The hottest Health Communication Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Health & Wellness Topics

5 Logical fallacies in the era of RFK Jr.

Your Local Epidemiologist • 2161 implied HN points • 04 Mar 26
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. Prebunking—teaching people to recognize common rhetorical tricks—is more effective than trying to debunk every false claim one-by-one. If people learn the patterns, they can spot misinformation themselves.
  2. Many health falsehoods rely on a few common logical fallacies like appeal to nature, false dichotomy, ad hominem, common-sense, and post hoc, which make claims seem plausible but are logically weak. Recognizing these specific errors helps you judge a claim's strength.
  3. Instead of playing whack-a-mole with rumors, empower people to do their own critical thinking by learning these fallacies and how to evaluate evidence. Teaching these skills reduces dependence on experts to debunk every meme and builds resilience to misinformation.

Cue the allergies and time change, the flu vaccine process is starting, WH's impact on Tylenol, and good news

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1056 implied HN points • 10 Mar 26
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. Winter respiratory season is finally easing, but spring viruses like HMPV and RSV are on the rise and allergy season is starting earlier and lasting longer, so expect more colds and cranky kids this spring.
  2. The flu vaccine planning for next season is underway, but political interference and leadership turnover could block or delay an updated formula, meaning Americans might receive last year’s vaccine instead of one matched to current strains.
  3. A White House briefing that falsely linked acetaminophen to autism caused a measurable drop in acetaminophen orders for pregnant patients and a big rise in leucovorin prescriptions, showing how misinformation changes clinical care; acetaminophen remains the safest choice for fever and pain in pregnancy, so talk to your clinician if you’re pregnant and sick.

Top 5 questions about school vaccination requirements

Your Local Epidemiologist • 877 implied HN points • 11 Mar 26
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. State school vaccination rules are shifting: some states are moving toward stricter medical-only exemptions while others are passing laws to weaken or block requirements, so this will remain a live policy battle, not a settled issue.
  2. School immunization requirements do more than boost vaccine rates — they create routine healthcare visits that catch other health problems and keep kids in school, so weakening them can reduce both vaccination coverage and important points of health access.
  3. When discussing policy, focus on shared values and practical arguments: emphasize keeping schools open, the high cost of outbreaks, and middle-ground fixes like making exemptions harder to obtain or tying them to education rather than eliminating requirements entirely.

A new home for Force of Infection

Force of Infection • 154 implied HN points • 17 Mar 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Health Communication
  1. The newsletter is moving off Substack to a standalone website, and subscriptions (including paid and regional choices) will transfer automatically; only readers who use the Substack app need to switch to email notifications.
  2. The move is intended to create a more permanent, independent, and stable home so the publication stays reliable despite changes to platform algorithms.
  3. The new site will let the newsletter expand beyond weekly reports into evergreen reference pages, seasonal summaries, and practical tools, with paid subscribers enabling that growth.

How to ask AI better health questions

Your Local Epidemiologist • 209 implied HN points • 13 Mar 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Health Communication
  1. Roughly 230 million people ask ChatGPT health questions every week, so AI is already a major health resource for patients and providers.
  2. There’s a growing need for simple, practical guidance on how to ask chatbots about health, so tips, webinars, and resources are being developed to help people frame better questions.
  3. AI can make mistakes when triaging or giving medical advice, so treat its answers cautiously and don't rely on it for definitive medical decisions.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

TrumpRx, Super Bowl commercials, flu B is here, and more

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1548 implied HN points • 10 Feb 26
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. Respiratory illnesses are ticking up again — late-winter coughs, sore throats, and fevers are rising due to colds, RSV, and a second wave of flu B, while measles outbreaks (notably in South Carolina) are growing. Flu B often follows flu A and overall season severity is moderate so far, but local impacts vary.
  2. TrumpRx is mostly branding with limited impact — it mainly helps people who pay cash, often won’t count toward insurance deductibles, and can ignore cheaper generics; real, widespread price relief will require stronger policy changes.
  3. Be skeptical of flashy wellness ads — blood-based cancer screening tests can miss cancers and cause false alarms with unclear survival benefits, and shame-based diet messaging backfires; consumers deserve clear tradeoffs and empowering, realistic advice.

Shared decision-making, informed consent, and the rhetoric of false empowerment

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1399 implied HN points • 28 Jan 26
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. Shared clinical decision-making is a technical label used when medical evidence doesn’t point to one clear option, and relabeling recommended vaccines as SCDM can falsely imply uncertainty and confuse parents without actually giving them more choices.
  2. Informed consent should give a balanced, understandable view of risks, benefits, and alternatives so people can make reasoned choices, and overstating rare or unverified harms skews that balance and undermines true consent.
  3. Patient autonomy means people make health decisions with the help of clinicians, and the childhood vaccine schedule is guidance not a universal mandate; framing recommendations as mandates or insisting people decide entirely on their own erodes trust and creates confusion.

One of CDC’s final blows. And what it means for you.

Your Local Epidemiologist • 4162 implied HN points • 21 Nov 25
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. The CDC has been facing major challenges due to political interference, leading to a loss of trust in its information. People need to be careful about relying on it for accurate health data.
  2. It's recommended to avoid certain topics on the CDC website, especially vaccines and reproductive health, and instead seek information from trusted outside sources like medical organizations.
  3. Despite the struggles at the CDC, there is a strong effort from health professionals and communities to provide reliable health information and support to the public.

A unilateral change to childhood vaccines: What it means for you

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1755 implied HN points • 06 Jan 26
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. The federal government abruptly changed the routine childhood vaccine schedule to recommend protection against 11 instead of 17 diseases and moved many vaccines to a shared clinical decision-making approach without the usual advisory process.
  2. Because the U.S. health system is fragmented and uneven, that shift is likely to reduce vaccination rates and lead to more preventable infections — examples include risks for hepatitis B and flu when universal protections are removed.
  3. The American Academy of Pediatrics still recommends the previous schedule, vaccines are currently covered by major public and private insurers, and families should talk to their pediatrician and advocate with state officials to keep strong vaccine protections.

ACIP key takeaways: What really happened and what it means for you

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1882 implied HN points • 05 Dec 25
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. The recent ACIP meeting led to a rollback on the universal Hepatitis B vaccine for infants, which could confuse families and affect children's health negatively.
  2. Grassroots efforts and pushback from experts helped prevent even worse decisions at the meeting, showing the power of community in health discussions.
  3. There's still a strong commitment to protecting children's health despite the setbacks, and advocacy from parents and clinicians is crucial in ensuring informed choices moving forward.

Who are you?

Your Local Epidemiologist • 810 implied HN points • 09 Jan 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Health Communication
  1. A long-running public health newsletter has a big, engaged audience and is asking readers to take an annual survey to help shape future coverage.
  2. Survey respondents are mostly from North America and Australia, skew 45–64 years old, are highly educated, and many act as trusted messengers who share information with family, colleagues, and communities.
  3. Readers still want infectious disease coverage but are increasingly interested in public health communication and misinformation, news analysis, climate-related health, and issues like mental health, opioids, and reproductive health, and the newsletter aims to broaden topics and reach younger and more politically diverse readers.

How health institutions can catch up

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1266 implied HN points • 17 Dec 25
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. Health institutions are behind the times and must change how they communicate by listening, being transparent, and meeting people where they are instead of broadcasting one-way guidance.
  2. Project Stethoscope / PHNIX shows a practical path forward: actively listen to communities, partner with trusted local messengers, and bring lived experiences into the systems that make decisions.
  3. Trust is not declared but earned through consistent, human actions like showing up, admitting mistakes, and acting promptly, and rebuilding that trust is essential for public health to protect people.

Why CDC health data are still reliable

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1068 implied HN points • 10 Dec 25
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. Local hospitals and state health departments collect, clean, and verify cases before sending final numbers to CDC. Because CDC mainly stitches those state pieces together rather than controlling raw inputs, the underlying data remain largely reliable.
  2. Communications and some scientific materials have been weakened by edits, removed content, and staff cuts, which has sharply reduced alerts and public-facing messaging. That makes it harder for clinicians and the public to get timely guidance even if the data are sound.
  3. Automation like genetic sequencing and algorithms helps detect outbreaks, but human investigators and adequate funding are still essential, and current layoffs and budget cuts threaten response capacity. Non‑federal groups and regional coalitions are stepping in, but they can’t fully replace the federal agency’s scale and authority.

What I’m learning from MAHA

Your Local Epidemiologist • 3091 implied HN points • 06 Jun 25
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. It's important to work with trusted voices in the community to make health information easier to understand. By collaborating, we can create better resources that respect people's choices.
  2. People want to have control over their health decisions, but they also need guidance. Public health should support individual choice while promoting community health.
  3. Public health is all about protecting people, not making profits like big companies. We need to clarify this to build trust and show how we can help communities thrive.

Covid-19, mosquitos, hand foot and mouth surging, kinder vaccination rates, Vaccine Injury program at risk and more

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1414 implied HN points • 04 Aug 25
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. Covid-19 cases are going up, especially among infants. We might see more hospital visits as many haven't been infected in a while.
  2. There's a rise in hand, foot, and mouth disease, particularly affecting young children. Parents should be aware of the symptoms and how it spreads.
  3. Vaccination rates for kindergartners are down in 20 states, possibly leading to more outbreaks of diseases like measles. It's important to stay up to date on vaccinations.

A week of chaos in public health

Your Local Epidemiologist • 3907 implied HN points • 24 Jan 25
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. There has been a major pause in public health communications and research, which could lead to delays in tackling important health threats like bird flu.
  2. The changes in public health leadership could have serious impacts on funding for research and the health safety systems that protect communities.
  3. Despite the chaos, local public health teams are still crucial and will keep working to ensure community health, showing that public health is about more than just federal leadership.

It's not just about measles

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1515 implied HN points • 11 Jul 25
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. Measles outbreaks signal deeper issues beyond just the disease. They show a loss of trust in public health and science, which affects vaccination rates.
  2. The public health system is under strain with declining resources, making it harder to contain these outbreaks and protect communities.
  3. To address vaccination hesitancy, it's important to communicate with empathy and understanding. Connecting through stories and relationships can help rebuild trust.

4 ways to anticipate next week's ACIP

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1342 implied HN points • 20 Jun 25
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. The new ACIP members may not have much vaccine experience, raising concerns about their decisions affecting public health.
  2. Expect confusion and misinformation about vaccines in social media following the meeting, especially around topics like thimerosal and the MMR vaccine.
  3. Although some answers will surface after the meeting, many important questions remain, and many health organizations are already working hard to clarify the situation for the public.

Behind the curtain at YLE

Your Local Epidemiologist • 959 implied HN points • 18 Jul 25
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. The post gives a behind-the-scenes look at how YLE keeps track of health signals and reads scientific studies. It's a sneak peek into the work that goes into health communication.
  2. Many members of the YLE community play important roles in spreading health information, like clinicians and school nurses. They help share and adapt YLE content to reach more people.
  3. The YLE team wants to experiment with new ways to support their community and make health communication easier for everyone involved.

Here's what we're getting ourselves into

Your Local Epidemiologist • 2286 implied HN points • 21 Jan 25
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. Many people think natural things are always good, but that's not true. Some natural things can be harmful, like germs that cause diseases.
  2. It's important to rely on science rather than just the appeal of nature. Some human-made medicines save lives, even when natural solutions sound better.
  3. We need policies that look at the real issues affecting health, not just ones that follow popular but incorrect ideas about nature. Ignoring the complexities can lead to more health problems.

Now what for public health?

Your Local Epidemiologist • 2790 implied HN points • 08 Nov 24
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. We need to adapt to a new public health world because of unreliable leadership and misinformation. This means being more thoughtful in how we communicate and make decisions.
  2. Building bridges and finding common ground is essential for effective public health. Listening and showing empathy can help people trust the information provided.
  3. Fighting for the truth against falsehoods will be a major challenge. It's important to promote reliable sources of information to help individuals make informed health choices.

Hope and camaraderie are stronger than fear

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1900 implied HN points • 07 Feb 25
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. Hope helps us get through tough times, even when things seem scary. It reminds us that positive change is possible.
  2. Working together and sharing our stories makes us stronger. It shows the real impact of policies on people's lives.
  3. Even when problems feel overwhelming, small wins matter. Many people are fighting for better public health every day.

Scientific American’s Purging of Laura Helmuth Is Only A Start

The DisInformation Chronicle • 1410 implied HN points • 02 Dec 24
🔬 Science Health Communication
  1. Leaving behind hate-filled comments can lead to serious consequences, like getting fired or resigning from a job.
  2. Many science writers may share extreme political views that can affect the credibility of their journalism.
  3. To regain trust, media outlets need to clean up their practices and focus on reporting accurately, without political bias.

Buckle up: Navigating the noise around routine vaccination

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1375 implied HN points • 17 Dec 24
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. Vaccination has had a huge impact on public health, eradicating diseases like smallpox and reducing cases of polio and measles to near-zero with high vaccination rates.
  2. Most people still trust vaccines, with a significant percentage of parents ensuring their kids are vaccinated, despite the loud voices questioning vaccine safety.
  3. It's normal to have questions about vaccines, but it's important to seek answers from trusted experts to separate fact from fiction.

Evaluating Medical Literature: Patient Oriented Evidence vs. Disease Oriented Evidence

News from Those Nerdy Girls • 511 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Health Communication
  1. When evaluating medical studies, focus on patient-oriented evidence that looks at outcomes meaningful to real people.
  2. Disease-oriented evidence is more common but may not provide helpful insights into patient outcomes.
  3. Be cautious of drawing conclusions about patient-oriented outcomes from disease-oriented evidence.

COVID Vaccines For Kids One Of The Most Unnecessary Interventions In History

Unmasked • 50 implied HN points • 07 Jan 26
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. The federal health department removed the universal recommendation that all children get COVID vaccines starting at six months. Some state health agencies said they would keep recommending the shots despite the federal change.
  2. The change prompted strong criticism from many medical experts, and the controversy is framed as politically charged with distrust of prior expert guidance.
  3. The piece argues COVID vaccines for healthy kids were largely unnecessary, claiming they prevented few child deaths and that proponents often didn’t closely examine the actual effectiveness data.

Pandemic Censorship Spurs Trump Research Nominees and Others to Create “Journal of the Academy of Public Health”

The DisInformation Chronicle • 885 implied HN points • 05 Feb 25
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. A new journal aims to improve communication in public health and share a variety of expert opinions. This is important since many voices were silenced during the pandemic.
  2. The journal will pay peer reviewers for their work, making the process fairer and more efficient. This could help improve the quality of published research.
  3. By publishing peer reviews alongside articles, the journal hopes to promote openness in scientific discussions. This can help challenge the existing norms and biases in traditional scientific publishing.

No, This Viral Study Doesn’t Prove the COVID Vaccine Worked To Prevent Deaths - Here's What It Actually Says

Unmasked • 52 implied HN points • 19 Dec 25
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. Early public messaging and policies around COVID vaccines often overstated their benefits — including claims of complete infection prevention, guaranteed herd immunity, and alarmist predictions about the unvaccinated.
  2. A change in leadership has reduced aggressive vaccine promotion and prompted renewed government attention and research into possible vaccine side effects.
  3. A recent viral study is being misrepresented as definitive proof that vaccines prevented deaths, and that misleading claim is being amplified on social media and by some commentators.

Health New Zealand seems allergic to using the word 'woman' - but not the word 'man'.

A B’Old Woman • 439 implied HN points • 29 Nov 23
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. Health New Zealand often avoids using the term 'woman' in its communications, especially in discussions about maternity. This is surprising since it uses 'man' frequently, leading to feelings of discrimination.
  2. When discussing men's health, the language is very inclusive with terms like 'fathers' and 'brothers'. In contrast, women's health language seems limited, making it hard to identify who is being referred to in maternity contexts.
  3. Many people are concerned that avoiding 'woman' and 'mothers' while promoting language for men is problematic. This raises questions about how women's identities are represented in healthcare communications.

YLE Event Tuesday (December 10)

Your Local Epidemiologist • 485 implied HN points • 06 Dec 24
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. There is a webinar on December 10 about communicating health in today's divided environment. It will be helpful for anyone interested in public health.
  2. Kyle McGowan, a former CDC Chief of Staff, will join the discussion to share useful strategies. This could provide valuable insights for health professionals.
  3. The event is free for subscribers and will include a live question-and-answer session. If you can't attend, a recording will be available afterward.

Outbreak Outlook - National - Feb 10

Force of Infection • 269 implied HN points • 10 Feb 25
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. The flu season is at a record high, with about 1 in 13 doctor visits now related to flu symptoms. This is the worst flu outbreak we have seen in over ten years.
  2. Young children are most affected by the flu, but older adults are at a greater risk for severe illness. It's important for everyone to take precautions to stay healthy.
  3. To prevent the flu, people should wear masks in crowded places, improve ventilation indoors, wash hands often, and get vaccinated. If infected, antivirals can help reduce illness duration.

The Chicken Little Problem: Are We About to Have a Bird Flu Pandemic, or Not?

OK Doomer • 136 implied HN points • 30 Dec 24
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. Bird flu is becoming a bigger concern as new cases and mutations suggest it might spread more easily among humans. This raises questions about a potential pandemic.
  2. There have been warnings for nearly three years about H5N1, indicating it may be getting closer to affecting people significantly.
  3. Governments have not adequately prepared for pandemics in the past, which increases the risk for future outbreaks like bird flu.

The Los Angeles Times’ Chief COVID Propagandist Is Back In Action

Unmasked • 73 implied HN points • 30 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Health Communication
  1. The left-wing media has struggled to accept the reality of COVID after five years. Many people feel that the media should show some humility after being wrong about key issues.
  2. Experts like Anthony Fauci, who had significant influence during the pandemic, are seen as having caused harm without taking responsibility. There's a belief that these figures should be held accountable for their misleading advice.
  3. Research suggests that COVID restrictions did not effectively control the spread of the virus and resulted in significant financial and social damage. Many people are questioning the value of these measures.

On why Substack - and your support -matters so much

Unreported Truths • 24 implied HN points • 08 Jul 25
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. Substack allows for important stories to be told that might not get attention elsewhere, especially longer pieces that can explain complicated topics.
  2. The platform offers a place for free speech, particularly for views that may be censored on social media.
  3. Personal stories, like that of Simone Scott, highlight the real impacts of broader health discussions and the need for transparency about vaccine safety.

Outbreak Outlook - October 14

Force of Infection • 54 implied HN points • 14 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. Covid-19 cases are decreasing across the country, with many states reporting low activity, especially in the Western region.
  2. Norovirus is on the rise, particularly in the South, and it can cause stomach pain and vomiting. Good hand hygiene is important to prevent its spread.
  3. Colds and respiratory viruses are becoming more common as the cold season starts, so it's important to stay vigilant about hygiene and health.

VSRF LIVE TONIGHT: Episode 207 with Dr. Robert Redfield, MD.

Steve Kirsch's newsletter • 2 implied HN points • 11 Dec 25
🏥 Health Politics Health Communication
  1. A former CDC director gives an insider perspective questioning key COVID-era decisions and calling for greater transparency in how those choices were made.
  2. The conversation will tackle controversial topics like vaccine safety, the origins of SARS-CoV-2, high‑risk research, and alleged ignored treatment protocols.
  3. The goal is to revisit past decisions to learn lessons and push for better data sharing and preparedness for future public‑health emergencies.