A new study of more than 140K infants shows that Covid vaccination in pregnancy cuts the baby's hospitalization risk by about 50% in first 2 months. Babies can't get vaccinated until 6 months; protecting mom protects the baby.

Congenital rubella is nearly eliminated. Pneumococcal disease in seniors is dramatically down. These wins weren't accidents—they came from high vaccination rates. We're watching them unravel in real time. Read about the benefits of vaccines we risk losing.

I’ve long admired @drnoc.bsky.social's ability to explain nuanced scientific information and address misinformation. Great to talk with him about what kind of information moves people and how to build trust in public health. Watch our full conversation and let us know your thoughts!

Excited to be joining @drnoc.bsky.social today for a conversation on trust in public health. Tune in live starting at 1:30pm ET on Substack or Instagram! tomfrieden.substack.com

Another pandemic is a matter of when, not if. We cannot stop every pathogen, but we can build systems that help communities and countries find threats early and act decisively. The 7-1-7 target is a powerful tool to close the gap between knowledge and action.

We teach epidemiology, biostatistics, and health policy, which are essential disciplines. But how do you know if your program is working? How do you design an intervention simple enough to work at scale?

Congratulations to our authors whose books have been named 2025 Foreword INDIES award finalists: Miya Ando for "Water of the Sky," @mhallsworth.bsky.social for "The Hypocrisy Trap," and @drtomfrieden.bsky.social for "The Formula for Better Health": www.forewordreviews.com/awards/final...

A year ago, America had a functioning vaccine system. And then, in the span of just 12 months, nearly all of this system has been disrupted or dismantled. The scale of these changes will reverberate for years to come. Here's a rundown:

Put this on your calendar for next week! On Thursday 19 March at 6pm US ET, I'll talk to @drtomfrieden.bsky.social of Resolve to Save Lives (and formerly the CDC) about his new book THE FORMULA FOR BETTER HEALTH. RSVP here for livestream links: humanhealth.emory.edu/events/livin...

In one week! At 6pm ET on Thurs 19 March I'll interview @drtomfrieden.bsky.social about his new book THE FORMULA FOR BETTER HEALTH. This is part of the Health Storytelling series at @emorycshh.bsky.social AND a production of the Atlanta Science Festival! RSVP: humanhealth.emory.edu/events/livin...

The Formula for Better Health is a Foreword INDIES finalist in Health/Adult Nonfiction. The book makes the case that better health is achievable — for individuals and for populations. Glad it's reaching readers.

Save the Date -- Thursday, March 19th, 6pm ET -- for the latest Health Storytelling Q&A w/ Maryn McKenna @marynmck.bsky.social and Dr. Tom Frieden, MD @drtomfrieden.bsky.social —𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝 “𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐂. 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭 𝐊𝐨𝐨𝐩” 𝐛𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐍𝐘𝐂 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐠.

Public health taking on big tobacco, soda, and alcohol companies is like David versus Goliath. Even though they’re much better funded, we can win with the right strategy.

The 7-1-7 target is being used around the world to find and stop disease outbreaks quickly. Read about the impact the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil saw when they adopted 7-1-7 and implemented real time dashboards to track spread. resolvetosavelives.org/strategies-i...

Facts alone don't change minds—trusted messengers and empathetic conversations do. Shaming vaccine-hesitant parents drives them away. Meeting people with empathy is where real change begins. The goal isn't to win an argument, it's to protect children. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/27/o...

Before we had an effective measles vaccine, up to 4 million kids were infected in bad years, with thousands hospitalized and at risk of long-term disability, and hundreds dead. The weaker our vaccination programs, the higher the risk of large outbreaks.

Microbes don't lobby politicians. Viruses don’t make campaign contributions. But tobacco, alcohol, and soda companies do—aggressively and relentlessly. That’s what makes controlling non-communicable diseases even harder than controlling infectious ones.

Nobody knows exactly how AI should be used in public health. We’re all learning. That's not a reason for paralysis but for structured experimentation. We can try things, measure what works, and scale up what succeeds.

Millions of people alive today would be dead if Bill Foege hadn’t done the work he did. Virtually none of them know that fact. And that would be fine with Bill. I’m continuing to reflect on the lessons and example of Bill Foege and to remember his words and moral character.

The United States is on the verge of losing its measles elimination status. What does this mean and what can we do about it?

Measles is Winning. It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way. We eliminated measles from the Americas years ago and can do it again, by @drtomfrieden.bsky.social tomfrieden.substack.com/p/measles-is...

Did you miss the launch of the 2026 CMA Health & Media Tracking Survey? I’ve got you! Watch it here. We had an amazing line-up moderated by CTV’s Vassy Kapelos: @drjengunter.bsky.social @dskok.bsky.social @vassb.bsky.social @drtomfrieden.bsky.social youtu.be/3gpgZ5mnVug

The percentage of people dying before age 70 is an honest accounting of whether our health systems are working. For the United States, that number tells us we’re failing nearly one in four people.

More than a week after his death, I’m still reflecting on the life and legacy of Bill Foege—the Babe Ruth of public health—whose work with others saved the lives of literally hundreds of millions of people. His accomplishments are in a league of their own.

I’m encouraged that Congress just passed funding bills for 2026 that include strong bipartisan support for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

How can you live a longer, healthier life? I joined a therapists, authors and fellow doctors in sharing short wellness tips in @nytimes.com.

At Resolve to Save Lives, we work alongside partners to tackle the world’s deadliest health threats, closing the gap between life-saving solutions and the communities that need them the most. Join us: resolvetosavelives.org/annual-repor...

Dr. Bill Foege was a public health legend. His extraordinary accomplishments, including his work on smallpox eradication, leading the CDC, serving as director of the Carter Center, and helping establish Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, saved millions of lives and changed public health forever.

Read the latest piece in the Science Politics #USAID series, by @drtomfrieden.bsky.social— founder of Resolve To Save Lives and former director of the CDC. He discusses the fraying of #geopolitical trust and how we must prioritize “productive interdependence.” sciencepolitics.org/2026/01/23/t...

Check out @drtomfrieden.bsky.social's essay on the future of aid in @sciencepolitics.bsky.social. "In public health, fiscal choices are life-and-death decisions — funding cuts are the direct cause of preventable deaths." sciencepolitics.org/2026/01/23/t...

The golden age of global health assistance, defined by a huge influx of resources and a centering of health progress, is over. Great risks lie ahead—but also powerful opportunities to build new, more sustainable systems, as I write in @sciencepolitics.bsky.social. sciencepolitics.org/2026/01/23/t...

California became the first state to require folic acid fortification of corn masa flour—the essential ingredient in tortillas, tacos and tamales. This quiet change represents a powerful example of how public health works best: create environments where the healthy choice is the default choice.

As of today, the United States has officially left the World Health Organization. We’ll look back on this as a grave error. Health threats do not respect borders, and weakening global cooperation makes Americans less safe.

There's an increasing sense that each of us can protect our health entirely on our own. In reality, we can’t. All of us depend to some extent on what other people do. That’s why the more people are vaccinated against dangerous diseases, the safer we all are.

Excited to share our team's new partnership with @openevidence.bsky.social and the Rwanda Biomedical Centre to build AI clinical decision support tools for resource-limited settings. Rwandan clinicians will help design evidence-based technology, driving better care where it's needed most.

Canada's new front-of-package labels are a win for public health. Evidence-based warning symbols on foods high in sodium, sugar and fat help consumers make informed choices—and push manufacturers to reformulate unhealthy products.

HHS recently announced drastic changes to the childhood immunization schedule, following a Presidential memorandum to align U.S. recommendations with “peer nations” such as Denmark. This is one of the most consequential shifts in American public health policy in decades—and not in a good way.

At Resolve To Save Lives, we work with partners across the globe to co-create, test and scale solutions to the world’s deadliest health threats. I’m proud of how our team helped drive significant health progress in 2025. Watch our new video:

Trans fat took far too long to eliminate, and that delay cost lives. But the eventual success shows what’s possible. If we apply the same disciplined approach to hypertension, air pollution, lead poisoning, and more, we can prevent millions of deaths—and much sooner than most people think.

Had a great conversation with @drjessicaknurick.bsky.social about what public health really is—and why it matters. We covered everything from trans fat bans to smoke-free laws, what CDC does, and the "see, believe, create" framework from my new book. drjessicaknurick.substack.com/p/behind-the...

When it comes to your health, it’s tempting to look for shortcuts. But health isn’t built in cryochambers or expensive supplement aisles. It’s built on daily habits—balanced nutrition, physical activity, sleep, connection—and evidence-based care.

The United States isn’t Denmark. Or Japan. Or Germany. We can't copy another nation's approach and expect the same results—our health system, population, and health care system differ in ways that matter when we design vaccine policy.

Unless urgent action is taken, TB deaths could nearly double, to more than 2 million per year. Among many troubling trends, death is the only irreversible one, and death from TB is inexcusable. @johngreensbluesky.bsky.social

UK getting slammed by severe flu. Not too late - get a flu shot to reduce your risk of severe illness in the coming months. Flu is coming - are you ready?

Amid a firehose of falsehoods about vaccines, new CDC data show that last year’s Covid booster reduced the risk of severe illness by 76% among kids aged 6 months to 4 years old and 56% among kids aged 5 to 17 years old.

With the rise of drug-resistant superbugs, we’re losing the defenses that protect us from microbes. In @financialtimes.com, I share how we can rebuild them. The problem isn’t scientific complexity—it’s political and economic barriers.

“Tens of millions of people are alive today around the world because we had better prevention". @drtomfrieden.bsky.social, Former CDC Director and President/CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, joins the podcast to talk progress in public health ⏯️ www.bmj.com/podcasts

“I would consider every under-70 death a failure of the system". @drtomfrieden.bsky.social, Former CDC Director and President/CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, joins the latest BMJ Medicine & Science podcast to talk public health ⏯️ www.bmj.com/podcasts

It was an honor to host @drtomfrieden.bsky.social recently for an engaging conversation on his new book! Thank you to the @harvardgh.bsky.social team for their support in coordinating this successful event.

The vote by ACIP to end universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth is a big mistake that will endanger American children. Our approach to vaccination has prevented thousands of kids from getting infected with a virus that can cause liver damage and early death.