The more that folks outside of science hear of this, the more they should ask: why? open.substack.com/pub/joshuasw...

Compelling story from KFF News/CNN Listen to the sound clips to get a clear sense of what has been happening at NIH. www.cnn.com/2026/03/05/h...

It feels vindicating to see this! Talking to schools during COVID, I would suggest simplifying the definition of contact to be shared classroom: no tedious review of seating charts, notify and test at the classroom level. The definition of 6 feet for 15+ minutes was hard to unstick. 1/2

1/3 Our recent preprint is getting a lot of attention! We found that if MMR coverage drops by even 1% annually, then increasing outbreak risk could incur economic losses of ~$1.5 billion in 2030. www.nbcnews.com/health/kids-...

Our new study looks at evidence for indirect protection against flu, exclusively from RCTs. ⬇️ 1/3 Indirect Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Under Randomized Conditions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: academic.oup.com/cid/article-... @medschool.umaryland.edu #EpiSky #IDEpi

IMPORTANT OLYMPIC NEWS: THE POLISH FIGURE SKATING TEAM HAS A PLUSH PIEROGI

Multi-year funding is a dirty trick by #RussellVought. This way the #Trump administration can say they're spending what Congress appropriated for research, BUT they'll only fund 1/5 the number of grants. Call your Senators/Reps now. Science hangs in the balance. H/T @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social

The LARGEST measles outbreak currently in the U.S. has spread to at least three other states! www.nbcnews.com/health/healt... #medsky #idsky

Do others remember this headline? According to this new JAMA study, the US reaches this incalculable loss annually. I think most of the public doesn't realize it. #IDEpi #EpiSky

These studies of off-target vaccine effects are so interesting. To me, they highlight how interlinked chronic and infectious diseases really are, despite their traditional silos. COVID illuminated this, and I hope we as scientists keep a spotlight on the inflammatory process and all its effects.

Once again, I implore media outlets to stop saying these are CDC decisions. These are changes being made unilaterally by RFK Jr. against the expert advice of CDC scientists. I note that RFK Jr. no longer recommends flu vaccine for kids in the midst of a horrible influenza year.

Copy Editing Matters, from HHS's release on the new childhood vaccine schedule: All the diseases will still be available to anyone who wants them

Just woke up even angrier. Impeach, convict, remove. Draft articles now. Either we have a representative government or we don’t. Do not shut up about this until there’s a vote.

"Bhattacharya and Memoli appear unperturbed by these dramatic abandonments, which are likely to do great harm to Americans."

#PedSky #MedSky #EpiSky #addictionsci #policysky #polisky 🛟🫁💊 Today, California starts selling insulin at $11 per injection pen, the second drug sold under the CalRX label after naloxone. Albuterol inhalers and vaccines are next.

Brutal but effective public health messaging from New York Public Health. The CDC is compromised. They’re no longer a reliable source of information. They push anti-vaxx & anti-science grift. Get your vaccines. Wear a respirator. Clean the air Get public health advice from experts, not RFK Jr

When a small study cast doubt on the measles vaccine in 1998, scientists didn’t dismiss autism concerns. They tested them. From Denmark to global meta-analyses, studies tracking millions of children all reached the same conclusion: MMR vaccines don’t cause autism: bit.ly/4m971vk

For some context, it's really cold in Minneapolis this weekend. My phone said it was -13 (without windchill) when I got up this morning. If you haven't felt that, it actually feels way colder than you might imagine, esp if you aren't moving and are exposed. It's very quickly dangerous.

So proud to see this gift from another Western New York native to my current hospital, both the workplace and the hospital that treats my family. Thank you Golisano!

Big big thanks to all the program officers and scientific review officers coming back online and managing to instill positivity and we-can-do-this attitudes in emails out to applicants & reviewers who might have wondered: What will happen to all of this good work? Answer: let's do this.

NSF is open again! A few comments: *Please be patient. During a shutdown NSF employees cannot open computers or respond to emails. *Merit review will continue. However panels won’t resume until after Dec 8th. *POs remain excited and committed to advancing science and the scientific workforce.

Pen--- err, nickel for your thoughts on this? www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/b...

Sadly, but as expected, Canada has lost its measles elimination status. >5000 cases, two deaths in babies born prematurely due to in utero exposure… #IDSky #measles apple.news/AxhnKifpYSre...

Wait wait, sharks are playful and manta rays have emoji faces??? I need to get back to the @nationalaquarium.bsky.social ASAP

Canada makes pitch for US researchers to relocate with $1.7bn in new funding. My story for @science.org 🧪 www.science.org/content/arti...

"I DON'T NEED YOU TO FUCKING REWRITE WHAT I'VE JUST WRITTEN!"

Very cool work! -- pun intentional

For the 2nd week in a row, the federal shutdown has blocked disease surveillance reporting. So Team Force of Infection again visited all 50 state websites to track COVID, flu & RSV. caitlinrivers.substack.com/p/outbreak-o...

“Really, what’s the alternative?..You’ve got a CDC that has been hijacked by people who are obscuring or denying facts, and you have life-and-death decisions that have to be made.” www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

When measles erupted this year, we noticed that county MMR coverage seemed low -- but suspected school coverage in outbreak zone might be even lower. We were right. The school level reveals alarmingly low coverage that is masked at county level: www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/... #IDEpi #EpiSky

What are combination vaccines and why do they matter now more than ever? Let's sketch it out! ✍️

New Plagdle's up. 🦠 A fun infectious disease one. #IDSky #MedSky #EpiSky www.plagdle.com