Meagan Fitzpatrick

the polish figure skating team in the kiss and cry holding a plush pierogi

IMPORTANT OLYMPIC NEWS:

THE POLISH FIGURE SKATING TEAM HAS A PLUSH PIEROGI

We also cancelled our Post subscription earlier this year, sadly. So we're reading more of the Baltimore Sun and also followed @petridishes.bsky.social over to The Atlantic

Multi-year funding is a dirty trick by #RussellVought. This way the #Trump administration can say they're spending what Congress appropriated for research, BUT they'll only fund 1/5 the number of grants. Call your Senators/Reps now. Science hangs in the balance. H/T @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social

'Staring over the edge': South Carolina measles outbreak doubles in a week More than 500 people are in a 21-day quarantine and about 200 are "actively infected." The largest outbreak currently in the U.S. has spread to at least three other states.

The LARGEST measles outbreak currently in the U.S. has spread to at least three other states!

www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

#medsky #idsky

I had not! So interesting. Thank you.

I would love to see more studies on this relationship between infection and cancer outcomes. For instance, does it matter whether the person developed symptoms of the infection, or does asymptomatic infection have the same harm?

Do others remember this headline?

According to this new JAMA study, the US reaches this incalculable loss annually. I think most of the public doesn't realize it.

#IDEpi #EpiSky

These studies of off-target vaccine effects are so interesting. To me, they highlight how interlinked chronic and infectious diseases really are, despite their traditional silos.

COVID illuminated this, and I hope we as scientists keep a spotlight on the inflammatory process and all its effects.

CDC overhauls childhood vaccine schedule to resemble Denmark in unprecedented move The new U.S. guidelines recommend all children get vaccines for 11 diseases, compared with the 18 previously on the schedule.

Once again, I implore media outlets to stop saying these are CDC decisions.

These are changes being made unilaterally by RFK Jr. against the expert advice of CDC scientists.

I note that RFK Jr. no longer recommends flu vaccine for kids in the midst of a horrible influenza year.

Ensures that all the diseases covered by the previous immunization schedule will still be available to anyone who wants them through Affordable Care Act insurance plans and federal insurance programs, including Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Vaccines for Children program. Families will not have to purchase them out of pocket. Among peer nations, the U.S. will continue to offer the most childhood vaccines for free to those who want them.

Copy Editing Matters, from HHS's release on the new childhood vaccine schedule: All the diseases will still be available to anyone who wants them

Just woke up even angrier. Impeach, convict, remove. Draft articles now. Either we have a representative government or we don’t. Do not shut up about this until there’s a vote.

"Bhattacharya and Memoli appear unperturbed by these dramatic abandonments, which are likely to do great harm to Americans."

California Will Offer Deeply Discounted Insulin in January | KQED Californians will be able to purchase an insulin pen for $11 under the state-run drug label, CalRx, bypassing pharmaceutical companies that sell it for far more.

#PedSky #MedSky #EpiSky #addictionsci #policysky #polisky 🛟🫁💊
Today, California starts selling insulin at $11 per injection pen, the second drug sold under the CalRX label after naloxone. Albuterol inhalers and vaccines are next.

Brutal but effective public health messaging from New York Public Health.

The CDC is compromised. They’re no longer a reliable source of information.

They push anti-vaxx & anti-science grift.

Get your vaccines. Wear a respirator. Clean the air

Get public health advice from experts, not RFK Jr

When a small study cast doubt on the measles vaccine in 1998, scientists didn’t dismiss autism concerns. They tested them. From Denmark to global meta-analyses, studies tracking millions of children all reached the same conclusion: MMR vaccines don’t cause autism: bit.ly/4m971vk

For some context, it's really cold in Minneapolis this weekend. My phone said it was -13 (without windchill) when I got up this morning. If you haven't felt that, it actually feels way colder than you might imagine, esp if you aren't moving and are exposed. It's very quickly dangerous.

So proud to see this gift from another Western New York native to my current hospital, both the workplace and the hospital that treats my family.

Thank you Golisano!

Big big thanks

to all the program officers and scientific review officers coming back online and managing to instill positivity and we-can-do-this attitudes in emails out to applicants & reviewers who might have wondered: What will happen to all of this good work?

Answer: let's do this.

NSF is open again!

A few comments:

*Please be patient.
During a shutdown NSF employees cannot open computers or respond to emails.

*Merit review will continue. However panels won’t resume until after Dec 8th.

*POs remain excited and committed to advancing science and the scientific workforce.

The Penny Dies at 232

Pen--- err, nickel for your thoughts on this?

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/b...

Canada no longer measles-free as outbreaks spread — Guardian US Canada has lost its measles elimination status as vaccination rates have slipped below the 95% coverage rate needed to stop outbreaks

Sadly, but as expected, Canada has lost its measles elimination status. >5000 cases, two deaths in babies born prematurely due to in utero exposure… #IDSky #measles

apple.news/AxhnKifpYSre...

Wait wait, sharks are playful and manta rays have emoji faces??? I need to get back to the @nationalaquarium.bsky.social ASAP

Canada’s new budget aims to lure U.S. researchers to relocate Spending plan also calls for smaller research spending cut than feared

Canada makes pitch for US researchers to relocate with $1.7bn in new funding. My story for @science.org 🧪
www.science.org/content/arti...

"I DON'T NEED YOU TO FUCKING REWRITE WHAT I'VE JUST WRITTEN!"

Well that's chilling

Very cool work! -- pun intentional

Outbreak Outlook: Week 2 of DIY Surveillance State by state disease surveillance of COVID-19, influenza and RSV amid federal public health cuts

For the 2nd week in a row, the federal shutdown has blocked disease surveillance reporting. So Team Force of Infection again visited all 50 state websites to track COVID, flu & RSV. caitlinrivers.substack.com/p/outbreak-o...

Democratic governors form state public health alliance to counter RFK Jr. The Governors Public Health Alliance would counter federal health agencies under President Donald Trump as an independent hub to monitor diseases and prepare for emergencies.

“Really, what’s the alternative?..You’ve got a CDC that has been hijacked by people who are obscuring or denying facts, and you have life-and-death decisions that have to be made.” www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

When measles erupted this year, we noticed that county MMR coverage seemed low -- but suspected school coverage in outbreak zone might be even lower.

We were right. The school level reveals alarmingly low coverage that is masked at county level:
www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/...

#IDEpi #EpiSky

What are combination vaccines and why do they matter now more than ever? Let's sketch it out! ✍️