T. Neil Ku, MD, FSHEA, FIDSA

WATCH: Rubio and Kenyan President Ruto speak after signing 'America First' global health deal The Trump administration has signed the first in what are expected to be dozens of “America First” global health funding agreements that will prioritize combating infectious diseases in countries deem...

Pathogens causing infectious diseases don't cherry pick who they infect and they certainly don't care who the Trump administration makes deals with. This is the reason politicians should not make global health policies.
#globalhealth #publichealth
www.pbs.org/newshour/wor...

Our elected officials would do well if they reviewed what their constituents are actually experiencing with their healthcare before commenting about the ACA subsidies and Medicaid funding as they do matter. Focusing on expanding telemedicine services will not address the healthcare issues.

How Do Americans Experience Healthcare in Their State? New state rankings from West Health-Gallup reveal sizable differences in residents' experiences of healthcare cost, quality, and access and an urgent need for improvement in every U.S. state.

Montana ranks among the bottom 10 US states for overall healthcare experience, and affordability is a major issue.
news.gallup.com/poll/698042/...

So, how will it be pronounced..."hi-pag" or "hip-ag"?

Montana records first 2025-25 flu season death Montana recorded its first influenza death of the 2025-26 flu season on Monday, Missoula Public Health and state DPHHS announced.

There's still time to get the flu shot if you haven't already done so.
#vaccination #publichealth #influenza
dailymontanan.com/briefs/monta...

Mapping the Uneven Burden of Rising ACA Marketplace Premium Payments due to Enhanced Tax Credit Expiration | KFF Enhanced premium tax credits expire at the end of this year. Among those with incomes over 400% poverty who are losing the tax credit altogether, the impact will be greatest for those whose unsubsidiz...

There appears to be a big discrepancy between what Congressman Downing is saying and what @kff.org reports. Clearly, the ACA subsidies are not just drops in the bucket...
#ACA #mtpol #healthcare
www.kff.org/affordable-c...

New review finds no evidence to support delaying universal hepatitis B birth-dose vaccination

In anticipation of the upcoming ACIP meeting. I can only hope that the panelists take the time to review the evidence before voting on this issue.
#vaccination #HBV #publichealth
www.cidrap.umn.edu/childhood-va...

“Most of those folks are going to be just fine with or without that,” Downing told the interviewer.

It would have been wise of him to talk to his constituents about what they are experiencing and how he can help before making that statement.

Facing a subsidy sunset, Montanans brace for health insurance increases “I’m in a bind,” one resident said. “I’ve got to have the insurance.”

"When asked...about Montanans impacted by the end of the enhanced subsidy, Downing said that the...financial aid has made up a 'really small amount' of the total subsidies Montanans receive through the ACA."
#healthequity #mtpol #ACA

montanafreepress.org/2025/12/01/m...

COVID-19 as the Underlying Cause of Death Among Individuals Aged 0 to 19 Years in the US This cross-sectional study evaluates whether COVID-19 is among the top 10 causes of death in children and young people aged 0 to 19 years in the US.

That said, it's rather convenient and unsurprising that Prasad said nothing about all the people who died of COVID-19. It was the leading cause of death in children and young people during 2021 and 2022. The COVID-19 vaccine changed that.

jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

This feels like the so-called study the Florida DoH published on its website about the COVID-19 vaccine, where it was unclear where the data they used came from.

Blaming some child deaths on covid shots, FDA vows stricter vaccine rules Vinay Prasad, the nation’s top vaccine regulator, said his team concluded that coronavirus shots were linked to children’s deaths, necessitating a new approach.

"The nation’s top vaccine regulator on Friday laid out a stricter approach for federal vaccine approvals, citing his team’s conclusion, without detailing the evidence, that coronavirus vaccines had contributed to the deaths of at least 10 children..."
#PedsSky
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

Spending Thanksgiving with family. Helmut especially enjoyed watching the National Dog Show.

Louisiana's top health official, a critic of the COVID vaccine, will be CDC deputy Louisiana's surgeon general Dr. Ralph Abraham, who has praised Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s tenure as health secretary and called COVID vaccines "dangerous," will become the second-highest ranking official...

This is just another cut among a thousand cuts that will lead to the demise of CDC.

www.npr.org/sections/sho...

But I believe many parents try to do the best thing for their children, and their decision not to vaccinate them is not purely out of ignorance. The damage caused by misinformation is irrefutable and will not make America healthy.

I think we can all agree that unvaccinated kids who died from vaccine-preventable infections definitely can't have normal lives either. However, I find it interesting that anti-vaxxers and vaccine-skeptics are noticeably silent when this happens.

Third infant in Kentucky dies of whooping cough as national cases stay high for second year in a row

When I see headlines about infants and children dying from vaccine-preventable infections, I can't help but think about the comments RFK Jr made about kids with autism can't have normal lives after alleging that vaccines cause autism.
#vaccination #pertussis
www.cidrap.umn.edu/pertussis/th...

Global and regional knowledge of antibiotic use and resistance among the general public: a systematic review and meta-analysis Antibiotic resistance threatens effective infection treatment and medical procedures. Global initiatives, such as World AMR Awareness Week, aim to improve public understanding and promote rational ant...

Although I'm not surprised that there is a huge disparity in the knowledge that antibiotics don't work against viruses globally, what is disappointing to see is there are still so many Americans who believe they do.
#IDSky #AMSSky
www.clinicalmicrobiologyandinfection.org/article/S119...

U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week is ending, but the fight against #AntimicrobialResistance continues. Contact Congress today and advocate for CDC funding to protect patients and save lives.

Sign our letter to Congress: bit.ly/3Xe9FpW

#USAAW25 #SHEAadvocacy

Not only will it further discredits the reputation of CDC, which is the complete opposite of what he promised to do, it will further damage the already worsening health of the country. We are identifying measles and pertussis cases in numbers not seen in a very long time.

Kennedy Says He Told C.D.C. to Change Website’s Language on Autism and Vaccines

Coming from someone who is neither a doctor nor a scientist/researcher, the recent update in the CDC's language on vaccines and autism is wrong and an insult to the hard work of many researchers, including those who still work at CDC.
#vaccination #publichealth
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/u...

We need to quickly return to medical information and recommendations being based on sound science, not unverified opinions.

Read our full joint statement: bit.ly/47S6LNE

Waning Immunity and Falling Vaccination Rates Fuel Pertussis Outbreaks - KFF Health News New details from health officials suggest the whooping-cough surge may be part of a national pattern driven by slipping vaccine coverage and waning immunity, with infants bearing the brunt of the cons...

Montana now has reported at least 324 cases this year, 4 times as many cases as in 2024.
#pertussis #publichealth #vaccination #PedSky #IDSky
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

Every physician I know disagrees with this statement.
#publichealth #vaccination #vaccines
www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safe...

Healthcare coverage by level of healthcare spending Universal healthcare coverage (UHC) service coverage is measured on a scale from 0 (worst) to 100 (best) based on the average coverage of essential healthcare services.

The US spends more than any other country on the same level of healthcare coverage. So, how will redirecting the ACA subsidies back to Americans and having them negotiate individually with health insurers make healthcare more affordable?
#healthequity #mtpol
ourworldindata.org/grapher/haq-...

I hope it doesn't happen. 🤞🏼

This article highlights the importance of the US's involvement in global health efforts (i.e., being a member of the WHO).

Warnings rise for U.S. as severe flu strain causes outbreaks in Canada, U.K. A flu strain that emerged over the summer is causing "unprecedented" outbreaks in Japan, as well as in Canada and the U.K. The CDC hasn't provided insights on flu in the U.S. in nearly two months.

This year's flu vaccines will still provide some protection against severe illness. Getting vaccinated is still the best way to reduce the risk of getting really sick from the flu.
#publichealth #vaccination #influenza
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

Is health insurance a matter of life and death? Scientists may have an answer. The surprisingly tricky question stumped researchers for decades. But they think they finally have an answer.

For those who want to know the "why" Medicaid/Medicare funding and ACA subsidies are so important...here it is.

If we want our nation to be prosperous, we need to ensure that everyone is healthy.
#healthequity
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Ivermectin found to be safe, effective in small children with scabies Trial investigators say the results could expand the scale and impact of mass drug administration campaigns against neglected tropical diseases.

Ivermectin works great for certain worms and parasites but not so great on viruses, including SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).

www.cidrap.umn.edu/misc-emergin...