Influenza is often underestimated, but it can cause serious illness, hospitalization, and death—especially among older adults, young children, pregnant people, individuals with chronic medical conditions, and communities facing limited access to healthcare and other social supports.

In this episode of Health In Harlem on WHCR 90.3 FM, Dr. Maurice Selby and Reid Vero explain how influenza viruses spread, what makes some strains more contagious or severe, and how scientists anticipate which viruses may dominate the upcoming season. The discussion examines the global surveillance data used to formulate annual flu vaccines—not simply what circulated during the Southern Hemisphere’s winter—and reviews traditional flu shots, nasal-spray and enhanced vaccines, and the newly available mRNA influenza vaccine.

Listeners will also learn what flu vaccines can and cannot do, how vaccination reduces the risks of infection, severe illness, hospitalization, and death, and what additional steps families can take to limit transmission. The episode offers practical, evidence-based guidance to help individuals and communities prepare for the 2026–2027 influenza season.

Reliable influenza information

• Infectious Diseases Society of America: Influenza Resource Center

• IDSA: Influenza Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines

• New England Journal of Medicine: An Early Look at mRNA Vaccines to Prevent Influenza

• New England Journal of Medicine: Evidence Update on Influenza and Other Respiratory Vaccines

• Your Local Epidemiologist

• Those Nerdy Girls: Flu-Vaccine Reminder

• Those Nerdy Girls: Infectious-Disease Resources

• CDC: Influenza and the Current Flu Season

• CDC: Seasonal Flu Vaccine Information

• World Health Organization: Seasonal Influenza

Health In Harlem and WHCR

• Health In Harlem on WHCR 90.3 FM

• WHCR 90.3 FM—The Voice of Harlem

• The Health In Harlem Podcast

• Health In Harlem on Apple Podcasts

This program is intended for education and does not replace individualized medical advice, diagnosis, vaccination guidance, or treatment from a qualified healthcare professional.

What is really inside America’s favorite breakfast cereals—and how much of what we believe about them has been shaped by marketing?

In this episode of Health In Harlem, Dr. Maurice Selby speaks with renowned nutrition and food-policy expert Dr. Marion Nestle and former cereal-industry nutrition executive Dr. Lisa Sutherland, authors of Sugar Coated: Unboxing the Hidden Forces Shaping America’s Favorite Breakfast Food. Together, they unpack the history and business of breakfast cereal, including the industry’s use of health claims, package design, fortification, mascots, and advertising—especially marketing directed toward children.

The conversation also gives consumers practical tools for navigating the cereal aisle. Listeners will learn how to look beyond front-of-package claims, read ingredient lists and Nutrition Facts labels, and compare cereals based on whole grains, fiber, added sugar, sodium, and serving size. More broadly, the episode explores what the cereal box can teach us about food politics, nutrition policy, corporate influence, and the challenges families face when trying to make informed food choices.

Learn more

• Sugar Coated — University of California Press

• Marion Nestle’s Food Politics website and newsletter

• Breakfast cereal consumer guide — University of Florida IFAS Extension

• How to understand the Nutrition Facts label — U.S. Food and Drug Administration

• Dietary Guidelines for Americans

• Health In Harlem on Instagram

• WHCR 90.3 FM—The Voice of Harlem

• Health In Harlem Podcast on Podbean

• Health In Harlem Podcast on Apple Podcasts

• Health In Harlem Podcast on Spotify

In recognition of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Dr. Maurice Selby speaks with prostate cancer survivor and men’s health advocate Lamont Mitchell about his journey from an unexpected elevated PSA result to diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. Mitchell shares how educating himself, seeking additional medical opinions, and actively participating in treatment decisions helped him navigate prostate cancer and protect his quality of life.

The conversation also explores prostate cancer screening, the importance of knowing your health numbers, and the disproportionate burden of the disease among Black men. Mitchell discusses his experience receiving an individualized treatment plan that included hormone therapy, brachytherapy, and five-session proton therapy at the New York Proton Center—and how his diagnosis inspired him to encourage other men to become informed, proactive partners in their healthcare.

Learn more and stay connected

• Health In Harlem

• The Health In Harlem Podcast

• WHCR 90.3 FM—The Voice of Harlem

• CDC: Prostate Cancer Information and Educational Resources

• American Cancer Society: Prostate Cancer

• Prostate Cancer Foundation: Awareness Month Resources

• New York Proton Center

• New York Proton Center: Proton Therapy for Prostate Cancer

• Lamont Mitchell’s Prostate Cancer Story

This program is intended for educational purposes and does not replace individualized guidance, screening recommendations, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified healthcare professional.