Tom Sandora, MD MPH

How two top FDA officials are quietly upending vaccine regulations Vinay Prasad and Tracy Beth Høeg mix skepticism with new ways to define risk in pursuing sweeping changes to vaccine policy at the FDA.

“Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said he does not want to take vaccines away from Americans. But at a closed-door meeting of Food and Drug Administration vaccine scientists in September, a top official suggested doing just that.”

Dr Tracy Hoeg of course 😨
www.statnews.com/2025/11/12/f...

ByHeart baby formula recalled amid 10-state outbreak of infant botulism Thirteen babies have been hospitalized amid the outbreak of the disease, which can be fatal, federal heath officials said. No deaths have been reported.

13 cases of infant botulism, all used ByHeart powdered infant formula. If you have any of this product, do not use it - throw it away or return it to where you bought it.

More measles cases reported in Utah, Arizona

158 cases so far in the ongoing Utah-Arizona measles outbreak, with multiple people hospitalized. The national total for the year so far is 1,681 cases. Measles is preventable by receiving the MMR vaccine, which has been proven over many decades to be safe and effective.

Had a great time connecting with friends and colleagues at #IDWeek2025. I agree with the wise Anthony Harris who shared these words (during his @sheaepi.bsky.social Lectureship) about our message as ID docs who do healthcare epi & infection prevention. Thanks to all who support our field.

a man singing into a microphone with the words " it is time " above him ALT: a man singing into a microphone with the words " it is time " above him

Keipp Talbot reminds us that there is an elevated risk of heart attack in the first 7 days after getting the flu. Another great reason to get your flu vaccine! #IDWeek2025

First debate: can ceftriaxone be used to treat invasive MSSA infection? I say no, but will this debate change my mind? Where do you stand on this question? #IDWeek2025

Happy to be at #IDWeek2025! Ready to keep up the good fight against infectious diseases with colleagues from around the world.

Thank you both for your advocacy and support of vaccines! 👏🏻👏🏻

Ongoing measles outbreak in South Carolina - 16 people affected so far, resulting in 140 elementary school students having to quarantine at home because they are unvaccinated and therefore are at risk of acquiring and spreading the infection further. Measles is preventable by vaccination.

Seeking Covid Shots for Their Children, Some Parents Hit a Wall

The RFK Jr-induced chaos is making things harder for parents to do what they want to protect their children from infection. It doesn't have to be this way.

Babies' deaths in Cameroon show how US aid cuts curtail malaria fight Nine-month-old baby Mohamat burned with fever for three days before his family took him to the closest health centre in northern Cameroon, but it was too late. He died of malaria that day.

9-month-old Mohamat died of malaria in Cameroon. Before U.S. aid cuts, he likely would have survived. Malaria deaths are rising after years of progress. Abrupt and irresponsible budget cuts can have deadly consequences.

a man wearing a beanie and a sweater says we will be stronger than ever ALT: a man wearing a beanie and a sweater says we will be stronger than ever

Double vaccinated against flu and COVID-19 today! Feeling great and very thankful to the scientists, investigators, physicians, and clinical trial participants who made it possible. Give a shout if you’re vaccinated too.

Population-Level Effectiveness and Herd Protection 17 Years After HPV Vaccine This cross-sectional study investigates population-level effectiveness and herd protection in the first 17 years after human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among adolescent girls and young women at ...

This is a truly remarkable finding: 17 years after introduction of the HPV vaccine, there was a decreased prevalence of HPV infection (and therefore decreased cancer risk) in both vaccinated AND unvaccinated individuals. Cancer prevention through herd immunity!!!

More kids died from flu last season than in any non-pandemic season since monitored began 20 years ago. Almost 90% were unvaccinated. Parents: talk to your doctor about getting your kids vaccinated. www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes...

More kids are severely ill or dying from the flu, CDC reports As fewer children get their flu shots, cases of a rare, severe complication are rising. Last season, the U.S. experienced the highest number of pediatric flu deaths in 15 years.

Even healthy children can get extremely sick from the flu, and vaccination reduces the risk of severe illness and death. We recommend that all kids 6 months and older receive a flu vaccine every year (because the circulating viruses change little bit each season).

Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy and Children’s Risk of Autism, ADHD, and Intellectual Disability This nationwide cohort study with sibling control analysis examines the association of acetaminophen use during pregnancy with children’s risk of autism, ADHD, and intellectual disability.

The @washingtonpost.com story on Tylenol & autism leaves out a MAJOR 2.5M sibling-controlled study of children in Denmark, which "found no evidence that acetaminophen use during pregnancy was associated with children’s risk of autism, ADHD or intellectual disability." jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Kennedy's advisory panel recommends new restrictions on MMRV vaccines U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vaccine advisory committee is recommending new restrictions on the MMRV vaccine.

Despite absolutely no new data, and already-existing recommendations that were working very well, RFK Jr's new group just voted to reduce parental choice about (and access to) the MMRV vaccine for their children. Sadly, this is likely the first step of many to widely block access to vaccines. Awful.

This.

We have 2 vaccines that prevent cancer, the HBV vaccine that prevents hepatitis B related liver cancer and the HPV vaccine that prevents cervical cancer and other HPV associated cancers.
On Thursday, RFK.JR's ACIP will attack one of these vaccines (HBV) and restrict access to it.
Let that sink in!

A deep dive into the destruction of US cancer research by @jonathanmahler.bsky.social “It’s an absolutely unmitigated disaster,” a former top official at NIH told him. “It will take decades to recover from this, if we ever do.” Gift link: nyti.ms/48iH3Cr

Cuts to the Food Safety System Threaten Americans’ Health

The active surveillance program to look for multiple causes of foodborne illness is being actively dismantled by the current administration, increasing the risk for all Americans.

Florida’s surgeon general said he didn’t calculate the costs of ending vaccine mandates in the state. But scientists have. | CNN Florida’s surgeon general said Sunday that he had not weighed the cost – in terms of infections, hospitalizations or deaths – of ending vaccine mandates in the state. But scientists who have done thos...

In Florida, a 15% decline in measles vaccinations over 25 yrs --> 1 million cases and ~1,000 preventable deaths. If US childhood vaccinations drop by half --> estimated 51,200 cases of brain damage from measles, 5,400 cases of post-polio paralysis, 10.3 million hospitalizations, and 159,200 deaths.

Massachusetts grandfather denied COVID vaccine coverage despite Gov. Healey's order A 70-year-old grandfather said he was denied coverage for a COVID shot by his insurance company.

USA: Massachusetts Grandfather Denied COVID Vaccine.

George Jenkins, a 70-year-old from Worcester, takes his health seriously with a balanced diet and daily tai chi. After battling COVID once, he sought protection but was denied the COVID vaccine.

How RFK Jr.’s misguided science on mRNA vaccines is shaping policy − a vaccine expert examines the false claims Chaos at the CDC and the sharp move away from mRNA vaccines has public health experts alarmed.

If you’re wondering how much of what RFK Jr said yesterday about vaccines was true—almost none of it was.

@FullerLab_UW is one of the most accomplished vaccinologists out there and her article is required reading to separate truth from falsehoods.

theconversation.com/how-rfk-jr-s...

Poll: Amid multi-state measles outbreak, 79% of Americans support routine childhood vaccine requirements | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health A new poll from Harvard Chan School and the de Beaumont Foundation shows that childhood vaccine requirements are widely supported across political groups.

Most U.S. adults (79%) say parents should be required to have children vaccinated against preventable diseases like measles, mumps, and rubella to attend school - 90% among Democrats and 68% among Republicans.

AXIOS: “.. Massachusetts is the first state to mandate insurance coverage of vaccines even if the federal government stops requiring it.”

@axios.com
www.axios.com/2025/09/04/m...

The “problem” with vaccines? They so effective at preventing deaths that they create generations of people that question whether disease was a problem in the first place because they have never experienced the horrors of a world without vaccines.

This is vital for the health of our nation and the future of our children.

These Theatre Kids Won the Fight Against Proposed Anti-Arts Measures at an Arizona School Board Meeting More than 60 public speakers attended a recent school board meeting to speak out against a proposed measure to bar arts educators from renewing memberships in professional associations.

Let's keep up the good fight!

RFK Jr critic Paul Offit removed from FDA vaccine advisory committee Offit, long-serving vaccine scientist, says he was not given a reason for dismissal after initially being offered extension

Dr. Offit co-invented the rotavirus vaccine, he is a pediatrician and a physician scientist who has dedicated his life to protecting children and advocating for vaccines. His term was due to end 2027 but of course his expertise was intolerable to RFK.Jr.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...