Iowa City Darwin Day is an annual celebration of science, scientists and their contributions to humanity. The theme for 2026 is vaccines.
Effective vaccines have transformed the world. Robust support for vaccination in the United States allowed us to eradicate Smallpox and eliminate polio, diphtheria, rubella and congenital rubella syndrome and, of course, measles.
But a seismic shift that has taken place in recent years. Vaccine uptake is declining and measles outbreaks have emerged in the United States. Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination coverage has declined in the United States in recent years, with at least 75% of counties nationwide failing to meet the immunity threshold needed to prevent widespread outbreaks. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tell us that only 10 of Iowa's 99 counties are at or exceed the MMR vaccination coverage rate of 95% in kindergartners. That means 89 counties do not. On this episode of Talk of Iowa, Darwin Day guests and speakers discuss the science behind vaccines, vaccine hesitancy and vaccine advocacy.
Guests:
- Serese Marotta, deputy chief executive officer, Vaccinate Your Family
- Aaron Scherer, associate professor of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
- Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director, Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development
