Annenberg study finds perceptions of vaccine safety decline from 2022-25 for Covid-19, flu, and MMR vaccines. www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/study-finds-...

WHO Didn’t Recommend Lockdowns, Contrary to Health Officials’ Suggestions www.factcheck.org/2026/02/who-...

ICE Officers and Bonuses www.factcheck.org/2026/02/ice-...

Americans Don’t Need ‘Dramatically’ More Protein, Despite Officials’ Claims www.factcheck.org/2026/02/amer...

New from our project @factcheck.org: Trump's aspirin use and what doctors recommend. www.factcheck.org/2026/01/trum...

In sweeping changes to the childhood vaccine schedule, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention no longer recommends universal vaccination against six diseases. In justifying the move, health officials made misleading claims about vaccine safety while downplaying or omitting benefits.

Politicians Reach Different Conclusions on Minnesota Shooting Video www.factcheck.org/2026/01/poli...

Americans are now more likely to trust the AMA than the CDC when the two conflict on vaccine guidance. @inquirer.com reports on findings from the @appc.upenn.edu Annenberg Science and Public Health Knowledge survey, conducted by SSRS. www.inquirer.com/health/vacci...

CDC Urges ‘Shared Decision-Making’ on Some Childhood Vaccines; Many Unclear About What That Means. (@appc.upenn.edu) www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/cdc-urges-sh...

Annenberg Public Policy Center at UPenn: CDC urges ‘shared decision-making’ on some childhood vaccines; many unclear about what that means bit.ly/4jqXct0 @appc.upenn.edu

On Jan. 5, Acting Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Jim O’Neill signed a memorandum that reduced the number of diseases targeted in the childhood vaccine schedule for all children to 11, just one more than Denmark's schedule.

As Measles Cases Rise, Views of MMR Vaccine Safety and Effectiveness and Willingness to Recommend It Drop. (@appc.upenn.edu) More, via Opinion Today: opiniontoday.substack.com/p/251223

Trump, FDA Make Misleading International Vaccine Schedule Comparisons www.factcheck.org/2025/12/trum...

The Whoppers of 2025: Crime claims behind National Guard deployments www.factcheck.org/2025/12/the-...

New survey: As measles cases rise, the public's views of the MMR vaccine's safety and effectiveness -- and a willingness to recommend it -- have dropped. www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/as-measles-c...

With the federal government now diverging from professional health organizations on vaccine safety, an Annenberg Public Policy Center survey finds Americans trust recommendations from the American Medical Association over the CDC by a 2-1 margin when the two organizations offer conflicting advice.

After greatly reduced activity during the COVID-9 pandemic, pertussis (whooping cough) has surged in the United States this year and last, but many Americans are confused or uninformed about current vaccine recommendations, according to a new poll from the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC).

A scary trend driven almost entirely by the spread of (political identity associated) misinformation...👇 As Measles Cases Rise, Views of MMR Vaccine Safety and Effectiveness and Willingness to Recommend It Drop www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/as-measles-c... via @asc.upenn.edu Dark Age 2.0

The Whoppers of 2025: mRNA vaccine misinformation www.factcheck.org/2025/12/the-...

Poll shows small yet significant drop in Americans’ willingness to recommend MMR vaccines Only 13% of those polled said they were concerned or worried that they or someone in their family would contract measles. www.cidrap.umn.edu/m...

Cases of Whooping Cough Remain High, but Knowledge About the Disease Still Low. (@appc.upenn.edu) More, via Opinion Today: opiniontoday.substack.com/p/251219-top...

The Whoppers of 2025: $50 million for condoms for Gaza www.factcheck.org/2025/12/the-...

President Donald Trump has been a regular on @factcheck.org's year-end list of the most noteworthy falsehoods and distortions. With Trump back in the White House, it’s no surprise he dominates this year’s whoppers.

MIT’s UnDark published this interview with me discussing a few points from my new white paper on the U.S. vaccine safety monitoring system, and follow up points related to myocarditis, childhood vaccine rollouts, and the new Vaers report coming from the fda undark.org/2025/12/19/i...

Since he entered politics, President Donald Trump has been a regular on our end-of-year list of the most egregious and noteworthy falsehoods and distortions. With Trump back in the White House in 2025, it’s no surprise that he dominates this year’s whoppers. www.factcheck.org/2025/12/the-...

My paper summarizing the multi-component US vaccine safety monitoring system has just posted online. The key components of the system include: 1. pre-licensure clinical trials 2. passive monitoring (VAERs) 3. active monitoring (VSD, PRISM) 4. clinical analysis (CISA).

A new survey from @appc.upenn.edu found that more than three quarters of Americans indicate that they would be either very likely or somewhat likely to recommend that a newborn in their household be vaccinated against hepatitis B:

A new media analysis by @appc.upenn.edu found 19 stories in print media outlets that spread the false myth that suicides increase during the holidays:

Thanks to @sadieding.bsky.social @mikepesca.skystack.xyz for taking a look at the incredibly persistent but completely wrong holiday suicide myth. Read all about it here: mikepesca.substack.com/p/holiday-su...

APPC Director and @upenn.edu professor Kathleen Hall Jamieson talks with @pnas.org News about using a "mental model" approach to help people understand how science and medicine work, and undercut misinformation before it takes hold. cc: @asc.upenn.edu www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Lowest Suicide Rate Is in December but Some in Media Still Promote Holiday-Suicide Myth www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/lowest-suici... via @asc.upenn.edu "...media outlets that spread the false myth that suicides increase during the holidays."

The latest research from the @appc.upenn.edu's Annenberg Science and Public Health Knowledge survey, conducted by SSRS, finds most Americans would be likely to recommend the hepatitis B vaccine for a newborn. www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/although-pub...

Upending decades-old guidance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee voted to no longer issue a blanket recommendation that all newborns receive a hepatitis B vaccine at birth. Throughout the meeting, many panelists made misleading claims about the vaccine.

Doctors in Philly, where the hepatitis B vaccine was developed, are not pleased with ACIP's new recommendations. “I don’t think this RFK Jr.-appointed anti-vaccine group calling itself the ACIP understands critical aspects of this virus,” said CHOP's Paul Offit. www.inquirer.com/health/local...

Unpacking the FDA’s Black Friday Vaccine Memo www.factcheck.org/2025/12/unpa...

Americans More Likely to Accept Guidance from AMA than CDC on Vaccine Safety. (@appc.upenn.edu) More, via Opinion Today: opiniontoday.substack.com/p/251204-top...

Poll shows Americans trust AMA over CDC when it comes to vaccines Confidence in the AMA compared to the CDC was true regardless of political party affiliation among adults polled. www.cidrap.umn.edu/p... Photo: Heather Hazzan, Self Magazine

Just over half of U.S. adults (52%) have confidence the CDC is providing the public with trustworthy information about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines.

The head of the Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine division claimed in a leaked email that “at least 10 children” died from COVID-19 vaccination, using that to justify major vaccine regulatory changes. Experts, however, say too little information was provided to verify the claim.

Americans More Likely [by a 2-1 margin] to Accept Guidance from AMA than CDC on Vaccines www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/americans-mo... AMA: "Despite recent changes to the CDC website, an abundance of evidence from decades of scientific studies shows no link between vaccines & autism."

Researchers at @appc.upenn.edu have tested the effectiveness of a ‘mental model’ approach to presenting scientific information, incorporating visual, verbal, or animated models to teach scientific or medical concepts to better identify misconceptions:

New: On vaccine safety, Americans are more likely to accept the recommendation of the American Medical Assn than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And just over half believe the CDC is providing trustworthy info on vaccines. www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/americans-mo...

@falklab.bsky.social's Emily Falk of @asc.upenn.edu talks with @thepulse.whyy.org about why nurturing connection is good for your health whyy.org/episodes/wha...

‘Mental Model’ Approach to Countering Vaccine Bunk www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/mental-model... Key: "....exposing people to visual, verbal, or animated models" about "scientific concepts so that they either have the tools in place to identify misconceptions before encountering them..."

Critics have raised unfounded fears about #mRNA technology, which is being used to develop vaccines against melanoma, pancreatic cancer, flu, HIV, Lyme disease & more. A study in @pnas.org suggests a promising way to overcome those fears. cc: @asc.upenn.edu @upenn.edu @pauloffit.bsky.social

Sorting out the Facts on Epstein Claims www.factcheck.org/2025/11/sort...

Trump Misrepresents Biden’s Job Numbers to Tout His Own Record www.factcheck.org/2025/11/trum...

We were grateful to welcome Stanford Professor Jennifer Eberhardt for a thought-provoking presentation on racial bias. The seminar—co-hosted with @pennchibe.bsky.social, the Quattrone Center, @appc.upenn.edu, & @pennmindcore.bsky.social—drew a large crowd from the Penn community.

Thanks to @iflis.bsky.social for including our new data on a promising approach for overcoming misinformation about #mRNA technology. www.iflscience.com/is-mrna-the-...

Postdoctoral Researcher Positions!