Astrid Iversen
@akiversen.bsky.social
Likes Virology & Immunology & Evolution & Epidemiology; tweets mine, retweets not. Professor of Virology and Immunology, University of Oxford; views my own
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
Trump’s HIV funding cuts having ‘severe and devastating’ impact around the world
The President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief has saved 26m lives globally, but slashing of funds and dismantling of USAID have forced clinics to shut in dozens of countries
theguardian.com
Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/20/m...
Why Epidemics Breed Rage at Health Workers (Gift Article)
Some people have fought Ebola containment measures in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Scholars have seen similar responses across societies and throughout history.
nytimes.com
Vaccination mod meningitis (menB og menACYW vaccinerne) er en god ide - også i Danmark www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
Offer teenagers a meningitis B vaccine on NHS, advisers tell UK government
JCVI says children should have one or two doses of menB vaccine at age 15, depending on if they had vaccine as a baby
theguardian.com
www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/ebola-out...
Ebola disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda
On 17 May 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola virus disease outbreak caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emerge...
ecdc.europa.eu
First 'epidemic'? Spoke to Oxford Uni's Ruairhidh Macleod about this 5,500-year-old plague outbreak that devastated families in Neolithic Siberia. Remarkable because these were mobile hunter-gatherers not settled farming communities - plus deadly virulence genes in early strains. rdcu.be/fo1RN
Lethal plague outbreaks in Lake Baikal hunter-gatherers 5,500 years ago
Nature - Analyses of ancient DNA from hunter-gatherers near Lake Baikal in southeast Siberia around 5,500 years ago indicate that highly virulent Yersinia pestis emerged earlier than previously...
rdcu.be
Two more drownings today in UK. One in my home city of Oxford. Both youngsters. Slate have (I'm told) kindly removed the paywall on this article.
Trish Greenhalgh@trishgreenhalgh.bsky.social · 2mo agoEvery summer I repost this article on how to spot drowning. Please read it and pass on. In the last few years I’ve had SIX messages from people who saved a kid’s life after clicking on the link from my feed. slate.com/technology/2...
"...capability of the ANDV Epuyén/18−19 strain shows a facility (R>2) for sustaining continuous chains of transmission if no control measures are enforced" “Super-Spreaders” and Person-to-Person Transmission of Andes Virus in Argentina | New England Journal of Medicine www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
“Super-Spreaders” and Person-to-Person Transmission of Andes Virus in Argentina | NEJM
From November 2018 through February 2019, person-to-person transmission of Andes virus (ANDV) hantavirus pulmonary syndrome occurred in Chubut Province, Argentina, and resulted in 34 confirmed infe...
nejm.org
Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/13/o...
Opinion | Hantavirus Isn’t Just a Threat. It’s a Test.
nytimes.com
OUR NEW BMJ editorial: Andes virus should reset WHO’s default approach to airborne risk. 🧵 1/ For severe pathogens with person-to-person transmission, the starting point should be precautionary airborne protections — not waiting for definitive proof after spread occurs. www.bmj.com/content/393/...
bmj.com
I've been skeptical about this hypothesis, but I went looking for evidence anyway... and wow, it appears to be right! Emergency hospital admissions for Covid-19 in Scotland, by age, show a wave in paediatric admissions, not other ages. BA.3.2 was dominant in Scotland by start of Feb 2026. 1/
Ryan Hisner@ryanhisner.bsky.social · 4mo agoSo it's clear that BA.3.2 preferentially infects children, something we have never seen before in a SARS-CoV-2 variant. Why? The question's baffled me, but after a suggestion from @darrenmartin.bsky.social, I think I have an explanation that makes sense. 1/16
The rapid increase in BA.3.2 in New York is in fact driven entirely by infections in children, primarily ages 2-17. Green bar shows how often each age group appears in BA.3.2 vs non-BA.3.2 seqs. Ratio of 1 would mean they appear at equal rates, while 5 means that age appears 5x more often in BA.3.2
Federico Gueli@siamosolocani.bsky.social · 4mo agoIn the meanwhile RE.2.5 reaches 33% of NY samples after March 15, guess what? a lot of kids.
'...and the clitoris did not even make it into standard anatomy textbooks until the 38th edition of Gray’s Anatomy was published in 1995.' 'The mapping of clitoral nerves is likely to inform reconstructive surgery after female genital mutilation' 230 million www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
Full network of clitoral nerves mapped out for first time
Anatomy of one of least studied human organs could improve outcomes for women who have pelvic surgery
theguardian.com
🆕 Latest on the meningitis outbreak in Kent: We’ve worked with academic experts to produce a new technical briefing. Early evidence and preliminary analyses provide strong reassurance that existing vaccinations and antibiotic treatments remain effective against this MenB strain.
AI algorithms can become ‘agents of chaos’ | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...
AI algorithms can become ‘agents of chaos’
Given autonomous control of other software, programs shared private medical details and deleted files without permission
science.org
Controversial Danish vaccine research group faces new allegations | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...
Controversial Danish vaccine research group faces new allegations
Researchers say they couldn’t find complete data for 10 trials that together enrolled tens of thousands of children in Guinea-Bissau
science.org
I agree with Kristian. The Danish childhood vaccination schedule needs updating. Great to see Jens' comment that chickenpox vacc is being considered (will protect against acute illness- & prevent shingles & likely decrease dementia risk). These vaccines benefit children - for their whole life!
Kristian G. Andersen@kgandersen.bsky.social · 7mo agoThe fundamental difference - and the reason why Denmark can "get away" with fewer shots - is because it has universal healthcare, paid leave, and a homogenous population. But, ultimately, they have decided that thousands of annual cases of chickenpox, RSV, rotavirus, etc. is okay. I disagree.
There's a lot I agree with and, as always, @profjlundgren.bsky.social speaks from experience. That said, I don't buy the idea of "vaccination fatigue" linked to the number of individual shots (as opposed to doctor visits) - especially when it comes to key vaccines, incl. rota, RSV, chickenpox, etc.
Greg Folkers@gregfolkers.bsky.social · 7mo agoScienceInsider: Why does Denmark recommend so few childhood vaccines? A Danish scientist explains by Gretchen Vogel @science.org bit.ly/3LjVRYw
Vaccination can benefit older adults too - interesting summary of what we know so far - it is a public health benefit worth consideration Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/h...
Vaccines Are Helping Older People More Than We Knew
nytimes.com
A study in Nature Immunology shows that Long COVID is characterized by persistent activation of chronic inflammatory pathways and T cell exhaustion. The findings suggest new therapeutic targets and potential biomarkers of disease. go.nature.com/4oU0kib #immunosky #medsky 🧪
Magical thinking will not prevent future pandemics or improve public health | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Magical thinking will not prevent future pandemics or improve public health
For much of human history, infectious diseases were the main causes of morbidity and mortality. The sciences of public health, epidemiology, microbiology, and vaccine and drug development have dramati...
science.org
Det er en rigtig god ide at vaccinere mod skoldkopper - udover at beskytte børn mod skoldkopper vil det at undgå infektion med VZV virus også forhindre helvedsild senere i livet - og sandsynligvis nedsætte risikoen for demens. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Chickenpox vaccines for children on NHS starts across UK
For the first time, children will be offered vaccination on the NHS against the common infection which, in rare cases, can be very serious.
bbc.co.uk
Science editors pick 2025’s stories that stood out | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...
Science editors pick 2025’s stories that stood out
From ancient humans to modern woes, these are the stories that stuck with our News editors this year
science.org
CDC funds controversial hepatitis B vaccine trial in African newborns | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...
CDC funds controversial hepatitis B vaccine trial in African newborns
Scientists question the value of the proposed study, which will investigate a vaccine long known to be efficacious and safe
science.org
Pandemic security needs national leadership | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Pandemic security needs national leadership
In a world facing escalating risks from conflict, climate change, and emerging infectious diseases, health systems are the first line of defense for protecting people, economies, and stability. Althou...
science.org
The lingering shadow of epidemics: post-acute sequelae across history: Trends in Immunology www.cell.com/trends/immun...
The lingering shadow of epidemics: post-acute sequelae across history
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has drawn global attention to post-acute infection syndromes (PAIS), with millions affected by post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC, or Long COVID). While Long COVID is newly ...
cell.com
Societal restraint of behavior during the pre-vaccine pandemic saved working-age men but not women | Science Advances www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Societal restraint of behavior during the pre-vaccine pandemic saved working-age men but not women
Forcing working-age Scandinavians to reduce risky behavior during the early COVID-19 pandemic saved men but not women.
science.org