There is a growing, concerning movement undermining one of the most well established scientific theories there is: germ theory, the idea that germs – like viruses and bacteria – cause disease. But it's subtle. Outright denial of germ theory is still a fringe idea: very few deny that viruses and
A poll in 2023 revealed roughly one in three Americans believe that "COVID-19 vaccines have caused thousands of sudden deaths in otherwise healthy people" is probably or definitely true. This is one of the major rumors that spread fear of COVID vaccines, with some health departments now
USAID has been essentially shut down. USAID is a federal organization that provides international humanitarian assistance like clean water, food, and medicines to impoverished parts of the world. It accounts for less than 1% of the US budget and its purpose extends beyond charity – USAID's humanitarian work is
long COVID
Earlier this month, we shared the story of Dr. Jeff Yau, a neuroscientist who solved the mystery of his long COVID. A few months after his first and only COVID infection, he was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder called chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), which means his immune system was
It has been a week of chaos in the world of health and science, to put it mildly. Multiple executive orders have shut down the day-to-day functions of US health agencies, causing confusion, fear, and for many Americans, the question of whether their next paycheck will arrive. While
logical fallacies
The appeal to nature fallacy is not a viable healthcare strategy This article was originally published on Your Local Epidemiologist. RFK Jr.’s hearing for Health and Human Secretary of the United States is soon. A recent poll showed that 40% of Americans view him positively. Despite the myriad fringe
long COVID
When Jeff Yau started having strange symptoms after his COVID-19 infection – numbness, tingling, and shaking – he experienced what thousands of others with long COVID have found: answers were hard to find, and treatments weren’t working. But Dr. Jeff Yau was in a unique position: he’s a neuroscientist
This is a problem. NPR reported yesterday that the Louisiana Department of Health has told staff "advertising or otherwise promoting" influenza, mpox, and COVID vaccines is no longer allowed. Promoting and increasing access to vaccinations is one of the central functions of health departments across the country. According
immunology
The 'Make America Healthy Again' movement is tapping into the commonly held belief that children in our modern era are less healthy than they used to be. Fueling this sentiment is the 'Hygiene Hypothesis' – an idea postulated in the 1980's that modern, overly sterile
When I started this newsletter over four years ago as a PhD student, I remember naively thinking "the pandemic is only going to last a few months... I'll do this blog for a little while, but there probably won't be much to write about after
On Tuesday, H5N1, the influenza virus that causes bird flu, made headlines – fragments of the virus were detected in the commercial milk supply in the United States. Here’s a quick update on what’s going on and how we got here. Bird flu is spreading in mammals, which is
CDC.gov is not the answer to all vaccine questions.