Did you know? CDC has an RSV dashboard As we roll out monoclonal antibodies for infant RSV, the rate of infant hospitalizations is under 10% what it was 2 years ago & 34% vs last year Many more kids home & healthy for the holidays Still early but hope it continues www.cdc.gov/resp-net/das...

A story that stays with me A child nearly survived his cancer But he contracted chickenpox & died This is far less common after the chickenpox vaccine reduced the chance of individuals having severe disease & reduced community spread Thanks for sharing @drjoshs.bsky.social & @sanders.senate.gov

“This action contradicts the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is framed inside the FXB Building and handed to every HSPH graduate at Commencement.”

Thinking about everyone affected by rising health insurance premiums that compound high grocery & gift costs this holiday season The family in this story will pay an additional $1300 per month May we aspire to policies that support universal economic security & access to health care

“Dr. Bassett, a distinguished public health physician recruited to Harvard specifically to direct the FXB Center… will remain as Professor But this summary dismissal from her leadership position as center director continues a pattern at Harvard With grave implications for academic freedom”

What direction will we take the future of our field of public health? We are at a crossroads Dr. Mary Bassett represents the best of us, and I hope will continue to be supported in leading the way forward Heartened to see much support for her on this petition docs.google.com/document/d/e...

It's difficult to convey the magnitude of appreciation I have for Dr. Mary Bassett's principled leadership and contributions to public health, but This video from her last day as the New York City Department of Health Commissioner comes close fb.watch/DVGL9J9Ew1/?...

"We don't have to have all the answers to call for change...We just need courage." Dr. Mary Bassett, "Why your doctor should care about social justice," TEDMED 2015. www.ted.com/talks/mary_b...

For the first time this century, the number of children worldwide who die before their fifth birthday is projected to rise, according to a new study published by the Gates Foundation.

How has ACIP changed as an institution? How does it align with the ACIP charter? I learned a lot from this comment letter by @democracyforward.org & @nhelp.bsky.social democracyforward.org/wp-content/u...

Evidence-based child vaccine recommendations are about more than individual decisions A baby too young to be vaccinated contracted measles & recently died in childhood of a complication Vaccines protect kids who receive them — & babies & others in their communities www.latimes.com/science/stor...

Did you know? 190 countries have infant immunization schedules that include the Hep B vaccine 115 countries recommend a universal birth-dose of the Hep B vaccine, one of the key actions WHO recommends to reduce Hep B prevalence Read more in the WHO Hep B Report ➡️ iris.who.int/server/api/c...

Did you know? Kids can be affected by “horizontal transmission” of Hep B without likely exposure to blood or sexual contact Most US articles on horizontal transmission are 30 years old Why? The perinatal dose of the Hep B vaccine — These cases declined after it was recommended by ACIP in 1991

Minnesota’s Somali community is needed and wanted. They enrich Minnesota and America. I am glad our Somali community is part of my community.

Today is the 70th anniversary of Rosa Parks' arrest. Six myths: 1) She wasn't old or tired. 42 years old that day, she had a "life history of being rebellious" & had spent two decades helping to turn the Montgomery NAACP into a more activist branch alongside ED Nixon and Johnnie Carr.

This World AIDS Day, I am grateful to those who spoke up, worked to make a difference, & improved the lives of millions Who inspire us to keep speaking & persisting in reducing HIV & inequities & in supporting people living with HIV — & each other more broadly Keep going www.actuporalhistory.org

A stretch of family businesses offer beautiful items for the home — and the workbench. Plus, take a break at one of Oakland’s best beer gardens.

There’s much precedent for ignoring HIV/AIDS It tragically allowed the epidemic to grow worse & take more lives May we learn from history & speak to the importance of supporting continued progress against HIV in the US & around the world www.history.com/articles/aid...

Did you know? 190 countries have infant immunization schedules that include the Hep B vaccine 115 countries recommend a universal birth-dose of the Hep B vaccine, one of the key actions WHO recommends to reduce Hep B prevalence Read more in the WHO Hep B Report ➡️ iris.who.int/server/api/c...

Did you know? Kids can be affected by “horizontal transmission” of Hep B without likely exposure to blood or sexual contact Most US articles on horizontal transmission are 30 years old Why? The perinatal dose of the Hep B vaccine — These cases declined after it was recommended by ACIP in 1991

"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little." -FDR, 1937

Proposals from Senators Scott and Cassidy to convert ACA premium tax credits into health accounts present trade-offs that benefit healthy people at the expense of sick people. Senator Scott's proposal, in particular, would destabilize the insurance market in some states. www.kff.org/affordable-c...

With the federal government stripping away vaccine infrastructure, states are on the hook to protect the health and safety of their residents. CAP's @jillrose.bsky.social explains 6 ways states can protect access to vaccines: https://ampr.gs/3X83W4Q

The US has had measles “elimination status” for 25 years. It may be about to lose this status. Measles can severely and fatally impact children, including infants under 1 year old who are too young to be vaccinated. Increasing — and not further decreasing — child vaccination rates is essential.

Ahead of the upcoming ACIP meeting on the child immunization schedule, it’s important to remember immunizations are about more than individual decisions — immunizations affect communities, including babies too young to be vaccinated

Evidence-based child vaccine recommendations are about more than individual decisions A baby too young to be vaccinated contracted measles & recently died in childhood of a complication Vaccines protect kids who receive them — & babies & others in their communities www.latimes.com/science/stor...

“The idea Congress can shut down the govt over affordable health care, delay action on extending these subsidies & maybe not extend them at all shows how far we have drifted from the basic principle that health care should be stable & not subject to political cycles” - @ucheblackstockmd.bsky.social

Information underpins democracy and the BBC is a key part of that. We need to protect our institutions open.substack.com/pub/christin...

Public news is an essential public good The threats are substantial — it has been sad & serious to see cuts to NPR & PBS in the US May leaders in the UK & around the world speak up for the BBC

What can policy-oriented social scientists do in this moment? POTUS has remade the GOP coalition anew in his image. Lines of conflict & opposition coalitions are scrambled. He's taking apart long-standing institutions & conventions, making the future is more fluid than ever in my lifetime....

Zohran Mamdani represents the future of the Democratic party | Robert Reich

Mamdani shows: Supporting economic security & minority/human rights goes hand in hand & is a compelling set of values (& campaign message) May we see more of this 💕

JUST IN: Courts ordered SNAP payments to restart, and the Trump administration said Monday the food benefits would be half the normal payment. About 1 in 8 U.S. residents get an average of $187 a month per person on SNAP.

Why should you 🫵🏿 care about SNAP? SNAP recipients saw: - Improved life expectancy - Lower chance of incarceration - Lowers chance of poverty - Lived in better neighborhoods - Higher human capital SNAP keeps our neighbors fed, communities safer, and kids educated. Also people are HUNGRY. DUH!

Thanks to @feedingamerica.org for helping families have food on the table this holiday season Regardless of what happens next with SNAP, many people are losing jobs at the same time as health insurance premiums are rising & Medicaid coverage is set to decline We can support those most affected

SNAP boosts households' average monthly income by 31%. For households with kids, it's 42%. SNAP prevents food insecurity, but it also enables households use scarce non-SNAP resources for other things... rent, utilities, diapers, school supplies... from: www.fns.usda.gov/data-researc... 🥗 🛟

Did you know? The US has one of the highest child poverty rates of OECD countries. The average child poverty rate across OECD countries is 12.2% In the US, it’s over 20% It’s partly why many children rely on SNAP High rates of child poverty warrant a national conversation.

Mail-in voters who haven't returned ballots yet: Check your state's deadline to make sure your vote gets counted. If your ballot must be received by Election Day, consider stopping by a ballot drop box or early voting site. It may be too late for the U.S. Postal Service to deliver it by Nov. 4...

I just spoke with Capital Area Food Bank CEO Radha Muthiah about how they are preparing for a possible lapse in SNAP funding. She told me that for every meal they provide, SNAP provides *nine*. "The magnitude of the SNAP program is significant," she says.

Food bank director: “for every meal that a food bank provides, the SNAP program provides nine. There’s no way we can meet that gap.”

“I’m so appreciative. I can’t wait to hug my babies. And then I will get to work for others like me.” — Jackie Merlos, after release from 4 months of ICE custody

Did you know? About 4.5 million SNAP recipients are babies and toddlers under age 5. About 11.1 million SNAP recipients are kids aged 5 to 17 years, who need food for healthy growth, learning, & development. The federal government has the capacity to continue funding SNAP during a shutdown.

ICYMI: This week, I published my story about text messages I exchanged with Lindsey Halligan — the prosecutor now pursuing criminal cases against Letitia James and James Comey. It’s a wild ride, and I’m still trying to make sense of it all. Your Sunday read: ⬇️ www.lawfaremedia.org/article/anna...

This is contemptible and outrageous and unprecedented. Mostly children, the elderly, and those with disabilities. Shameful. Hungry at Thanksgiving.

Punchbowl reports “White House officials determined they do not have the authority” to use contingency reserves —billions of $ that Congress provided for use when SNAP funding is inadequate— to fund Nov. SNAP benefits. But, that’s not what USDA’s now-deleted shutdown plan says:

Fantastic opportunity to lead the Equity Lab @wellcometrust.bsky.social working with the legendary Jimmy Volmink, details here wellcome.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/en-GB/Wellco... Please repost so as many as possible can see this great opportunity

Good morning, California It’s a good day to Vote Yes on 50

My heart is with immigrant populations in the Bay Area, an important & wonderful part of our communities & of their families Grateful for leadership on supporting everyone in knowing their rights & resources

In response to anti-DEI legislation in the states, universities have started to hire more white male faculty. This increase starts before bills are signed into law. Universities appear to be anticipating anti-DEI legislation and preemptively hiring more white men.

Kudos to Ron Conway. “I am shocked and disappointed by your comments calling for an unwanted invasion of San Francisco by federal troops and by your willful ignorance and detachment from the impacts of the ICE immigration raids of families with NO criminal record.” www.nytimes.com/2025/10/16/u...