Katy Stephenson

perfect is the enemy of good and demanding perfect RCTs for annual flu shots = no flu shots

Perspective "The net effect would be to disadvantage the people the FDA exists to protect, including millions of Americans at high risk from serious infections." "A Threat to Evidence-Based Vaccine Policy and Public Health Security at the FDA" by R.M. Califf et al.

Twelve former commissioners of the FDA express concern that the agency’s recent moves will undermine a regulatory model designed to ensure vaccine safety, effectiveness, and availability. Read the full Perspective: nej.md/48Ova76

I will be doing live coverage of the ACIP meetings tomorrow and Friday on Bluesky.

Here's the agenda:
www.cdc.gov/acip/downloa...

And here is Your Local Epidemiologist and The Evidence Collective's prebunk:

open.substack.com/pub/yourloca...

Should be an interesting time

OPEN SPOT ALERT! There is an ID fellowship spot available at Boston Medical Center. Incredible team, sane workload (including consult caps and non-teaching service). Highly recommended if you're interested in TB/global health, HIV, SUD, or AMR/stewardship. Message me if interested! #IDsky #MedSky

It's very concerning that the ACIP may vote to delay hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccines for children, as reported by
@reuters.com

Here's why. 🧵
www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...

Today is World AIDS Day. My whole career as a doctor and scientist was inspired by those impacted by HIV -patients and communities. That commitment has not wavered, even when my government won’t acknowledge this day. And, we will still be here when this madness is over, for patients and communities.

Trump Administration Will No Longer Commemorate World AIDS Day

Silence = Death

Trump Administration Will No Longer Commemorate World AIDS Day www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/h...

Zoliflodacin and gepotidacin cross-resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae Resistance to zoliflodacin, a first-in-class antibiotic for gonorrhea treatment, can occur through gyrBD429N, but this mutation's impact on fitness and resistance to other topoisomerase targeting drug...

New preprint: with increasing resistance to ceftriaxone, the last recommended antibiotic for gonorrhea, we urgently need new drugs. Two--zoliflodacin & gepotdiacin--are up for approval by the FDA in Dec. Here we show a point mutation can result in cross-resistance. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

International funding cuts disrupted global response to HIV, UN report says UNAIDS says millions across the world lost access to treatment and preventive care due to financial shortfalls.

UNAIDS says millions across the world lost access to treatment and preventive care due to financial shortfalls.

As someone who has worked in HIV for 35+ years, I can tell you Carl is a consummate scientific leader. We’ve been lucky to have him at head of DAIDS. The only thing that wins here is the virus.

Difficult news for the networks. I hope the HHS vision still has a place for HIV research at all levels, basic to bedside.

Two new Cochrane reviews show strong and consistent evidence that HPV vaccines are effective in preventing cervical cancer and pre-cancerous changes, especially when given to young people before they are exposed to the virus.

www.cochrane.org/about-us/new...

Leading Autism and Disability Organizations Statement on CDC's Vaccines and Autism Page As national organizations dedicated to advancing the well-being of autistic individuals and partners across the disability and public health sectors, we are deeply disappointed by the latest update to...

WOW! Autism Society of America, The Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, the Autism Science Foundation, the Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network and Autism Speaks put out a statement denouncing the CDC changing its website on vaccines
autisticadvocacy.org/2025/11/lead...

We are witnessing a poisonous effort to destroy what the vast majority of Americans know is a key pillar of public health.

Vaccines are responsible for 40% of the reduction in child mortality achieved in the last half century.

Mass. Health Officials Call Out CDC Over Vaccine Claims | WBZ NewsRadio 1030 DPH Commissioner Robbie Goldstein says the CDC is spreading vaccine misinformation that is "deeply troubling and even dangerous."

DPH Commissioner Robbie Goldstein says the CDC is spreading vaccine misinformation that is "deeply troubling and even dangerous."

Decades of rigorous and scientifically sound research have proven that vaccines do not cause autism. CDC’s decision to change language on its website reversing that finding is reckless & harmful.

Our statement w/ @hivma.bsky.social, APIC, @sheaepi.bsky.social & @sidpharm.bsky.social: bit.ly/3XEc0KH

This is an interesting correction. I admit I don’t understand what’s happening with the Texas sequences - not done or not shared?

Looking at you @billhanage.bsky.social

Not sure why it is acceptable for him to grade students when he thinks women are stupider than men. Kind of a weight on the scales there …

I did not realize that Larry Summers is *currently* teaching large undergraduate classes at Harvard.
www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...

H5N5 👀

Summers was president of one of the most prestigious and famous academic institutions in the United States. This is what we have to deal with

What Rosalind Franklin truly contributed to the discovery of DNA’s structure Franklin was no victim in how the DNA double helix was solved. An overlooked letter and an unpublished news article, both written in 1953, reveal that she was an equal player.

I like this piece a lot about Rosalind Franklin’s role in solving the structure of DNA. It really respects her as a full scientist - what she saw, what she didn’t appreciate, what could have been if she’d had true peers to support her, or had not died so young.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Wow that is hard to read, mostly because I feel the pain of every young woman who has had to read that, and not just that paragraph, but the thousands of evil paragraphs that they, we, have had to read our entire lives

The Shutdown of U.S.A.I.D. Has Already Killed Hundreds of Thousands The short documentary “Rovina’s Choice” tells the story of what goes when aid goes.

One analytical model shows that, as of November 5th, the dismantling of U.S.A.I.D. has already caused the deaths of 600,000 people, two-thirds of them children. https://newyorkermag.visitlink.me/jUzNSc

I enjoyed this piece - it was much more positive than I expected. Made me feel not quite so bad for my life choices.

Grey background with rainbow borders. Text reads, "October 21, 2025, 1 of 2. Gender-affirming care is health care that helps people feel comfortable and whole in their bodies. It supports individuals whose gender identity or expression may not match what others expect, including transgender, nonbinary, intersex, and gender-expansive people. It can also help others, such as breast cancer survivors or people with hormone-related conditions, feel more at ease and confident in their bodies. Access to these health care services is critical to overall physical and mental health and wellness." The Boston Public Health Commission and City of Boston Office of LGBTQIA2S+ Advancement logos are at the bottom.

Grey background with rainbow borders. Text reads, "October 21, 2025, 2 of 2. Unfortunately, this federal administration is making it harder for people, including young people, to get the health care they need. Federal decisions have forced some health care providers, including Fenway Health, to stop offering gender-affirming care for youth under 19. Across the country, health centers are being put in an impossible position, having to choose between following their mission or keeping their doors open. Boston’s health centers do invaluable work, and we will continue to support them in doing everything they can to protect the health and well-being of all residents, including members of our LGBTQIA2S+ community. For help finding care, the Mayor’s Health Line provides confidential, multilingual health information and referrals: 617-534-5050 or mayorshealthline@bphc.org." The Boston Public Health Commission and City of Boston Office of LGBTQIA2S+ Advancement logos are at the bottom.

We will continue to support Boston's health centers in doing everything they can to protect the health and well-being of all residents, including members of our LGBTQIA2S+ community.

For help finding care, call 617-534-5050, email mayorshealthline@bphc.org, or visit boston.gov/mayors-health-line.

Before people freak out about such a statement, the CDC cannot compel any investigator to conduct such a study, nor would any local IRB ever approve it. And the “CDC” is staffed overwhelmingly by ethical investigators that are not afraid to stand up to power, as we’ve already seen.

Free Vaccine Clinics in Boston Everyone ages six months and older is encouraged to get the updated flu and COVID-19 vaccines. Pregnant parents, babies, and older adults should consult their health care professional about RSV vaccin...

We’re offering free vaccine clinics in Boston. Vaccines are safe, effective, and protect against serious illness. Getting vaccinated keeps you healthy and helps protect your family, friends, and community.

Find upcoming vaccine clinics at boston.gov/vaccine-clinics.

First-Trimester mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination and Risk of Major Congenital Anomalies This cohort study examines the association between first-trimester exposure to messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccines and the risk of major congenital malformations among infants in France.

In over 130K births, French researchers found no association between birth defects and mothers who received an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine during the first trimester.
#vaccination #covid19 #publichealth
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...