Key Note: How Vaccines Are Put to the Test

To mark National Immunization Awareness Month, we explored the power of vaccines with Dr. Rebecca Choudhury in our August episode. In this month’s Key Note, Dr. Choudhury lays to rest concerns about vaccines’ safety, walking us through the rigorous approval process they undergo before they reach your doctor’s office or pharmacy. Her insights highlight why vaccines remain one of the most effective ways to protect not only our own health but also the health of our loved ones, co-workers and communities.

The Takeaway

• We want to hear from you! Please complete our survey: www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/member-feedback.
• Drop us a line at our social media channels: Facebook // Instagram // YouTube.
• For vaccine information and resources created especially for healthcare workers, visit the Immunization Action Coalition’s website: www.immunize.org.
• To find info on everything from vaccine schedules and FAQs to testimonials, visit www.vaccineinformation.org.
• Get started on your health journey by making an appointment with your primary care physician to know your numbers: www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/healthyrelationships.
• Get to know your numbers at www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/healthyhearts.
• Relieve stress with mindfulness classes at www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/healthyminds.
• Find healthy recipes and meal-prep tips at www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/food-as-medicine.
• Visit the Healthy Living Resource Center for wellness tips, information and resources: www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/healthyliving.
• Get inspired by fellow members through our Members’ Voices series: www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/healthyliving/membervoices.
• Stop by our Benefits Channel to join webinars on building healthy meals, managing stress and more: www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/videos.
• Visit our YouTube channel to view a wide collection of healthy living videos: www.youtube.com/@1199SEIUBenefitFunds/playlists.
• Sample our wellness classes to exercise body and mind: www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/wellnessevents.
• For information and resources created especially for healthcare workers, visit the Immunization Action Coalition’s website: www.immunize.org.
• To find info on everything from vaccine schedules and FAQs to testimonials, visit www.vaccineinformation.org.

Guest Bio

Rebecca Choudhury, MD, is an Infectious Disease Physician and Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She also serves as the Hospital Epidemiologist and Medical Director of Infection Prevention at Mount Sinai Queens. After completing her undergraduate studies at Columbia University, Dr. Choudhury earned her medical degree from Columbia University's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. She then pursued her residency in Internal Medicine at Vanderbilt University before finishing with an Infectious Disease Fellowship at Montefiore Medical Center. With her board certifications in Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease, Dr. Choudhury's clinical interests include general infectious diseases, HIV care, antibiotic stewardship and infection prevention.

Dr. Choudhury is also involved in research, with her interests including hospital-acquired infections and quality improvement. Along with other members of the Mount Sinai Health System Infection Prevention and Antimicrobial Stewardship teams, she has worked on studies related to decreasing blood culture contamination rates and hospital-acquired bloodstream and antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.

Dr. Choudhury is a member of The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). Her work has been published in academic journals, including Open Forum Infectious Diseases, Clinical Infectious Diseases and Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.