The hottest Public Health Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Health & Wellness Topics

Texas Sucks

JoeWrote • 111 implied HN points • 16 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Public Health
  1. Texas has a reputation for low taxes and individualism, attracting many businesses and people, but this often masks serious issues in governance.
  2. The state's conservative policies have led to significant public health crises, including low vaccination rates and recent disease outbreaks.
  3. Texas faces repeated failures in managing essential services, such as energy and disaster response, leading to tragic consequences for its residents.

State of Affairs: March 12

Your Local Epidemiologist • 768 implied HN points • 12 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Public Health
  1. Measles cases are increasing, with outbreaks across various regions, underscoring the importance of vaccination and public health measures.
  2. Norovirus is surging in the Northern Hemisphere, causing stomach cramping, vomiting, and diarrhea, emphasizing the need for preventive measures like handwashing and surface cleaning.
  3. The flu season, particularly driven by flu strain B, has been moderate this year, highlighting the potential impact of political influences on vaccine uptake and the importance of public health efforts.

ACIP Cliff Notes: Feb 29 (RSV)

Your Local Epidemiologist • 783 implied HN points • 29 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Public Health
  1. Real-world data showed a true safety signal for the RSV older adult vaccine, particularly after the Pfizer vaccine.
  2. The benefits of the RSV vaccine still outweigh the risks for older adults, preventing significant illness and hospitalizations.
  3. Moderna is introducing an RSV vaccine using mRNA, offering a different platform with potential advantages for safety.

Taxpayer Funded Censorship: How Government is Using Your Tax Dollars to Silence Your Voice

OpenTheBooks Substack • 349 implied HN points • 22 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Public Health
  1. A huge amount of taxpayer money, over $127 million, went to studying and fighting COVID-related misinformation. Much of this funding was aimed at promoting public health recommendations.
  2. The government has been closely working with social media companies to tag and remove content labeled as misinformation, raising concerns about free speech and trust in scientific advice.
  3. There are worries that the government’s approach to dealing with misinformation could be biased, leading to silencing dissenting voices and further eroding public faith in authorities.

Hawaii and the West Coast Health Alliance

Who is Robert Malone • 12 implied HN points • 08 Jan 26
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. The West Coast Health Alliance is a regional bloc of California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii that coordinates unified public health policies, promotes routine childhood COVID vaccination, and relies on shared data systems and philanthropic funding.
  2. Hawaii’s governor has used emergency proclamations to expand vaccine access—such as allowing pharmacists to give COVID mRNA shots to young children—and backed efforts to limit non-medical exemptions, moves critics call executive overreach that erodes parental and religious autonomy.
  3. The Alliance has resisted federal vaccine re-evaluation, declined to share pediatric adverse-event data, and outsourced monitoring to private contractors, prompting concerns it protects institutional and donor interests over transparency and informed consent.
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Jay Bhattacharya will help make America healthy again

The Dossier • 339 implied HN points • 27 Nov 24
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya is a key figure in advocating for more sensible COVID-related policies, taking personal risks in his professional life to voice his beliefs.
  2. He has been instrumental in challenging the heavy censorship surrounding opinions that go against popular narratives about the pandemic.
  3. Bhattacharya's courage and qualifications make him a strong leader in efforts to improve public health and address the mistakes made during the pandemic.

I am in Hungary talking about cannabis and the insanity of American drug policy

Unreported Truths • 32 implied HN points • 19 Nov 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Public Health
  1. Cannabis legalization in the U.S. has led to more serious issues than many people expected. Many believe it has worsened their quality of life.
  2. There are real health risks associated with heavy cannabis use, especially for young people. Increased use can lead to problems like paranoia, memory issues, and risky behavior.
  3. Despite the promises of legalization, the illegal cannabis market is still strong. Many users still turn to the black market because it can be cheaper and more accessible.

The Battle for Better Air

Asimov Press • 264 implied HN points • 02 Feb 25
🔬 Science Public Health
  1. Air quality has improved over time thanks to things like windows and modern HVAC systems. What once were luxury items are now essential for health.
  2. Historically, many homes suffered from poor air quality due to indoor pollutants from burning fuels. This has been a public health issue for centuries.
  3. New technologies, like far-UVC lights, are being explored to enhance air quality and reduce airborne diseases, showing that our understanding of indoor air needs continues to evolve.

Escape from Mask Mountain

Disaffected Newsletter • 439 implied HN points • 27 Mar 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Public Health
  1. There is a growing movement in some states that supports transgender medical procedures for children, which has raised concerns about parental rights and involvement.
  2. Certain areas, like Portland, are commemorating past public health measures like mask mandates even as they are relaxed elsewhere.
  3. There is a mix of news and commentary that highlights unusual or controversial social issues in current events.

My email asking Mark Del Monte, CEO of AAP, for a credible scientific study justifying the CDC childhood vaccine schedule

Steve Kirsch's newsletter • 7 implied HN points • 17 Jan 26
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. No peer-reviewed study has been identified that evaluates the full childhood vaccine schedule with individual-level data and shows a statistically significant net benefit for overall health or all-cause mortality.
  2. Requests for such evidence from major pediatric organizations and advisory committees may go unanswered, and there is skepticism they could produce a study meeting the stated criteria.
  3. Some non-vaccinating practices report lower rates of chronic childhood conditions, and there are claims that researchers who study vaccinated versus unvaccinated groups have been blocked from publishing, raising concerns about suppression of relevant research.

"We have no data"

Who is Robert Malone • 21 implied HN points • 11 Dec 25
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. People must have real informed consent and be free from compulsion, coercion, or enticement when deciding about medical treatments or vaccines.
  2. Science is a dynamic, debate-driven process and public health recommendations should be conservative and based on solid data; making decisions when key data are missing is problematic.
  3. Public outrage and coordinated pressure can cost professionals their jobs and chill open scientific discussion, which undermines trust and the quality of medical policy.

Everything You Need to Know About H5N1 Bird Flu

OK Doomer • 245 implied HN points • 14 Feb 25
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. H5N1 bird flu is becoming a serious threat and might be spreading through the air from bird droppings, which could put people at risk even in parks.
  2. The current government's lack of transparency and support for tracking outbreaks is concerning, especially as hospitals face rising flu cases.
  3. Historical pandemics show that initial mildness can lead to deadly mutations, and without proper public health measures, we may be repeating past mistakes.

Does This Study Really Show How To Maintain Weight Loss?

Weight and Healthcare • 439 implied HN points • 05 Nov 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Public Health
  1. The study on maintaining weight loss analyzed a small sample of participants who were considered 'successes' by Weight Watchers, a fraction of their total enrollment.
  2. The study included participants who had lost weight and maintained it for just one year, even though research shows weight regain within five years is common.
  3. Many responses in the study highlighted motivations like escaping weight stigma and persevering through challenges, raising questions about the effectiveness of weight loss maintenance strategies.

It's Already Worse Than We Thought

OK Doomer • 250 implied HN points • 09 Feb 25
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. The CDC recently shared worrying info about bird flu that was quickly retracted. This shows how serious the situation is around certain viruses.
  2. Viruses can mutate to become more dangerous over time, not just milder. Sometimes they start off seeming harmless, then turn deadly.
  3. Recent events are confirming fears that many have been labeled as 'doom and gloom' for mentioning. This serves as a reminder to take these warnings seriously.

The Worst Year Ever

Wrong Side of History • 261 implied HN points • 20 Jan 25
💾 History Public Health
  1. The Black Death was a huge historical event that many people don't like to talk about because it was so depressing. Unlike wars, pandemics don't usually have inspiring stories attached to them.
  2. Most pandemics, including the Black Death, tend to be forgotten over time. This happens because, unlike wars, they don't create heroic narratives or national pride.
  3. The author originally wanted to write a book about the Plague, but felt that no one really wanted to read about pandemics due to their grim nature. Instead, they decided to share their findings as a series of posts.

Panic and neglect; panic and neglect

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1272 implied HN points • 14 Jun 23
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. The cycle of panic and neglect in public health is not new and can have long-lasting impacts.
  2. Countries like Vietnam have successfully avoided high COVID deaths by investing in public health systems.
  3. In the U.S., addressing the perpetual cycle of underfunding and fragmentation in public health is crucial for future pandemic preparedness.

Newsom’s Rule: Rights Deferred, Authority Expanded

Who is Robert Malone • 16 implied HN points • 24 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Public Health
  1. Newsom has expanded executive and public-health power since COVID, normalizing emergency authority and helping create a West Coast Health Alliance that centralizes vaccine policy and reduces local and legislative oversight.
  2. California is facing economic strain from rising housing costs, higher taxes and fees, growing homelessness, and a proposed one-time 5% billionaire wealth tax that critics say is accelerating capital and business flight.
  3. The state’s policies are described as driven by 'suicidal empathy'—a belief that excessive compassion and guilt have led to decisions that trade personal rights and long-term stability for short-term social aims.

Fertility Decline

David Friedman’s Substack • 233 implied HN points • 20 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Public Health
  1. Fertility rates are dropping worldwide, even in nations that used to have high rates. This is happening due to reasons like better job opportunities for women and fewer economic benefits from having children.
  2. The decline in fertility can have mixed effects, such as less housing and resources per person, but also potential challenges in creating new ideas and technology due to fewer people contributing.
  3. To address the fertility decline, options include promoting family support or medical advancements that make having children easier, although implementing these solutions can be complicated.

Pathogenic Priming and Influenza Vaccination

Who is Robert Malone • 13 implied HN points • 02 Jan 26
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. The immune system’s first flu exposure creates a lasting memory that biases future responses, so it often reactivates old antibodies instead of making new ones against changed strains.
  2. That imprinting can help protect against related viruses but also locks in an “epitope hierarchy” where memory B cells outcompete naïve cells, reducing adaptability and sometimes lowering vaccine effectiveness or increasing illness with drifted strains.
  3. Relying on yearly strain-specific shots can reinforce this bias, so vaccine strategies that target conserved viral parts, use alternative prime‑boost approaches or adjuvants, or reduce frequent boosting are needed to restore broader, more flexible immunity.

Stanford led study: at least 20,000 global deaths from COVID jabs

Who is Robert Malone • 16 implied HN points • 23 Dec 25
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. COVID-19 vaccination likely prevented many deaths worldwide (central estimate ~2.5 million), but that figure is model-based and very sensitive to key assumptions.
  2. Estimates put vaccine-associated deaths on the order of tens of thousands globally (roughly ~20,000; range ~16,000–48,000), so harms are probably much smaller than benefits overall but remain highly uncertain.
  3. The mortality benefit was overwhelmingly concentrated in people aged 60 and older, with children and young adults receiving minimal benefit, suggesting vaccination strategies should account for age-specific risks and benefits.

Stacy Skolnik: The Ginny Suite (excerpt)

Do Not Research • 79 implied HN points • 04 Mar 24
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Sunnyvale syndrome is a mysterious condition affecting thousands of women globally, with symptoms including amnesia, language loss, and more.
  2. Victims of Sunnyvale syndrome face challenges in getting proper diagnosis and recognition, often encountering skepticism and lack of information from medical authorities.
  3. Social media is amplifying conspiracy theories around conditions like Sunnyvale syndrome, fueling public anxiety and misinformation.

Power trip: Gavin Newsom declares state of emergency over Bird Flu

The Dossier • 292 implied HN points • 18 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Public Health
  1. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in California over Bird Flu. He is looking to strengthen monitoring and testing for it, even though there's been no significant risk to the public.
  2. The Bird Flu has not been shown to easily spread from birds to humans, which raises questions about the urgency of this emergency declaration.
  3. Some experts warn about potential human transmission due to untreated infections, but solid evidence for human-to-human spread is lacking.

Ostriches Executed for No Good Reason

Who is Robert Malone • 33 implied HN points • 08 Nov 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Public Health
  1. The recent killing of nearly 400 disease-free ostriches in Canada raises serious concerns about government actions and their treatment of animals. Many people are upset about how these animals were handled and killed for no good reason.
  2. Owning and caring for birds like ostriches and emus can foster a loving bond, as they are affectionate creatures. People who keep these birds feel a deep connection and often see them as part of the family.
  3. To protect backyard flocks from government interventions that may lead to culling, it's suggested that people focus on breeding disease-resistant birds. This approach allows owners to maintain healthy flocks without relying on government assistance.

Plandemic playbook (3) $5TRILLION spent on Covid by the US government; $400billion was misused and half of that went to organized foreign criminals in the biggest transfer of wealth in history

DrV’s Newsletter, Notes, Essays, Articles, Videos, and Book Chapters • 196 implied HN points • 20 Mar 23
📰 News Public Health
  1. $5 trillion spent by the US government on Covid.
  2. $400 billion was misused, half to organized foreign crime syndicates.
  3. This is the biggest transfer of wealth in history due to medical fraud.

Recording now available

Your Local Epidemiologist • 303 implied HN points • 16 Dec 24
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Effective health communication is about more than just facts. It's about building trust and helping people take action, especially when opinions are divided.
  2. Listening to others and framing messages carefully can help get more people on board with health initiatives.
  3. It's important for public health workers to avoid burnout after a long fight, as they still have ongoing challenges ahead.

Medical Guilds are Bad Medicine

Who is Robert Malone • 14 implied HN points • 29 Dec 25
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Medical professional organizations act like modern guilds by tightly controlling who can practice, which limits competition, raises costs, and can harm patients.
  2. These groups concentrate power through credentialing, billing codes, publishing, and close ties with regulators and industry, fostering groupthink, censorship, and conflicts of interest.
  3. Meaningful reform — more transparency, open access, and freedom to innovate — is needed, otherwise government intervention or technologies like AI and big data will force change.

The Association of American Medical Colleges is the Medical Guild driving DEI and Censorship

Who is Robert Malone • 13 implied HN points • 01 Jan 26
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. The AAMC and its partners effectively control who becomes a doctor and what doctors learn by dominating admissions, accreditation, exams, and licensing, functioning like a modern guild that enforces uniform standards.
  2. Diversity, equity, and inclusion and related ideological frameworks have been deeply embedded into medical curricula, funding, and accreditation through semantic rebranding and alternative funding, allowing these programs to persist despite political pushback.
  3. During COVID and afterward the AAMC–AMA–NBME–FSMB alliance centralized messaging and enforcement to suppress dissent, and those same control mechanisms are being repurposed for new areas like climate and AI amid close federal and corporate ties that critics say warrant legal scrutiny.

UK COVID data, week starting 6th March

Logging the World • 199 implied HN points • 09 Mar 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Public Health
  1. The UK COVID data for the week starting March 6th shows a stable trend with no significant changes.
  2. The ZOE data suggests a downward trend, though the variant percentages remain relatively stable, with XBB.1.5 gradually increasing but not causing major damage.
  3. There has been a recent rebound in the UK COVID admissions data, with some fluctuations indicating a potential growth in case numbers.

What a Trump presidency can mean for health care

Vinay Prasad's Observations and Thoughts • 342 implied HN points • 06 Nov 24
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. We need to eliminate conflicts of interest in healthcare. This means doctors shouldn’t take money from companies that could influence their decisions.
  2. The CDC and NIH are failing in their roles and need restructuring. They should focus better on data and improve how they operate.
  3. Children's nutrition is important. Schools should serve healthier food, and we need to cut down on processed foods to promote better eating habits.

Flu spikes

Force of Infection • 243 implied HN points • 03 Feb 25
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Influenza activity is rising again, hitting high levels not seen since earlier in the season. This increase is particularly strong among young children, leading to more hospital visits.
  2. The data about flu activity is not completely reliable, with federal health data disrupted recently. This makes it harder to track how things are changing.
  3. COVID-19 is still around, with some signs of increased activity, especially in the Midwest, but severe cases are not rising significantly.

On the Origins of Multiple Sclerosis

Eat Shit and Prosper • 479 implied HN points • 04 Feb 23
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Taking antibiotics might increase your risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). Studies from Denmark show that anyone who gets a prescription for antibiotics has a higher chance of being diagnosed with MS later.
  2. There is a potential connection between certain bacteria in our gut and MS. One particular bacteria, _Clostridium perfringens_, may produce a toxin that damages the cells responsible for protecting nerves in the brain.
  3. Understanding MS as a complex interaction between bacteria, antibiotics, and the immune system can lead to new treatments. There are even hopes for using therapies like fecal transplants or targeted therapies to help those suffering from MS.

Biological Weapons Convention: Challenges, Limitations, Opportunities, and Approaches

Who is Robert Malone • 6 implied HN points • 29 Jan 26
🌍 World Politics Public Health
  1. The Biological Weapons Convention needs updating to address modern biotechnology and catastrophic risks, but sweeping treaty reform is politically unlikely so progress will be incremental and pragmatic.
  2. Practical reforms include broadening the BWC to cover accidents and dual-use research, creating global biosafety standards and mandatory reporting or verification, and establishing a permanent scientific body plus preparedness and capacity‑building to manage low-probability, high-consequence risks.
  3. Artificial intelligence can bolster the Convention by providing early warning, monitoring research trends, scenario modeling, and verification-by-analysis, but it must be deployed transparently and multilaterally as a support tool rather than a substitute for political and legal action.

Does shutting down dark web markets kill people?

Aliveness Studies • 6 implied HN points • 20 Jan 26
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Nationally, shutting down major darknet markets in mid‑2017 did not cause a spike in fentanyl deaths; instead the growth rate of synthetic opioid deaths slowed afterward, though it’s unclear if the shutdowns caused that change.
  2. The impact varied a lot by state: most states showed deceleration but several showed acceleration, and a few states (notably Ohio) drove much of the national pattern, suggesting local factors matter more than a single national event.
  3. Darknet market transactions plunged right after the shutdowns but recovered within about six months as users moved to other markets, so the disruption was short‑lived and shutdowns look like a temporary whack‑a‑mole fix.

come offit

bad cattitude • 264 implied HN points • 30 Dec 24
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. There's concern about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines that are quickly pushed through without proper testing. People worry that these vaccines could lead to more harm than good.
  2. Current vaccine liability laws protect companies from being sued if their products cause harm. This might lower their incentive to ensure the vaccines are safe and effective.
  3. Many believe that if vaccine manufacturers were held accountable for their products, they would take more care in their development and testing. This would help restore public trust in vaccines.

No more vaccines

Disaffected Newsletter • 699 implied HN points • 02 Sep 22
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. The speaker has decided not to take any more vaccines, except for possibly a tetanus booster. They believe this decision is based on a rational understanding of public health and pharmaceutical practices.
  2. They feel that there may have been misinformation about the risk and benefits of earlier vaccines, leading to doubts about the vaccination process.
  3. The speaker acknowledges that their decision may seem unusual to vaccine supporters but sees it as a normal response to their understanding of the situation.

How Long Has Industry Captured Vaccine Regulation?

Who is Robert Malone • 15 implied HN points • 24 Dec 25
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Pharmaceutical companies have long shaped vaccine regulation and public health policy, using donations, patents, and legal influence to affect universities, journals, and government agendas.
  2. Key laws and court decisions — from the 1902 Biologics Control Act to the 1986 liability shield and Jacobson v. Massachusetts — helped concentrate industry power by protecting makers and raising barriers that favored large firms.
  3. The COVID period amplified corporate influence through media pressure and mandates, but broader public access to information and legal challenges have increased scrutiny and calls for accountability.

Visualizer: Obesity by Country

Experimental Fat Loss • 84 implied HN points • 01 Aug 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Public Health
  1. Vietnam's obesity rate has significant increased over the last 30 years, jumping from below 0.2% in 1990 to over 2% in 2022. This shows how rapidly obesity can grow even in countries that were once very lean.
  2. Some countries have seen drastic increases, like Afghanistan, which went from less than 2% to nearly 18%. This highlights that obesity is a growing global concern.
  3. Using a visual tool to compare obesity rates can reveal surprising trends, such as Japan's obesity rate being 10 times higher than Vietnam's in 1990, even though both countries are still considered lean compared to others.