How do flu vaccines work?

10/13/20 • 33 min

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The flu shot changes every year. But why is the flu special, if other illnesses have much longer-lasting vaccines? This episode takes us into the world of viruses and immunity.
We released this episode about flu vaccines last year but we wanted to share it with you again since it’s flu vaccine season but also because vaccines are in the news a lot lately. Scientists are testing a bunch of vaccines for the new coronavirus right now. This episode gets into the details of how vaccines work and how they’re made.
A friendly lymphocyte fills us in on how flu shots work, and science journalist Anna Rothschild shares how vaccines started around the world. We'll hear from some virus-busting detectives to see how scientists solve the case of how to make next year’s flu shot as effective as possible. Author Maryn McKenna will stop by and drop some flu knowledge, too!

Get your ears ready for a good, thumping mystery sound, and a new Moment of Um: how do straws work?

This episode is sponsored by KiwiCo (KiwiCo.com/brainson), Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Rolls, Guardian Bikes (GuardianBikes.com/brains) and Varsity Tutors (VarsityTutors.com/brainson). You can support the show at brainson.org/donate

Get your ears ready for a good, thumping mystery sound, and a new Moment of Um: how do straws work?

Previous Episode

Past, present and future: Using time to understand this pandemic

If time feels weird to you lately, you’re not alone. The pandemic has changed the pace of life for people around the world. We’ll talk to a psychologist about how our sense of time works. We’ll look back into the past to see how a similar pandemic played out 100 years ago. Plus, we’ll ask experts to tell us what they think life will be like six months from now.

Oh yeah, and virus podcasters Kara and Gilly are back to tell you how you can be a part of history! Warning: Boogers are involved. Our Moment of Um answers the question: why do your arms move when you walk?

This episode is sponsored by:

Stop Bullying Speak Up (http://includesomeone.com)

KiwiCo (https://kiwico.com/brainson)

Laurel Springs Online School (https://laurelsprings.com/brainson)

AncestryHealth (https://ancestryhealth.com/brainson)

Daily Harvest (https://dailyharvest.com)

General Mills Pillsbury (https://www.pillsbury.com/products/cinnamon-rolls)

Next Episode

Why do siblings annoy each other?

Having a sibling is a special thing -- but, wow, can they be annoying! In this episode we’ll look at why our brothers and sisters are so good at pushing our buttons. Plus, is there any truth to the idea that oldest kids are the most mature and the youngest ones are the most charming? We’ll look at the science of personality and birth order. We also visit a sibling drive-thru, get quizzed about animal relationships and answer this question in our Moment of Um: why does rain come in small droplets?

This episode is sponsored by:

KiwiCo (https://kiwico.com/brainson)

Ancestry (https://ancestry.com/brainson)

White Hat Jr. (https://www.whitehatjr.com/)

General Mills Pillsbury (https://www.pillsbury.com/products/cinnamon-rolls)

If you want to find out more about how to stop bullying, please go to Stop Bullying Speak Up: http://includesomeone.com/