Germ & Worm

Hidely-Ho! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford answer your questions about travel health and safety, including:Do I need a polio booster before I visit Kenya on safari?What is happening with Bundibugyo vaccine trials in DRC?Is Colombia safe to visit now?Can I really kill mosquitoes with lasers… pleeeeease?We hope you enjoy this podcast. If so, please follow us on the socials @germ.and.worm, subscribe to our RSS feed and share with your friends! We would so appreciate your rating and review to help us grow our audience. And, please visit our website: germandworm.com where you can find all our content and send us your questions and travel health anecdotes. Or, just send us an email: [email protected] Disclaimer: The Germ and Worm Podcast is designed to inform, inspire, and entertain. However, this podcast does NOT establish a doctor-patient relationship, and it should NOT replace your conversation with a qualified healthcare professional. Please see one before your next adventure. The opinions in this podcast are Dr. Sanford’s & Dr. Pottinger’s alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the University of Washington or UW Medicine.

Xin chào! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford answer your questions about travel health and safety, including:Is it now an ethical requirement to bring a connectivity device in the backcountry?Should I avoid traveling to countries where I cannot purchase travel insurance?What should we know about the death of a lab worker in a Russian plague lab?How can we protect ourselves against flu, covid, and RSV?Qdenga now available in Australia?What is happening with leptospirosis in Phillippines?We hope you enjoy this podcast. If so, please follow us on the socials @germ.and.worm, subscribe to our RSS feed and share with your friends! We would so appreciate your rating and review to help us grow our audience. And, please visit our website: germandworm.com where you can find all our content and send us your questions and travel health anecdotes. Or, just send us an email: [email protected] Disclaimer: The Germ and Worm Podcast is designed to inform, inspire, and entertain. However, this podcast does NOT establish a doctor-patient relationship, and it should NOT replace your conversation with a qualified healthcare professional. Please see one before your next adventure. The opinions in this podcast are Dr. Sanford’s & Dr. Pottinger’s alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the University of Washington or UW Medicine.

123, Eyes on me! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford answer your questions about travel health and safety, including:What are "chemtrails" and can they harm us?What is happening with that hepatitis B trial in Guinea-Bissau?What travel apps do Germ & Worm prefer to use?Did we ever get an explanation for the mystery illness in Grand Canyon summer 2026?Any downside to consuming coffee when fighting jet lag?Here are links to the apps we like... no sponsorship from any of these for today's app:FlightyWhat 3 WordsiNaturalistShazaamMerlinPicture ThisStellariumSky MapMaps MeGoogle TranslateTime ShifterPeak FinderWatch DutyHappy WhaleWe hope you enjoy this podcast. If so, please follow us on the socials @germ.and.worm, subscribe to our RSS feed and share with your friends! We would so appreciate your rating and review to help us grow our audience. And, please visit our website: germandworm.com where you can find all our content and send us your questions and travel health anecdotes. Or, just send us an email: [email protected] Disclaimer: The Germ and Worm Podcast is designed to inform, inspire, and entertain. However, this podcast does NOT establish a doctor-patient relationship, and it should NOT replace your conversation with a qualified healthcare professional. Please see one before your next adventure. The opinions in this podcast are Dr. Sanford’s & Dr. Pottinger’s alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the University of Washington or UW Medicine.

Hi there! Today, travel medicine specialist Dr. Paul Pottinger interview wild land firefighter Matthew Pottinger about wildfire safety, covering topics including:What's the difference between "wildfire" and "wild land fire"?How did you get a job fighting wildfires as a college student?How does wildfire fighting actually work?What tools do you use in wildfire fighting?When do we decide to fight fires, and when do we allow them to burn?What were some of the most surprising things you experienced as a firefighter?How about safety--from flames and smoke... how do you handle that?How can travelers assess the wildfire risk at their vacation destination?Can we trust official government-sponsored safety briefings?Do you recommend the Watch Duty app?What's next with your career?Here's a link to Matthew's 2026 Quatrano Prize in Biology--check it out!And here is the Watch Duty app, we are not sponsored by them but we really like it.We hope you enjoy this podcast! If so, please follow us on the socials @germ.and.worm, subscribe to our RSS feed and share with your friends! We would so appreciate your rating and review to help us grow our audience. And, please visit our website: germandworm.com where you can find all our content and send us your questions and travel health anecdotes. Or, just send us an email: [email protected] Disclaimer: The Germ and Worm Podcast is designed to inform, inspire, and entertain. However, this podcast does NOT establish a doctor-patient relationship, and it should NOT replace your conversation with a qualified healthcare professional. Please see one before your next adventure. The opinions in this podcast are Dr. Sanford’s & Dr. Pottinger’s alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the University of Washington or UW Medicine.

Cайн уу! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford answer your questions about travel health and safety, including:How can we stay safe from hypothermia when hiking in fall and winter?How much has CDC reduced its workforce, and what impact has that had on our health and security?How can US passport holders avoid political violence when traveling internationally?Any updates on those little skin heaters that reduce the itch of mosquito bites?What is going on with rabies exposures to beavers, goats, and other mammals beyond bats?We hope you enjoy this podcast! If so, please follow us on the socials @germ.and.worm, subscribe to our RSS feed and share with your friends! We would so appreciate your rating and review to help us grow our audience. And, please visit our website: germandworm.com where you can find all our content and send us your questions and travel health anecdotes. Or, just send us an email: [email protected] Disclaimer: The Germ and Worm Podcast is designed to inform, inspire, and entertain. However, this podcast does NOT establish a doctor-patient relationship, and it should NOT replace your conversation with a qualified healthcare professional. Please see one before your next adventure. The opinions in this podcast are Dr. Sanford’s & Dr. Pottinger’s alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the University of Washington or UW Medicine.

Happy Burn! Today, travel medicine specialists Dr. Chris Sanford answers questions about his recent experience as a medical volunteer at Burning Man, including:What IS Burning Man?How is the festival organized?What's the vibe & ethos of the place?How are hygiene and waste managed?Safety: Is there a law enforcement presence?What's the music scene like at Burning Man?DRUGS: What is being taken, and how does the medical community respond?Any tips for aspiring volunteers or participants?We hope you enjoy this podcast! If so, please follow us on the socials @germ.and.worm, subscribe to our RSS feed and share with your friends! We would so appreciate your rating and review to help us grow our audience. And, please visit our website: germandworm.com where you can find all our content and send us your questions and travel health anecdotes. Or, just send us an email: [email protected] Disclaimer: The Germ and Worm Podcast is designed to inform, inspire, and entertain. However, this podcast does NOT establish a doctor-patient relationship, and it should NOT replace your conversation with a qualified healthcare professional. Please see one before your next adventure. The opinions in this podcast are Dr. Sanford’s & Dr. Pottinger’s alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the University of Washington or UW Medicine.

Nomaskar! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford answer your questions about travel health and safety, including:What is happening with people catching malaria at the Frankfurt airport?Who should get immunized against seasonal viral infections... and what is the best way to do that?There are reports of measles spreading in Bangladesh--should I be worried about my upcoming trip?Does toilet water really spray up to the height of my face when I flush?Please give us an update on the Bundibugyo outbreak in central Africa?We hope you enjoy this podcast! If so, please follow us on the socials @germ.and.worm, subscribe to our RSS feed and share with your friends! We would so appreciate your rating and review to help us grow our audience. And, please visit our website: germandworm.com where you can find all our content and send us your questions and travel health anecdotes. Or, just send us an email: [email protected] Disclaimer: The Germ and Worm Podcast is designed to inform, inspire, and entertain. However, this podcast does NOT establish a doctor-patient relationship, and it should NOT replace your conversation with a qualified healthcare professional. Please see one before your next adventure. The opinions in this podcast are Dr. Sanford’s & Dr. Pottinger’s alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the University of Washington or UW Medicine.

Pryvit! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford answer your questions about travel health and safety, including:What approach to sports and jet lag is best: show up early or jet in same day?What should I know about the new mRNA flu shot (Flusiva)?How can I safely travel when I am pregnant?Please tell me about the risk of West Nile Virus infection in Europe?What is happening with the United States Preventative Services Task Force, and how does that affect me?Is mpox infection still a concern? If so, where is the risk greatest?Want to check out our Op-Ed in the Seattle times? Please check it out online, or visit our website.We hope you enjoy this podcast! If so, please follow us on the socials @germ.and.worm, subscribe to our RSS feed and share with your friends! We would so appreciate your rating and review to help us grow our audience. And, please visit our website: germandworm.com where you can find all our content and send us your questions and travel health anecdotes. Or, just send us an email: [email protected] Disclaimer: The Germ and Worm Podcast is designed to inform, inspire, and entertain. However, this podcast does NOT establish a doctor-patient relationship, and it should NOT replace your conversation with a qualified healthcare professional. Please see one before your next adventure. The opinions in this podcast are Dr. Sanford’s & Dr. Pottinger’s alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the University of Washington or UW Medicine.

Fawaka! Today, travel medicine specialists Dr. Chris Sanford speaks with pediatrician and immunologist--and mom--Dr. Rachael Barr about common questions and concerns that arise when parents consider traveling internationally with their kids. Topics covered include:Is there a minimum age for safe travel with children?When should a parent discuss travel safety with their pediatrician, and what topics should be on the agenda?Vaccines: Should we use the schedule recently proposed by the US Federal Government?Insect repellent: Which is best and safest in kids?How about safety and effectiveness of sunscreen in children?Any tips for kids' road safety during travel?And bike safety--should we rent on location or bring our own bikes?Water safety: Where can you drink untreated tap water?What about precautions against extreme heat in young kids?Are kids really more sensitive to air pollution than adults?How can parents best handle antsy kids during jet travel?How can we help children adapt to jet lag?What if a child gets sick during travel--how best to find trustworthy help?Please follow Dr. Barr on InstagramAnd please follow us too!We hope you enjoy this podcast! If so, pl ease follow us on the socials @germ.and.worm, subscribe to our RSS feed and share with your friends! We would so appreciate your rating and review to help us grow our audience. And, please visit our website: germandworm.com where you can find all our content and send us your questions and travel health anecdotes. Or, just send us an email: [email protected] Disclaimer: The Germ and Worm Podcast is designed to inform, inspire, and entertain. However, this podcast does NOT establish a doctor-patient relationship, and it should NOT replace your conversation with a qualified healthcare professional. Please see one before your next adventure. The opinions in this podcast are Dr. Sanford’s & Dr. Pottinger’s alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the University of Washington or UW Medicine.

Konnichiwa! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger & Chris Sanford answer your questions about travel health and safety, including:What can I do to support the flood survivors in Nepal?How can I safely watch a solar eclipse?How do you choose a trail for a day hike or a backpacking trip?How can I raise my voice to protest the administration's vaccine policies?I have Alpha-Gal allergy... what medical products should I avoid?Have federal workforce cuts made the cyclospora outbreak worse?Is it legal to carry marijuana on a commercial flight?Here is a link to the official website where you can find and contact your representatives in congress: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-memberWe hope you enjoy this podcast! If so, please follow us on the socials @germ.and.worm, subscribe to our RSS feed and share with your friends! We would so appreciate your rating and review to help us grow our audience. And, please visit our website: germandworm.com where you can find all our content and send us your questions and travel health anecdotes. Or, just send us an email: [email protected] Disclaimer: The Germ and Worm Podcast is designed to inform, inspire, and entertain. However, this podcast does NOT establish a doctor-patient relationship, and it should NOT replace your conversation with a qualified healthcare professional. Please see one before your next adventure. The opinions in this podcast are Dr. Sanford’s & Dr. Pottinger’s alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the University of Washington or UW Medicine.