The most dangerous
— Eric Topol (@erictopol.bsky.social) December 2, 2025 at 4:38 PM
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UK: NHS nurse May Parsons, who gave the world’s first COVID shot 5 years ago, is urging people not to forget how life saving vaccines are. With uptake for COVID and flu falling and the UK facing a severe flu season, she warns too many regret declining vaccines when it’s too late.
archive.md/DUM3H— Denis – The COVID Info Guy (@thecovidinfoguy.bsky.social) December 8, 2025 at 2:47 AM
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Fewer people are being vaccinated against respiratory diseases
by @LizSzabo
Just 34% of US adults have gotten a flu shot, 25% have had a COVID vaccine, 8% have received the pneumococcal vaccine, and 6% have gotten RSV vax
www.cidrap.umn.edu/a…
Photo: Heather Hazzan, Self— CIDRAP (@cidrap.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 7:46 AM
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1. #Flu activity is picking up in the US. A 🧵
5 jurisdictions reported high levels of flu activity to #CDC in the week ending 11/29, the week including Thanksgiving. It's conceivable that numbers could jump in the next few weeks, both because of holiday travel & reporting delays due to the holidays— Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 (@helenbranswell.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 3:33 PM
2. The percentage of outpatient medical visits for #flu was 2.9% in the week ending 11/29 — just under the 3.1% that would is considered the point at which flu season is underway. (I added the broken black line.)
A piece of good news: No pediatric flu deaths have been reported yet this season.— Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 (@helenbranswell.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 3:33 PM
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#RSV tied to heart problems, breathing issues well after infection in adults
Researchers identify nearly 5 excess cardiovascular events per 100 patients in the year after diagnosis.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/r…— CIDRAP (@cidrap.bsky.social) December 9, 2025 at 3:57 PM
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Recently approved RSV prevention therapies may be next FDA target
A representative from Sanofi told Reuters that the safety of Beyfortus has been repeatedly shown in over 50 studies.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/r…
Photo:Jon Works/Flickr cc— CIDRAP (@cidrap.bsky.social) December 9, 2025 at 3:51 PM
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Multiple large natural experiments have documented Shingles vaccine is linked with ~20-25% reduced risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. A new report today adds to that and extends the to slowing the progression of dementia @cellcellpress.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex…— Eric Topol (@erictopol.bsky.social) December 2, 2025 at 11:00 AM
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I've always thought that the whole "natural immunity is the best way to protect people" thing was a bit like saying "getting pregnant is the best form of birth control."
Anyway, cool to see it's better for the immune system to see vaccine before virus from an effectiveness standpoint too.— Edward Nirenberg (@enirenberg.bsky.social) December 7, 2025 at 9:37 PM
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🚨 NEW: One of the largest COVID-19 vaccine studies ever (28 MILLION people in France) just dropped.
Results?
• 74% lower risk of death from severe COVID-19
• 25% lower risk of all-cause mortality
• No increase in 4-year mortality
#BlueSky #MedSky #IDSky #SciSky #NewsSky #PedsSky #ObSky #NurseSky— Carolyn Barber, MD (@cbarbermd.bsky.social) December 4, 2025 at 9:50 PM
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Korea: COVID-19 Hospitalisations Among Elderly Outpace Flu Cases, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) Warns.
"61% of COVID hospitalisations are people 65+, meaning seniors make up over 6 in 10 cases. This year, COVID remains a bigger threat to older adults than flu"
archive.md/4UgpA— Denis – The COVID Info Guy (@thecovidinfoguy.bsky.social) December 4, 2025 at 11:22 PM
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China:
"A landmark new study shows COVID-19 isn’t ‘just a cold’: One infection left people with long-lasting immune damage, and those with heart disease lost up to 70% of key immune cells. Reinfections may worsen this. The message is clear: protecting ourselves still matters."
— Denis – The COVID Info Guy (@thecovidinfoguy.bsky.social) December 8, 2025 at 9:17 PM
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A new review of post-infection syndromes, including #LongCovid, and its diverse immunologic manifestations www.cell.com/trends/immun… by @virusesimmunity.bsky.social and colleagues
— Eric Topol (@erictopol.bsky.social) December 4, 2025 at 10:47 AM
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Study: The lingering shadow of epidemics: post-acute sequelae across history
Published: December 04, 2025
www.cell.com/trends/immun…— Denis – The COVID Info Guy (@thecovidinfoguy.bsky.social) December 10, 2025 at 12:47 AM
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Excellent reporting by @apoorvanyt.bsky.social . The vote was once again delayed…because there is no evidence to support that voting to eliminate the birth-dose of hepatitis B vaccine is right or in anyway justifiable.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/04/h…— BK. Titanji (@boghuma.bsky.social) December 4, 2025 at 3:00 PM
A picture is worth a 1000 words. The birth dose of hepatitis B vaccines in the USA eliminated perinatally acquired hepatitis B infection from over 20,000 cases a year before the vaccine was introduced to <20 cases a year. The gaslighting by the current members ACIP is obscene, unethical and cruel.
— BK. Titanji (@boghuma.bsky.social) December 4, 2025 at 12:28 PM
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Because the vaccine prevents chronic hepatitis B for which there is no cure and the lifelong treatment costs more than a single birth dose of the vaccine. Insurance companies recognize this is a no brainer.
Brought to you by prevention beats treatment any day.
www.cnn.com/2025/12/07/h…— BK. Titanji (@boghuma.bsky.social) December 8, 2025 at 7:35 AM
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Doctor groups form united front against RFK Jr’s efforts to limit vaccine access
Physicians say a federal advisory panel's proposed restrictions on hepatitis B vaccine are part of a broad assault on vaccine access.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/c…— CIDRAP (@cidrap.bsky.social) December 9, 2025 at 6:08 PM
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Medical societies jointly launch infection prevention initiative
The Healthcare Infection Prevention Advisory Group (HIPAG) will offer evidence-backed advisory expertise on infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/a…— CIDRAP (@cidrap.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 2:59 PM
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If ACIP chooses to ignore evidence, when it comes to vaccines, parents and clinicians must ignore ACIP and look to those who continue to offer data-based guidance, especially our medical societies.
— Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH (@mtosterholm.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 3:03 PM
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During chaotic meeting, CDC advisers handpicked by RFK Jr. postpone vote on changing hepatitis B vaccine recommendations
Although the hepatitis B vaccine is widely heralded as a public health success story, Kennedy has long targeted it as dangerous
www.cidrap.umn.edu/c…— CIDRAP (@cidrap.bsky.social) December 4, 2025 at 6:55 PM
During a contentious meeting dominated by racial innuendo and anti-vaccine talking points, advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today voted to delay a decision on whether to recommend scaling back infant vaccinations for hepatitis B, a virus that kills 1.1 million people around the world each year.
Several members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) asked for the postponement after complaining that they hadn’t been given sufficient time to consider the wording of the proposal…
Although the hepatitis B vaccine is widely heralded as a public health success story, Kennedy has long targeted the vaccine as unnecessary and dangerous. He has suggested, without evidence, that hepatitis B vaccines cause autism.
Joseph Hibbeln, MD, a psychiatrist, said committee members weren’t consulted when developing the questions on which to vote.
“I protest the description that the ACIP members have been consulted in developing these questions,” said Hibbeln, who worked at the National Institutes of Health and served in the US Public Health Service. He complained that the wording of the proposal had changed three times in the past three days, which prevented committee members from considering it carefully.
The hastily updated wording also caused a CDC scientist to revise her presentation about how a new recommendation would affect coverage by the federal Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program, which pays for immunizations for about half of children. The committee waited for her to update her slides, then moved on and eventually came back to her.
Representatives of the VFC Program and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services both said they would continue to cover hepatitis B vaccines.
Grant Paulsen, MD, a liaison member representing the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, asked the committee why it decided to revisit the hepatitis vaccine’s safety when there have been no new publications that raise concerns.
The reply came from committee member Vicky Pebsworth, PhD, RN, the research director of the National Vaccine Information Center, one of the country’s oldest anti-vaccine groups. Her answer was vague: “We were aware that there was pressure coming from stakeholder groups wanting the policy to be revisited,” she said…
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Today's NYT front page.
A methodical quest and the latest salvo— Eric Topol (@erictopol.bsky.social) December 6, 2025 at 8:59 AM
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Former FDA heads, Sen Cassidy push back on FDA official’s claim of 10 COVID vaccine deaths
“We are deeply concerned by sweeping new FDA assertions about vaccine safety," write 12 former FDA commissioners, as Cassidy calls for a full briefing
www.cidrap.umn.edu/c…— CIDRAP (@cidrap.bsky.social) December 4, 2025 at 5:12 PM
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Survey suggests broad voter support for vaccines shortly after 2024 US presidential election
Most Americans favored #vaccination programs before the Trump administration began reshaping federal #vaccine policy.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/p…— CIDRAP (@cidrap.bsky.social) December 9, 2025 at 3:11 PM
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US reps berate FDA head, demand data for proposed #vaccine regulation changes, purported link to child deaths
They centered on an internal memo from FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research Director Vinay Prasad, MD, MPH.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/a…— CIDRAP (@cidrap.bsky.social) December 8, 2025 at 3:42 PM
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Pediatricians reject CDC advisers’ guidance, plan to continue vaccinating all newborns against hepatitis B
Hospitals and health departments across the country say they're not planning to change their vaccination policy.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/c…— CIDRAP (@cidrap.bsky.social) December 8, 2025 at 7:41 PM
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The top drug regulator abruptly resigned. Staff complaints piled up. Outside experts warned FDA was in trouble.
That was a month ago, prompting urgent meetings. Leaders soon claimed problems were fixed.
Then it all happened again in the past week.
On FDA chaos w @rachelroubein.bsky.social— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 4:11 PM
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South Carolina reports 27 more measles cases in Spartanburg County as Utah count reaches 115
The 27 new cases involved exposures at schools, churches, and in households.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/m…
Photo: CDC— CIDRAP (@cidrap.bsky.social) December 9, 2025 at 4:41 PM
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South Carolina measles outbreak grows; new case identified in Colorado
South Carolina officials reported eight new cases in the state's growing measles outbreak.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/m…— CIDRAP (@cidrap.bsky.social) December 8, 2025 at 4:02 PM
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Global #whooping cough resurgence after COVID lull may point to need for better vaccines
Despite sustained high vaccine coverage, outbreaks continue to occur every 3 to 5 years in some countries.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/p…— CIDRAP (@cidrap.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 12:41 PM
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Dozens of vulture carcasses, left decomposing for days outside a Catholic school in Ohio while agencies pointed fingers over who was responsible for cleaning them up, were believed to have been infected with bird flu, health officials said on Monday.
— The New York Times (@nytimes.com) December 9, 2025 at 8:20 PM
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"The Ohio Department of Agriculture says two of the 72 black vulture carcasses cleaned up from a Clermont County elementary school’s campus tested presumptive positive for bird flu."
— Matt Novak (@paleofuture.bsky.social) December 9, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Only two of the 72 birds tested positive for bird flu because they only tested two birds. The rest are presumed positive as well.
— Matt Novak (@paleofuture.bsky.social) December 9, 2025 at 12:15 PM
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India:
“Scientists have identified the precise point at which stopping an H5N1 pandemic becomes impossible. When the bird flu virus jumps to sustained human transmission, authorities will have roughly two days to prevent catastrophe, according to a simulation study”
www.nature.com/articles/d44…— Derry Murbles stan account (@histoftech.bsky.social) December 9, 2025 at 11:32 PM
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Researchers discovered how bird flu can survive temperatures that stop human flu in its tracks. A key gene gives avian viruses the ability to replicate even at fever-level heat which highlights how this gene and others could fuel future pandemics. #RSNA25
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202…— Ian Weissman, DO (@drianweissman.bsky.social) November 28, 2025 at 11:10 PM
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BIRD FLU MAY BE WIND-BORNE
The time to vaccinate poultry is now, before we see human-to-human spread.— Jan Kirsch, M.D., M.P.H. (@drjanicekirsch.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 11:10 PM
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WHO launched a new long-term plan to manage COVID-19 and future coronavirus threats.
“Coronaviruses remain one of the most consequential infectious disease threats today,” said Dr Maria Van Kerkhove.
Focus: Surveillance, Clean air, Vaccines, Rapid detection, Protecting high-risk groups.— Denis – The COVID Info Guy (@thecovidinfoguy.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 9:01 PM
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Single #HPV vaccine dose matches protection of 2-dose regimen, new trial shows
The vaccine was 97% effective, and protection did not wane during the follow-up period.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/h…— CIDRAP (@cidrap.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 5:33 PM
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A recombinant strain of mpox virus has been isolated from a patient in the UK containing fragments of clade I and clade II virus. Recombination occurs when two strains of virus infect a cell. These events tend to be rare but are well described in poxviruses.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d…— BK. Titanji (@boghuma.bsky.social) December 8, 2025 at 12:47 PM
This has long been a concern that poor control of mpox epidemics around the world would create more opportunities for recombination events and different sub clades of the virus circulate more widely. We do not know yet how frequently this is occurring mor broadly and surveillance is crucial.
— BK. Titanji (@boghuma.bsky.social) December 8, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Viruses time and again show that if you allow outbreaks to run rampant they exploit the loop holes we provide to spread, evolve and in the case of mpox become more deeply entrenched as a human pathogen.
— BK. Titanji (@boghuma.bsky.social) December 8, 2025 at 12:47 PM
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Study highlights hospital-based bacterial, fungal outbreaks during COVID pandemic
Researchers identified 619 hospital-based outbreaks in 13 countries from 2020 through March 2024, and higher case-fatality ratios than reported in pre-pandemic studies.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/a…— CIDRAP (@cidrap.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 5:47 PM
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Study finds ‘alarming’ global prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacterial colonization
A review and meta-analysis of 89 studies shows the global prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales colonization is 14%.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/a…— CIDRAP (@cidrap.bsky.social) December 8, 2025 at 4:27 PM
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The #Marburg outbreak in Ethiopia isn't over. Another case has been detected & the person is in treatment. This brings the confirmed cases to 13, of which 8 have been fatal.
#CDC issued a health alert today to US doctors about the outbreak. Great, but … why not sooner? www.cdc.gov/han/php/noti…— Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 (@helenbranswell.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 3:56 PM
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Remarkable story of a Georgia high school team who used CRISPR to make a rapid diagnostic test strip for Lyme disease, speeding dx from 2 weeks to days
www.cbsnews.com/news/teens-m…— Eric Topol (@erictopol.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 11:06 PM
But this isn't good: "In all, 14 of the high school teams came from the U.S……There were 120 teams there from Asia."
— Eric Topol (@erictopol.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 9:49 AM
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In lieu of affordable universal health insurance, Texans will now be given better access to de-worming medication.
— Raywat Deonandan (@deonandan.bsky.social) December 4, 2025 at 9:23 AM
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Health misinformation kills and its only getting worse.
"Court records show the couple told investigators they relied on online videos and posts that warned against vaccines, infant medical treatments and even common medicines such as Tylenol."— BK. Titanji (@boghuma.bsky.social) December 8, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Plagues & Pandemics Update – December 10, 2025Post + Comments (34)