The Dose

A U.S. federal vaccine advisory panel has voted to drop its long-standing recommendation for universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth. In Canada, most infants don’t receive the vaccine until two months of age, with some exceptions. It can all be a bit confusing. So Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Alberta Hospital, explains what Canadians should know about when to get vaccinated for hepatitis B.

Researchers say a shingles vaccine could slow the progression of dementia and lower the risk of dying from it. Earlier this year, they produced the strongest evidence yet that the vaccine might reduce the risk of getting dementia in the first place. Dr. Nathan Stall, a clinician scientist and geriatrics lead at Sinai Health explains why shingles may be linked to cognitive decline and how a shingles vaccine could help.

A new variant of H3N2 may mean a more severe flu season in Canada, and this year's flu vaccine may not be quite as effective against it. Dr. Stephanie Smith, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Alberta Hospital, explains what you should watch for this flu season, why you should still get vaccinated, and how else you can protect yourself.For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. For more episodes of this podcast, click this link.

Canadians are some of the biggest users of antidepressants in the world, yet many people taking them aren’t sure when, or whether, they can safely stop. Dr. Ishrat Husain, head of the Mood Disorders Service at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, explains how long antidepressants should be used, how to taper safely, and what patients need to know before making a change. For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. For more episodes of this podcast, click this link.

With roughly five billion people flying each year, in-flight medical emergencies happen more often than you’d think. One recent study found they occur about once every 212 flights. Dr. Vincent Poirier is an emergency physician and a senior medical advisor for Air Canada and Air Transat. He explains the most common medical incidents, how airlines handle them, and what passengers should know.For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. For more episodes of this podcast, click this link.