Posts by Malia Jones, PhD MPH

If I already got the 1-dose shingles vaccine, should I get the 2-dose shingles vaccine now? March 27, 2024

Is the shingles vaccine covered under my insurance plan? January 31, 2024

I never had chickenpox as a child. Do I need the shingles vaccine? January 21, 2024

What are the side effects of the RSV vaccines for older adults? January 8, 2024

If I already got the 1-dose shingles vaccine, should I get the 2-dose shingles vaccine now? January 4, 2024

Do we know if the new RSV vaccines are safe? December 13, 2023

How common are side effects from the shingles vaccine? December 6, 2023

Why are there special flu shots for older adults? November 19, 2023

How long do flu shots last? November 12, 2023

How common are side effects from the flu vaccine? November 5, 2023

We hear so many excuses for why people haven’t gotten their flu shot! November 3, 2023

Do flu vaccines work? November 1, 2023

Honoring Indigenous People’s Day October 9, 2023

I got my flu shot and my new COVID vax at the same time. Here’s why. September 27, 2023

What’s the real-world evidence that COVID-19 vaccines for little kids work? August 24, 2023

Let’s talk about Lyme disease. . . August 5, 2023

Lone Star Ticks & Alpha Gal Syndrome August 3, 2023

Do I need malaria prevention meds on my trip to Florida? July 28, 2023

Is there an avian influenza (aka bird flu or H5N1) vaccine for humans? March 6, 2023

Do I need any special vaccinations for my upcoming trip to Costa Rica? February 27, 2023

Is there evidence that the HPV vaccine prevents cancer? January 30, 2023

Do kids need COVID-19 vaccines? January 24, 2023

Do flu shots work? December 5, 2022

How do I know if we have RSV, the flu, or COVID-19? November 14, 2022

Do flu shots work? November 5, 2022

What is this “RSV” I’ve been hearing about? November 1, 2022

Do kids need COVID-19 vaccines? October 14, 2022

Do I *really* need a COVID-19 booster? Does it matter? October 3, 2022

Am I supposed to get the updated COVID-19 booster? September 26, 2022

Hispanic Heritage Month–Check out Querida Pandemia for Spanish-language posts! September 19, 2022

How often should we be getting a vaccine against whooping cough? September 13, 2022

Omicron-updated booster shots are now available in the US! September 5, 2022

When are Omicron-specific boosters coming? August 26, 2022

Can COVID-19 trigger shingles? August 17, 2022

Those Nerdy Girls Welcome the Reproductive Health Squad August 12, 2022

How many kids are affected by Long COVID? July 29, 2022

What’s different about the Novavax vaccine? July 15, 2022

Possible Poliovirus Outbreak in UK July 8, 2022

Q&A Special: COVID-19 Vaccines for Kids Under 5 June 30, 2022

Which vaccine is best for little kids? June 23, 2022

Meet Those Nerdy Girls: Dr. Jennifer Wheeler June 16, 2022

Latest hepatitis headlines don’t tell the whole story! June 16, 2022

Meet Those Nerdy Girls: Tita Smyth Escobedo June 8, 2022

Progress Being Made on Potential mRNA Vaccine for HIV June 2, 2022

What you need to know now about monkeypox May 26, 2022

Meet Those Nerdy Girls: Maggie Hayes May 25, 2022

Is it safe to . . .?! May 20, 2022

Shingles and the Shingles Vaccine: Get the Facts May 10, 2022

Can you get COVID-19 by sharing a drink? May 3, 2022

Meet Those Nerdy Girls: Dr. Megan Madsen April 13, 2022

2nd boosters: what do we know? April 12, 2022

Dr. Jennifer Dowd Wins PAA Award! April 11, 2022

Dear Pandemic Live Q&A 04-08-22 April 9, 2022

I got J&J. Which booster should I get? April 5, 2022

Meet Those Nerdy Girls: Dr. Kristen Panthagani March 30, 2022

If an unvaccinated person gets blood from a vaccinated person, will the vaccine transfer? March 29, 2022

Meet Those Nerdy Girls – Dr. Rachael Piltch-Loeb March 23, 2022

Meet those Nerdy Girls – Dr. Chana Davis March 17, 2022

Dear Pandemic Origin Story Revisited March 14, 2022

How can I help my child understand the change to mask guidance? March 5, 2022

Do J&J vaccine recipients need a 2nd or even 3rd shot? March 4, 2022

Meet Those Nerdy Girls – Joanna Dreifus February 22, 2022

What is Long COVID or PASC? February 14, 2022

If I got Sputnik for my initial vaccine, should I get a booster? What kind? February 7, 2022

I found out I was exposed to COVID-19. How long do I have to quarantine? February 2, 2022

Chlorine dioxide can’t prevent or cure COVID-19 (but it can cause liver failure). January 29, 2022

Epstein-Barr Virus & Multiple Sclerosis January 24, 2022

Antigen tests: explained. January 17, 2022

Welp, I have COVID. When can I stop worrying about giving it to other people? January 10, 2022

The kids’ vaccine appointment is tomorrow, but the school just told us they were exposed. January 5, 2022

Can I boost with an mRNA vaccine if I got Sinovac or Sinopharm originally? December 18, 2021

Vaccines aren’t perfect, but they’re very good. December 9, 2021

Update on Novavax December 6, 2021

Healthy Diet & Exercise vs. COVID Vaccination? Try both! November 29, 2021

Have you heard anything about when boosters might be approved for children ages 12 to 17? November 22, 2021

So wild deer are widely infected with the virus that causes COVID-19… what does that mean for hunters? November 18, 2021

Deer in the U.S. have the virus that causes COVID-19. November 15, 2021

Pfizer-BioNTech’s FDA-approved vaccine, Comirnaty, *IS* available in the United States. November 9, 2021

Those Nerdy Girls tackle your questions about vaccines for 5-11-yr-olds November 8, 2021

The FDA is underestimating the benefits of COVID vaccines for kids. November 4, 2021

Trick-or-Treat is a GO!! October 30, 2021

The world’s first malaria vaccine is huge without being perfect. October 9, 2021

Dear Pandemic COVID Boosters Live Q&A October 2, 2021

FDA will review the Pfizer vaccine for kids ages 5-11 on October 26!! October 1, 2021

J&J Vaccine: Real-world effectiveness and booster update September 27, 2021

Coxsackieviruses: They’re almost as unpleasant as they sound! September 7, 2021

“Endemic” Explainer September 1, 2021

Should I lie to get my not-yet-12-year-old vaccinated before school starts? August 12, 2021

Pandemic Heroines in the Kids’ Vaccine Trials August 7, 2021

You’ve got to be kidding me: Monkeypox?! July 20, 2021

Update on RSV Infections July 13, 2021

Did the World Health Organization say that kids should NOT get the vaccine? July 6, 2021

Update on Delta variant in the UK June 30, 2021

The vaccines are very effective! June 29, 2021

What is burnout? June 29, 2021

Infographics for Parents of Kids Under 12 June 14, 2021

“Prebunking” offers strong immunity to fake news. June 12, 2021

Pfizer moves forward testing a little-kid vaccine at lower doses! June 9, 2021

Masks and Summer Camps for Kids June 1, 2021

Do kids still have to wear masks? May 29, 2021

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A May 22, 2021

Has the coronavirus been isolated? May 19, 2021

Herd Immunity – Are we there yet? May 15, 2021

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A May 15, 2021

Nerdy Girl Announcements – May 7, 2021 May 7, 2021

When we get to 70% vaccinated, this will instantly be over–right? May 2, 2021

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A May 1, 2021

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A April 24, 2021

What’s the definition of a vaccine? April 19, 2021

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A April 17, 2021

I got the J&J shot and now I’m freaking out… what should I do? April 14, 2021

If we have never achieved herd immunity with the flu, the common cold and many other diseases, what makes it possible to reach herd immunity with COVID-19? April 11, 2021

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A April 10, 2021

Does 95% efficacy mean I have a 5% chance of catching COVID after I’m vaccinated? April 8, 2021

Is the J&J 1-dose vaccine really as good as the 2-dose vaccines? April 4, 2021

What do I need to know about health insurance changes rolling out this week? April 1, 2021

The CDC says there may be malaria where we want to go?! What do I need to know about malaria? March 30, 2021

Based on information gathered from Emily Oster’s recent article in The Atlantic, can I consider it safe for children to travel and have unmasked/indoor playdates, especially looking ahead to summer? March 25, 2021

CDC Guidance on What Fully Vaccinated People Can Safely Do March 22, 2021

I’m fully vaccinated, but my kids are not. What does the new United States CDC guidance for fully vaccinated people say about our situation? I am so confused. March 20, 2021

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A March 20, 2021

Should we be sanitizing our groceries or letting them sit to “decontaminate” before we put them away? March 15, 2021

Meet Those Nerdy Girls – Dr. Michelle Kinder March 14, 2021

1st Anniversary NG FB Live 3/13/21 March 13, 2021

Happy birthday, Dear Pandemic! 3/13/21 March 13, 2021

What is the difference between Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) and *approval* from the United States FDA? March 11, 2021

New CDC Guidelines on Fully Vaccinated People March 9, 2021

What exactly is in the vaccine from Johnson & Johnson-Janssen (and, what isn’t)? March 8, 2021

Meet Those Nerdy Girls – Dr. Sarah Coles March 7, 2021

Is it safe to get routine medical care at a clinic? March 6, 2021

How do we overcome mistrust in the vaccines, especially with Black Americans? March 2, 2021

Does the COVID vaccine only last 90 days?! February 28, 2021

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A February 27, 2021

Any news yet about whether vaccines prevent asymptomatic infection? February 23, 2021

Dr. Alison Buttenheim Testifies Before Congress February 21, 2021

What’s in the vaccine from Oxford-AstraZeneca (and, what isn’t)? February 17, 2021

Can mRNA vaccines change my DNA? February 16, 2021

What exactly is in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines? (And, what isn’t?) February 15, 2021

Meet Those Nerdy Girls – Gretchen Peterson February 14, 2021

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A February 13, 2021

Donating Blood After COVID-19 Vaccination February 9, 2021

Cyber Attack on Your Local Epidemiologist February 8, 2021

Meet Those Nerdy Girls – Dr. Shoshana Aronowitz February 7, 2021

How do we protect ourselves against the new COVID virus variants? February 1, 2021

Meet Those Nerdy Girls – Dr. Amanda Simanek January 31, 2021

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A January 30, 2021

Meet Those Nerdy Girls – Dr. Ashley Ritter, PhD, CNRP January 24, 2021

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A January 23, 2021

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. January 18, 2021

Meet Those Nerdy Girls – Dr. Sandra Albrecht January 17, 2021

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A January 16, 2021

Calling all Nerdy Citizen Scientists! Please take our survey! January 14, 2021

What do we know about Dr. Gregory Michael’s death a couple of weeks after getting his COVID-19 vaccine? January 13, 2021

Meet Those Nerdy Girls – Dr. Aparna Kumar January 10, 2021

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A January 9, 2021

I’m reading that the new strain of COVID-19 is 70% more transmissible. What does this mean? How transmissible was the first strain? January 4, 2021

Meet Those Nerdy Girls – Dr. Jennifer Beam Dowd January 3, 2021

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A January 2, 2021

Did you know that Dear Pandemic is available in Spanish? December 30, 2020

What lessons can we learn from the contact tracers? December 29, 2020

Meet Those Nerdy Girls – Dr. Lauren Hale December 27, 2020

Who will get the COVID vaccines next? December 22, 2020

Meet Those Nerdy Girls – Dr. Lindsey Leininger December 20, 2020

How do I celebrate Christmas with my religious community? It’s not negotiable. We will be celebrating. December 15, 2020

What can I do to “improve ventilation” in my house or my office? What does that even mean? December 14, 2020

Meet Those Nerdy Girls – Dr. Malia Jones December 13, 2020

It has been a BIG day in vaccine news! December 12, 2020

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A December 12, 2020

Meet Those Nerdy Girls – Dr. Alison Buttenheim December 6, 2020

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A December 5, 2020

As a working parent, I’m already at my limit on stress–how am I supposed to manage holiday stress too?? Help me! December 1, 2020

How is it possible that my friends are social distancing and yet have colds?? November 30, 2020

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A November 28, 2020

Thanksgiving Gratitude November 26, 2020

Has my COVID bubble gotten out of control? How can I tell? November 23, 2020

Jo-Mom’s Pumpkin Pie November 16, 2020

How CAN we celebrate Thanksgiving safely? November 16, 2020

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A November 14, 2020

What are the chances that I’ll be hospitalized if I get COVID-19? November 9, 2020

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A November 7, 2020

When will we have a vaccine for COVID? When will life return back to normal?! November 5, 2020

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A October 31, 2020

How do I have a SMART Halloween? October 25, 2020

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A October 24, 2020

How do I break it to my mother-in-law that we’re not coming to Christmas dinner? 😬😬😬 October 21, 2020

How safe is [my specific situation/event/activity]? October 20, 2020

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A October 17, 2020

Are there really false positives from COVID tests? October 13, 2020

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A October 10, 2020

SMART Halloween Yard Sign October 6, 2020

What do epidemiologists think about Joe Biden and Mike Pence (and other national leaders) testing negative for COVID on Friday? October 4, 2020

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A October 3, 2020

How to have a SMART Halloween October 3, 2020

What exactly is a “superspreader” and what makes one person a superspreader and another person not? October 1, 2020

Is Halloween canceled? September 29, 2020

Why do we need to worry about flu season? September 29, 2020

¿Cuánto tiempo más hasta que haya una vacuna? September 27, 2020

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A September 26, 2020

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A September 26, 2020

What’s the hoopla about monoclonal neutralizing antibody therapies? September 25, 2020

¡Buenas noticias! ¡”Dear Pandemic” está disponible en español! September 24, 2020

When will we get to herd immunity? September 24, 2020

COVID19 and Pregnancy September 22, 2020

Announcing the Dear Pandemic podcast! September 19, 2020

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A September 19, 2020

How can I tell if I have symptoms from exposure to wildfire smoke or COVID? September 15, 2020

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A September 12, 2020

It’s the first day of virtual school and I’m already losing my mind. How am I going to survive this? September 8, 2020

Dear Pandemic Q&A September 5, 2020

Is trick-or-treat cancelled? September 1, 2020

What are you nerdy girls doing to stay healthy in these crazy times? August 28, 2020

Is it going to be possible to see my family for Thanksgiving? August 26, 2020

How do I know how much community transmission there is in my community? I am swimming in data! Someone throw me a rope! August 24, 2020

What is “community transmission”? Isn’t *all* of it community transmission? August 21, 2020

Nerdy Guest Amani Martorella chats with Malia about young adults, mental health, and college August 12, 2020

Young Adults, Mental Health, and College August 12, 2020

What’s up with this “programming error” in the Florida data on kids? How does this change things? August 8, 2020

Population Basics Part 2 August 6, 2020

Population Basics Part 1 August 4, 2020

COVID Outbreak at Georgia Camp August 4, 2020

What do we really know about COVID and kids? August 2, 2020

How should I handle having a repair person in my home? July 30, 2020

Reopening Schools July 30, 2020

What are teachers saying about returning to school? July 30, 2020

Do I still need to wipe off my groceries? July 25, 2020

What do you make of the recent news that 1 in 3 kids in Florida tested positive for COVID-19? July 21, 2020

Parenting and Women in Science July 20, 2020

Should K-12 schools reopen in the fall, and if so, how? July 17, 2020

How do we know who to trust? July 17, 2020

How do we know who to trust? July 17, 2020

What is the timeline from exposure to viral shedding to symptoms? When do people stop being contagious? When can I get out of quarantine? When is a PCR test accurate? July 16, 2020

When should I get tested? July 13, 2020

Doctors discuss COVID-19 and what they have learned July 12, 2020

What’s happening in refugee camps? July 10, 2020

“What’s my risk when I’m doing _____?” July 10, 2020

How do I help fight the “infodemic?” July 9, 2020

I am confused about my mask. COVID-19 poem July 8, 2020

Throwback Thursday All About Masks July 2, 2020

Those Nerdy Girls on the 6 month-iversary of the COVID-19 pandemic June 30, 2020

Cases are going up in my area, should I freak out? June 30, 2020

Housing Policy and the Pandemic June 19, 2020

I heard that the MMR vaccine prevents COVID-19. Should I get an MMR vaccine? June 17, 2020

Interview with Distinguished Nerdy Guest, Anne R. Pebley, PhD June 14, 2020

COVID-19 Vaccine Development June 11, 2020

I was super sick in Nov/Dec/Jan (or in most parts of the world, February). Did I have COVID-19 already? June 10, 2020

Nerdy Girls Live 6/07/20 June 7, 2020

Racial Disparities in COVID-19 June 5, 2020

I heard you say on the Dear Pandemic NG Live that the new COVID-19 vaccine candidate from Moderna is a new type of vaccine. Can you explain that? May 28, 2020

A few weeks ago, everyone was talking about the “peak” of the epidemic. Now, not so much. Places are reopening and it feels like everything is going back to normal. Does this mean we’re past the peak? May 27, 2020

Nerdy Girls Live 5/23/20 May 23, 2020

Nerdy Girls Live 4/20/20 April 29, 2020

Dr. Malia Jones in Crossroads of Ideas Lecture Series April 14, 2020

Dr. Malia Jones on Madsplainers Podcast 3/13/20 March 15, 2020

Explanation of Contact Patterns March 15, 2020