Steve Adubato sits down with Denise Anderson, Ph.D., MPH, Executive Director of the Center for Health Equity and Wellbeing – New Jersey’s Public Health Institute, to discuss the organization’s efforts to improve health outcomes and combat misinformation and public distrust in the healthcare system.

Steve asks Dr. Anderson how concerned she is about the confusion, the mixed messages, and the fact that many people aren’t sure whom to believe or trust when it comes to public health information. Anderson expresses deep concern and notes that vaccine uptake is decreasing in New Jersey and nationwide because people are unsure whom to believe. To address this, she emphasizes relying on trusted medical organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, which have long studied vaccines. She also stresses that vaccination is not only an individual choice, but also essential for protecting communities through herd immunity, especially those who cannot be vaccinated.