Vaccines:
9th Wonder of the World!
We teamed up with The Immunization Partnership (TIP) to tell the stories of the 91% of Houstonians who know that immunizations are literally life-changing!
It was an improv-a-ganza of vaccine science success, featuring the preeminent Dr. Peter Hotez and TIP Executive Director, Rekha Lakshmanan, and an elite cast of Improv Comedy Agents.
Our audience never saw a show like this! It was an unforgettable and unrepeatable night of comedy and science that will made them laugh as much as it made them think!
It was an AMAZING show with Dr. Hotez and Rekha Lakshmanan delivering insights and education with the improv rising right up to the challenge!
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Didn’t make it but still want to contribute??
Built on the Armando improv format, the show was designed around a simple but powerful exchange between medical and public policy experts and our comedy cast who pretended to be those things.
Renowned physician and scientist Dr. Peter Hotez opened the night with a live monologue exploring the history, cultural impact, and real-world stakes of vaccines—grounded in science, shaped by personal experience, and delivered with wit.
A cast of elite improvisers then transformed Dr. Hotez’s key points into fast-paced, original scenes. Some moments echoed his stories directly; others leapt into unexpected, hilarious territory, creating variety, surprise, and momentum.
We also heard from Rekha Lakshmanan, Executive Director for The Immunization Partnership. She shared stories that show, despite the news cycle, the VAST majority of us are pro-protecting our children and preventing the recurrence of preventable diseases.
Act III was an interview with Dr. Peter Hotez where the tough questions were asked an answered: Real bow tie or clip on? and how do we “regular” folk know where to get solid information.
ALL PROCEEDS SUPPORT TIP’s WORK
See the FULL SHOW!
When Nobel Causes Meet Comedic Spontaneity
Comedy Injection is a live event that blends sharp minds, big laughs, and real-world impact into one unforgettable night. Built for the curious, the skeptical, and the comedy-obsessed alike, this show proves that science doesn’t have to be dry and comedy doesn’t have to be shallow.
About Dr. Peter Hotez
Dr. Peter Hotez is a leading American physician-scientist and global health advocate renowned as a vocal champion for fact-based science and immunization advocacy. As the Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and Co-director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, he has dedicated his career to developing low-cost vaccines for diseases affecting the world’s most vulnerable populations.
Dr. Hotez has also authored several books for a general audience that address global health issues and the dangers of anti-science movements. These include: Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel’s Autism: My Journey as a Vaccine Scientist, Pediatrician, and Autism Dad (2018), Preventing the Next Pandemic: Vaccine Diplomacy in a Time of Anti-Science (2021), The Deadly Rise of Anti-science: A Scientist’s Warning (2023), and Science Under Siege: How to Fight the Five Most Powerful Forces that Threaten Our World (2025), which he co-authored with Michael E. Mann.1
A highly publicized 2023 event involved Dr. Hotez being challenged by Joe Rogan and Elon Musk to publicly debate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on his podcast. Hotez declined the debate format, stating he would not turn a serious public health issue into a “spectacle” but offered to participate in a genuine scientific discussion, a decision that generated significant online discussion regarding science communication formats.
About Rekha Lakshmanan
Rekha Lakshmanan, MHA is the Executive Director for The Immunization Partnership, a statewide nonprofit, dedicated to protecting public health and making sure vaccines get to the people who need them.
Before joining The Immunization Partnership, she spent more than twelve years in the private sector helping health care organizations design programs to improve health outcomes. She holds a Master’s degree in Health Care Administration from Texas Woman’s University–Houston Medical Center and a B.A. in Government from The University of Texas at Austin. She is a non-resident fellow at Baker Institute for Public Policy.
