25 TIMES FROM
GETTING SEVERE ILLNESS. TIMES
FROM CONTRACTING COVID
I AM HAPPY TO TAKE THAT RISK
AND UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS
RISK BUT I WANT TO RESUME MY
PREPANDEMIC LIKE I DON'T WANT
TO CHANGE ANYTHING FROM WHAT
I'VE BEEN DOING THESE LAST
SEVERAL MONTHS. I THINK THAT'S
REASONABLE. IT'S ALSO VERY
REASONABLE AND ADVISABLE FOR
PEOPLE LIKE WITH CHILDREN TO
WE'RE GOING TO TAKE
SOME EXTRA PRECAUTIONS WE STILL
WANT TO DO THE THINGS WE WANT
TO DO BUT WE'RE GOING TO REDUCE
RISK SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF I'M
GOING TO THE GYM.
GO DURING OFF HOURS WHEN I CAN
EASILY PHYSICAL DISTANCE IF I'M
GOING TO AN
INDOOR SETTING. I'M GOING TO BE
WEARING A MASK BECAUSE I DON'T
WANT TO CONTRACT COVID IN THESE
INDOOR PUBLIC SETTINGS AND
BRING IT HOME TO MY FAMILY.
I THINK THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF
COMMON SENSE THINGS THAT WE CAN
DO WE CAN TRAVEL, BUT MAKE SURE
THAT WE'RE WEARING AN N 95 OR
KN 95 MASK WHILE WE'RE ON
PLANES AND TRAINS SAID AROUND.
I THINK THIS WHAT WE NEED TO
LIVE WITH THE VIRUS AND FOCUS
ON THE FACT THAT THE
UNVACCINATED ARE
THE ISSUE RESTRICTING THE
ACTIVITIES OF THE VACCINATED
IT'S STILL GOING TO GET A SCARY
FAR AND WE REALLY NEED TO FOCUS
ON HELPING THOSE WHO ARE
UNVACCINATED TO
DO SO.
>> DOCTOR LEANA WEN EMERGENCY
PHYSICIAN AND PUBLIC HEALTH
PROFESSOR AT GEORG