December 11, 2025 • 40 mins
We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about!
70th Anniversary of Globe Santa! What the program does each year for thousands of children.
Guest: Linda Matchan – Boston Globe correspondent - the writer and editor for Globe Santa
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Mass & Metrowest hit a big milestone this year making more new matches so far this school year than in the previous 10 years (180 matches)! What makes the program so important.
Guest: Connie Askin - CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Mass & MetroWest
American Lung Association Urges Flu Vaccination Following Most Severe Flu Season in Over a Decade
Guest: Dr. David Hill – Pulmonologist, Director of Clinical Research at Waterbury Pulmonary Associates and Volunteer Medical Spokesperson for the American Lung Association
CDC drops newborn Hepatitis B recommendation, leaving parents with conflicting guidance…
Guest: Charles Hannum, MD, General Pediatrician at Tufts Medical Center
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's Night's Eyes Dan, I'm going you easy Boston's news Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Thanks Madison is always a great idea, particularly about this time,
eight oh seven at night head to Nightside. I want
to welcome everyone in. Rob Brooks, my partner in time,
the producer at WBZ for Nightside, is back in the
control room in beautiful Medford, Massachusetts. All he's actually really
at the heart of Medford, Massachusetts. All set to hinder
(00:26):
your phone calls beginning at nine o'clock. We are supposed
to be talking tonight at nine o'clock. I mean, the
big story of the day is the Brian Walsh murder
case with the defense, after having promised, in effect promised
that their client would take the witness stand, they chose
to present no witnesses, stunning, stunning case today and they
(00:49):
come back. We'll see what the jury does with this case.
We'll talk with Phil Tracy at nine o'clock and then
later on tonight we'll talk about a new trend in
restaurant downing where a lot of people now instead of
going out and having a couple of you know, each
having an entree, maybe one gets an entre, someone else
gets an app and they kind of split things up,
or they get a couple of apps, or maybe three
(01:09):
apps and just a different way to dine. We'll see
if maybe you've changed your dining habits as a result
of everything that has been going on around the country
for the last eleven months or so. My name is
Dan Ray. I'm the host of Night Side, and we
have four really interesting guests coming up, starting off with
Linda Matchett. Linda is the Boston Globe Correspondence. You're the
(01:30):
writer and editor for the Globe Santa. This is the
seventieth anniversary of the Globe Santa, almost as old as
I am. What a great program that helps thousands of
children each year and has been in continuous operation. I
guess since is it nineteen fifty six if I'm doing
(01:51):
my math correctly.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Linda, Yes, it is nineteen fifty six that Globe Santa
graded over from the from Post Santa, which was another
newspaper in one I was seven at that time in Boston,
and it folded, and there was a lot of worry
in the city, including in the Mayor's office, about who's
(02:17):
going to help these kids, Who's going to give them
toys of Christmas, if they're if their parents can't afford to,
and so the Boston Globes stepped up and something called
the Boston Globe Mayor Heinz Santa Fund was started, and
it had it was announced with a lot of fanfare
in the in the Globe, of course, a great undertaking
(02:40):
to see that no child in Greater Boston goes unremembered
on Christmas.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
And Mayor John be Hindes, I think I covered that
news conference back then.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
I might have been there too.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
I don't love that. I doubt that. So over the
seventy years, how many children is there any sort of
I'm sure there's not a count, but is there any
sort of an estimate as to how many children who
might have gone with a giftless Christmas actually found something
under their actual tree or their figurative Christmas tree.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Well, we say millions of children have been helped by
Globe Family, but to take it sort of year by year,
last year there were close to thirty thousand kids who
were helped from like seventeen thousand families. Yeah, so we
(03:40):
get letters from these families telling us that they're in need,
and we read every single one of them, and I
need a portion of them. We have a whole team.
And the way Gloves operates is that I or other
writers tell stories that are based on the letters to
really give readers sense of what is going on in
(04:02):
the city, why or in the greater Boston, why there
are so many people in need? And I have to say,
I've been doing this for five years. This has been
I think the toughest year, the saddest letters. And the
bar was already pretty high.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
So so so let's go through the logistics. If there
are people out there who need help tonight, so they
write a letter to the Boston Globe. Now it's no
longer at Morrissey Boulevard, or maybe the press is No,
the presses aren't even there at Morrissey Boulevard.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
Yeah, we're downtown. So beginning in the fall, people who
are in in connection one way or another with the
Department of Transitional Assistance, either directly or through a social
(04:55):
service agency, or through a church or synagogue or or
a religious organization, they're told that they can write to
Globe Santa and their need is sanded. And they have
to be you know, they have to be sure that
they really.
Speaker 4 (05:11):
Truly are in need sure.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
And they they're given a form to fill out, and
it always starts with your Globe Santa, and people, even
children themselves poignant moving letters saying what the situations are.
Sometimes the kids write them themselves. Sometimes the parents.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Are able to so logistically what I'm trying to what
I'm trying to understand here, because I grew up in
Boston and we never had to depend upon the Globe Santa.
But there's no shame in that. So so the letters
come in and the child or the parent is asking
for a firetruck or a baseball bat or a what
(05:55):
are a doll? Right? Do you try to literally, what
do you do when is a specific request you try?
Speaker 5 (06:02):
That's a really good question.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
That's a really good question, and it's hard. Of course,
we can't fill fill seventeen thousand different requests, but.
Speaker 6 (06:09):
We we have.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
We go to toy Fair in February and we get it.
We take a reading of what is in demand this year,
what kids really want, what is educational, what they'll have
fun with but they won't get tired of, you know
what doesn't It's something very basic like what doesn't require
(06:32):
batteries so that they won't have to keep replacing them.
And some of the best books of the year that
have been chosen you know, that have won Caldecotta Awards
or others, and they divided into by age group and
by gender, and there's a number of different categories that
go out, but we for sure max to the kid's
(06:53):
age and their gender.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
So then how how would they delivered? I can see
that if a church is sent in or ifglogue is
sent in fifty letters, all those could be booked off.
But just from a bulked up from a logistical point
of view, this has to be a tremendous undertaking. I
assume you must have people who volunteer or who help.
This is not something that you and your staff could do.
(07:19):
Do you need besides obviously contributions, which are always important,
do you need volunteers to help deliver these items?
Speaker 3 (07:28):
We actually depend on. We have people who are contracted
to work with us. They set up an operation in
the Taunting facility, which, as you mentioned, is where the
printing presses are, and they're going day like long days,
packing boxes which are then delivered to USPS facilities and
(07:49):
they're delivered by by the Post Office to homes. We
make sure that they arrive on time for Christmas. Sometimes
they don't just I mean, sometimes people don't live in home,
sometimes are delivered to homeless shelters, but we follow up
and make sure every kid who asks gets their their gifts.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Well, I'll tell you it's a great, great project. So
let's let's give us at an address. If any people
are listening tonight and would like to make a financial contribution,
which I'm sure you would welcome, where would they send
that and they make it out to what just the
Globe Santa Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
All the information is spelled out on our website, which
is Boston Globe dot org. And it'll tell you how
to phone, how to make a telephone call, if you want,
where to send the money to, if you want to
write a check, how to do it online. That's how
to do it perfect.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Okay. Yeah. All we try to do here is to
is to give the information to people. So if anyone's
listening to this interview, I assume many people will be moved.
Boston Globe, Santa dot org.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
I'm no going to just correct Thatta.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Globe Santa dot org. Okay, thanks for that correction, Globe
Santa dot org. Linda again, you're going to be very
busy I know that Santa and his elves are working
feverishly in the North Pole, and you're in direct contact
with them. So let us you have a lot of
elves who will help you out tonight and check out
Globe Santa dot org. Thanks so much for joining us tonight, Linda.
(09:26):
I really do believe you're doing God's work over there.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Thank you, Thank you so much for having me on.
Thanks Logain more than welcome.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
When we get back, we're gonna tell you a little
about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Mass and Metro
West hit a big milestone this year with more matches
so far this school year than in the previous ten years.
Big Brothers, Big Sister Sisters, great organization. This one is
in Central Mass and Metro West, and we will talk
(09:56):
with Connie Askin, she's the CEO of that organization. After
this break on a very cold, a very cold Thursday night.
It's probably as cold tonight here in New England as
it is at the North Pole. I'm sure of it.
We'll be back on Nightside right after this.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
Night Side with Dan Ray. I'm Boston's news Radio.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
Well, there are a lot of charities around, but I
think very few have the fabulous reputation of Big Brothers
and Big Sisters. We're going to talk with Connie Askin.
She's the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central
Mass and Metro West. Connie, Welcome to Night's Side. You're
not the first Big Brothers Big Sister agency that we've
(10:45):
talked to, but you guys do such great work matching
Big Brothers and Big Sisters up with kids who need
someone to look up to in their lives. Tell us
about the mission, the general mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters.
I think most people know it, but there may be
a few out there who aren't exactly sure of what
we're talking about. Welcome to Nightside.
Speaker 6 (11:06):
Thank you so much. Dan. Yes, Big Brothers Sig Sisters
has been around for a long time. We've been in
Central Mass and Metro West for sixty years. Nationally, we've
been around for one hundred and twenty years. It's really
a simple mission. We connect caring adults with children who
need an extra hand to hold and somebody who just
can be in their corner sharing them on. It's a
(11:28):
simple mission, but it's powerful.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
It certainly is. You've been around for sixty years. How
many young people have you matched up with over that time,
It has to be a tremendous number. I know you've
just had a big year with one hundred and eighty matches,
but I assume over the course of the history of
(11:50):
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central mass and Mentro West,
it has to be in the tens of thousands.
Speaker 6 (11:56):
Yeah, we think it's thirty thousand children that's have been impacted.
And this year, already the school year, we've made one
hundred and eighty eight new matches, so in total we'll
serve set one hundred and twenty five this year. We're
on a growth streak.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Give us an idea. I mean, I think everybody understands
the concept, but how much time is involved? What's the profile?
Let's start with the profile of your volunteers. What is
the age range of the Big Brothers Big Sisters. I
know there's no age limit, but what's the maximum range
where people either have the time as well as the
(12:33):
inclination to reach out and help someone who's younger than
they Maybe some of them had been Little Brothers and
Little Sisters themselves. Give us just a little profile of
who comes in the door as a volunteer.
Speaker 6 (12:48):
Well, It's interesting because we have different programs in different sites,
so there are some high school students who are big
to younger children. We have a lot of college students
in the Worcester area who mentor at local elementary and
middle school. So Holy Cross alone has about one hundred
and sixty student athletes who mentor as bigs. Typically, though
(13:09):
we see anywhere from early thirties all the way to
eighty years old. You know, somebody can offer their wisdom
and their experience no matter what age they are, and
being a big with us, being a volunteer with us
means hanging out with a kid who is between the
ages of six and twenty five, a kid who might
(13:30):
be a little shy, or might be super creative, or
who might love dogs. The point is their children with
big dreams and who just just need that special, caring
adult to help them do life.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
And the activities that you're involved in. I know, did
you help out the big brothers and the big sisters
in terms of taking kids to ball games or to
activities what some might want to be Some might be
roller skaters or ice skates, or other children might like
(14:03):
to go to the theater. You've have plenty of theaters
in the Worcester area, including one of my favorites, the
Hanover Theater. I'm assuming that a lot of the organizations
help out in terms of giving everyone access to great
activities in the Greater Worcester area.
Speaker 6 (14:21):
We absolutely do have that. But you know, the most
important thing is a person's time. So I can give
examples of long matches and short matches. There's a match
who's been together just eight months, and the little has
been interested in books, so they often read books together.
Actually mostly the little reads the big. So that is
(14:43):
the kind of activity that really multiplies a simple interaction,
build together to make a life changing relationship. It's really
about the consistency.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Some part, something as simple as a book is used
as the connective tissue, if you will, between the big
brother and the and in that case little brother, or
the big sister and the little sister. But I know
a little about about the organization, but I know that
sometimes you folks provide, say tickets to a college basketball game,
(15:16):
or a college hockey game, or for that matter, maybe
you know, a football game, whatever college football game, where
without the companionship of the big the the the little
brother or little sister might not be real comfortable to
go on their own, and this might be the best
(15:37):
person to bring them to an event and have them
see a Holy Cross football game or a holy Cross
basketball game for the first time in their lives. I mean,
that's to me the magic of these this organization. How
far off am I with that analysis?
Speaker 6 (15:55):
No, you're You're one hundred percent right. And for the
college students to have the littles look up to them
and idolize them as they're out on the game field
is incredible. Sure we also get tickets to you know,
Celtics boxes and Red Sox boxes, and the WU Sox
and Worcester have been incredible partners to us, and in
fact their front office has been mentoring as a group
(16:17):
at a local elementary school in Worcester for the last
few years. So doing the sports is a way that
little and big can connect on the subway right into town.
Sometimes the littles have never been on the subway.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Well. For the for the first several years in Worcester,
my son Daniel was the general manager of the WU
Soax and I suspect that he was very much Yes,
he was very much involved in that. He actually also
between high school and college did a gap year for
City Year, another great organization in which young people volunteer
(16:53):
to interact with kids. So, you know, we're very familiar
with the activity. What can folks do if that if
they're interested. Such a walkable city and an easy city
to get around in. The parking is a lot easier.
I assume that you have volunteers that come from what
(17:13):
twenty thirty forty miles away, it's wor's easy access, easy park.
Tell us how folks can get in touch with you
and how far to some of your big brothers and
big sisters come to spend quality time with the little
brothers and little sisters.
Speaker 6 (17:32):
Well, we'll do outings for sure, like for instance, the
Lister Art Museum has a new armory exhibit that people
are flocking to from all over. But usually we make
the matches. That's an easy driveable distance for both the
big and the little and they come from all over.
We serve eighty seven towns in cities in the middle
of Massachusetts, so the activities can be you know, in
(17:56):
act in Boxborough as well as in Worstern.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
Okay, Well that's fine and sometimes sometimes that workscept but
you you make the geography work. My recollection is that
you're not just putting people's names in a hat. You're
trying to find commonalities geographic and and also uh interest
as well. Obviously, if someone has a is a musician
and as a child who's interested in music, music, that's
(18:21):
the that's the match. So thank you for what you do.
How can folks get in touch? Give us the website
in case people either want to contribute, support you financially,
or maybe even volunteer for the first time in their
lives or for the second or third time in their lives.
What's the what's the website? Connie.
Speaker 6 (18:37):
The easiest place to find us is big CM dot org,
so that's for Central Mass big CM dot org. Volunteer
with us. Go to our website, learn more about us.
Email me I can talk to you about it. Come
to one of our events. It's really easy to plug
into our work, and I love introducing people to the
(18:58):
power of mentoring perfect.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Biggs CM dot org Connie ask it. Thank you very much.
I appreciate your time tonight. A great organization and a
great great role models. Congratulations to you and to everyone
associated with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Mass and MetroWest.
Speaker 6 (19:15):
Thanks so much, Connie, thank you.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
When we get back right after the news at the
bottom of the Era, we're going to be talking with
a couple of doctors. We're going to talk about a
tough flu season as well as later on our second guest,
we'll talk about the CDC dropping the newborn Hepatitis B recommendation,
leaving some parents or water parents with conflicting guidance. Back
on Nights with doctor David Hill, director of clinical research
(19:41):
at Waterbury Pulmonary Associates and volunteer medical spokesperson for the
American Lung Association. This is a tough flu season. If
you haven't gotten a flu shot, you may want to
rethink that that consideration. Doctor David Hill will explain.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
You're on Night Side with Dan Ray, Boston's news Radio.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
I'm back and I'm joined by doctor David Hill. Doctor
David Hill, welcome to night Side All Night.
Speaker 5 (20:09):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
I see that you're a pulmonologist and director of clinical
research at Waterbury Paul Murray pull Mammary Associates. I'm assuming
that's Waterbury, Connecticut.
Speaker 5 (20:22):
That is correct, just down the road in Waterbury.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
Hometown of former Red Sox center field of Jimmy pearsall. Indeed,
indeed do you is he is he still remembered in Waterbury?
Speaker 5 (20:36):
Oh yeah, oh yeah, you know part of the Waterbury
Sports Hall of Fame.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
So, oh absolutely, where Jackie Jensen was in right and
Ted Williams was in left and Jimmy pearsall about whom
they made the movie Fear Strikes Out. Yeah, that's the
one thing I know about Waterbury. Now I know, doctor
David Hill. So we're looking at a tough, a very
severe flu season, the worst in over a decade. Tell
(21:01):
us about it, doctor Hill.
Speaker 5 (21:03):
No, we can really take what's coming by what's happening
in Europe in the UK, and they're having a very
severe early flu season there. What we're seeing actually here
in the Northeast. I'm attending in my hospital, Waterfir Hospital
this week and I have multiple patients hospitalized with influenza A.
(21:24):
Almost all of them are unvaccinated. So the message here
is the ideal time to get your flu shot is
September and October, but it is not too late. You
can go out and get your flu shot tomorrow and
you will be protecting your loved ones when you gather
for the holidays and protecting yourself as well.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
How quickly does the flu shot. I know you get
it on a Monday, it doesn't impact you one hundred
percent right away. Give us some idea about that timeline. Obviously,
they say when's the best time to plant a tree?
Seven years ago, best time to get a flu shot
was in September. So if someone is going out tomorrow
and is convinced by what we're talking about now to
(22:03):
get a flu shot, when does that sort of start
to give you some protection.
Speaker 5 (22:08):
You get about peak response two weeks later, so the
response is lasting. It does take a week or two
to really kick in. But again, if you're planning on
gathering with family on Christmas and family and friends on
New Year's tomorrow's still a good time to get that shot.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
And how long I got my shot? My flu shot
in September, because I've always been under the impression that
the flu season runs September, October, November, December, January, and
February maybe into March. And that's the area when I
want to be protected. Is it about six months that
you get protected with a flu shot? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (22:45):
Get you get six months or longer of protection. The
flu shot changes every year, primarily because the virus changes,
so you will get some lasting immunity from a shot,
but one shot for the vast majority of people should
cover them for the entire flu season.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
Now, I'm not a medical person, nor do I play
one on the radio, but i do know a little
bit about this because I've had the pleasure to speak
within the benefit of speaking with folks like you over
the years. My understanding is that our flu is what
we build the flu shot on, is what happened in
the Southern Hemisphere during our summer last summer? Correct, And
(23:29):
how did we get what happens get surprised? How do
we get surprised with what's going on in Britain because
I read about this Britain stuff about three weeks ago,
and that's some nasty stuff floating around over there. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (23:40):
So they do their best efforts to guess what's going
to circulate based on what circulated last year here and
what is circulating in the Southern hemisphere, you know, six
months before us. And sometimes the scientists who put this
together come up with a great match. But there is
a little bit of guesswork. The flu virus are constantly
(24:01):
recombining and mutating. So some years the flu vaccine is
a great match for what's circulating, and some years it
doesn't match quite as well. And the severity of the
flu virus itself in any year can differ. Even when
the vaccine matches well to it what we do know,
and even when people go out and say, oh, the
vaccine was only thirty or forty percent protective, that's a
(24:25):
thirty or forty percent decreased risk of getting really sick.
So even in years where it doesn't work well, it's
still the right idea to get the flu shot.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
So clearly you referenced early on what's going on in
Britain or England. Is that always the predictor that we
look at, or is the outbreak? They are just a
little more intense this year, and that's really what has
our concerns raised.
Speaker 5 (24:55):
I think that combined with what we're seeing early in
the flu season here. You know, so the world is
a much smaller place now than one hundred years ago,
so what's happening in Europe tends to come here fairly quickly.
And as I said earlier, here in the Northeast, we
are seeing an uptake in severe flu in hospitalizations so
(25:17):
we're concerned that this is going to be a rough
blue season for US.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
I remember, and I might be wrong, but when COVID
hit here in the late twenty nineteen, and actually more
so in January, we had some outbreaks. My understanding that
there had been an outbreak a little bit before that
in Milan. There was some sort of big fashion week
in Milan, and that became a real hotspot. Am I
(25:46):
correct in that recollection?
Speaker 5 (25:49):
Yeah? So back in you know, twenty twenty, when COVID
made its way to the US. You know, obviously the
initial description was in Asia, but then there were outbreaks
in Iran which became concerning to those of US with
the public health lens, followed by Italy UH, and then
the first cases here in the States, first on the
(26:10):
West coast, but then it sort of hit everywhere.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
Yeah, well it hit up in the state of Washington.
So is there anywhere we're the reason I asked that
question as a predicate to this question, and is there
something going on in Europe or England, uh, which which
resulted in a spate of activity that that we're now
concerned about. I'm just trying to drill down a little
bit on this or is it just a general influence
(26:35):
a wave in England, which obviously is a relatively small
geographic location with fairly compact, particularly in major cities over there,
compact living circumstances that has that has caused us to
be concerned.
Speaker 5 (26:52):
Yeah, I think it's the latter. There's just been a
you know, a pretty significant wave of flu activity both
in the UK and Europe, and we're anticipating seeing that
here and again, the best thing people can contect themselves
first and foremost is getting vaccinated against the flu.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
And since I have you, I'm just going to ask
you one other question, which I think is important. And
five years out from COVID, I get a sense that
we're becoming a little complacent about COVID and maybe a
little complacent about flu. A couple of years ago, the
speculation was that everybody would be able to get a
(27:31):
combined COVID flu shot those who wanted them, but that
hasn't materialized. Is the inconvenience of still getting the two
separate shots starting to wear on people? Do you believe.
Speaker 5 (27:46):
I think that is. I think there's a lot of
misinformation about vaccines being circulated on the internet, and some
of it by people in power as well. I know
in Massachusetts, the last data I have is, you know,
less than ten percent of the population has got it
in the latest COVID shot, and only about a third
(28:07):
of the overall population has gotten flu vaccine. And those
numbers are too low. We need we need people to
get vaccinated because that protects everyone.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Yeah, it's that's the herd. That's the herd mentality, you know,
the herd theory. I should say, not herd mentality, the
herd theory. The more people vaccinated. But that is kind
of a sad commentary for Massachusetts because we have as
well as Connecticut, between your great schools and universities and hospitals,
we have a wat here as well. And you would
(28:38):
think that in a in a state like Massachusetts, that
would be a very high number, because I'll bet you
if you compare that to some of the other states
who are who have less medical facilities there, some of
those states in other regions of the country are probably
even lower. So a word to the wise, doctor Hill.
Really pleasure to talk with you. I enjoyed our conversation.
(29:00):
We don't script questions here on nights side, and whenever
I know a little bit about a subject I like
to drill down a little bit. And thanks thanks for
answering my questions. It was really helpful for me and
hopefully for everyone in our audience.
Speaker 5 (29:15):
Sure, I really appreciate being on the show. Certainly, the
American Lung Association has information if anyone wants to learn
more about vaccines for respiratory diseases, if you go to
lung dot org slash vaccines. That's a great place to
get some information.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
That's great, and it gave me an opportunity to mention
the name of the late great Jimmy Piersoll doesn't happen
often anymore. Thanks very much, doctor Hill.
Speaker 5 (29:37):
Appreciate that he it's the first.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
Major League baseball player I ever got an autograph and
a picture with. That's why I remember him so well.
Really quite a nice guy, very funny guy as well.
Thank you so much, doctor.
Speaker 5 (29:49):
Hill, or thank you a great night.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
Good night. We get back when we talk about the
CDC decision to drop the newborn Hepatitis B recommendations somewhat controversial,
leaving parents with conflicting guidance. Going to talk with doctor
Charles Hannam. He's a pediatrician, General pediatrician at Tuft's Medical Center,
back with doctor Charles Hannam, and that is our last
(30:13):
interview on this hour. We will move on to topics
including the Brian Walsh the case murder case in which
the defense today unexpectedly rested without calling a single witness.
We'll talk about that after the nine o'clock news, but
we have in the on deck circle carrying the baseball
(30:34):
commentary is similar Doctor Charles Hanham coming up right after this.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on w Boston's News Radio.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
Delighted to welcome doctor Chaz Hanham. His first name is Charles,
but it goes by Chazz. Doctor Chaz Handham. Welcome to Nightside.
How are you, sir? I'm doing well.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
Thanks? How were you? Dan?
Speaker 2 (30:57):
You're a general pediatrician at top Medical Center. I'm doing great.
Always great to talk to folks from the medical community.
And there was a decision recently by the CDC, the
Center of a Disease Control, which dropped the newborn hepatitis
B recommendation. That's a fairly controversial decision. What sort of
(31:20):
an impact do you think that's going to have? And
this certainly is going to be some confusion what are
most pediatricians telling their their their patients. Obviously their patients
are infants, so telling the parents of their patients the
great question.
Speaker 4 (31:38):
There's there's a lot going pack with the recommendation, and
I think the biggest takeaway is that we're likely not
going to change our recommendations, I think with the with
the biggest impetus for that being that there's really not
a great evidence based reason for the change that came
into the play last week. And you know, us as
pediatricians and I think in the medical community in general,
really try to use evident to guide the decisions we make,
(32:01):
even if that may be that there's uncertainty of how
safe it is and you know, modifying the risks and
the benefits of humanization practices and discussing that with families.
But overall, the American Academy of Pediatrics of the AAP,
which we refer it to as the governing body of
pediatricians in the country, and I think we are going
to be looking to them a lot more now for
guidance on the best ways to protect our patients and
(32:24):
really discussing that with our families and unfortunately not necessarily
recommending what the CDC is proposing.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
Here's my question. I understand the influence that the Healthy
Human Human Service, as Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Junior, has,
and I do know that there are people in this
country who are skeptical above vaccines. And I know that vaccines,
(32:52):
you know, nothing is ever guaranteed, but obviously over time
hepatitis B has been effective. Where does this this skepticism
spring from?
Speaker 4 (33:06):
That is a really hard question to answer in a
short amount of time. Sure, I think the biggest choice
in the you know, the thing that we really want
to make sure that people recognize that has existed since
immunization and vaccination has has been around, is we want
to have a conversation with people about the risks and
the benefits of that and have people make informed decisions,
(33:26):
I know, about their health, the health of their children,
and us as pediatricians, you know, hoping that people can
recognize the expertise and the science that we bring to
the decisions you know about immunizations and vaccination in particular.
And I think the challenge that a lot of us
have is, you know, where does where does that feeling
come from? Unfortunately, it's not new, It's been around for
one hundred of hundred, one hundred years essentially since smallpox
(33:50):
as one of the first vaccines, has existed, where people
are feeling that they're forced to do things that may
not be what they consider to be safe or effective.
And I think a lot of the decisions we make
and the kind of public health sphere, but also just
as pediatricians, comes down to trying to, you know, discuss
with parents and patients what's best for them, but also
bringing in the lens of what's best for the community,
(34:11):
what's best for our country, what's best for our neighborhood,
And that I think is where a lot of the
skepticism concerns really are more prioritizing the individual over the
public health policy that we know is going to protect
more people on average that we want to make sure
that we can, you know, balance that with individual rights
and parents' choice. And it's it's a hard place to be.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
So what do you say to a perspective. You know
a parent who says, gee, I've read all this stuff
about these Hepatitis B shots, and I have some concerns.
You obviously have to assuage their concerns, and I don't
want you to do the entire presentation. But what is
the strongest argument that a doctor will summon you know what,
(34:58):
what can you say to a parent who's who is hesitant,
maybe a little skeptical, but at least is open minded
enough to listen to what you say. What do you
say to that parent. I'm not talking about the parent
who says no, the my kids not taking any shots
or any think the person who you know you're not
going to be able to change their mind. What do
you say to someone who at least will listen to you.
Speaker 4 (35:18):
Yeah, that's a that's a great question. And I think
you know, generally speaking, most people are willing to ask
questions and we're willing to answer them. And that's I
think a really important part of this conversation, and I'm
happy to talk about how I might approach it. The
general sense I would bring is that, you know, hepatitis
BE screening, for example, the recommendation is that if a
mom is hepatitis BE negative, which is part of routine
(35:39):
prenatal screening, you know that the hepatitis B vaccine is
not going to be something they would recommend at birth.
And I think there's there's some kind of things to
understand about the timeline of how that testing works, and
I would let parents know often you know that testing
is just one isolated point in time, and sometimes tests
are wrong, or sometimes tests aren't done, and so it's
(36:00):
important to recognize that there may still be a very
small risk of the infant contracting hepatitis B, maybe not
from the mom if we know that they're negative, but
potentially from somewhere out in the community or from other
family members, and the risk is quite small. I have
to admit that, and I think that's important to kind
of recognize that there are limitations to our advice. And
(36:21):
you know, generally speaking, hepatitis B is transmitted via blood,
but can come from other secretions. And we're not testing
everybody who's at home living with you know, a patient
or infant. We're not testing people that are.
Speaker 5 (36:33):
At dacating people at schools.
Speaker 4 (36:35):
You don't know this. You know the appetitis be status
of some party that goes to preschool with you. And
so I think from a you know, a protection standpoint,
we know the vaccine is very safe from decades of
safety and efficacy work, we know that it's effective, and
for us, it's kind of we just want to do
what is best, which is, even if the risk is small,
we want to try to reduce that even as much
as we can. And that's where I think evidence suggests
(36:58):
that that that's still the best choice.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
And what is the If the parent says to you,
I'll play the role of the parent here, Well, well,
I get it, and I understand it, but I think
I'm going to risk it. What do you say to
them and to make them aware that if they don't
get the hepatitis shot for their child and the child
is subsequently affected, how dangerous is that to the child?
(37:24):
And can anything be done to reverse that once the
child's infected.
Speaker 4 (37:30):
Yeah, that's a that's a great talking point that I
often don't bring up immediately, I think, but I think
Hepatitis B in particular is a vaccine preventable disease, and
when children, especially young infants, get it in infancy but
even through childhood, the risk of that progressing to a
really severe chronic illness is really high, kind of upwards
to ninety percent or so. So, you know, an infant
(37:52):
who gets hepatitis B, they've got a ninety percent or
higher chance of likely having liver failure, cirrhosis, liver cancer
at the adult and it's something that we can't care.
There's no treatment for appetitis B, and so it really
comes down to, you know, it's a risk adjustment that
we're trying to do. It really hard to see, like
what's life going to look like fifty years in the
(38:13):
future for your infant, especially for your parents, you know,
twenty four hours of birth. It's like, oh my gosh,
I need to make these big decisions. But ultimately, you know,
our job is to try to say there are some
risks here and again we can do something about it.
And and I think that's really some of the powerful
tools that we use of you know, we don't thankfully
see heppatitis be complications that often, and that is because
(38:34):
of the vaccine.
Speaker 2 (38:35):
And you know, you had done a great job in
the thing way to me and to my audience. I
know that a lot of these conversations as we won
on one, this was much more than a one on
one conversation tonight, But I thank you do a great job.
Is there somewhere that people can go and get reliable
information on this that you would recommend, whether they're a
(38:57):
grandparent or an aunt or an uncle and they might
want to learn about it so they can weigh in
with the with the parents along with the doctors.
Speaker 4 (39:04):
Yeah, no, there's there's some great resources. I think. Unfortunately,
the CDC is not really trustworthy in my opinion anymore
so the American Academy of Pediatrics the AAP. They've got
a great website designed for patients, families and i'm really
designed for parents. It's called Healthy Children dot org. And
then there's another really great vaccine website called the Vaccine
(39:25):
Education Center. It's out of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
and really gets a deep, deep dive into vaccine components,
safety risks, the benefits. It's one of the best I
think online resources that exist to really help promote and
answer questions that people have that are going to be
one of them to be well informed about. So i'd
recommend those two.
Speaker 2 (39:44):
Doc Doctor Chess Hannah, thank you very much for your
time tonight. I'd love to have you back. You're very
good communicator, which is what people need at that particular
time in their lives. Thanks so much, and I hope
you have a great Christmas season.
Speaker 5 (39:58):
Thank you you too.
Speaker 2 (39:59):
All Right, me back with attorney Field Tracy, and we're
going to talk about this case, the Bryan Walsh murder case.
The defense rested today without calling a witness, coming back
on Nightside right after the nine o'clock news
It's Night's Eyes Dan, I'm going you easy Boston's news Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Thanks Madison is always a great idea, particularly about this time,
eight oh seven at night head to Nightside. I want
to welcome everyone in. Rob Brooks, my partner in time,
the producer at WBZ for Nightside, is back in the
control room in beautiful Medford, Massachusetts. All he's actually really
at the heart of Medford, Massachusetts. All set to hinder
(00:26):
your phone calls beginning at nine o'clock. We are supposed
to be talking tonight at nine o'clock. I mean, the
big story of the day is the Brian Walsh murder
case with the defense, after having promised, in effect promised
that their client would take the witness stand, they chose
to present no witnesses, stunning, stunning case today and they
(00:49):
come back. We'll see what the jury does with this case.
We'll talk with Phil Tracy at nine o'clock and then
later on tonight we'll talk about a new trend in
restaurant downing where a lot of people now instead of
going out and having a couple of you know, each
having an entree, maybe one gets an entre, someone else
gets an app and they kind of split things up,
or they get a couple of apps, or maybe three
(01:09):
apps and just a different way to dine. We'll see
if maybe you've changed your dining habits as a result
of everything that has been going on around the country
for the last eleven months or so. My name is
Dan Ray. I'm the host of Night Side, and we
have four really interesting guests coming up, starting off with
Linda Matchett. Linda is the Boston Globe Correspondence. You're the
(01:30):
writer and editor for the Globe Santa. This is the
seventieth anniversary of the Globe Santa, almost as old as
I am. What a great program that helps thousands of
children each year and has been in continuous operation. I
guess since is it nineteen fifty six if I'm doing
(01:51):
my math correctly.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Linda, Yes, it is nineteen fifty six that Globe Santa
graded over from the from Post Santa, which was another
newspaper in one I was seven at that time in Boston,
and it folded, and there was a lot of worry
in the city, including in the Mayor's office, about who's
(02:17):
going to help these kids, Who's going to give them
toys of Christmas, if they're if their parents can't afford to,
and so the Boston Globes stepped up and something called
the Boston Globe Mayor Heinz Santa Fund was started, and
it had it was announced with a lot of fanfare
in the in the Globe, of course, a great undertaking
(02:40):
to see that no child in Greater Boston goes unremembered
on Christmas.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
And Mayor John be Hindes, I think I covered that
news conference back then.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
I might have been there too.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
I don't love that. I doubt that. So over the
seventy years, how many children is there any sort of
I'm sure there's not a count, but is there any
sort of an estimate as to how many children who
might have gone with a giftless Christmas actually found something
under their actual tree or their figurative Christmas tree.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Well, we say millions of children have been helped by
Globe Family, but to take it sort of year by year,
last year there were close to thirty thousand kids who
were helped from like seventeen thousand families. Yeah, so we
(03:40):
get letters from these families telling us that they're in need,
and we read every single one of them, and I
need a portion of them. We have a whole team.
And the way Gloves operates is that I or other
writers tell stories that are based on the letters to
really give readers sense of what is going on in
(04:02):
the city, why or in the greater Boston, why there
are so many people in need? And I have to say,
I've been doing this for five years. This has been
I think the toughest year, the saddest letters. And the
bar was already pretty high.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
So so so let's go through the logistics. If there
are people out there who need help tonight, so they
write a letter to the Boston Globe. Now it's no
longer at Morrissey Boulevard, or maybe the press is No,
the presses aren't even there at Morrissey Boulevard.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
Yeah, we're downtown. So beginning in the fall, people who
are in in connection one way or another with the
Department of Transitional Assistance, either directly or through a social
(04:55):
service agency, or through a church or synagogue or or
a religious organization, they're told that they can write to
Globe Santa and their need is sanded. And they have
to be you know, they have to be sure that
they really.
Speaker 4 (05:11):
Truly are in need sure.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
And they they're given a form to fill out, and
it always starts with your Globe Santa, and people, even
children themselves poignant moving letters saying what the situations are.
Sometimes the kids write them themselves. Sometimes the parents.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Are able to so logistically what I'm trying to what
I'm trying to understand here, because I grew up in
Boston and we never had to depend upon the Globe Santa.
But there's no shame in that. So so the letters
come in and the child or the parent is asking
for a firetruck or a baseball bat or a what
(05:55):
are a doll? Right? Do you try to literally, what
do you do when is a specific request you try?
Speaker 5 (06:02):
That's a really good question.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
That's a really good question, and it's hard. Of course,
we can't fill fill seventeen thousand different requests, but.
Speaker 6 (06:09):
We we have.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
We go to toy Fair in February and we get it.
We take a reading of what is in demand this year,
what kids really want, what is educational, what they'll have
fun with but they won't get tired of, you know
what doesn't It's something very basic like what doesn't require
(06:32):
batteries so that they won't have to keep replacing them.
And some of the best books of the year that
have been chosen you know, that have won Caldecotta Awards
or others, and they divided into by age group and
by gender, and there's a number of different categories that
go out, but we for sure max to the kid's
(06:53):
age and their gender.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
So then how how would they delivered? I can see
that if a church is sent in or ifglogue is
sent in fifty letters, all those could be booked off.
But just from a bulked up from a logistical point
of view, this has to be a tremendous undertaking. I
assume you must have people who volunteer or who help.
This is not something that you and your staff could do.
(07:19):
Do you need besides obviously contributions, which are always important,
do you need volunteers to help deliver these items?
Speaker 3 (07:28):
We actually depend on. We have people who are contracted
to work with us. They set up an operation in
the Taunting facility, which, as you mentioned, is where the
printing presses are, and they're going day like long days,
packing boxes which are then delivered to USPS facilities and
(07:49):
they're delivered by by the Post Office to homes. We
make sure that they arrive on time for Christmas. Sometimes
they don't just I mean, sometimes people don't live in home,
sometimes are delivered to homeless shelters, but we follow up
and make sure every kid who asks gets their their gifts.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Well, I'll tell you it's a great, great project. So
let's let's give us at an address. If any people
are listening tonight and would like to make a financial contribution,
which I'm sure you would welcome, where would they send
that and they make it out to what just the
Globe Santa Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
All the information is spelled out on our website, which
is Boston Globe dot org. And it'll tell you how
to phone, how to make a telephone call, if you want,
where to send the money to, if you want to
write a check, how to do it online. That's how
to do it perfect.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Okay. Yeah. All we try to do here is to
is to give the information to people. So if anyone's
listening to this interview, I assume many people will be moved.
Boston Globe, Santa dot org.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
I'm no going to just correct Thatta.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Globe Santa dot org. Okay, thanks for that correction, Globe
Santa dot org. Linda again, you're going to be very
busy I know that Santa and his elves are working
feverishly in the North Pole, and you're in direct contact
with them. So let us you have a lot of
elves who will help you out tonight and check out
Globe Santa dot org. Thanks so much for joining us tonight, Linda.
(09:26):
I really do believe you're doing God's work over there.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Thank you, Thank you so much for having me on.
Thanks Logain more than welcome.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
When we get back, we're gonna tell you a little
about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Mass and Metro
West hit a big milestone this year with more matches
so far this school year than in the previous ten years.
Big Brothers, Big Sister Sisters, great organization. This one is
in Central Mass and Metro West, and we will talk
(09:56):
with Connie Askin, she's the CEO of that organization. After
this break on a very cold, a very cold Thursday night.
It's probably as cold tonight here in New England as
it is at the North Pole. I'm sure of it.
We'll be back on Nightside right after this.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
Night Side with Dan Ray. I'm Boston's news Radio.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
Well, there are a lot of charities around, but I
think very few have the fabulous reputation of Big Brothers
and Big Sisters. We're going to talk with Connie Askin.
She's the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central
Mass and Metro West. Connie, Welcome to Night's Side. You're
not the first Big Brothers Big Sister agency that we've
(10:45):
talked to, but you guys do such great work matching
Big Brothers and Big Sisters up with kids who need
someone to look up to in their lives. Tell us
about the mission, the general mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters.
I think most people know it, but there may be
a few out there who aren't exactly sure of what
we're talking about. Welcome to Nightside.
Speaker 6 (11:06):
Thank you so much. Dan. Yes, Big Brothers Sig Sisters
has been around for a long time. We've been in
Central Mass and Metro West for sixty years. Nationally, we've
been around for one hundred and twenty years. It's really
a simple mission. We connect caring adults with children who
need an extra hand to hold and somebody who just
can be in their corner sharing them on. It's a
(11:28):
simple mission, but it's powerful.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
It certainly is. You've been around for sixty years. How
many young people have you matched up with over that time,
It has to be a tremendous number. I know you've
just had a big year with one hundred and eighty matches,
but I assume over the course of the history of
(11:50):
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central mass and Mentro West,
it has to be in the tens of thousands.
Speaker 6 (11:56):
Yeah, we think it's thirty thousand children that's have been impacted.
And this year, already the school year, we've made one
hundred and eighty eight new matches, so in total we'll
serve set one hundred and twenty five this year. We're
on a growth streak.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Give us an idea. I mean, I think everybody understands
the concept, but how much time is involved? What's the profile?
Let's start with the profile of your volunteers. What is
the age range of the Big Brothers Big Sisters. I
know there's no age limit, but what's the maximum range
where people either have the time as well as the
(12:33):
inclination to reach out and help someone who's younger than
they Maybe some of them had been Little Brothers and
Little Sisters themselves. Give us just a little profile of
who comes in the door as a volunteer.
Speaker 6 (12:48):
Well, It's interesting because we have different programs in different sites,
so there are some high school students who are big
to younger children. We have a lot of college students
in the Worcester area who mentor at local elementary and
middle school. So Holy Cross alone has about one hundred
and sixty student athletes who mentor as bigs. Typically, though
(13:09):
we see anywhere from early thirties all the way to
eighty years old. You know, somebody can offer their wisdom
and their experience no matter what age they are, and
being a big with us, being a volunteer with us
means hanging out with a kid who is between the
ages of six and twenty five, a kid who might
(13:30):
be a little shy, or might be super creative, or
who might love dogs. The point is their children with
big dreams and who just just need that special, caring
adult to help them do life.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
And the activities that you're involved in. I know, did
you help out the big brothers and the big sisters
in terms of taking kids to ball games or to
activities what some might want to be Some might be
roller skaters or ice skates, or other children might like
(14:03):
to go to the theater. You've have plenty of theaters
in the Worcester area, including one of my favorites, the
Hanover Theater. I'm assuming that a lot of the organizations
help out in terms of giving everyone access to great
activities in the Greater Worcester area.
Speaker 6 (14:21):
We absolutely do have that. But you know, the most
important thing is a person's time. So I can give
examples of long matches and short matches. There's a match
who's been together just eight months, and the little has
been interested in books, so they often read books together.
Actually mostly the little reads the big. So that is
(14:43):
the kind of activity that really multiplies a simple interaction,
build together to make a life changing relationship. It's really
about the consistency.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Some part, something as simple as a book is used
as the connective tissue, if you will, between the big
brother and the and in that case little brother, or
the big sister and the little sister. But I know
a little about about the organization, but I know that
sometimes you folks provide, say tickets to a college basketball game,
(15:16):
or a college hockey game, or for that matter, maybe
you know, a football game, whatever college football game, where
without the companionship of the big the the the little
brother or little sister might not be real comfortable to
go on their own, and this might be the best
(15:37):
person to bring them to an event and have them
see a Holy Cross football game or a holy Cross
basketball game for the first time in their lives. I mean,
that's to me the magic of these this organization. How
far off am I with that analysis?
Speaker 6 (15:55):
No, you're You're one hundred percent right. And for the
college students to have the littles look up to them
and idolize them as they're out on the game field
is incredible. Sure we also get tickets to you know,
Celtics boxes and Red Sox boxes, and the WU Sox
and Worcester have been incredible partners to us, and in
fact their front office has been mentoring as a group
(16:17):
at a local elementary school in Worcester for the last
few years. So doing the sports is a way that
little and big can connect on the subway right into town.
Sometimes the littles have never been on the subway.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Well. For the for the first several years in Worcester,
my son Daniel was the general manager of the WU
Soax and I suspect that he was very much Yes,
he was very much involved in that. He actually also
between high school and college did a gap year for
City Year, another great organization in which young people volunteer
(16:53):
to interact with kids. So, you know, we're very familiar
with the activity. What can folks do if that if
they're interested. Such a walkable city and an easy city
to get around in. The parking is a lot easier.
I assume that you have volunteers that come from what
(17:13):
twenty thirty forty miles away, it's wor's easy access, easy park.
Tell us how folks can get in touch with you
and how far to some of your big brothers and
big sisters come to spend quality time with the little
brothers and little sisters.
Speaker 6 (17:32):
Well, we'll do outings for sure, like for instance, the
Lister Art Museum has a new armory exhibit that people
are flocking to from all over. But usually we make
the matches. That's an easy driveable distance for both the
big and the little and they come from all over.
We serve eighty seven towns in cities in the middle
of Massachusetts, so the activities can be you know, in
(17:56):
act in Boxborough as well as in Worstern.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
Okay, Well that's fine and sometimes sometimes that workscept but
you you make the geography work. My recollection is that
you're not just putting people's names in a hat. You're
trying to find commonalities geographic and and also uh interest
as well. Obviously, if someone has a is a musician
and as a child who's interested in music, music, that's
(18:21):
the that's the match. So thank you for what you do.
How can folks get in touch? Give us the website
in case people either want to contribute, support you financially,
or maybe even volunteer for the first time in their
lives or for the second or third time in their lives.
What's the what's the website? Connie.
Speaker 6 (18:37):
The easiest place to find us is big CM dot org,
so that's for Central Mass big CM dot org. Volunteer
with us. Go to our website, learn more about us.
Email me I can talk to you about it. Come
to one of our events. It's really easy to plug
into our work, and I love introducing people to the
(18:58):
power of mentoring perfect.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Biggs CM dot org Connie ask it. Thank you very much.
I appreciate your time tonight. A great organization and a
great great role models. Congratulations to you and to everyone
associated with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Mass and MetroWest.
Speaker 6 (19:15):
Thanks so much, Connie, thank you.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
When we get back right after the news at the
bottom of the Era, we're going to be talking with
a couple of doctors. We're going to talk about a
tough flu season as well as later on our second guest,
we'll talk about the CDC dropping the newborn Hepatitis B recommendation,
leaving some parents or water parents with conflicting guidance. Back
on Nights with doctor David Hill, director of clinical research
(19:41):
at Waterbury Pulmonary Associates and volunteer medical spokesperson for the
American Lung Association. This is a tough flu season. If
you haven't gotten a flu shot, you may want to
rethink that that consideration. Doctor David Hill will explain.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
You're on Night Side with Dan Ray, Boston's news Radio.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
I'm back and I'm joined by doctor David Hill. Doctor
David Hill, welcome to night Side All Night.
Speaker 5 (20:09):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
I see that you're a pulmonologist and director of clinical
research at Waterbury Paul Murray pull Mammary Associates. I'm assuming
that's Waterbury, Connecticut.
Speaker 5 (20:22):
That is correct, just down the road in Waterbury.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
Hometown of former Red Sox center field of Jimmy pearsall. Indeed,
indeed do you is he is he still remembered in Waterbury?
Speaker 5 (20:36):
Oh yeah, oh yeah, you know part of the Waterbury
Sports Hall of Fame.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
So, oh absolutely, where Jackie Jensen was in right and
Ted Williams was in left and Jimmy pearsall about whom
they made the movie Fear Strikes Out. Yeah, that's the
one thing I know about Waterbury. Now I know, doctor
David Hill. So we're looking at a tough, a very
severe flu season, the worst in over a decade. Tell
(21:01):
us about it, doctor Hill.
Speaker 5 (21:03):
No, we can really take what's coming by what's happening
in Europe in the UK, and they're having a very
severe early flu season there. What we're seeing actually here
in the Northeast. I'm attending in my hospital, Waterfir Hospital
this week and I have multiple patients hospitalized with influenza A.
(21:24):
Almost all of them are unvaccinated. So the message here
is the ideal time to get your flu shot is
September and October, but it is not too late. You
can go out and get your flu shot tomorrow and
you will be protecting your loved ones when you gather
for the holidays and protecting yourself as well.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
How quickly does the flu shot. I know you get
it on a Monday, it doesn't impact you one hundred
percent right away. Give us some idea about that timeline. Obviously,
they say when's the best time to plant a tree?
Seven years ago, best time to get a flu shot
was in September. So if someone is going out tomorrow
and is convinced by what we're talking about now to
(22:03):
get a flu shot, when does that sort of start
to give you some protection.
Speaker 5 (22:08):
You get about peak response two weeks later, so the
response is lasting. It does take a week or two
to really kick in. But again, if you're planning on
gathering with family on Christmas and family and friends on
New Year's tomorrow's still a good time to get that shot.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
And how long I got my shot? My flu shot
in September, because I've always been under the impression that
the flu season runs September, October, November, December, January, and
February maybe into March. And that's the area when I
want to be protected. Is it about six months that
you get protected with a flu shot? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (22:45):
Get you get six months or longer of protection. The
flu shot changes every year, primarily because the virus changes,
so you will get some lasting immunity from a shot,
but one shot for the vast majority of people should
cover them for the entire flu season.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
Now, I'm not a medical person, nor do I play
one on the radio, but i do know a little
bit about this because I've had the pleasure to speak
within the benefit of speaking with folks like you over
the years. My understanding is that our flu is what
we build the flu shot on, is what happened in
the Southern Hemisphere during our summer last summer? Correct, And
(23:29):
how did we get what happens get surprised? How do
we get surprised with what's going on in Britain because
I read about this Britain stuff about three weeks ago,
and that's some nasty stuff floating around over there. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (23:40):
So they do their best efforts to guess what's going
to circulate based on what circulated last year here and
what is circulating in the Southern hemisphere, you know, six
months before us. And sometimes the scientists who put this
together come up with a great match. But there is
a little bit of guesswork. The flu virus are constantly
(24:01):
recombining and mutating. So some years the flu vaccine is
a great match for what's circulating, and some years it
doesn't match quite as well. And the severity of the
flu virus itself in any year can differ. Even when
the vaccine matches well to it what we do know,
and even when people go out and say, oh, the
vaccine was only thirty or forty percent protective, that's a
(24:25):
thirty or forty percent decreased risk of getting really sick.
So even in years where it doesn't work well, it's
still the right idea to get the flu shot.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
So clearly you referenced early on what's going on in
Britain or England. Is that always the predictor that we
look at, or is the outbreak? They are just a
little more intense this year, and that's really what has
our concerns raised.
Speaker 5 (24:55):
I think that combined with what we're seeing early in
the flu season here. You know, so the world is
a much smaller place now than one hundred years ago,
so what's happening in Europe tends to come here fairly quickly.
And as I said earlier, here in the Northeast, we
are seeing an uptake in severe flu in hospitalizations so
(25:17):
we're concerned that this is going to be a rough
blue season for US.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
I remember, and I might be wrong, but when COVID
hit here in the late twenty nineteen, and actually more
so in January, we had some outbreaks. My understanding that
there had been an outbreak a little bit before that
in Milan. There was some sort of big fashion week
in Milan, and that became a real hotspot. Am I
(25:46):
correct in that recollection?
Speaker 5 (25:49):
Yeah? So back in you know, twenty twenty, when COVID
made its way to the US. You know, obviously the
initial description was in Asia, but then there were outbreaks
in Iran which became concerning to those of US with
the public health lens, followed by Italy UH, and then
the first cases here in the States, first on the
(26:10):
West coast, but then it sort of hit everywhere.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
Yeah, well it hit up in the state of Washington.
So is there anywhere we're the reason I asked that
question as a predicate to this question, and is there
something going on in Europe or England, uh, which which
resulted in a spate of activity that that we're now
concerned about. I'm just trying to drill down a little
bit on this or is it just a general influence
(26:35):
a wave in England, which obviously is a relatively small
geographic location with fairly compact, particularly in major cities over there,
compact living circumstances that has that has caused us to
be concerned.
Speaker 5 (26:52):
Yeah, I think it's the latter. There's just been a
you know, a pretty significant wave of flu activity both
in the UK and Europe, and we're anticipating seeing that
here and again, the best thing people can contect themselves
first and foremost is getting vaccinated against the flu.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
And since I have you, I'm just going to ask
you one other question, which I think is important. And
five years out from COVID, I get a sense that
we're becoming a little complacent about COVID and maybe a
little complacent about flu. A couple of years ago, the
speculation was that everybody would be able to get a
(27:31):
combined COVID flu shot those who wanted them, but that
hasn't materialized. Is the inconvenience of still getting the two
separate shots starting to wear on people? Do you believe.
Speaker 5 (27:46):
I think that is. I think there's a lot of
misinformation about vaccines being circulated on the internet, and some
of it by people in power as well. I know
in Massachusetts, the last data I have is, you know,
less than ten percent of the population has got it
in the latest COVID shot, and only about a third
(28:07):
of the overall population has gotten flu vaccine. And those
numbers are too low. We need we need people to
get vaccinated because that protects everyone.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Yeah, it's that's the herd. That's the herd mentality, you know,
the herd theory. I should say, not herd mentality, the
herd theory. The more people vaccinated. But that is kind
of a sad commentary for Massachusetts because we have as
well as Connecticut, between your great schools and universities and hospitals,
we have a wat here as well. And you would
(28:38):
think that in a in a state like Massachusetts, that
would be a very high number, because I'll bet you
if you compare that to some of the other states
who are who have less medical facilities there, some of
those states in other regions of the country are probably
even lower. So a word to the wise, doctor Hill.
Really pleasure to talk with you. I enjoyed our conversation.
(29:00):
We don't script questions here on nights side, and whenever
I know a little bit about a subject I like
to drill down a little bit. And thanks thanks for
answering my questions. It was really helpful for me and
hopefully for everyone in our audience.
Speaker 5 (29:15):
Sure, I really appreciate being on the show. Certainly, the
American Lung Association has information if anyone wants to learn
more about vaccines for respiratory diseases, if you go to
lung dot org slash vaccines. That's a great place to
get some information.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
That's great, and it gave me an opportunity to mention
the name of the late great Jimmy Piersoll doesn't happen
often anymore. Thanks very much, doctor Hill.
Speaker 5 (29:37):
Appreciate that he it's the first.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
Major League baseball player I ever got an autograph and
a picture with. That's why I remember him so well.
Really quite a nice guy, very funny guy as well.
Thank you so much, doctor.
Speaker 5 (29:49):
Hill, or thank you a great night.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
Good night. We get back when we talk about the
CDC decision to drop the newborn Hepatitis B recommendations somewhat controversial,
leaving parents with conflicting guidance. Going to talk with doctor
Charles Hannam. He's a pediatrician, General pediatrician at Tuft's Medical Center,
back with doctor Charles Hannam, and that is our last
(30:13):
interview on this hour. We will move on to topics
including the Brian Walsh the case murder case in which
the defense today unexpectedly rested without calling a single witness.
We'll talk about that after the nine o'clock news, but
we have in the on deck circle carrying the baseball
(30:34):
commentary is similar Doctor Charles Hanham coming up right after this.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on w Boston's News Radio.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
Delighted to welcome doctor Chaz Hanham. His first name is Charles,
but it goes by Chazz. Doctor Chaz Handham. Welcome to Nightside.
How are you, sir? I'm doing well.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
Thanks? How were you? Dan?
Speaker 2 (30:57):
You're a general pediatrician at top Medical Center. I'm doing great.
Always great to talk to folks from the medical community.
And there was a decision recently by the CDC, the
Center of a Disease Control, which dropped the newborn hepatitis
B recommendation. That's a fairly controversial decision. What sort of
(31:20):
an impact do you think that's going to have? And
this certainly is going to be some confusion what are
most pediatricians telling their their their patients. Obviously their patients
are infants, so telling the parents of their patients the
great question.
Speaker 4 (31:38):
There's there's a lot going pack with the recommendation, and
I think the biggest takeaway is that we're likely not
going to change our recommendations, I think with the with
the biggest impetus for that being that there's really not
a great evidence based reason for the change that came
into the play last week. And you know, us as
pediatricians and I think in the medical community in general,
really try to use evident to guide the decisions we make,
(32:01):
even if that may be that there's uncertainty of how
safe it is and you know, modifying the risks and
the benefits of humanization practices and discussing that with families.
But overall, the American Academy of Pediatrics of the AAP,
which we refer it to as the governing body of
pediatricians in the country, and I think we are going
to be looking to them a lot more now for
guidance on the best ways to protect our patients and
(32:24):
really discussing that with our families and unfortunately not necessarily
recommending what the CDC is proposing.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
Here's my question. I understand the influence that the Healthy
Human Human Service, as Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Junior, has,
and I do know that there are people in this
country who are skeptical above vaccines. And I know that vaccines,
(32:52):
you know, nothing is ever guaranteed, but obviously over time
hepatitis B has been effective. Where does this this skepticism
spring from?
Speaker 4 (33:06):
That is a really hard question to answer in a
short amount of time. Sure, I think the biggest choice
in the you know, the thing that we really want
to make sure that people recognize that has existed since
immunization and vaccination has has been around, is we want
to have a conversation with people about the risks and
the benefits of that and have people make informed decisions,
(33:26):
I know, about their health, the health of their children,
and us as pediatricians, you know, hoping that people can
recognize the expertise and the science that we bring to
the decisions you know about immunizations and vaccination in particular.
And I think the challenge that a lot of us
have is, you know, where does where does that feeling
come from? Unfortunately, it's not new, It's been around for
one hundred of hundred, one hundred years essentially since smallpox
(33:50):
as one of the first vaccines, has existed, where people
are feeling that they're forced to do things that may
not be what they consider to be safe or effective.
And I think a lot of the decisions we make
and the kind of public health sphere, but also just
as pediatricians, comes down to trying to, you know, discuss
with parents and patients what's best for them, but also
bringing in the lens of what's best for the community,
(34:11):
what's best for our country, what's best for our neighborhood,
And that I think is where a lot of the
skepticism concerns really are more prioritizing the individual over the
public health policy that we know is going to protect
more people on average that we want to make sure
that we can, you know, balance that with individual rights
and parents' choice. And it's it's a hard place to be.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
So what do you say to a perspective. You know
a parent who says, gee, I've read all this stuff
about these Hepatitis B shots, and I have some concerns.
You obviously have to assuage their concerns, and I don't
want you to do the entire presentation. But what is
the strongest argument that a doctor will summon you know what,
(34:58):
what can you say to a parent who's who is hesitant,
maybe a little skeptical, but at least is open minded
enough to listen to what you say. What do you
say to that parent. I'm not talking about the parent
who says no, the my kids not taking any shots
or any think the person who you know you're not
going to be able to change their mind. What do
you say to someone who at least will listen to you.
Speaker 4 (35:18):
Yeah, that's a that's a great question. And I think
you know, generally speaking, most people are willing to ask
questions and we're willing to answer them. And that's I
think a really important part of this conversation, and I'm
happy to talk about how I might approach it. The
general sense I would bring is that, you know, hepatitis
BE screening, for example, the recommendation is that if a
mom is hepatitis BE negative, which is part of routine
(35:39):
prenatal screening, you know that the hepatitis B vaccine is
not going to be something they would recommend at birth.
And I think there's there's some kind of things to
understand about the timeline of how that testing works, and
I would let parents know often you know that testing
is just one isolated point in time, and sometimes tests
are wrong, or sometimes tests aren't done, and so it's
(36:00):
important to recognize that there may still be a very
small risk of the infant contracting hepatitis B, maybe not
from the mom if we know that they're negative, but
potentially from somewhere out in the community or from other
family members, and the risk is quite small. I have
to admit that, and I think that's important to kind
of recognize that there are limitations to our advice. And
(36:21):
you know, generally speaking, hepatitis B is transmitted via blood,
but can come from other secretions. And we're not testing
everybody who's at home living with you know, a patient
or infant. We're not testing people that are.
Speaker 5 (36:33):
At dacating people at schools.
Speaker 4 (36:35):
You don't know this. You know the appetitis be status
of some party that goes to preschool with you. And
so I think from a you know, a protection standpoint,
we know the vaccine is very safe from decades of
safety and efficacy work, we know that it's effective, and
for us, it's kind of we just want to do
what is best, which is, even if the risk is small,
we want to try to reduce that even as much
as we can. And that's where I think evidence suggests
(36:58):
that that that's still the best choice.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
And what is the If the parent says to you,
I'll play the role of the parent here, Well, well,
I get it, and I understand it, but I think
I'm going to risk it. What do you say to
them and to make them aware that if they don't
get the hepatitis shot for their child and the child
is subsequently affected, how dangerous is that to the child?
(37:24):
And can anything be done to reverse that once the
child's infected.
Speaker 4 (37:30):
Yeah, that's a that's a great talking point that I
often don't bring up immediately, I think, but I think
Hepatitis B in particular is a vaccine preventable disease, and
when children, especially young infants, get it in infancy but
even through childhood, the risk of that progressing to a
really severe chronic illness is really high, kind of upwards
to ninety percent or so. So, you know, an infant
(37:52):
who gets hepatitis B, they've got a ninety percent or
higher chance of likely having liver failure, cirrhosis, liver cancer
at the adult and it's something that we can't care.
There's no treatment for appetitis B, and so it really
comes down to, you know, it's a risk adjustment that
we're trying to do. It really hard to see, like
what's life going to look like fifty years in the
(38:13):
future for your infant, especially for your parents, you know,
twenty four hours of birth. It's like, oh my gosh,
I need to make these big decisions. But ultimately, you know,
our job is to try to say there are some
risks here and again we can do something about it.
And and I think that's really some of the powerful
tools that we use of you know, we don't thankfully
see heppatitis be complications that often, and that is because
(38:34):
of the vaccine.
Speaker 2 (38:35):
And you know, you had done a great job in
the thing way to me and to my audience. I
know that a lot of these conversations as we won
on one, this was much more than a one on
one conversation tonight, But I thank you do a great job.
Is there somewhere that people can go and get reliable
information on this that you would recommend, whether they're a
(38:57):
grandparent or an aunt or an uncle and they might
want to learn about it so they can weigh in
with the with the parents along with the doctors.
Speaker 4 (39:04):
Yeah, no, there's there's some great resources. I think. Unfortunately,
the CDC is not really trustworthy in my opinion anymore
so the American Academy of Pediatrics the AAP. They've got
a great website designed for patients, families and i'm really
designed for parents. It's called Healthy Children dot org. And
then there's another really great vaccine website called the Vaccine
(39:25):
Education Center. It's out of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
and really gets a deep, deep dive into vaccine components,
safety risks, the benefits. It's one of the best I
think online resources that exist to really help promote and
answer questions that people have that are going to be
one of them to be well informed about. So i'd
recommend those two.
Speaker 2 (39:44):
Doc Doctor Chess Hannah, thank you very much for your
time tonight. I'd love to have you back. You're very
good communicator, which is what people need at that particular
time in their lives. Thanks so much, and I hope
you have a great Christmas season.
Speaker 5 (39:58):
Thank you you too.
Speaker 2 (39:59):
All Right, me back with attorney Field Tracy, and we're
going to talk about this case, the Bryan Walsh murder case.
The defense rested today without calling a witness, coming back
on Nightside right after the nine o'clock news
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