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 👇

The committee is currently breaking for lunch, but here a piece of Ed’s summary of this morning’s ACIP meeting

If anyone is looking for a bit more in depth info on the HBV vaccine, you may find this helpful www.cidrap.umn.edu/vaccine-inte...

Hey folks! Katelyn and our colleague Ed are following the ACIP meeting live today. Ed’s narrating the whole thing on BlueSky (send him good vibes!), and we’ll be back Friday with a full debrief. We wanted to open up a space for this community to talk amongst yourselves, drop any questions, etc.

I will be doing live coverage of the ACIP meetings tomorrow and Friday on Bluesky. Here's the agenda: www.cdc.gov/acip/downloa... And here is Your Local Epidemiologist and The Evidence Collective's prebunk: open.substack.com/pub/yourloca... Should be an interesting time

1/ Tomorrow, #ACIP —the external advisory committee that guides U.S. vaccine policy—will meet for two days. Thursday’s agenda will focus on Hepatitis B (Hep B). We’re expecting to hear a few falsehoods to start circulating along with some unsupported safety concerns. Here’s what you should know 👇

1/ Thanksgiving is a holiday filled with family, conversation… and all the opinions and questions we may not always feel ready for. And because public health is in everything, it often shows up at the table too. Here are a few grounded tips to help you navigate the hard stuff 👇

1/ Thanksgiving week is here! Between viral updates, family debates, and public health headlines, there’s a lot to cover. So let's do a quick breakdown of what’s on our radar this week so you can get back to prepping the turkey👇

1/ Flu season is starting in California after an unusually long off season. Activity is still low here, but we're already seeing signs on the east coast that the season is fully underway. I’m Matt, Your Local Epidemiologist in California, with this week’s public health updates 👇

1/ As we head into one of the busiest travel weeks of the year, respiratory viruses are top of mind. I wanted to pop in to quickly give everyone the infectious disease rate breakdown, as well as a few other New York public health updates. Let's dive into the data 👇

The CDC website was quietly edited last night to claim there’s “no evidence” that vaccines don’t cause autism. This is false. But this is damaging, even beyond people’s confidence in vaccines. For the first time in my career, I cannot tell people to trust what the CDC website without hesitation.

1/ Last week, the FDA announced it’s removing the black box warning from menopause hormone therapy (MHT). This is long overdue. Menopause is universal, yet misunderstood and stigmatized. Millions of women have suffered because of fear, misinformation, and a system that wasn’t built to support them.

1/ Hey, epidemiologist here 👋 I've been seeing a lot of concern as we enter flu season, so I want to do a quick breakdown of what's going on with #H3N2, the flu strain everyone's been talking about, how it’s mutating, and the best ways you can protect yourself. 🧵

1/ Bird flu is back. After nearly nine months without a human case, the virus has re-emerged, causing a severe human infection in Washington state. This is the first case of H5N5 detected in a person. Here’s the details—and other #publichealth news you need to know this week 👇

1/ A rare outbreak of infant botulism has been linked to baby formula for the first time in U.S. history. Fifteen infants are hospitalized, including two in California. I’m Matt, Your Local Epidemiologist in California, and here are this week's public health updates 👇

1/ If Congress lets ACA subsidies expire, a New Yorker making just $1 over the cutoff could pay $5,000–$10,000 more per year for health insurance. For older adults, it could be much higher. I'm breaking down what this means for New Yorkers and what else is happening in #publichealth this week👇

1/ We might be nearing the end of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. But even if Congress extends #ACAsubsidies, the debate in Washington is way too small. The real issue isn’t actually the subsidies, it’s how completely insane our health care system has become. 🧵

1/ The challenges in public health are urgent and constant, so it can be far too easy to miss progress when it happens. But one of the things that's been keeping me sane this year has been to pause and acknowledge that progress. So let's showcase some real signs of what public health can accomplish👇

1/ The FDA announced today that they are removing the black box warning from hormone replacement therapy ( #HRT). This label was added in 2002 after early studies showed increased stroke & breast cancer risk, but new research revealed crucial nuances: timing, dose, and delivery matter.

1/ Hey California! It’s been a big week—Halloween's done, the Dodgers won the World Series (mixed emotions, I know), and Prop 50 passed. As the dust settles, here’s your quick public health update👇 ✔️ Childhood flu deaths ✔️ ICE presence in hospitals ✔️ CalFresh updates ✔️ Covid, flu & RSV rates

1/ Nearly 3 million New Yorkers rely on SNAP for food, and the ongoing federal shutdown has left a huge funding gap. Marisa here, Your Local NY Epi, and today we’re breaking down what’s happening with #foodaid in New York, a decrease in youth tobacco use, and the current state of virus season 👇

What is so refreshing about the election is the unveiling of an offense. People have been stuck in defense for too long. While this is necessary to avoid going backwards, offense moves forward. This is something that everyone and every institution, including public health, needs.

1/ Today, the president announced he’s withholding funds for SNAP until the shutdown ends—not because the money isn’t there, but to use people’s empty stomachs as leverage.

1/ Open enrollment for Obamacare (ACA) kicked off this weekend, during which more than 20 million families will shop for health insurance coverage. There's some sticker shock though: prices are up ~30% this year if tax credits aren’t extended. Here’s what else is happening in #publichealth 👇

1/ Happy Halloween! 🎃 If you’re a parent, you probably have a few #candy questions rattling around in your head, and as a mom to two energetic girls, I’ve wondered the same things. So I asked our YLE dietitian, Megan Maisano, for answers — and her insights were too good not to share.👇

1/ Last week, LA County confirmed 3 cases of Clade 1b mpox, which historically, is a severe strain from Africa. This is the first time this strain has spread locally in the U.S. without a link to Africa. I’m Matt, your Local Epidemiologist in California, back with your weekly #publichealth update.

1/ Over two dozen states, including New York, are suing the federal government to keep SNAP running. Without it, more than 40 million Americans could lose access to food. Today we're breaking down what’s at stake along with other New York #publichealth news you should know👇

1/ If the headlines have felt heavy lately, you’re not alone. Between outbreaks, lawsuits, and fast spreading falsehoods, it’s easy to forget that #publichealth is still working. So today I'm sharing 4 pieces of good news worth celebrating from the past few weeks. 🧵

1/ SNAP benefits are set to expire Nov 1, and more than 40 million Americans could lose access to food they rely on. That’s an average of $190 per person per month. Here’s what’s at stake—and other #publichealth news you need to know this week 👇

The president demolished the East Wing to build a ballroom. It’s hard to think of a better metaphor for what’s happening to our health ecosystem—gutting Medicaid, weakening the CDC, and cutting SNAP. The symbolism isn’t subtle: luxury expands while the systems that keep people healthy contract.

1/ NYC's mayoral debate put food insecurity in the spotlight. And, as I'm sure you know, one of the most talked-about (and misunderstood) ideas for tackling this issue is city-owned grocery stores. Today we’re breaking down what they are, how they work, and where the candidates stand. 🧵

1/ Covid hospitalizations have been climbing in the UK, and with the respiratory virus season fast approaching, the US may not be far behind. We've seen a lot of questions about Long Covid, so now is like the perfect time to break down what we know, what’s still uncertain, and what it means for you👇