Katelyn Jetelina, Ph.D., MPH, is our type of public health professional.
As an epidemiologist, he studies patterns and causes of diseases in public health (for example, Covid), and passionate to share evidence -based information with anyone interested.
Your free weekly bulletin, Your local epidemiologistDraw for public health acts in a friendly and easy to understand way. She began the newsletter during Covid, and quickly became the reference resource to obtain reliable information during the pandemic. Today, around 230,000 people in 100 countries subscribe to their local epidemiologist, and Time magazine called Jetelina one of the 100 most influential health In 2024.
From Covid, the Jetelina Bulletin has evolved to include different public health issues, including nutrition and new research. Here is our interview with Jetelina and her thoughts about avian flu and new guidelines for what is considered a “healthy” food.
Our interview continues, edited for clarity and duration.
Healthy women: Its website says: “During the day, I use many hats, including the scientific consultant for several organizations, including CDCs. At night, I write this newsletter. “Why is it important for you to get this newsletter?
Dr. Jetelina: I came across this newsletter during the pandemic, and I did not think that it would be necessary to do for a long time, but here I am five years, and it is still alive and well, and it is filling a massive gap.
I mean, there are not enough people who respond to concerns about the land, and there is a lot of confusion and questions that must be answered in a timely and understandable way. And so, I am exploring that space.
Read: 15 minutes with: Kizzmekia S Corbett, Ph.D., talks about Omicron >>
Healthy women: We know that you are working to get the facts about why vaccines are so important. What do you mean to people who still have concerns about the Covid vaccine?
Dr. Jetelina: I think there will be even more questions about vaccines, even beyond Covid, as we enter this new era in American politics, and I think it’s fine to have questions. I want people to have questions. But what worries me most is that people receive evidence -based information. What we know about vaccines in the market is that they are much safer than getting the disease, whether covid or measles or people’s cough, whatever. Vaccines are the best tool we have in our tool kit to live a healthy and prosperous life.
Healthy women: We are in the middle of the flu, RSV and Covid season. Is it too late to get vaccinated now (asking for a friend)?
Dr. Jetelina: We are in the peak of the respiratory season at this time, and it is not really too late to get vaccinated. If we are reaching its maximum point now or next week, that still means that we also have to lower the wave, and the flu is known to be prolonged because different strains become dominant later in spring.
So, no, it’s not too late to get vaccinated, especially for flu and covid.
Read: Is Covid, RSV or flu? >>
Healthy women: Earlier this year, a person in Louisiana died of the H5N1 avian flu. How worried should we be for avian flu?
Dr. Jetelina: For the average American, this is something that should pay attention, but it is not an emergency of five alarms such as Covid. And there are not many people can do, right? Do not drink non -pasteurized milk. Do not touch wild birds and animals that seem sick. At this time, it is not an emergency and the risk is certainly not uniform. [Editor’s Note: People who come in contact with birds, poultry and livestock have the most risk of exposure.]
Healthy women: Can you talk a little about the role played by the American diet in chronic diseases, especially for women?
Dr. Jetelina: The diet is incredibly important to stay healthy. It is one of the things that help with our immune systems and having a nutritional and balanced diet is one of the things we can do for our health.
Healthy women: In a recent newsletter, you mentioned that from February, if a company wants to affirm that your food product is “healthy”, you should try two things: food contains a certain amount of one of the five food groups, and food It may exceed the sugar, sodium or saturated fat limits based on food and their amounts usually consumed. What do you think about change, and do you think will affect what people think it is healthy to eat?
Dr. Jetelina: Can. I think there are many different levers that can be extracted. For example, behavioral levers, such as having a food warning system, just like us for cigarette packages, could certainly help with education around what is nutrient dense foods and what not.
It is very confusing for many people out there. However, I think that what is most excited are the indirect levers that we will have in companies: to make it better to develop and distribute healthy foods. And so, I think it will be an indirect tool to keep the companies and the industry responsible.
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