This opinion piece ran in VTDigger on April 9, 2025 by Jan K. Carney, associate dean for public health and health policy and a professor of medicine at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine. Opinion pieces give voice to the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine community members and do not represent the college’s views.
“We must have a strong foundation of science, research and partnerships if we want our health better than it is today.”
Today, we are experiencing a national healthcare crisis, faced with new challenges unfolding daily, uncertainty, and questions about the importance of science, research, and public health. As a lifelong educator and researcher, I am fortunate to witness the positive impact of science and research – locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally – every day with partners including healthcare, government, community organizations, schools, and many others, reflecting a collective commitment to public health.
This week is National Public Health Week (April 7 – 13). You may wonder, “What exactly is public health?” Public health impacts us every day and because of public health, our society is healthier, safer, and stronger. The recent resurgence of measles in Texas and other areas is a prime example of the important role public health plays in disease education and prevention. Did you know, by the 1950s in the United States, there were 500,000 reported cases of measles each year – though the true number was probably closer to 4 million . At the time, measles infected nearly all children before they turned 15, causing close to 50,000 hospitalizations annually and about 500 deaths, usually in children. It also caused over 1,000 cases of severe brain inflammation every year.
The first measles vaccine became available in 1963, and over the following decades the number of cases plummeted. In 2000, the U.S. declared measles were eliminated, marking a historic public health achievement. That is until now. To date, more than 300 cases have been confirmed. However, measles infections in the U.S. are almost completely preventable with vaccinations. Other fatal diseases including polio, tetanus, smallpox, Hepatitis B, mumps, chicken pox and malaria have all been eliminated thanks to the role of public health and vaccines as well.
In Vermont and the surrounding region, the Larner College of Medicine has been and is a champion for public health. Our faculty are experts in their fields ranging from infectious diseases to epidemiology. And because we are an academic medical institution, our students and patients benefit from this wealth of knowledge. Recently, our third-year medical students participated in an annual Poster Session and Community Celebration; this has been part of our medical curriculum for more than 20 years. By partnering with prominent organizations including the United Way of Northwest Vermont, agencies identified a variety of health needs for our local communities through 16 public health projects that will benefit our local communities were identified. In addition to opportunities for an exceptional medical education, students, through our Master of Public Health (MPH) program, graduate, skilled and versatile and dedicated to improving Vermont’s overall public health through practice, research, education, and leadership.
If you are a Baby Boomer, Gen Xer, Millennial, or Gen Zer, you have been impacted by public health and probably don’t even realize it. Over the past 30 years, some of the most effective public health campaigns have been launched, including:
- Anti-smoking campaigns: The recognition of tobacco use as a health hazard and subsequent public health anti-smoking campaigns have resulted in changes in social norms to prevent initiation of tobacco use, promote cessation of use, and reduce exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.
- “Ice Bucket Challenge”: This social media campaign raised awareness and funds for ALS research.
- Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI): Launched by the World Health Organization, this initiative has reduced the incidence of polio by over 99% since 1988, with only two countries remaining endemic to wild poliovirus in 2022.
- “Back to Sleep” (now Safe to Sleep): This campaign, which began in 1994, encourages parents and caregivers to place babies to sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
- The Heart Truth®: In 2002, The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute created The Heart Truth®, the first federally sponsored national health education program designed to raise awareness about heart disease as the leading cause of death in women.
Locally, public health scientists are using surveillance systems to closely track bird flu, monitoring potential disease threats to humans – the application of science to real world settings including farming communities in Vermont, in real time, to prevent illness and protect our valuable agricultural community.
Unfortunately, in today’s 24/7 internet driven news cycle, mis- and disinformation shapes popular opinion. So, what can you do? Support science. Support public health. Support education. Support your neighbors, local community, and organizations working together to improve the health of Vermonters.
Our public health system relies on collaborative partnerships. It is the strength of these collective relationships that helps us provide information based on proven data and fuels our persistence, especially as Vermonters, to continue to meet enduring health and social needs. We must have a strong foundation of science, research and partnerships if we want our health better than it is today.
