Nominee for key federal health role has a history of questioning vaccines www.statnews.com/2026/07/10/s... via @statnews.com

Nominee for key federal health role has a history of questioning vaccines

Sean Kaufman's views on vaccines may put him at odds with Sen. Bill Cassidy during next week's confirmation hearing.

statnews.com

One of the most interesting experiences of my career was working with a team led by C.J. Peters during the early investigations of hantavirus in the 4 corners. This lovely portrait by @helenbranswell.bsky.social will help you remember or learn about this great human being.

Helen Branswell 🇨🇦@helenbranswell.bsky.social · 3mo ago

C.J. Peters, one of the legendary virus hunters of decades past, has died. In 2018, I traveled to his home in Galveston, Tex., where he told me jaw-dropping story after jaw-dropping story. He had an extraordinary brain and was hugely curious. Such a loss. www.statnews.com/2018/02/20/v...

Thoughtful article on the challenges of Ebola and other filoviral diseases, even though the clinical portrait Richard Preston painted was highly sensationalized

Helen Branswell 🇨🇦@helenbranswell.bsky.social · 4mo ago

I share @krutikakuppalli.bsky.social 's concerns about The Hot Zone, which put #Ebola on the global radar. I read it only after I had learned quite a bit about Ebola from scientists who worked to contain outbreaks. They, however, all spoke well of Preston. www.statnews.com/2026/06/26/t...

CDC also "deprioritizes" housing first, harm reduction, & safe consumption - proven to help w/ substance use. @nabarund.bsky.social: "You’re going to end up filling ICUs & emergency rooms with people in this severe form of withdrawal that they weren’t expecting.” www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

White House mandates move away from overdose prevention in US health programs

Experts say move signals greater political interference into public health and will exacerbate opioid overdose crisis

theguardian.com

SCOOP: The CDC told state and local health programs that they have to align with the agency's new priorities -- including a move away from proven overdose prevention and a greater focus on "parental authority" in education. They got five days to align. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

White House mandates move away from overdose prevention in US health programs

Experts say move signals greater political interference into public health and will exacerbate opioid overdose crisis

theguardian.com

The new charter of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices changes the fundamental focus, membership structure and governance of the committee. Our response with @pidsociety.bsky.social, @sheaepi.bsky.social and @sidpharm.bsky.social: bit.ly/4eN1oBq

For more information on RFK Jr's latest scheme to remake the ACIP into something that comports with his anti vaccine goals read @helenbranswell.bsky.social article in STAT. www.statnews.com/2026/06/25/a...

New ACIP charter broadens criteria for members, calls for review of alternatives to vaccines

A new charter for the panel that advises the CDC on vaccine use substantially refocuses the responsibilities of the committee, downplaying its role in recommending the use of new vaccines.

statnews.com

Official measles cases just topped 2,000 in the US -- and the real rate is probably three times that. We're only halfway through the year, and it's probably going to be a "busy summer," @andrewpaviamd.bsky.social told me: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

US measles cases pass 2,000 as outbreak nears worst in decades

Outbreak driven by falling vaccination and misinformation as federal public health cuts hamper state response

theguardian.com

NEW: CDC’s chief blocked a covid vaccine study. Now it’s in a top medical journal. The study in JAMA Network Open used the same methodology that CDC’s Jay Bhattacharya criticized when the paper was not allowed to be published in CDC’s MMWR. My story. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...

CDC’s chief blocked a covid vaccine study. Now it’s in a top medical journal.

The study found that the vaccine reduced the risk of emergency department visits and hospitalizations among healthy adults by about half last winter.

washingtonpost.com

As @lenasun.bsky.social reports, this article used well-accepted methods and stood up to peer review. Acting CDC Director Bhattacharya said he had concerns about the methodology but never explained them. He is an economist, not trained in epidemiology. wapo.st/4aMg6rc

CDC’s chief blocked a covid vaccine study. Now it’s in a top medical journal.

The study found that the vaccine reduced the risk of emergency department visits and hospitalizations among healthy adults by about half last winter.

wapo.st

I spoke with doctors on the frontline of Ebola in Congo, and it made my heart race. “We live with fear in our stomachs,” Dr. Furaha told me. “Every day, there are healthcare providers and patients dying.” My latest @kffhealthnews.org kffhealthnews.org/public-healt...

‘We Live With Fear’: In Congo, Doctors Face Ebola With Little Protection - KFF Health News

Travel bans and conflict have disrupted supply chains in the Democratic Republic of Congo, leaving health workers without Ebola tests and protective gear needed to contain the outbreak.

kffhealthnews.org

“This policy raises profound clinical, ethical, operational and legal concerns.” My latest: www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

Experts criticise plan for American-only Ebola quarantine centre in Kenya

Plan departs from policy of bringing CDC staff back to US for treatment and offering support to all health workers

theguardian.com

“Maternal vaccination during pregnancy is likely the most effective way to protect infants against COVID-19.” Effectiveness of third-trimester vaccination 64.6% against hospitalization. via @infectiousdisease.bsky.social #ObGynSky + #MedSky (1/2) www.infectiousdiseaseadvisor.com/news/covid19...

COVID-19 Vaccination in Third Trimester Reduces Infant Infection Risk

Maternal COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy, particularly in the third trimester, lowers infant risk for COVID-19 infection and hospitalization.

infectiousdiseaseadvisor.com

There are media reports of 2 new #H5N1 #birdflu outbreaks in dairy cows, in Texas and Utah. They haven't yet been added to #USDA 's dashboard. If confirmed by USDA, there will have been 1,109 herds infected in 19 states. www.telemundoutah.com/noticias/loc... and www.kbtx.com/2026/06/04/h...

Detectan caso de influenza aviar en un centro de producción de leche en Logan

De acuerdo al comunicado, no se anticipan impactos importantes en la cadena de suministro de alimentos.

telemundoutah.com

The plan to send Americans to Kenya for Ebola quarantine and treatment has been vehemently opposed by Kenyans and Americans alike. "It’s against so many ethical underpinnings that we have relied on for all of the past responses,” Dan Jernigan told me. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

Experts criticise plan for American-only Ebola quarantine centre in Kenya

Plan departs from policy of bringing CDC staff back to US for treatment and offering support to all health workers

theguardian.com

Seems like a capitulation to politics by public health. Sometimes, withholding the name of a producer or restaurant is necessary for cooperation and does not endanger consumers, but I am not able to see that here

Kyle Pfannenstiel@pfannyyy.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Idaho health officials are investigating how nearly 60 people got sick after drinking raw milk in the past two weeks. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare says they didn't name two dairies potentially linked to the outbreak “because this is a potential risk for any raw milk producer.”

“Arbitrary quarantines and travel restrictions may be politically popular, but they won’t curb the outbreak or protect Americans...These measures are also unlawful.” Why the US must urgently pivot from me, @jennifernuzzo.bsky.social & @gostin.bsky.social in @thehill.com thehill.com/opinion/heal...

America’s wrong and unlawful response to Ebola must pivot

The quarantine center is the latest misstep in the U.S. government’s response to the Ebola outbreak.

thehill.com

FY2027 House HHS funding bill shows encouraging signs, including increased investments in ID research, antimicrobial resistance & the health workforce. We urge Congress to fund the Bio-Preparedness Workforce Pilot Program and reject cuts to programs vital to the nation’s health: bit.ly/4vyJ6Lg

Trump’s pick for acting DNI has zero intelligence experience. What he has: a track record of using government power to target Trump’s enemies. By making him acting, no Senate confirmation required. This one matters. joycevance.substack.com/p/if-you-tho...

If You Thought Tulsi Gabbard Was A Problem…

Today, Donald Trump appointed Tulsi Gabbard’s replacement as Director of National Intelligence (DNI) in a social media post.

joycevance.substack.com

Animal husbandry accounts for 3/4 of global antibiotic use and is a leading cause of antimicrobial resistance… www.theguardian.com/environment/... #IDSky #onehealth

Antibiotics use in livestock could rise by a third in next 15 years, UN report warns

Governments urged to act to prevent potentially disastrous impacts on human resistance to medicines

theguardian.com

Great reporting. Another attack on science that will hurt the US in so many ways.

Liz Szabo@lizszabo.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Great reporting by the brilliant @danvergano.bsky.social

Cliff Lane and democracy forward should have an incredibly strong case on the facts.

Jeremy Berg@jeremymberg.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Cliff Lane, longtime NIAID researcher and leader is suing for wrongful termination. democracyforward.org/news/press-r...

The VIP, w/ @ama-assn.org & medical societies, shared progress on work to support an independent, transparent review of evidence across influenza, COVID-19, & RSV vaccines. This upcoming review will provide carefully evaluated evidence & recommendations grounded in science, medicine & patient care.

NEW: I confirmed with the White House that the US is creating a facility in Kenya to send Americans for Ebola quarantine and treatment. Experts are appalled. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

US building Ebola quarantine center in Kenya for Americans amid outbreak

Some experts criticize White House approach and say not allowing Americans to return to US hurts treatment efforts

theguardian.com

In Utah, Measles Sickens Babies and Others Who Can’t Be Vaccinated www.nytimes.com/2026/05/27/w...

In Utah, Measles Sickens Babies and Others Who Can’t Be Vaccinated

nytimes.com

To quote Joseph Welch during the Army-McCarthy hearings: “Until this moment, ... I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness.” “Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?” Trump Administration to Send Americans Exposed to Ebola to Kenya www.nytimes.com/2026/05/26/u...

Trump Administration to Send Americans Exposed to Ebola to Kenya

nytimes.com

Another incomprehensible and harmful response. What are they thinking?

BK. Titanji@boghuma.bsky.social · 5mo ago

"New Trump administration restrictions prevent US health experts from contributing during conference calls with the World Health Organisation and limit those only listening to “small groups” www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...

"Unbelievable and infuriating" is @craigspencer.bsky.social very succinct and accurate summary of the administration's refusal to use the 13 NETEC centers to care for Americans who risk their lives to help people in Congo and Uganda.

Craig Spencer MD MPH@craigspencer.bsky.social · 5mo ago

The White House is intent on keeping Ebola out, at all costs. The U.S. is planning to send Americans exposed to or infected with Ebola to Kenya, instead of bringing them home for care. Please read and share—this is unbelievable and infuriating. craigaspencer.substack.com/p/keeping-eb...

Social scientists with deep Ituri expertise published a contextual brief today on the challenges that lie ahead for the #Ebola response and what a social and anthropologically sound response should look like. It is essential reading if you want to understand the stakes. hal.science/hal-05632368...

One glimmer of hope in the Ebola response: Within hours of the outbreak in DRC being declared, researchers convened to prepare drug trials. A lot has changed on that front since the Ebola outbreak in West Africa a decade ago. But huge challenges remain 🧪 My story in @science.org (🧵 to come)

Can fast, nimble clinical trials deliver a drug to halt the new Ebola outbreak?

Past outbreaks spawned clever strategies for testing antivirals and antibodies, but researchers will still face major challenges on the ground

science.org