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Germ & Worm

Germ & Worm

By: Drs. Paul Pottinger and Chris Sanford
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Internationally-renowned travel health experts, Drs. Paul Pottinger and Chris Sanford, answer your most pressing (and most embarrassing) questions on maintaining good health during your global travels.Copyright 2025 Drs. Paul Pottinger and Chris Sanford Hygiene & Healthy Living Physical Illness & Disease Social Sciences Travel Writing & Commentary
Episodes
  • 53: Monkey Bites! How NOT to get bitten, and what to do if you do....
    Jun 17 2025

    Om Swastiastu! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger ("Germ") & Chris Sanford ("Worm") answer your travel health questions:

    • Do wearable devices and the internet of things really improve travel health?
    • What antibiotic should I take for travelers diarrhea if I am allergic to penicillin?
    • How can I keep my tourist dollars in the local economy, and avoid greenwashing?
    • What's the deal with vaccine costs worldwide?
    • Monkey Bites–can they transmit rabies?
    • Is paracetamol the same as acetaminophen?
    • Should I get a cholera vaccine?

    We hope you enjoy this podcast! If so, please follow us on the socials @germ.and.worm, subscribe to our RSS feed and share with your friends! We would so appreciate your rating and review to help us grow our audience. And, please send us your questions and travel health anecdotes: germandworm@gmail.com.

    And we hope you will join us for the upcoming UW Travel Medicine CME, June 26-27, 2025, In Seattle and online.

    Our Disclaimer: The Germ and Worm Podcast is designed to inform, inspire, and entertain. However, this podcast does NOT establish a doctor-patient relationship, and it should NOT replace your conversation with a qualified healthcare professional. Please see one before your next adventure. The opinions in this podcast are Dr. Sanford’s & Dr. Pottinger’s alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the University of Washington or UW Medicine.

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    31 mins
  • 52: Mobile Health Apps… Ready for Prime Time?
    Jun 10 2025

    Doberdon! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger ("Germ") & Chris Sanford ("Worm") answer your travel health questions:

    • Are there regulations to protect mountain guides and porters?
    • Do Good Samaritan laws protect me when I’m overseas?
    • Should I share my malaria prophylaxis when asked by a local person?
    • Is insurance—medical and evacuation--mandatory before a remote expedition?
    • Regarding mountain climbing: do political and/or financial factors come into play for the companies that set climbing schedules?
    • Are mobile health apps of benefit?
    • What diseases can I get from drinking unpasteurized milk?
    • How may I digitize my Yellow Fever vaccine information?

    We hope you enjoy this podcast! If so, please follow us on the socials @germ.and.worm, subscribe to our RSS feed and share with your friends! We would so appreciate your rating and review to help us grow our audience. And, please send us your questions and travel health anecdotes: germandworm@gmail.com.

    And we hope you will join us for the upcoming UW Travel Medicine CME, June 26-27, 2025, In Seattle and online.

    Our Disclaimer: The Germ and Worm Podcast is designed to inform, inspire, and entertain. However, this podcast does NOT establish a doctor-patient relationship, and it should NOT replace your conversation with a qualified healthcare professional. Please see one before your next adventure. The opinions in this podcast are Dr. Sanford’s & Dr. Pottinger’s alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the University of Washington or UW Medicine.

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    31 mins
  • 51: Bus… Rental Car… or Hire a Driver? What’s best for you?
    Jun 3 2025

    Annyeonghaseyo! Today, travel medicine specialists Drs. Paul Pottinger ("Germ") & Chris Sanford ("Worm") answer your travel health questions:

    • What do I have to do to get through airport security with the new Real ID system?
    • I’m climbing mountains in South America. I’m going up to 16K or even 18K feet. Should I take a pulse oximeter?
    • When traveling between cities in Europe, which do you think is better—renting a car, or hiring a driver, or taking a bus?
    • Does the shingles vaccine have a bad side effect profile?
    • What’s the deal with the U.S. Dept. of State’s Travel Advisory system?
    • What if I want a vaccine that’s not available in the USA?
    • How can I find a good doctor when I’m traveling overseas?
    • How do I read labels on medications—and everything else—in languages I don’t speak?

    We hope you enjoy this podcast! If so, please follow us on the socials @germ.and.worm, subscribe to our RSS feed and share with your friends! We would so appreciate your rating and review to help us grow our audience. And, please send us your questions and travel health anecdotes: germandworm@gmail.com.

    And we hope you will join us for the upcoming UW Travel Medicine CME, June 26-27, 2025, In Seattle and online.

    Our Disclaimer: The Germ and Worm Podcast is designed to inform, inspire, and entertain. However, this podcast does NOT establish a doctor-patient relationship, and it should NOT replace your conversation with a qualified healthcare professional. Please see one before your next adventure. The opinions in this podcast are Dr. Sanford’s & Dr. Pottinger’s alone, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the University of Washington or UW Medicine.

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    34 mins
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