1/ Last week, the US flag was lowered at WHO headquarters in Geneva after the US officially left. Over 10 years ago, I checked into that same building as a young epidemiologist. I remember photographing the UN flags, feeling proud to work toward a healthier world with other countries.

1/ It’s almost the weekend, but as you know, viruses don't take time off! But don't worry, we've got you covered with a quick infectious disease weather report. To start, reports of fever, cough, and sore throat are rising again, as is typical when schools resume after the holidays.

1/ NYC has a new #HealthCommissioner. Dr. Alister Martin was appointed to lead the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene—the largest public health agency in the country. Here’s what to know ⬇️

1/ Vaccines worked so well that people have forgotten what life looked like without them. #Measles is reminding us. Because it’s the most contagious virus on Earth, even small drops in vaccination give it an opening. And right now, those openings are everywhere, both nationally and globally.

1/ I've gotten sooooo many questions about #Nipahvirus over the last few days, so I wanted to jump on here to give some clarity. To start off, no, we aren't on the brink of another pandemic and the headlines I'm seeing have been blowing this way out of proportion. Here’s what’s actually happening🧵

1/ We’re in the middle of a rough respiratory season. So naturally, everywhere you turn online, someone is offering advice on how to “boost your immune system.” The problem is that good science and bad advice are all tangled together, making it hard to know what actually works. Let's get into it 👇

Happy Monday! We're trying something new: Ahead of deep dives, we want to know your questions. So, on Mondays, I’ll ask you directly, right here on Bluesky. Our next topic: whether pediatricians are financially incentivized to give more vaccines. What have you heard and what do you want to know?

1/ This week’s edition looks at a few infectious diseases in California, but I want to start with a pause. The WHO defines health as complete physical, mental, and social well-being. By that definition, many of us are not okay right now. 👇

1/ Time for a quick infectious disease “weather report.” We're giving you a quick look at what we’re seeing right now across measles, flu-like illness, and Covid. 🧵

Every year, we create a survey to learn how we can make our newsletter and content better. And every year, you help answer that. Your feedback directly shapes what YLE covers—& how we do it. And don’t worry, it won’t take long! 😉 surveymonkey.com/r/bluesky2026

1/ Immigration enforcement is impacting people’s health. It’s a public health issue. ICE raids and deportations don’t only affect the people directly targeted. The health impacts ripple through families, schools, clinics, and entire communities.

1/ Recently, RFK Jr. made sweeping changes to childhood vaccine guidance using terms like “shared clinical decision-making” and “informed consent.” At first glance, they sound empowering—but the reality is more complicated. YLE contributor @kmpanthagani.bsky.social is breaking it down for us🧵

1/ Today you might be expecting the weekly Dose on flu, the U.S. pulling out of the WHO, or other health headlines. I’ll get back there soon. But after this weekend, those topics felt small and I needed to pause. Because I don’t know about you, but my weekend was full of really hard juxtapositions🧵

1/ #Microplastics are a bit of a hot topic right now, and I've been getting A LOT of questions about them. I've also seen falsehoods floating around the internet, so I thought it might be time to break down the facts, what California is doing, and some practical steps to reduce exposure 👇

Every year, we create a survey to learn how we can make our newsletter and content better. And every year, you help answer that. All that to say…. the survey is back! Your feedback directly shapes what YLE covers—& how we do it. And don’t worry, it won’t take long! 😉 surveymonkey.com/r/bluesky2026

1/ It's Thursday and you know what that means... time for the New York #publichealth update! This week, we're talking about blood shortages, Legionnaire’s cases in Harlem, a Code Blue for extreme cold, and the ongoing virus season. Let's get into it 🧵

1/ Anyone else feeling a little low? 🙋‍♀️ The public health news cycle has been heavy lately, but something that’s helped me is intentionally stopping to notice where progress is happening to remind ourselves what sustained investment and science can actually do.Here are a few bright spots👇

1/ Measles cases are climbing fast and right now, we're seeing the worst January for #measles infections in over 30 years. Hundreds of cases have already been reported across the U.S. in a month that historically sees slower spread during outbreaks due to school breaks and colder temperatures.

1/ It’s a new week and I’m back from the Amazon jungle, where monkeys, anacondas, and piranhas somehow felt calmer than everything happening in the U.S. landscape. Infectious diseases are moving and policy shifts are reshaping health protections. Here’s your #publichealth Dose for the week🧵

1/ January brings a lot of new opportunities, and for California, new policies are taking effect that could have important #publichealth impacts: fortifying foods to prevent birth defects, and making insulin more affordable. We also have a growing flu season to discuss. Let's get started 👇

1/ New Dietary Guidelines have arrived. MyPlate is out. The inverted food pyramid is in. The USDA and HHS released the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans last week. These guidelines shape nutrition policy, school meals, and clinical guidance for millions. Let's break down what changed 👇

1/ A lot is shifting in New York health policy right now. From childcare to health insurance to a historic nurse strike, this week’s updates have real implications, both good and bad, for families across the state. Here’s what you need to know. 🧵

1/ Alright everyone. We're in the middle of a tough flu season—and with it, questions, myths, and viral TikToks about antivirals are everywhere. Katelyn has escaped to the Amazon jungle, so Jess Steier from @unbiasedscipod.bsky.social ‬ kindly lent us her expertise. Let’s break down #fluantivirals🧵

1/ Buckle up, folks. We’re in the thick of a very rough flu season. Katelyn has escaped to the Amazon jungle, so we enlisted the help of our friend Jess Steier from @unbiasedscipod.bsky.social for this week's #publichealth Dose. We're talking flu, measles, at-home HPV testing, and more 👇

1/ 2026 is already off to a fast start for #publichealth in California. We're seeing winter flooding, a growing flu surge, and major federal vaccine policy changes. I’m Matt, Your Local Epidemiologist in CA. Let’s start with this week's flooding 👇

1/ 2025 was a tough year for public health. Outbreaks, vaccine falsehoods, and politics tested the system hard. To put it simply, we’ve been through a health gauntlet. But, despite the chaos, there’s a lot to still celebrate in New York. So here are 8 #publichealth wins worth celebrating 🧵

1/ Well, it’s been a week and it's only Wednesday. Flu is surging, measles hit a sobering milestone, and new SNAP food restrictions are rolling out in multiple states. Here’s your Dose to start the year on a #publichealth note.

1/ As you've probably heard by now, RFK Jr. unilaterally updated the routine vaccination schedule for children in the United States: routine vaccination now covers 11 diseases instead of 17. This isn’t based on any new data or evidence—it’s purely ideological. So here’s what that means for you 👇

1/ Well, he did it. He actually did it. RFK Jr. just issued a unilateral directive to overhaul the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule. This isn’t based on new data or new evidence, and he bypassed every scientific and clinical process we have, including not taking public comment.

1/ 2025 asked a lot of public health. We faced attacks on science. Budget cuts. Political pressure. But despite all that, progress still happened. Every year, I take a moment to celebrate public health wins throughout the year. So without further ado, here are some amazing wins from 2025👇

1/ As 2025 wraps up, I keep thinking about how much this year asked of people. For many people, it wasn’t about big wins or milestones, it was about getting through hard, uncertain days. Showing up when things felt heavy. Adjusting plans. Relearning how to cope when life didn’t go how we expected.

1/ Last week, you probably heard about RFK Jr.'s sudden plan to move the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule to Denmark’s. He was supposed to have a press conference on Friday, but it was canceled for legal and political concerns. For now, that move is off the table, but this idea isn’t going away...👇

1/ It's a holiday week, and you know what that means: Lots of travel, gatherings, and shared air. So here’s a quick infectious disease “weather report” to help you navigate the next couple of weeks of travel.

1/ This week, California took a major step toward rebuilding public health for the future. A new statewide initiative, called PHNIX, is bringing together some of the strongest leaders in the field. Here’s what PHNIX is and why it matters, along with the rest of your weekly #publichealth update 👇

1/ Medspas are everywhere right now, but a recent NYC investigation found serious health and safety violations at multiple locations. As we head into the holidays, here’s what to know about medspas along with the rest of this week’s New York #publichealth news 👇

1/ Happy Tuesday! #Respiratoryseason is in full swing, and today we're talking all things infectious disease. Here’s what you need to know about flu, Covid-19, and measles as winter ramps up 👇

Last night, I tried to write about evidence-based solutions. I was originally trained as a violence epidemiologist, am married to a police officer, and am a mom. I know there are things we can do. I wrote it. Deleted it. Rewrote it.

1/ California is seeing two major public health stories this week: a deadly mushroom poisoning outbreak linked to foraging, and the first real test of our #WestCoastHealthAlliance due to ACIP’s hepatitis B birth-dose vote. Here’s what you need to know 👇

1/ New York City is seeing an unsettling trend: after years of progress, new #HIV infections are rising again. In 2024, NYC saw a 5.4% increase on top of the 6.9% rise the year before. So why is this happening now? And how do we protect decades of hard-won progress?

1/ Fall vax rates are slipping, flu is taking off, and when it comes to vaccination schedules (or anything, really) the U.S. isn't Denmark. Plus, a gut-punch report on how ICE policies are shaping health behaviors and hurting kids’ health. Here’s your quick #publichealth briefing for the week!

1/ ACIP’s meeting last week was disgraceful, unprepared, & chaotic. They voted to roll back the universal #HepB birth dose despite no evidence of harm, and pushed an antibody test that doesn’t reliably guide decisions. This shift will have real consequences—with babies and families paying the price.

1/ RFK Jr’s federal vaccine advisory committee, ACIP, meets today to review childhood vaccines. It’s the first test of our West Coast Health Alliance—the four-state buffer designed to protect science-based policy. Plus, I have a few other California #publichealth updates to cover. Let's get into it👇

For anyone who missed yesterday, our colleague Ed has been doing amazing coverage of the ACIP meeting.

Final ACIP coverage for the day from Ed.

1/ Tomorrow, #ACIP —the committee guiding U.S. vaccine policy—will review the entire childhood vaccine schedule. This is the same committee RFK Jr. overhauled, including long-time vaccine skeptics and COVID-19 contrarians. With that in mind, we think it’s important that you know the facts👇

We now have the "persons with lived experience" portion of the meeting. This is new, but it seems to function analogously to public comments. I won't discuss the entire segment.

This is the language for ACIP’s #HBV birth dose vaccine vote tomorrow morning. It's confusing language that even some of the committee members struggled to understand. We'll see what happens tomorrow morning, but right now, I give it 50/50 not getting voted on

The ACIP meeting for the birth dose of the HBV vaccine is continuing and our colleague Ed has been doing an amazing job covering it. If you want the facts on the vaccine as well as communication tips, this resource will help: www.cidrap.umn.edu/vaccine-inte...

This is an insane comment to make, given the secular trends in HBV incidence and the history of the policy.

1/ NYC just hit a record life expectancy of 83.2 years five years ahead of its goal. Marisa here, Your Local NY Epi, and this week we’re breaking down what’s driving that progress, as well as other #publichealth news like new inhaler coverage, rising flu & RSV, and some upstate alerts 👇