VEC Vaccine Notes

Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Listen to “VEC Vaccine Notes,” a video and podcast series presented by the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Each episode offers vaccine information in a convenient format, so families have the answers they need to make informed decisions, including details and context that addresses what they may have heard in the news or in conversation with others. This podcast is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not to be considered as professional medical advice for your personal health or for your family's personal health. You should not use it to replace any relationship with a physician or other qualified healthcare professional. For medical concerns, including decisions about vaccinations, medications and other treatments, you should always consult your physician or, in serious cases, seek immediate assistance from emergency personnel. Clinicians must rely on their own informed clinical judgment in making recommendations to their patients. ©2026 The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

  1. 3d ago

    Hepatitis A - VEC Vaccine Notes | Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

    Charlotte Moser, Co-Director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, talks about hepatitis A and the vaccine. She explains what makes the hepatitis A virus so hardy and why everyone is at risk for infection. She addresses common questions about the opioid epidemic’s connection to outbreaks, travel precautions, and the differences between hepatitis A and B. She also discusses the relative risks and benefits of the disease and vaccine. Watch the episode to find out:  • Why virtually anyone can get hepatitis A • Links between spread of hepatitis A and the opioid epidemic • Two reasons children are recommended to get this vaccine • Why it's more difficult to know when children have hepatitis A • Details about a concerning outbreak of hepatitis A in Virginia in 2021-2022 • The difference between hepatitis as a symptom versus infection with a type of hepatitis virus • Differences between hepatitis A and hepatitis B • Information about why hepatitis A vaccine recommendations changed over time  To learn more about hepatitis A and the vaccines to prevent it, please visit https://bit.ly/vec-hepa.  Questions? Submit the VEC Vaccine Notes form, https://bit.ly/contact-vec-vaccine-notes. For other vaccines, diseases or general questions about vaccines, check out https://vaccine.chop.edu. Subscribe to our Parents PACK newsletter, https://bit.ly/3KfLUoO.

    20 min

  2. May 20

    Cholera - VEC Vaccine Notes | Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

    Charlotte Moser, Co-Director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, talks about cholera and the vaccine. She explains why vaccination is not routinely recommend and what can be done to reduce the risk of cholera. She also addresses common questions and discusses the relative risks and benefits of the disease and vaccine. Watch the episode to find out: How cholera contributed to our understanding of germ theory Steps travelers can take to protect themselves against cholera Why it is difficult to know how many cases of cholera occur annually The role of wars, natural disasters, and climate change in the rates of cholera To learn more about cholera disease and the vaccine to prevent it, please visit https://bit.ly/vec-cholera. Questions? Submit the VEC Vaccine Notes form, https://bit.ly/contact-vec-vaccine-notes. For other vaccines, diseases or general questions about vaccines, check out https://vaccine.chop.edu. Subscribe to our Parents PACK newsletter, https://bit.ly/3KfLUoO.

    9 min

  3. May 13

    Dengue - VEC Vaccine Notes | Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

    Charlotte Moser, Co-Director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, talks about dengue and the vaccines that protect against it. She explains why most people in the U.S. aren’t recommended to get the dengue vaccine, and why they can’t be vaccinated even if they are among those who could benefit from vaccination. She also addresses common questions and discusses the relative risks of dengue. Watch the episode to find out: Why a dengue vaccine that was available in the U.S. is no longer Why people can get dengue up to four times throughout their life Why only female mosquitoes bite people What antibody-dependent enhancement or ADE is What three criteria people needed to meet in order to get vaccinated against dengue when the vaccine was available To learn more about dengue disease and the vaccine to prevent it, please visit https://bit.ly/vec-dengue. Questions? Submit the VEC Vaccine Notes form, https://bit.ly/contact-vec-vaccine-notes. For other vaccines, diseases or general questions about vaccines, check out https://vaccine.chop.edu. Subscribe to our Parents PACK newsletter, https://bit.ly/3KfLUoO.

    13 min

  4. May 6

    Cytomegalovirus (CMV) - VEC Vaccine Notes | Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

    Charlotte Moser, Co-Director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, talks about cytomegalovirus, or CMV, and where things stand with vaccine development. She also addresses common questions and discusses the risks of CMV. Watch the episode to find out: Why pregnant healthcare workers in the 1980s couldn’t care for infants with CMV, but those today can (hint: It’s not because of a vaccine.) What family of viruses CMV is part of and why that is relevant when protecting against this infection About congenital CMV, the birth defects it can cause, and the numbers of infants affected each year How long young children can spread this virus after infection (hint: It’s measured in years.) Which current childhood vaccine has similar goals to those that would be expected from a CMV vaccine To learn more about CMV disease and the vaccine to prevent it, please visit https://bit.ly/vec-cmv. Questions? Submit the VEC Vaccine Notes form, https://bit.ly/contact-vec-vaccine-notes. For other vaccines, diseases or general questions about vaccines, check out https://vaccine.chop.edu. Subscribe to our Parents PACK newsletter, https://bit.ly/3KfLUoO.

    12 min

  5. Apr 29

    Smallpox - VEC Vaccine Notes | Vaccine Education Center at CHOP

    Charlotte Moser, Co-Director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, talks about smallpox — a disease that killed 300 million people prior to vaccination. She discusses the successful eradication of smallpox virus through vaccination and addresses common questions as well as the relative risks and benefits. Watch the episode to find out about: The role of smallpox in shaping history The progression of smallpox rash when a person is infected What was done in the homes of survivors and why Variolation, Jenner and when vaccination for smallpox ended in the U.S. Two vaccines, why only one is currently licensed for use, and why it is still recommended for some people today (hint: it’s not all about smallpox) To learn more about smallpox disease and the vaccine to prevent it, please visit https://bit.ly/vec-smallpox. Questions? Submit the VEC Vaccine Notes form, https://bit.ly/contact-vec-vaccine-notes. For other vaccines, diseases or general questions about vaccines, check out https://vaccine.chop.edu. Subscribe to our Parents PACK newsletter, https://bit.ly/3KfLUoO.

    22 min

  6. Apr 22

    Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) - VEC Vaccine Notes | Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

    Charlotte Moser, Co-Director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, talks about Haemophilus influenzae type b, or Hib, and the vaccines that protect against it. She also addresses common questions and discusses the relative risks and benefits of the disease and vaccines. Watch the episode to find out: About the special teams hospitals had when Hib was more common and why The difference between Haemophilus influenzae type b and influenza Where Hib bacteria can be found in some healthy people The difference between viral and bacterial meningitis To learn more about Hib disease and the vaccine to prevent it, please visit https://bit.ly/vec-hib. Questions? Submit the VEC Vaccine Notes form, https://bit.ly/contact-vec-vaccine-notes. For other vaccines, diseases or general questions about vaccines, check out https://vaccine.chop.edu. Subscribe to our Parents PACK newsletter, https://bit.ly/3KfLUoO.

    10 min

  7. Apr 15

    Meningococcus - VEC Vaccine Notes | Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

    Charlotte Moser, Co-Director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, talks about meningococcus and the vaccines that protect against it. She also addresses common questions and discusses the relative risks and benefits of the disease and vaccines. Watch the episode to find out: Why meningococcus demonstrates the limits of focusing only on treatment and not prevention Death rates from meningococcal-induced meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord) and sepsis (bloodstream infection) The ages of greatest risk and why The types of lifelong effects that people can experience Why a meningococcal type B vaccine was more difficult to develop than vaccines against the other types (A, C, W, Y) A comparison between viral and bacterial meningitis To learn more about meningococcus disease and the vaccine to prevent it, please visit https://bit.ly/vec-mening. Questions? Submit the VEC Vaccine Notes form, https://bit.ly/contact-vec-vaccine-notes. For other vaccines, diseases or general questions about vaccines, check out https://vaccine.chop.edu. Subscribe to our Parents PACK newsletter, https://bit.ly/3KfLUoO.

    19 min

  8. Mar 11

    Tuberculosis (TB) - VEC Vaccine Notes | Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

    Charlotte Moser, Co-Director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, talks about tuberculosis, also known as TB, and the vaccine that protects against it. She also addresses common questions and discusses the relative risks and benefits of the disease and vaccine. Watch the episode to find out: The dubious distinction TB holds among infectious diseases The two forms the disease can take in people The parts of the body that can be infected and the different symptoms that can result The pros and cons of the different TB tests Some of the considerations around antibiotic treatment To learn more about TB disease and the vaccine to prevent it, please visit https://bit.ly/vec-tb. Questions? Submit the VEC Vaccine Notes form, https://bit.ly/contact-vec-vaccine-notes. For other vaccines, diseases or general questions about vaccines, check out https://vaccine.chop.edu. Subscribe to our Parents PACK newsletter, https://bit.ly/3KfLUoO.

    15 min
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About

Listen to “VEC Vaccine Notes,” a video and podcast series presented by the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Each episode offers vaccine information in a convenient format, so families have the answers they need to make informed decisions, including details and context that addresses what they may have heard in the news or in conversation with others. This podcast is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not to be considered as professional medical advice for your personal health or for your family's personal health. You should not use it to replace any relationship with a physician or other qualified healthcare professional. For medical concerns, including decisions about vaccinations, medications and other treatments, you should always consult your physician or, in serious cases, seek immediate assistance from emergency personnel. Clinicians must rely on their own informed clinical judgment in making recommendations to their patients. ©2026 The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Information

  • Creator
    Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    VEC Vaccine Notes

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