Despite what’s coming out of Washington, Connecticut’s public health commissioner says the state has not changed its recommended vaccine schedule.

Dr. Manisha Juthani joins Dr. Anthony Alessi on his UConn Health podcast “Healthy Rounds” to discuss the state of public health. Beyond the confusion over current government recommendations, they cover, among other things, Connecticut’s standing among the most vaccinated states, the challenges of public health policy, access to health care, how the flu shot formula is determined, some of the Department of Public Health’s lesser-known functions, and how she came to be DPH commissioner.

In public health, our successes are when things don’t happen.
— DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani

Submit questions for “Healthy Rounds” to HealthyRounds@uchc.edu.

Support comes from UConn Health Orthopedics and Sports Medicine and Coverys.

Watch the video version:

Updated Feb. 2, 2026:

Bonus Episode: Deep Dive on Public Health

Dr. Alessi dives further into the discussion he recently discussed with Connecticut Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani. Topics include how Connecticut stacks up against other states in terms of citizens’ health, confusion over health recommendations and waning confidence in the federal government, the continued importance of vaccines, and potential lost ground on research as a result of a culture trending toward an attack on science.