Susan Mello Associate Professor, Communication Studies s.mello@neu.edu 617-373-2051 Expertise COVID-19, Pediatric & environmental health, Public health communication, Tobacco control/e-cigarettes Susan Mello for Northeastern Global News You’re more likely to die in a car crash than you are from a shark attack. So why are we more afraid of sharks? You’re more likely to die in a car crash than you are from a shark attack. So why are we more afraid of sharks? Despite recent attacks, your odds of a violent encounter with a shark is very low, especially compared to the odds of dying in a car crash. Prostate cancer is the second-leading cancer among men. Here’s what to know about it Prostate cancer is the second-leading cancer among men. Here’s what to know about it Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in the U.S., making up about 29% of cancer cases diagnosed in men in 2023. More children died from gun violence than car crashes. Are school shootings to blame? More children died from gun violence than car crashes. Are school shootings to blame? Northeastern experts say the true risks for children are hidden behind inflated coverage of mass shootings. Social justice claim is Big Tobacco’s smoke screen in menthol regulation battle Social justice claim is Big Tobacco’s smoke screen in menthol regulation battle Northeastern experts say that social justice claims are just another weapon in Big Tobacco's fight to keep Americans hooked on menthol. Why is the U.S. behind on its COVID-19 vaccination goals? Why is the U.S. behind on its COVID-19 vaccination goals? The U.S. has not gotten at least one COVID-19 shot into 70 percent of adults’ arms yet, despite setting the goal to do so by July 4. While that’s not a failure, says Neil Maniar, director of the Master of Public Health program at Northeastern, it should be “a catalyst” for a fresh, more localized approach. Should kids get a COVID-19 vaccination? Ask them. Should kids get a COVID-19 vaccination? Ask them. While parents generally need to be on board for medical decisions, their children might be just as important—if not more—in deciding to get the COVID-19 vaccine, says Susan Mello, an assistant professor at Northeastern who studies health communication. With the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine pause, getting the message right is critical With the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine pause, getting the message right is critical Public health authorities find themselves in a delicate position when it comes to the messaging about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines to the United States public, two Northeastern scholars of public health law and communications say. “I think regulators have to thread a very fine needle, and they’re doing so in a moment that is very fraught,” says law professor Wendy Parmet. With new May 1 vaccine push, communication key to pushing past resistance With new May 1 vaccine push, communication key to pushing past resistance When President Biden announced last week that all American adults would become eligible for vaccination against COVID-19 by May 1, it wasn’t just a plan to end the pandemic. It was also a collective call to action. The Trump administration ban on flavored e-cigarettes wouldn’t just affect teens who vape; it would help their peers inhaling secondhand aerosol as well The Trump administration ban on flavored e-cigarettes wouldn’t just affect teens who vape; it would help their peers inhaling secondhand aerosol as well Teenagers were more likely to have been exposed to secondhand aerosols from vape pens in 2018 than they were to have actually used the pens. 3Qs: The word on Ebola 3Qs: The word on Ebola Susan Mello, an assistant professor of communication studies in Northeastern’s College of Arts, Media and Design who studies the intersection of health communication and risk perception, discusses the media coverage of the Ebola outbreak, discusses media coverage of the Ebola outbreak, public perception, and whether relentless coverage could spawn an “infodemic.”