The hottest Public Health Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Health & Wellness Topics

NIAID Funds and Nature Publishes Doomsday COVID Viral Virulence-Enhancing Technology by Dr. Zheng-Li Shi: Call for Emergency Restrictions and Severe Penalties for Misuse

Popular Rationalism • 277 implied HN points • 02 Nov 24
🔬 Science Public Health
  1. The new method of using customized viral receptors (CVRs) allows scientists to study how viruses infect cells more safely, but it also poses serious risks if misused.
  2. These CVRs can make viruses more contagious and easier to spread, raising concerns about biosecurity and the potential for creating bioweapons.
  3. There's an urgent need for stricter regulations and accountability in viral research to prevent misuse of technologies like CVRs and ensure public safety.

With Kennedy on Board, This is What a Trump Win Will Mean for Democrats

Popular Rationalism • 1367 implied HN points • 01 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Public Health
  1. A Trump win could force the Democratic Party to rethink its ties with the pharmaceutical industry. This may lead to more transparency and accountability in health policies.
  2. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is seen as a potential leader who could push for a health agenda focused on questioning the status quo and prioritizing public health over profit.
  3. The public is becoming more aware of vaccine safety issues, and this awareness may change how health policies are formed and implemented in the future.

Is Seed Oil Intake Correlated With Bad Health?

Cremieux Recueil • 332 implied HN points • 25 Mar 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Public Health
  1. Higher seed oil intake (measured by linoleic acid) is not linked to worse health and is associated with lower long‑term mortality and better markers like lower inflammation and healthier lipids.
  2. Most anti‑seed‑oil arguments rely on mechanistic, animal, or cherry‑picked evidence and are inconsistent; high‑quality human studies and trials don’t support the claim that seed oils are harmful.
  3. Using stronger methods and measurements (plasma biomarkers, propensity matching, doubly‑robust estimation) removes signals of harm and fails to confirm mechanistic worries like raised arachidonic acid, oxidative damage, vitamin E depletion, or clotting—while saturated fat shows worse associations.

Glyphosate: A story of science, risk, and nuance

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1478 implied HN points • 25 Mar 26
🔬 Science Public Health
  1. Glyphosate is the world’s most used herbicide, and whether it is harmful depends on the dose and how much someone is actually exposed to.
  2. The science is mixed: very high doses cause cancer in animals, some human studies link heavy occupational exposure to higher risks (including signals for non‑Hodgkin lymphoma), but typical consumer exposures are much lower and the overall population risk remains uncertain.
  3. For everyday life, food residues are generally tiny and not a reason to panic, but farm workers and people living near sprayed fields face higher exposures and should use protective gear and community measures like buffer zones.

Vaccination is legalized, decriminalized, government-sponsored, government-run torture, mutilation and homicide.

Bailiwick News • 6598 implied HN points • 23 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Vaccination programs have been criticized as harmful and misleading, with claims that they cause suffering and even death.
  2. The argument is made that individuals can resist these programs by not participating and by advocating for changes in laws that enable them.
  3. There is a belief that the government has misled the public about the safety and regulation of vaccines, making individuals skeptical about their trust in these medical interventions.
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Goodbye flu season, hello Spring bugs, like norovirus, polio travel headlines, and breakthrough measles cases.

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1147 implied HN points • 24 Mar 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Public Health
  1. Flu season is winding down, but spring brings other bugs like common colds, RSV, and norovirus, so expect more sniffles and stomach bugs; wash hands with soap and water (hand sanitizer may not stop norovirus) and isolate if you’re sick.
  2. Polio headlines were overstated — the CDC’s global polio notice is informational, not a travel ban, and most travelers don’t need a booster; consider one only if you’ll have prolonged close contact in a place with recent detections and check with your doctor.
  3. MMR vaccines are highly effective at preventing severe measles, but breakthrough infections can occur with high exposure and are usually milder; also watch for safety alerts and recalls, including specific lots of children’s ibuprofen and Raw Farm raw cheddar linked to E. coli.

Is It Possible to Be Healthy at Every Size?

Cremieux Recueil • 253 implied HN points • 24 Mar 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Public Health
  1. Some people are labeled "metabolically healthy obese," but that category is defined inconsistently and applies to only a small share of people with obesity, mostly those with milder excess weight.
  2. Metabolically healthy obesity is often temporary — many people transition to metabolically unhealthy obesity over years, and even while 'healthy' they still face higher risks of diabetes, heart disease, and death than metabolically healthy lean people.
  3. Excess fat causes many harms beyond the metabolic markers (worse blood sugar control, visceral fat effects, cancer risk, sleep apnea, liver and joint damage, reproductive and inflammatory problems, and social harms), so the idea that people can be healthy at every size is not supported by the evidence.

WPATH, part I: "The dignity of risk and the right to regret"

gender:hacked by Eliza Mondegreen • 1884 implied HN points • 28 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Teenagers have the right to make decisions, even if they might regret them later. This is part of growing up and learning about themselves.
  2. Medical decisions, especially about serious treatments like hormone therapy, require careful consideration. They aren't just like normal teenage risks of dating or making silly choices.
  3. Clinicians must take responsibility for their actions and the potential harm they can cause. It's important to really think about the safety and effectiveness of medical interventions for young people.

Medical Roundup #7

Don't Worry About the Vase • 2374 implied HN points • 17 Mar 26
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. The FDA is acting inconsistently and retroactively on approvals, and that behavior is chilling investment and innovation in vaccines and other drug development.
  2. Clinical trials and oversight are inefficient and expensive—practices like 100% source data verification and rigid IRB processes waste resources and slow progress, so risk-based monitoring, standardized trial infrastructure, and more flexible accredited reviews could help.
  3. Medical and market developments are moving care forward—AI can improve cancer screening, GLP-1 competition is driving down prices, and simple habits like daily walking give big health benefits—but regulatory and cultural barriers risk limiting their impact.

Covid-19 six years later

Your Local Epidemiologist • 2896 implied HN points • 19 Mar 26
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Covid-19 is much less deadly than early in the pandemic and now behaves more like seasonal respiratory viruses, with smaller waves and two annual peaks, but it still causes hospitalizations especially in older adults and infants.
  2. Vaccines and treatments still cut the risk of severe illness, but protection wanes, vaccine uptake is falling, and guidance (especially about extra doses for older adults) is unclear, while cost and access barriers limit effective care.
  3. The biggest ongoing problem is eroding trust and a weakened public health system: many key questions remain unanswered (like long Covid and which interventions truly worked), so transparency, better data, and system reforms are urgently needed.

A dark and killing cloud over Tehran

The Crucial Years • 6178 implied HN points • 09 Mar 26
🌞 Climate & Environment Public Health
  1. Bombing Tehran’s oil depots created a huge, toxic smoke cloud that acted like chemical warfare, exposing civilians to carcinogens, acidic runoff, and long-term health and environmental harm.
  2. The smoke plunged the city into darkness and caused severe breathing, eye, and skin problems, trapping people who can’t safely go outside or flee and making public protest or daily life nearly impossible.
  3. The strikes reflect a deliberate, cruel strategy that worsens civilian suffering and contradicts stated goals of liberating Iranians, while also strengthening the argument for moving off fossil fuels and pushing for change in American policy.

Why Bother Checking? Halloween Candy Is Already Full of Poisons.

The Society of Problem Solvers • 359 implied HN points • 30 Oct 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Public Health
  1. Many popular candies contain harmful ingredients like seed oils and food dyes, which can affect health negatively. It's important to pay attention to what's really in our food.
  2. Instead of just worrying about safety from external dangers, we should recognize that the candies we buy might already be unhealthy. Eating the right foods can lead to better health outcomes.
  3. Solving health problems is possible with the right changes in diet and lifestyle. A focused approach like the Carnivore diet could help improve chronic health issues.

The Most Devastating Report So Far

COVID Reason • 1031 implied HN points • 27 Oct 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Public Health
  1. The government spent nearly $1 billion to promote misleading information about COVID vaccines and masks. This kind of spending could seriously hurt a private company if they did the same.
  2. The PR campaign exaggerated the dangers of COVID and claimed vaccines were very effective, even saying they stopped transmission. This created a loss of trust when real-life results showed otherwise.
  3. The ads scared parents into thinking there were strict health rules for schools unless their kids got vaccinated and masked up. Many of the risks of the vaccines were not properly discussed, leading to confusion.

You Can’t Unsee This

QTR’s Fringe Finance • 42 implied HN points • 24 Mar 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Public Health
  1. Some GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus have been linked to a rare but serious eye condition (NAION) that can cause sudden vision loss.
  2. The risk for any one person is small (roughly 1 in 10,000), but with millions using these drugs the total number of affected people could be substantial, and higher doses or faster weight loss may raise the risk.
  3. New drugs often arrive with a lot of hype but can reveal serious side effects over time, so patients and doctors should weigh benefits against rare harms and make informed choices.

Ensitrelvir (Xocova®): Japanese Company Shionogi & Co., Ltd. Sets a Model for Success in Translational Research for the Coming Future of Ethical Science

Popular Rationalism • 455 implied HN points • 29 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Ensitrelvir, also known as Xocova, is a new antiviral pill that is 30 times more effective than a placebo. It was developed by a Japanese company called Shionogi & Co., which worked closely with researchers.
  2. This medication targets a key enzyme the virus needs to replicate, making it effective against COVID-19 symptoms, especially those caused by Omicron variants. It has shown a strong safety profile and fewer side effects compared to some other treatments.
  3. Xocova is easier to take than some alternatives because it requires only a once-daily dose and has fewer interactions with other medications. This makes it a more convenient option for many patients.

Culture Shift

Asimov Press • 412 implied HN points • 20 Mar 26
🍲 Food & Drink Public Health
  1. Fermented foods likely helped shape human biology over millions of years, from genetic changes that improved alcohol tolerance to a recently evolved immune receptor that senses fermented-food molecules.
  2. Regularly eating fermented foods can boost gut microbial diversity and lower inflammation, but most people in Western diets consume far fewer servings than the amounts shown to have clinical effects.
  3. Industrial food safety and processing pushed microbes out of many foods, and scientists are now building large, standardized datasets to map which fermented-food microbes and metabolites actually drive health benefits.

A win for your access to vaccines, federal accountability, and health

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1906 implied HN points • 17 Mar 26
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. A federal judge blocked and reversed the recent vaccine-policy changes, temporarily restoring vaccine access to how it was before June 2025.
  2. The court found the process unlawful because it bypassed the statutorily required ACIP, appointed a committee that wasn’t fairly balanced or expert enough, and made arbitrary administrative changes.
  3. ACIP meetings with the current members are paused and planned votes were cancelled, so rely on established medical society schedules for now while the legal case and future vaccine decisions play out.

Learning curve.

Bailiwick News • 5983 implied HN points • 11 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Vaccines have historically been linked to harm for multiple generations, raising concerns about their safety and effectiveness.
  2. There is a belief that government and health officials have manipulated regulations to make vaccine approvals easier without proper safety standards.
  3. Many urge individuals to stop vaccinating, especially children, citing a lack of trust in the health system and its practices.

Anaphylaxis, allergens, immunogenicity, vaccines.

Bailiwick News • 3269 implied HN points • 16 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Vaccines and many biological products can cause allergic reactions like anaphylaxis. This means they can intentionally harm people while claiming to protect them.
  2. There are laws that make it hard to hold companies accountable for the negative effects of vaccines. These laws allow harmful practices to continue under the guise of vaccination programs.
  3. Congress is more focused on how effective these vaccines are at causing harm, rather than their safety. This reflects a deeper concern about managing public health costs rather than protecting individuals.

Roundup #76: Great Powers acting stupid

Noahpinion • 24882 implied HN points • 26 Jan 26
🌍 World Politics Public Health
  1. Political movements that flout the law and reject scientific expertise are causing deadly enforcement actions and undermining public health. This anti‑science stance is also driving vaccine hesitancy and weakening biomedical research and innovation.
  2. A sweeping purge of senior military leaders concentrates power but removes experienced commanders, risking instability and reducing military effectiveness. That personalistic control could hurt long‑term strategic strength and decision‑making.
  3. India is rapidly building scientific capacity and electrification industries, positioning itself to become a major global electrotech manufacturer. Its large domestic market and supportive policies give it a good chance to leapfrog other powers.

Why do public health bureaucrats keep pushing flu shots on kids?

Unreported Truths • 34 implied HN points • 26 Mar 26
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Flu shots for young children give only partial, short-lived protection against lab-confirmed influenza and usually don't reduce overall respiratory illness, so benefits are limited and require yearly repeats.
  2. Trials have reported rare but serious adverse events and many studies lack true placebo controls, leaving the true short- and long-term risks of repeated annual vaccination starting in infancy unclear.
  3. Given the modest benefits and uncertain risks, strong public-health pressure to vaccinate all healthy kids against flu is questionable and should be re-evaluated to rebuild parental trust.

Excess deaths in Australia cannot be explained by any other mechanism other than the COVID shots

Steve Kirsch's newsletter • 4 implied HN points • 13 Mar 26
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. A statistical analysis of several Australian regions found excess deaths began right after COVID vaccine rollouts, and the timing and age patterns are said to not match the official explanations.
  2. Analyses of other national records claim there was no clear mortality or hospitalization benefit from the vaccines, and frailty-matched comparisons reportedly show similar death rates for vaccinated and unvaccinated groups.
  3. Public health authorities and official reports largely avoided treating vaccines as a possible cause or quantifying lives saved or lost, while only a few officials publicly raised these concerns.

What are the Influenza Vaccine Risks?

Who is Robert Malone • 10 implied HN points • 23 Mar 26
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Vaccine risks and benefits are not the same for everyone — they vary a lot by age, vaccine formulation, whether other shots are given at the same visit, and the type of flu season; older and high‑risk people get clear net benefit while healthy younger adults and some children often see much smaller gains.
  2. Serious adverse events are rare but real: anaphylaxis occurs on the order of 1.35–1.6 cases per million doses, Guillain‑Barré syndrome about 1–2 per million, and febrile seizures are measurably increased in young children, especially when the flu shot is co‑administered with PCV13 and DTaP (these seizures are usually brief and benign).
  3. Policy and communication should reflect the nuance and data limits — NNV versus NNH calculations strongly favor vaccination for older adults but are less decisive for low‑risk groups, surveillance systems have known biases, and one‑size‑fits‑all mandates or generic counseling miss important individual considerations.

Number of people living in county could be as much as 50,000 higher than thought, health watchdog learns

NN Journal • 218 implied HN points • 29 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. The population in Northamptonshire might actually be about 50,000 people higher than previously thought.
  2. According to a health official, nearly 844,000 people are registered with health services in the county.
  3. This number is significantly more than what the last census recorded, which raises questions about population tracking.

FDA's Straight Shooter: Don't Bring Crappy Data To A Gunfight

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 7619 implied HN points • 19 Feb 26
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. The FDA, led by Vinay Prasad, refused to file Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine study because the trial didn’t meet the agency’s standards for being “adequate and well‑controlled.”
  2. Moderna’s study compared its shot to Fluarix, a vaccine that performs poorly in people 65+, which could falsely inflate the new vaccine’s benefit and raises ethical questions about informed consent for participants.
  3. Prasad’s move signals a tougher, less pharma‑friendly FDA stance that is drawing industry and media backlash but emphasizes stricter enforcement of trial and safety standards.

SIGN THIS PETITION TO THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN TO END VACCINE MANDATES, RESTORE OUR RIGHTS TO SUE FOR VACCINE INJURIES, PROTECT EXEMPTIONS AND REMOVE LIABILITY PROTECTIONS

Popular Rationalism • 1169 implied HN points • 21 Oct 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Public Health
  1. There is a push to end vaccine mandates and allow people to choose whether to get vaccinated without penalties. This means making sure people don't have to worry about losing their jobs or education over their vaccine choices.
  2. The group wants to restore the right for people to sue vaccine manufacturers if they get hurt by a vaccine. This is important for holding companies accountable.
  3. They are also asking for more freedom to refuse vaccines by protecting exemptions in every state. This would let more people avoid getting vaccinated for personal or religious reasons.

Deliberate induction of anaphylaxis by vaccination

Bailiwick News • 2773 implied HN points • 12 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Vaccines can potentially cause serious allergic reactions, known as anaphylaxis, which may not be easily predictable. This can happen even with substances that are usually safe when eaten.
  2. Some historical research on anaphylaxis reveals a connection between vaccinations and the increase in allergies and autoimmune conditions today, suggesting that vaccines might sensitize people to allergens.
  3. Many vaccines contain proteins or substances that could trigger allergies, and the lack of stringent regulation in vaccine development means that people might not be fully aware of the risks involved.

BMC Women's Health Publishes a Deeply Flawed Study on Parental Acceptance of HPV Vaccinations. Plus: Three Key Questions Required of Any HPV Vaccine Efficacy Trial

Popular Rationalism • 733 implied HN points • 23 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. The recent study on parental acceptance of HPV vaccinations has major flaws that make its results questionable. Problems include small sample sizes and not enough diversity in participants.
  2. There is growing concern about HPV type replacement, where non-vaccine types may become more common after vaccination. This could lead to an increase in HPV-related cancers despite vaccination efforts.
  3. Future studies on HPV vaccine efficacy need to focus more on long-term effects and should clearly address issues like type replacement and the percentage of cancers caused by non-vaccine-targeted HPV types.

The Covid Screwtape Letters - Part 4 - The "New Normal"

COVID Reason • 475 implied HN points • 25 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Social distancing has made people feel more isolated and suspicious of each other. It's now hard for them to feel comfortable with close contact, like handshakes or hugs.
  2. Working from home sounds good, but it has turned into a way to control people's lives. They end up working more and feel stuck, as their home becomes like an office.
  3. People might miss in-person interactions, but they are being trained to prefer the convenience and safety of digital communication. This can make real connections feel uncomfortable.

Viruses we don't test for

Force of Infection • 139 implied HN points • 23 Mar 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Public Health
  1. Many different respiratory viruses besides flu and COVID cause what people call “a cold,” but they are rarely tested for and so much illness goes unnoticed even though these viruses shape seasonal outbreaks.
  2. Common under-recognized viruses—like adenoviruses, human metapneumovirus, parainfluenza, seasonal coronaviruses, and rhinoviruses/enteroviruses—usually cause mild cold-like symptoms but can cause serious illness in young children, older adults, and immunocompromised people, and some have distinctive complications (e.g., adenovirus conjunctivitis or parainfluenza croup).
  3. Prevention is similar across these pathogens: good ventilation, staying home when sick, hand hygiene, and high-quality masks (like KN95) reduce spread, while vaccines or specific treatments are limited and broader therapies are still under development.

NHS Reform - big gains from small moves

Rory’s Always On Newsletter • 575 implied HN points • 24 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Small changes can lead to big improvements in the NHS, like having administrators handle tasks normally done by doctors, which can cut waiting times significantly.
  2. Many missed hospital appointments could be avoided by improving text reminders and allowing patients to choose their own appointment times, which leads to better attendance rates.
  3. Using simple tech solutions or AI to remind patients about appointments can really help reduce the number of people who don't show up, making the system work better for everyone.

Spotlight on the Shingles Vaccine—Again!

Ground Truths • 14172 implied HN points • 22 Jan 26
🔬 Science Public Health
  1. Multiple large natural experiments across countries show shingles vaccination is consistently linked to lower dementia rates, and the newer Shingrix vaccine may offer even greater protection.
  2. Studies tie the vaccine to slower biological aging and shifts in immune and inflammation markers over years, with bigger benefits seen in women, though blood markers of neurodegeneration haven’t changed and the exact mechanism is still unknown.
  3. Other studies suggest cardiovascular benefits too, so getting Shingrix at 50+ may offer broad protection, but more mechanistic research and replications are needed to confirm these effects.

Ten things that are going right in America

Noahpinion • 26471 implied HN points • 28 Dec 25
đź“° News Public Health
  1. Society is slowly stitching itself back together after years of division, showing quiet signs of recovery in everyday life.
  2. U.S. life expectancy has rebounded from recent declines and is improving, narrowing some of the gap with other rich countries.
  3. Violent crime and drug overdoses have fallen in recent years, contributing to lower mortality and safer communities.

Announcing My Next Book, All in Your Head: Illness as Identity, Trauma as Fashion, and the Desire to Be Disordered

Freddie deBoer • 9684 implied HN points • 02 Feb 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Public Health
  1. Modern identity and online culture have turned mental illness and developmental disabilities into identity markers or fashion, which distorts reality and harms people.
  2. Historical shifts like the antipsychiatry movement and deinstitutionalization created major failures in care. Making involuntary treatment easier and pursuing concrete policy reforms are proposed fixes.
  3. Disability should be understood as a harmful condition that disables and hurts. Accommodations should focus on mitigating harm rather than validating or celebrating disability.

5 Logical fallacies in the era of RFK Jr.

Your Local Epidemiologist • 2161 implied HN points • 04 Mar 26
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  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.

Appellate Court Rules That Merck Can Falsify Data and Not Be Found Guilty of Conducting Sham Studies and Misleading the FDA and the Public

Popular Rationalism • 1803 implied HN points • 11 Oct 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Public Health
  1. A court ruled that Merck can lie about vaccine data and not face legal consequences, which many find troubling. This means that companies can manipulate important health information without being punished.
  2. The FDA is criticized for allowing Merck to use misleading data for years while still approving its vaccines. This raises questions about whether the FDA is really protecting public health.
  3. The ruling sets a worrying example because it may reduce public trust in vaccines and pharmaceutical companies. People might feel less safe knowing that companies can distort facts without repercussions.

RED ALERT: IS FDA'S QUIET OCTOBER REORGANIZATION CREATING A NEW POLICING ARM A RESPONSE TO WEF'S DEMANDS TO CONTROL OR SHUT DOWN LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTION?

Popular Rationalism • 1486 implied HN points • 13 Oct 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Public Health
  1. The FDA has created a new Office of Inspections and Investigations, which gives it more power to regulate food production. This raises worries that the agency might focus on favoring big corporations instead of local farmers.
  2. There are concerns that the FDA's actions might align with global agendas, particularly from organizations like the World Economic Forum, which could limit local food production and farmers' rights in the name of environmental goals.
  3. If the FDA continues to enforce regulations that prioritize industrial farming over local agriculture, it could threaten food sovereignty, making the U.S. more reliant on centralized agricultural systems instead of supporting local food sources.

CBS News Misinforms the Public on Pertussis Vaccination Policy: Dr. Lyons-Weiler Issues a Call for Retraction

Popular Rationalism • 970 implied HN points • 17 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. The CBS News report about whooping cough vaccines contained misinformation, suggesting adults need a booster every ten years for pertussis. This is misleading because the CDC does not recommend regular boosters for pertussis.
  2. The effectiveness of the pertussis vaccine decreases significantly within a few years, meaning people can still get infected and spread the disease even after vaccination. This poses risks, especially to infants who are not fully vaccinated.
  3. The vaccine does not provide herd immunity, making it difficult to rely on vaccinated adults to protect vulnerable groups. The public should be educated about the limitations of the vaccine and the risks of asymptomatic carriers.

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 Public Health
  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.

The Covid Screwtape Letters - Part 2

COVID Reason • 793 implied HN points • 18 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Masks became a way for people to show off their moral values, as if wearing one makes them better than others. It's interesting how people judge each other based on this simple piece of fabric.
  2. There’s a lot of confusion about how effective masks really are, with people switching their opinions constantly. This confusion helps keep people divided and distracted.
  3. Wearing masks has turned into a sign of tribal loyalty, where people identify if someone is 'with them' or 'against them.' This shows how easily they fall back on basic group instincts.