Dr. Syra Madad, DHSc, MSc, MCP, CHEP

In a time of rising anti-science rhetoric and misinformation, it’s more crucial than ever to champion evidence, truth, and public health. Grateful to stand with those doing exactly that.

Honored to be inducted into the New York Academy of Medicine tonight and to witness @peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social receive the prestigious Smith Medal for Public Health.

Vaccines Gave Us Back Our Tomorrows. We’re Squandering Them More than half a century of vaccine progress is swiftly being undone because of politics and propaganda.

www.nyas.org/ideas-insigh...

Vaccines Gave Us Back Our Tomorrows. We’re Squandering Them More than half a century of vaccine progress is swiftly being undone because of politics and propaganda.

Since 1974, routine immunization has saved an estimated 154 million lives, making vaccines the single biggest driver of infant survival in the modern era. Vaccine hesitancy threatens this progress, @syramadad.bsky.social writes for the New York Academy of Sciences.
spr.ly/633277iNmZ

Canada Loses Its Measles Elimination Status: A Cautionary Tale for America The announcement that Canada has officially lost its measles-elimination status is more than a bureaucratic downgrade, it’s a warning-- writes Syra Madad for The Belfer Center.

www.belfercenter.org/research-ana...

Baby formula recalled after infant botulism outbreak ByHeart recalled two batches of its baby formula following federal officials’ report of 13 children contracting infant botulism after consuming its product.

www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

The Epidemiologists Are Running for Office Instead of trying to depoliticize their field, a swell of scientists want to become politicians.

www.theatlantic.com/science/2025...

With her experience in hospital readiness for pathogens, Dr. @syramadad.bsky.social shares new trainings that she and @nychealthsystem.bsky.social are developing for healthcare providers about how to address climate change impacts further straining their patients' health.

As an alumni fellow, it was great to reconnect with Center staff — two of us are here for the Advisory Group on Responsible Use of the Life Sciences and Dual-Use Research and the other two for deliberations of the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) on the WHO Pandemic Agreement

An unexpected reunion at the World Health Organization in Geneva with colleagues from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security!

A Warning Sign of Our Changing Climate The recent suspected case of Chikungunya virus on Long Island marks a significant public health moment for NY.

Chikungunya on Long Island: A Warning Sign of Our Changing Climate

www.nyas.org/ideas-insigh...

A Warning Sign of Our Changing Climate The recent suspected case of Chikungunya virus on Long Island marks a significant public health moment for NY.

After a locally transmitted case of mosquito-borne disease chikungunya was confirmed on Long Island, NY, CEID affiliate faculty Dr. @syramadad.bsky.social shares more background about the disease and why this case is significant even as risk to New Yorkers remains low.
spr.ly/6332978RXZ

As we warned in our 2024 op-ed, the dangerous clade I mpox strain spreading in DRC wouldn’t stay contained.

Now, California confirms local clade I cases—with no travel links.

Global inaction has local consequences.

www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/seco...

Can you be infected with malaria in your backyard? What you need to know. New research and suspected cases in N.J. and Washington this year raise concerns about local malaria infections.

www.healthbeat.org/2025/10/17/u...

NYC Health + Hospitals Advises New Yorkers to Receive Their Annual Flu and COVID-19 Vaccinations - NYC Health + Hospitals NYC Health + Hospitals today announced that the 2025–2026 updated influenza and COVID-19 vaccines are now available for patients at its hospitals and

“Now is the time to get vaccinated against flu and COVID-19 — both viruses continue to circulate, and we know immunity can fade over time,” says CEID affiliate faculty @syramadad.bsky.social in a message to New Yorkers from @nychealthsystem.bsky.social.
spr.ly/63326AFZNi

‘It’s a massacre’: CDC battered by government shutdown firings The White House’s mass firing of CDC staff on Friday has decimated offices related to injury prevention, respiratory disease surveillance, and chronic disease, according to four people familiar with t...

“The White House’s mass firing of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention staff on Friday has decimated offices related to injury prevention, respiratory disease surveillance, and chronic disease.” www.statnews.com/2025/10/11/c...

I don’t know who needs to hear this but the CDC is being eviscerated right now. America is not going to have any kind of outbreak response capacity after tonight. Americans’ health data is no longer secure. Say goodbye to federal public health in any capacity. It’s a disaster. We won’t recover.

Vaccine poll asks parents what they think about RFK Jr. and their pediatricians A Washington Post-KFF poll finds that pediatricians are the most trusted source for vaccine information and that confidence in them is a strong predictor of vaccination.

“A Washington Post-KFF poll finds that pediatricians are the most trusted source for vaccine information and that confidence in them is a strong predictor of vaccination.”

www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

What’s left is a fragile public health system, one that now faces silence where there used to be early warnings.

Entire teams that keep our country’s health system running, from vaccine experts to disease surveillance and data coordination, were abruptly dismantled. These are the people who track outbreaks, guide doctors, and help states respond before crises spiral.

Last night, hundreds of CDC staff lost their jobs, roughly a third of the agency’s workforce, with no warning or transition.

Hundreds of U.S. students quarantined amid measles outbreaks At least 270 unvaccinated kids are staying home from school as measles continues to spread nationwide. "Expect more," one expert said.

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

NYC Health + Hospitals Leads Simulation for MERS, a Viral Respiratory Illness - NYC Health + Hospitals NYC Health + Hospitals recently conducted a simulation exercise to evaluate a portable isolation unit designed for rapid deployment during infectious

Last month @NYCHealthSystem led a MERS simulation @SouthBklynHealth — testing rapid setup of a portable isolation unit for airborne pathogens.

Exercises like this strengthen frontline readiness, teamwork & infection control for future outbreaks. 🦠

www.nychealthandhospitals.org/pressrelease...

When's the Best Time to Get a Flu Shot? 2025 Flu Season Explained As flu season nears, experts encourage people to get their annual flu vaccine. Here's the best time to get the flu shot, how long it lasts, side effects and more.

Spoke to @todayshow.com about what to know for this respiratory season

www.today.com/today/amp/rc...

CDC recommends coronavirus vaccine with a new caveat. Here’s what to know. Updated coronavirus vaccines are now recommended after consulting a clinician. In practice, that can mean little difference for a consumer or create complications.

www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

Interim Effectiveness Estimates of 2025 Southern ... This report describes flu vaccine effectiveness in the Southern Hemisphere during the 2025 flu season.

The 2025–26 Northern Hemisphere vaccine uses the same composition and may offer similar protection if the same viruses circulate.

www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes...

During the 2025 Southern Hemisphere flu season, vaccination reduced influenza-associated outpatient visits by 50.4% and hospitalizations by 49.7%.

CDC recommends flu vaccination for everyone ≥6 months.

Made to order bioweapon? AI-designed toxins slip through safety checks used by companies selling genes Researchers expose flaws in safeguards intended to block rogue actors from making bioweapons

www.science.org/content/arti...

Child dies from complications of measles years after infection – SSPE explained Why falling vaccination rates put vulnerable children at risk.

www.gavi.org/vaccineswork...

US vaccine panel to hold high-stakes policy meeting A US panel stacked with figures sympathetic to the anti-vaccine movement will on Thursday take on federal immunization recommendations in a highly politicized meeting that could upend longstanding medical ...

State-level efforts to provide vaccine guidelines are "a great way to make sure that the access is still there," said CEID affiliate faculty Dr. @syramadad.bsky.social, but "I am worried about the patchwork that it's causing across the United States."
spr.ly/63327ATQzh