The hottest Public Health Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Health & Wellness Topics

What to expect from this week's U.S. vaccine meeting

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1372 implied HN points • 03 Dec 25
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. The U.S. vaccine meeting will focus on the Hepatitis B vaccine and the childhood immunization schedule. The only vote will be about maintaining the birth dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine for infants.
  2. Many misleading claims about vaccines might arise during the meeting, but there's a lot of solid evidence supporting the current vaccination schedule's safety and effectiveness. Knowing the facts can help people respond to misinformation.
  3. It's important to understand how the vaccine schedule was created and why children receive vaccines at specific times. This schedule helps protect children from serious infections when they are most vulnerable.

American Will: The Panama Canal

Kvetch • 168 implied HN points • 14 Feb 26
💾 History Public Health
  1. The canal was an unprecedented engineering achievement: builders created Gatun Lake, massive locks, and moved staggering amounts of earth and concrete to connect two oceans.
  2. Defeating disease was decisive: eradicating yellow fever by eliminating mosquito breeding made large-scale construction possible and saved thousands of workers.
  3. Political power and human toil made the project happen: U.S. intervention secured control of the zone, and a vast, multinational workforce labored under harsh, often deadly conditions to build the canal.

The Microplastic Concerns Elevate—To the Brain

Ground Truths • 13384 implied HN points • 03 Feb 25
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Microplastics are accumulating in the brain and other organs, with much higher levels found in people with dementia. This is raising alarms about their possible effects on health.
  2. Studies have shown that microplastics can affect blood flow in the brain, leading to issues like blood clots. This suggests they could contribute to neurological problems.
  3. To reduce exposure to microplastics, people can avoid plastic packaging and heating plastic items. There's also a need for broader action to cut down plastic production overall.

Begin the Deprogramming: There Was No "Pandemic of the Unvaccinated"

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 18799 implied HN points • 08 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Public Health
  1. The vaccines didn't work as well as promised, and it's important to look at how the public was informed about them. Many people might have been misled about their effectiveness.
  2. There was a lot of pressure from officials to follow strict guidelines, but some of these recommendations may not have been based on solid research.
  3. The narrative that there was a 'pandemic of the unvaccinated' was likely part of a larger campaign, aimed at stirring emotions and turning the public against each other.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Beyond the black box: What women deserve to know about menopause hormone therapy

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1487 implied HN points • 19 Nov 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Public Health
  1. Menopause hormone therapy (MHT) has gone through a lot of changes in how it's understood and recommended. Early studies suggested big risks, but newer research shows risks depend on many personal factors.
  2. Women who start MHT soon after menopause may have better health outcomes compared to those who start later. The type of hormones and how they're delivered also matter a lot in terms of risk.
  3. There's still a lot of confusion about menopause care. Many doctors haven't kept up with new information, leaving women without the support they need during this transition.

Why CDC health data are still reliable

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1068 implied HN points • 10 Dec 25
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  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.

The low life expectancy of Americans is not just about deaths among young people

Sustainability by numbers • 570 implied HN points • 07 Jan 26
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Americans have much lower life expectancy at birth than other high-income countries, lagging by several years for both men and women.
  2. Much of the gap comes from high deaths among infants and younger adults—especially from drug overdoses, car crashes, violence, and suicide. These early deaths are important but do not explain the whole difference.
  3. People who reach 65 in the US still have fewer expected remaining years than peers, especially women. By age 80 the gap largely narrows, but the US spends far more on healthcare to achieve these outcomes.

Triple Tragedy And Thankful Theory

Astral Codex Ten • 18101 implied HN points • 09 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Survival-oriented systems focus on making quick decisions to prevent crises, while thriving-oriented systems take more time to explore options. This can cause misunderstandings between them.
  2. Collaboration can improve if both sides appreciate each other's intentions and realize they have different communication styles. Being thankful and confirming good intentions helps.
  3. When urgency rises, space-efficient communication might seem harsh, and time-efficient communication can feel unfocused. Both sides should try to interpret this behavior charitably to work together better.

Covid Having Failed to do the Job, Bill Gates Is Making a Second Run at culling the population

2nd Smartest Guy in the World • 4913 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Bill Gates is being accused of attempting to reduce the world population through a 'peaceful culling'.
  2. WHO and Big Pharma are being criticized for promoting a potential 'Disease X' that could be 20 times deadlier than COVID-19.
  3. There are concerns about a lack of transparency and a hidden agenda behind global health decisions and pandemic predictions.

Infant formula botulism cluster, black box warning for HRT, flu is waking up, new blood pressure guidelines, and more

Your Local Epidemiologist • 1503 implied HN points • 10 Nov 25
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. RSV and flu cases are rising, especially in young children, making vaccination important right now.
  2. A recent infant formula recall has linked botulism cases to ByHeart brand, so it's advised to stop using this product immediately.
  3. New blood pressure guidelines recommend using a calculator for personalized heart health and suggest checking blood pressure at home for better accuracy.

A Covid Nasal Vaccine Update

Ground Truths • 10148 implied HN points • 14 Feb 25
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. There are now 6 different nasal vaccines in clinical trials in the US aimed at preventing COVID-19 and blocking its transmission. These vaccines are promising because they might work better than traditional shots.
  2. Two major challenges facing these new vaccines are the low current levels of the virus, which make it harder to gather data from trials, and the uncertainty about ongoing government support for these projects.
  3. Successful nasal vaccines could provide a convenient way to protect people from COVID-19, but it will take time to find out if they really work well in humans.

Pro-Mask Scientists Admit Surgical Masks Do Not Work, Debunking Anthony Fauci

Unmasked • 92 implied HN points • 24 Feb 26
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Surgical masks are portrayed as ineffective at stopping respiratory infections and as having failed to slow COVID spread.
  2. A recent statement by pro-mask scientists is presented as evidence that universal mask mandates were always doomed and that public health leaders were wrong.
  3. Continued support for permanent universal masking is described as stubborn denialism, likened to people who refuse to accept that the fight is over.

It's Time to Redefine "Fringe"

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 14365 implied HN points • 19 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Public Health
  1. The term 'fringe' is often used to dismiss views that many people actually support. It's important to reconsider what we label as fringe.
  2. Critics can be quick to judge individuals based on their views without considering the larger public opinion that might align with those views.
  3. There seems to be a disconnect between mainstream experts and the beliefs of the general population, leading to debates about academic freedom and public health policy.

The alternate reality of RFK and the antivaxers

Noahpinion • 13470 implied HN points • 27 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Public Health
  1. RFK Jr. has been a strong opponent of vaccines, which may influence U.S. vaccination policies if he takes a leadership role in the government. This could lead to less public support for vaccinations.
  2. Beliefs can be useful for creating group unity, even if those beliefs are not based on facts. Sometimes, being a part of a group means accepting ideas that might not be true in reality.
  3. The tension between what is real and what people believe can impact society. It shows how important it is to balance scientific facts with how communities view and accept those facts.

Rethinking mental illness, sanity, and culture in light of the fact that the chair of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, Grace Lee, is literally insane

uTobian • 8195 implied HN points • 14 Apr 23
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Psychopaths who fit in are more dangerous than the stereotypical crazy ones because they are harder to spot.
  2. The American public health establishment includes individuals who seem well-adjusted but are responsible for significant harm, like downplaying vaccine safety concerns.
  3. The public health system is run by individuals who are well-adjusted to an insane society, perpetuating harm while appearing normal.

An Invitation to Think Differently About Addiction Treatment

Culture Study • 3347 implied HN points • 10 Aug 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Public Health
  1. Harm reduction is essential for helping people with addiction. It means meeting people where they are and supporting their decisions rather than judging them.
  2. Many healthcare professionals don't learn enough about addiction treatment in medical school. This lack of education can lead to stigma and inadequate care for those struggling with addiction.
  3. Dr. Marie Nyswander made significant contributions to addiction medicine but is often overlooked. Her work on methadone showed that there are effective ways to treat addiction beyond just abstinence.

The "Deaths of Despair" narrative is wrong

Slow Boring • 7842 implied HN points • 10 Oct 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Public Health
  1. The 'Deaths of Despair' narrative linking declining life expectancy to social and political trends like right-populist politics has fundamental statistical flaws.
  2. The increase in deaths of despair is mainly due to opioid overdoses and differences in pharmaceutical marketing laws between the US and Europe.
  3. Public health outcomes differing between states can be attributed to the implementation (or lack thereof) of paternalistic health policies.

How Zeynep Tufekci and Jeremy Howard Masked America

The New Normal • 7724 implied HN points • 26 Mar 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Public Health
  1. The Cochrane review concluded that masks had little to no impact on preventing COVID or flu.
  2. Zeynep Tufekci and Jeremy Howard played a decisive role in shifting CDC guidance and ushering in mask mandates across America.
  3. Zeynep's advocacy for masks and other COVID interventions, based on information from China, had significant influence despite lacking relevant expertise.

White House Webpage on the Origins of the Virus

Who is Robert Malone • 15 implied HN points • 12 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Public Health
  1. The White House webpage is praised as a step toward accountability but is criticized for omitting the alleged Ralph Baric connection and UC Davis’s role in funding and coordination.
  2. The piece says the webpage effectively rejects the Natural Origins theory and presents images and documents to support that stance.
  3. It urges moving from finger‑pointing to real investigations and possible prosecutions of figures like Andrew Cuomo, Ralph Baric, and UC Davis staff, and accuses public health officials of censoring speech while criticizing the Supreme Court for avoiding the issue on "lack of standing."

Neurologist Speaks Out

Injecting Freedom • 69 implied HN points • 26 Feb 26
🎙 Podcasts Public Health
  1. A double-board-certified neurologist says he has seen acute vaccine adverse events firsthand that are quietly acknowledged but rarely reported.
  2. He argues there is deep cognitive dissonance in medicine, with flawed vaccine surveillance systems and many neurologists staying silent about suspected vaccine harms.
  3. He calls for more transparency, better reporting, recognition of genetic susceptibility, and stronger informed consent and parental choice around vaccinations.

Some changes to Sustainability by Numbers in the new year

Sustainability by numbers • 615 implied HN points • 22 Dec 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Public Health
  1. The newsletter will broaden its focus beyond environmental topics to include demographics, technology, global health, and development while keeping a data-led approach to analyze problems and solutions.
  2. The newsletter is being renamed to "By the Numbers" to reflect the wider scope, and the change will happen automatically; some subscribers may leave, but the aim is to reach a broader set of global issues.
  3. The publication will remain free and unpaid, produced in spare time to keep it enjoyable, with plans to continue publishing data-driven posts into 2026.

URGENT: Big Pharma wins again

Unreported Truths • 44 implied HN points • 07 Mar 26
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. A senior FDA medical official who publicly challenged certain mRNA vaccine makers is leaving their post amid intense pressure. Shares of the companies he criticized jumped after the announcement.
  2. Powerful industry and institutional forces pushed back on criticism and can derail internal reformers. That shows it’s very hard to change drug regulation from inside the current system.
  3. The market rewarded the outcome, signaling that investors favor moves that help pharmaceutical companies. This dynamic undermines confidence in regulatory independence and efforts to hold companies accountable.

Bullets in the windows

Your Local Epidemiologist • 3103 implied HN points • 10 Aug 25
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Public health workers are facing serious threats and violence, including a recent shooting at their workplace that highlights the dangers they encounter in their jobs.
  2. Despite ongoing attacks and fear, these workers continue to dedicate themselves to protecting communities and improving health, driven by their care for the future and their neighbors.
  3. There is a need for society to acknowledge the sacrifices of public health professionals and to create a safer environment that values and supports their vital work.

Why would anyone want the FDA to approve drugs without real evidence they work?

Unreported Truths • 44 implied HN points • 06 Mar 26
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. Regulators should insist on solid, placebo-controlled evidence that a treatment actually works and is safe before approving it, because without that any risk may be too much.
  2. Drug companies and their investors often push for lower approval standards to make big profits, using weak comparisons or non-placebo studies to claim benefits.
  3. Politics and media hype can pressure regulators to relax standards, which increases the chance that unproven, risky treatments reach patients and cause harm.

The UK Covid Inquiry First Report on Resilience and Preparedness

Independent SAGE continues • 479 implied HN points • 18 Jul 24
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. The UK Covid Inquiry found serious issues from the Covid-19 pandemic that show we aren't ready for the next outbreak. This means improvements are really needed.
  2. The report suggests 10 key changes to build a better response system for future pandemics. It's important these changes are made in a complete way, not just in bits and pieces.
  3. There is a looming threat of new diseases, like avian flu, crossing into humans. We need to prepare now because we don't know when the next pandemic will hit.

Why I Despair

Disaffected Newsletter • 3397 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Public Health
  1. Many people have strong beliefs about issues like immigration and health that seem crazy or bigoted to others. This creates a deep divide with real consequences for individuals and communities.
  2. There's a feeling of despair because even reasonable objections to these beliefs are not recognized. People feel isolated and powerless when their concerns are dismissed.
  3. The writer reflects on their own past beliefs and recognizes that those on the other side are not inherently evil or stupid. Understanding this helps to cope with the despair about the current state of society.

VAIDS RISING: If Official Data Claims COVID-19 Cases Are Decreasing Nationwide, Then Why Are Hospitals In Massachusetts On The Verge Of Collapse?

2nd Smartest Guy in the World • 3518 implied HN points • 27 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Public Health
  1. Hospitals in Massachusetts are on the verge of collapse despite decreasing COVID-19 cases nationwide.
  2. The VAIDS epidemic is leading to overwhelming hospitalizations, with various hospitals struggling with patient overflow.
  3. It's suggested to avoid vaccines and use repurposed drugs and supplements to protect against illnesses like flu and RSV.

FDA refuses to review Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine application

Force of Infection • 153 implied HN points • 11 Feb 26
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. The FDA refused to start reviewing Moderna’s mRNA seasonal flu vaccine application, removing a potential new mRNA option for influenza.
  2. The agency said the trial used a comparator that didn’t reflect the best standard of care, and Moderna says that contradicts prior FDA guidance, meaning the application was dismissed for study-design reasons rather than safety or effectiveness.
  3. Regulatory unpredictability like this raises the financial risk of doing clinical trials, which can push companies away from R&D and ultimately reduce patient access to new vaccines.

Rating Trump's FDA's "Top 10" Year-1 Reforms

Cremieux Recueil • 229 implied HN points • 28 Jan 26
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. The FDA published a top-10 list of first-year reforms covering things like a food supply reset, eliminating unnecessary animal testing, public decision letters, priority vouchers, HRT, tighter pharma ad rules, agency-wide AI, easier biosimilars, expanded cell and gene therapies, and more domestic manufacturing.
  2. The piece focuses on what the FDA actually accomplished with these initiatives and whether those changes matter in practice.
  3. Each of the ten items is rated individually, and the FDA receives an overall pass-or-fail grade for its first year based on those ratings.

Li Wenliang, an Ordinary Man (2020)

Pekingnology • 173 implied HN points • 07 Feb 26
📰 News Public Health
  1. He warned medical colleagues early about a new coronavirus, and those warnings helped some doctors protect themselves even after he was officially reprimanded.
  2. He was an ordinary, warm person who loved food, family, and small joys, reminding us he wasn’t just a symbol but a real human life.
  3. His infection, desperate rescue efforts, and death sparked wide grief and highlighted shortages and the need for openness and better preparedness in public health.

Yes, mRNA Vaccines Work—&, It Appears, Work Much Better than I Thought

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 315 implied HN points • 10 Jan 26
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. mRNA COVID-19 vaccines greatly lower the risk of dying from COVID and are associated with about a 25% reduction in all-cause mortality.
  2. The reduction in non‑COVID deaths is unlikely to be just selection bias; by preventing infections and long‑COVID harms across cardiovascular, thrombotic, metabolic, and neurological systems, vaccination likely reduces the lingering metabolic and inflammatory burden that raises other causes of death.
  3. Vaccine hesitancy has real costs: with about one‑fifth of people unvaccinated, adults aged 19–64 who skip mRNA vaccines face a substantially higher annual death risk (roughly 0.12% higher), implying many preventable deaths.

The 51 biggest American political moments of the 21st century

Silver Bulletin • 479 implied HN points • 26 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Public Health
  1. Donald Trump’s rise and the Obama era reshaped American politics. Trump's 2016 and 2024 victories were watershed moments that changed party dynamics and political norms.
  2. Major crises — 9/11, the Iraq War, the 2008 financial crash, COVID, and mass protests — drove big policy shifts and altered public priorities. These events had lasting human and political consequences that shaped elections and legislation.
  3. Institutional and cultural shifts — contested elections, Supreme Court rulings like Dobbs, the January 6 attack, and changes in media — weakened norms and intensified polarization. Together they changed how power is contested and how Americans engage with politics.

Pain Control

Doomberg • 7727 implied HN points • 27 Jan 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Public Health
  1. A new law in Ottawa limits how long cars can idle to reduce emissions, even in freezing temperatures. This change has sparked debates about balancing climate goals with everyday needs.
  2. Some lawmakers are considering studying the environmental impact of anesthesia gases used in medicine. This might lead to strict regulations on their use, showing how far some are willing to go for climate concerns.
  3. Many feel that not all small actions, like the ones mentioned, are equally important. It's crucial to find a balance between good intentions and real-life impacts on people's comfort and health.

Open letter to the New Zealand Health Minister.

A B’Old Woman • 479 implied HN points • 15 Jul 24
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. The open letter to New Zealand's Health Minister highlights worries about the new gender-affirming care guidelines, suggesting they lack solid evidence and consensus.
  2. It questions the credibility of organizations like WPATH and PATHA, pointing out conflicts of interest and potential political pressures affecting health guidelines.
  3. There's a call for greater caution in treating young people who identify as transgender, emphasizing the need for evidence-based practices rather than 'treatment on demand.'

Eight Years After I First Exposed Fraudulent Monsanto Paper, Corrupt Journal Retracts It

The DisInformation Chronicle • 580 implied HN points • 05 Dec 25
🏥 Health Politics Public Health
  1. The journal Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology has a history of publishing studies that favor corporate interests rather than genuine science. This can mislead public health policies.
  2. High-profile reports, like those from the National Academies, often include studies from this journal, potentially influencing perceptions about the safety of products like genetically modified organisms.
  3. There's a call for more accountability in scientific publishing, particularly to shut down journals that consistently promote corrupt research funded by industries instead of unbiased science.