Katelyn Jetelina, Ph.D., MPH, is our sort of public well being skilled.
As an epidemiologist, she research patterns and causes of illness in public well being (e.g., Covid), and she or he’s tremendous obsessed with sharing evidence-based info with anybody who’s .
Her free weekly publication, Your Native Epidemiologist, breaks down difficult public well being details in a pleasant, simple to grasp manner. She began the publication throughout Covid, and it rapidly turned the go-to useful resource for dependable info in the course of the pandemic. Right now, about 230,000 individuals in 100 international locations subscribe to Your Native Epidemiologist, and Time journal named Jetelina one of many 100 most influential individuals in well being in 2024.
Since Covid, Jetelina’s publication has advanced to incorporate completely different public well being subjects, together with vitamin and new analysis. Right here’s our interview with Jetelina and her ideas on the chook flu and the brand new tips for what’s thought-about a “wholesome” meals.
Our interview follows, edited for readability and size.
HealthyWomen: Your web site says, “Through the day, I put on many hats, together with scientific marketing consultant to a lot of organizations, together with the CDC. At evening, I write this text.” Why is it essential to you to place this text out?
Dr. Jetelina: I stumbled upon doing this text in the course of the pandemic — and I did not suppose it might be wanted to be executed for very lengthy, however right here I’m 5 years into it, and it is nonetheless alive and nicely — and it’s filling an enormous hole.
I imply, there’s not sufficient individuals being attentive to considerations on the bottom, and there’s a whole lot of confusion and questions that should be answered in a well timed and comprehensible method. And so, I am exploring that area.
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HealthyWomen: We all know that you just’re working to get the details on the market about why vaccines are so essential. What do you wish to say to individuals who nonetheless have considerations concerning the Covid vaccine?
Dr. Jetelina: I feel that there’s going to be much more questions on vaccines — even past Covid — as we enter this new period in U.S. politics, and I feel it’s OK to have questions. I need individuals to have questions. However what I am most involved about is individuals getting evidence-based info. What we all know from the vaccines available on the market is that they’re far safer than getting the illness themselves — whether or not it is Covid or measles or whooping cough — you identify it. Vaccines are the perfect instrument we now have in our toolkit to reside a wholesome and affluent life.
HealthyWomen: We’re in the midst of flu, RSV and Covid season. Is it too late to get vaccinated now (asking for a buddy)?
Dr. Jetelina: We’re within the top of respiratory season proper now, and it is really not too late to get vaccinated. If we’re peaking now or subsequent week, that also means we now have to go down the wave as nicely, and flu is infamous for being drawn out as a result of completely different strains turn out to be dominant later in spring.
So, no, it’s not too late to get vaccinated — particularly for flu and Covid.
Learn: Is it Covid, RSV or the Flu? >>
HealthyWomen: Earlier this yr, an individual in Louisiana died from the H5N1 chook flu. How involved ought to we be concerning the chook flu?
Dr. Jetelina: To the typical American, that is one thing that you ought to be being attentive to, but it surely’s not a five-alarm emergency prefer it was with Covid. And there is not a lot individuals can do, proper? Don’t drink unpasteurized milk. Don’t contact wild birds and animals that look sick. Proper now, it isn’t an emergency and threat is actually not uniform. [Editor’s Note: People who come in contact with birds, poultry and livestock have the most risk of exposure.]
HealthyWomen: Are you able to speak slightly bit concerning the function the American food plan performs in continual illness, particularly for ladies?
Dr. Jetelina: Food regimen is extremely essential to maintain us wholesome. It is one of many issues that assist with our immune methods and having a dietary, balanced food plan is likely one of the issues we will do for our well being.
HealthyWomen: In a latest publication, you talked about that beginning in February, if an organization needs to assert their meals product is “wholesome,” it should show two issues: The meals incorporates a certain quantity of one of many 5 meals teams, and the meals cannot exceed added sugar, sodium or saturated fats limits primarily based on the meals and its typically consumed quantities. What are your ideas on the change, and do you suppose it would have an effect on what individuals suppose is wholesome to eat?
Dr. Jetelina: It could. I feel that there is a whole lot of completely different levers that may be pulled. For instance behavioral levers, like having a warning system on meals identical to we now have for cigarette packs might actually assist with the schooling round what’s nutrient-dense meals and what’s not.
It is very complicated for lots of people on the market. I feel what I am most enthusiastic about although, is the oblique levers that we’ll have on corporations: to do higher at creating and distributing wholesome meals. And so, I feel it is going to be an oblique instrument to maintain corporations and business accountable.
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