Let’s Talk About Saline Placebos Yet Again All kinds of vaccine studies, including many with saline placebos, have been done that show vaccines work well and are safe, with few risks.

Let’s Talk About Saline Placebos Yet Again: it's unethical to do a saline placebo trial for a new vaccine when there's a licensed vaccine for that disease; many vaccines have been compared to saline, and are generally well tested. via @aboutpediatrics.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/stopanti...

Your Chatbot Is Likely Not a Reliable Source on Nutrition - ConscienHealth New research in BMJ Open tells us that information about nutrition from a chatbot is not reliable most of the time.

Nice sum of our new study!

Your Chatbot Is Likely Not a Reliable Source on Nutrition conscienhealth.org/2026/04/16/y... by @conscienhealth.bsky.social 🙏

"Overall, the chatbots dispensed problematic information half the time."

CDC heat map with PMC estimates

COVlD: Week of Apr 20, 2026 (PMC, US)

Levels are at their lowest in nearly 3 years, but unfortunately with a high baseline of >200,000 estimated new daily infections.

Very High = WV (1 site only)
Moderate = MS (limited data) & Guam

All others low/very low

🧵THREAD 1/7

What to Know About the Cicada SARS-CoV-2 Variant This JAMA Medical News article discusses the unusual trajectory of BA.3.2, the most recent version of SARS-CoV-2 to be designated a Variant Under Monitoring by the World Health Organization.

Got to speak with Rita Rubin again for another piece in JAMA, this time about the Cicada (BA.3.2) variant of SARS-CoV-2.

jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

What to Know About the Cicada SARS-CoV-2 Variant This JAMA Medical News article discusses the unusual trajectory of BA.3.2, the most recent version of SARS-CoV-2 to be designated a Variant Under Monitoring by the World Health Organization.

Everything known about the hyper-mutated BA.3.2 variant ("Cicada") of #SARSCoV2. While there's no cause for alarm, continued genome surveillance of this virus is essential.
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

My latest for @jama.com:

How mRNA Vaccines Could Help Treat Cancer This Medical News article discusses experimental personalized messenger RNA vaccines designed to prevent recurrence and death in patients with cancerous tumors.

Yet another tough one for antivaxx cult...👇

How mRNA Vaccines Could Help Treat Cancer jamanetwork.com/journals/jam....

“I don’t think we’re far from when patients and providers could discuss where vaccines could fit in their cancer care.”

And if larger clinical trials demonstrate the effectiveness of mRNA vaccines in preventing recurrences, will some patients with cancer still refuse them because of widespread misinformation about the technology? My latest for @jama.com:

Reproductive health care restrictions likely to repel provider workforce, research shows

A study published in March found that applications to medical residency programs in states with abortion restrictions have declined compared to states where abortion remained mostly legal, reports @elishabrown.bsky.social.

Reporters, call them in this. Make them own up or waffle. But make them address this. You are not stenographers, you are fucking REPORTERS.

It is great that there are Republicans in Congress who support NIH (as there have always been including champions like John Porter and Arlen Specter).

But this NIH Director is much more overtly political and partisan than anyone in the past.

He really does not seem to understand his job(s)...

Getting COVID Again Is More Dangerous Than Most People Realize—Here’s What To Know Doctors share why it’s still important to take the virus seriously.

parade.com/health/dange...

25-year-old Noelia Castillo dies by legal euthanasia in case that drew national spotlight in Spain A young Spanish woman died in Barcelona after winning a long court fight for her euthanasia right. On Thursday, Noelia Castillo received life-ending medicine after Spain's high court denied her family...

Spanish woman dies by legal euthanasia in case that drew national attention. For nearly two years, Noelia Castillo pursued her right to die after her father put up a lengthy legal battle when a medical body in Catalonia approved her request for euthanasia in 2024 | AP News apnews.com/article/spai...

Study Finds Large Gap in Excess Deaths Along Partisan Lines After COVID-19 Vaccines Introduced A team of Yale researchers has found that Republican voters in two U.S. states had more excess deaths than Democratic voters after vaccines for COVID-19 became

Well... certainly it seems that way.

ysph.yale.edu/news-article...

CDC plans hiring push to fill gaps from last year’s widespread layoffs | Federal News Network Acting CDC Director Jay Bhattacharya says the agency is pushing for “enhanced flexibility on telework."

🧵1/3 I need to vent. These idiots destroyed critical public health work and lost the expertise of over 3,000 dedicated staff.

Now they think they can fix that by bringing in new hires? How about ensuring all the folks on admin leave are brought back first?

federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/20...

Jehovah's Witnesses ease policy on transfusions, allowing storage and use of one's own blood Jehovah’s Witness leaders are modifying their rules on blood transfusions by letting members choose whether to store and reuse their own blood for medical care.

Jehovah's Witnesses ease church policy against blood transfusions | AP News apnews.com/article/jeho...

Some research suggests that lithium could be a safe and effective treatment for Alzheimer disease, but bigger trials are needed to confirm that. Until then, ignore the hype from supplement makers. My latest for @jama.com:

Judge blocks changes to vaccine schedule — AAP v Kennedy explained A Federal judge, in the American Academy of Pediatrics v Kennedy lawsuit, staying the changes in the vaccine schedule from the ACIP.

Judge blocks changes to vaccine schedule — AAP v Kennedy explained www.skepticalraptor.com/skepticalrap... via @skepticalraptor.bsky.social

Six years ago WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Despite tens of millions of deaths, the world has not sufficiently addressed the ongoing impacts of COVID-19, and we are more vulnerable to future pandemics due to anti-science officials leading government agencies around the world.

I see that Tammy, who’s speaking on Thursday, wrote the forward to a book entitled “The Chelation Revolution: Breakthrough Detox Therapy,” which, according to the cover, is good for pretty much everything that ails ya.

Boy, 7, dies of brain condition caused by world’s most contagious disease — years after he had it as a baby Even those who make a full recovery from the initial infection face a lurking threat: a deadly disease that remains latent until striking — and killing — years later.

California boy dies of SSPE (measles complication) after being infected at age 7 months, when he was too young to be vaccinated.

Plasma Phosphorylated Tau 217 and Incident MCI and Dementia in Older Women This cohort study examines associations of baseline plasma phosphorylated tau 217 with incident mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia and whether associations vary by age, race, APOE ε4 carrier ...

Predicting Alzheimer's disease up to 25 years in advance of any symptoms with the p-tau217 biomarker blood test, among 2,766 women mean age 70
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

My latest for @jama.com:

Measles is 'worse than expected' in Utah, officials say Measles patients in Utah are developing severe complications, health officials say, including potentially life-threatening anemia and liver inflammation.

Measles patients are developing severe complications including life-threatening anemia and liver inflammation. Measles is a life-threatening infection which can be prevented by vaccination.
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

It is wildly irresponsible to grant that authority to any single individual, much less one with no medical or health related training.

Texas anti-vax doctor calls for Covid shots to be scrapped, claiming vitamins are better than vaccines Paediatrician made a series of misleading claims during a TV debate

1/3
Meet Dr. Angelina Farella, RFK Jr.'s new ACIP member. Texas pediatrician, decades of practice… and a noted anti-vaxxer. As if ACIP's credibility weren’t already flushed down the toilet 😬🩺

Measles reported in Massachusetts for first time in two years Share Email Facebook Twitter Doses of the measles, mumps and rubella virus vaccine. Boxes and vials of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine in a 2025 file photo. Jan Sonnenmair Getty Images North America Marilyn Schairer

Measles cases have now been confirmed in Mass.

Vaccines save lives—and our federal health leaders should be saying that loudly and clearly. Instead, RFK sows doubt about vaccine safety while his Surgeon General nominee won't commit to recommending the vaccine. Baystate families deserve better.

FDA probes internal Prasad complaints with outside help The FDA has been using an outside investigator in a probe of workplace complaints against CBER Director Vinay Prasad, a source familiar with the matter told Endpoints News.

"The FDA has been using an outside investigator in a probe of workplace complaints against CBER Director Vinay Prasad, a source familiar with the matter told Endpoints News."
via @endpts.com
endpoints.news/fda-probes-i...

Trump’s surgeon general pick won’t urge vaccines for measles, flu, whooping cough President Trump’s nominee for surgeon general, Casey Means, on Wednesday said she won’t broadly encourage parents to vaccinate their children against measles, the flu or whooping cough.  Means test…

Trump’s surgeon general pick won’t urge vaccines for measles, flu, whooping cough; Reminder: she's also without an active license to practice and has no real scientific credentials or clinical experience. thehill.com/policy/healt... via @thehill.com