Kristen Shamus

Another hospital in Michigan's Upper Peninsula is closing its labor and delivery unit later, further exacerbating a crisis in access to care in rural parts of the state.

This affects more than just pregnant people, Beki San Martin and I reported in a story for the @detroitfreepress.bsky.social.

Saying the nation was "duped" by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a U-M doctor is building a coalition in Michigan to counteract his vaccine policies.

Dr. Pamela Rockwell wants to empower Michigan's medical institutions to "refuse to capitulate to sham science and quackery ... proposed" by Kennedy Jr.

Riding the wave of today's news cycle makes this smile-maker especially appreciated!

Health secretary RFK Jr. shuts door on U.S. investment in mRNA vaccine research Vaccine experts and people steeped in pandemic preparedness expressed horror at the news that RFK Jr. has shut the door in U.S. investment in mRNA vaccine research.

Enormous news from @helenbranswell.bsky.social:

RFK Jr. says the U.S. will terminate 22 grants funding development of mRNA vaccines, "delivering a crippling blow" to the nation's capacity to respond to future pandemics/infectious disease outbreaks: www.statnews.com/2025/08/05/m...

Mother Nature’s spectacular light show, taken from Emerald Isle, N.C., on July 25, 2025.

BREAKING: It appears the GOP has some attendance problems with many members not making it back yet to DC. (as of this count 11 missing)

They cannot afford to lose more than a few votes; their margin is just 3. If almost all Dems there, and if some of the 211 are nos, they have a counting problem

'Big, beautiful bill' Medicaid cuts could affect 700k Michiganders -- including George A chorus of health policy analysts and others warn President Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' will have "a devasating impact" on health care in Michigan.

An internist calling for the use of scalpels?

Stranger things have happened. Especially when there's key #healthpolicy at stake.

Read this new piece from @kristenshamus.bsky.social in @freep.com to learn more:
www.freep.com/story/news/p...

Harvard hired a researcher to uncover its ties to slavery. He says the results cost him his job: ‘We found too many slaves’ When the extent of the university’s involvement with slavery was unearthed, a scholar tracking descendants of enslaved workers was suddenly fired

Harvard hired a researcher to uncover its ties to slavery. He says the results cost him his job: ‘We found too many slaves’ | Harvard University | The Guardian www.theguardian.com/news/2025/ju...

Social Security on track to run out of money by 2034, trustees say The annual report forecasts the date when the trust funds will run out of money, triggering sharp automatic cuts in benefits. Here’s what you need to know.

The trust funds for Social Security and Medicare will run out of money in less than a decade, according to a report released Wednesday.

Here's what to know:

Thanks for pointing out the misuse of the word “vial” in the photo caption! I’ll correct that now. I write the words in the story, not the captions on the photos, so it took me a minute to figure out what you were referencing.

Michigan health officials miss crucial notification window for most 2025 measles cases For only three of Michigan's nine confirmed measles cases, public announcements came quickly enough for people to get post-exposure treatment.

Michigan public health leaders missed the crucial 6-day public notification window for the majority of measles cases in the state this year. That's the period of time when vulnerable people can get post-exposure treatment to reduce the severity of illness. Here's why:

2nd child from Ingham County has measles after exposure to baby girl with virus A 1-year-old boy in Ingham County now has the measles, after exposure to a 12-month-old girl who also has the highly contagious virus.

A second child from Ingham County now has #measles, #Michigan health leaders say, after exposure to a 12-month-old girl with the virus. It comes amid a growing number of cases in the state, which declared an outbreak last week.

Health leaders urge vaccination.

@detroitfreepress.bsky.social

Measles Surge in Southwest Is Now the Largest Single Outbreak Since 2000 Growing case numbers suggest that national total will surpass that seen during the last large outbreak in 2019.

The spread of measles in the Southwest now constitutes the largest single outbreak since the U.S. declared the disease eliminated in 2000, federal scientists told state officials in a meeting on Monday.

They’re a little late to bloom this season, but it feels like maybe there’s hope on the horizon for warmer, better days.

Montcalm County has Michigan's first measles outbreak of 2025 Two new measles cases have been tied to an infection initially reported April 9 in a Montcalm County resident who traveled out of state.

Michigan's first measles outbreak is in Montcalm County. The initial case in Montcalm County was reported April 9. Since then, two new cases have been linked to the initial infection.

Statewide in 2025, there have been 7 total cases, with 1 each in Ingham, Kent, Macomb and Oakland counties.

“Where have you ‘bean’ all my life?” 🤣

Gotta love a company with a sense of humor.

This made my soup-cooking escapades more entertaining!

It feels as if this is just the beginning, that we're on the verge of a whole lot of sickness, and a whole lot of needless suffering.

Macomb County resident who traveled to Canada has measles, is 3rd Michigan case of 2025 A Macomb County resident who recently traveled to Ontario now has a confirmed case of measles, the county health department announced Friday.

A few hours after the news broke about the person with mumps in Oakland County, we got word this afternoon that yet another measles case was identified in Macomb County.

Both measles and mumps are almost entirely preventable with just two doses of the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine. 3/

Oakland County announces 1st case of mumps since 2022 as health officials urge vaccination An adult in Oakland County has the mumps, county health officials said Friday. It's the first case since 2022 in the county.

This morning, Oakland County reported its first case of mumps since 2022.

Most people recover from mumps, but it’s no picnic. My mother says it was among the singularly most dreadful experiences of her life. For two weeks, she could hardly swallow a sip of water, she was so swollen. 2/

Traveler with measles exposed others at Detroit Metro, Grand Rapids airports: What to know Person lives in Kent County, may have exposed others from March 24-28.

Earlier this week, I wrote about a Michigan resident who was infectious with measles when traveling through Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Gerald R. Ford International Airport, a restaurant and health care facility.

It's possible one person exposed thousands to the extremely contagious virus. 1/

Traveler with measles exposed others at Detroit Metro, Grand Rapids airports: What to know Person lives in Kent County, may have exposed others from March 24-28.

www.freep.com/story/news/l...

A Michigan first: 10-year-old Ypsilanti boy lives 24 days with total artificial heart There were few options when Lev'Veon Jones-White's heart suddenly stopped in August. So U-M doctors implanted an artificial heart.

Lev’Veon Jones-White says he isn’t special, but he is lucky.

He is the first child in Michigan to get a total artificial heart after his suddenly stopped beating in August. The device kept him alive for 24 days, until he was able to undergo heart transplant.

www.freep.com/story/news/h...

The State Medical Board Has Evidence This Doctor Was Hurting Patients. It Renewed His License — Twice. The Montana hospital that fired Dr. Thomas C. Weiner turned over thousands of pages of documents, but members of the board say they were unaware of them.

NEW: The State Medical Board Has Evidence This Doctor Was Hurting Patients. It Renewed His License — Twice. by @davidmcswane.bsky.social and Mara Silvers w/ @montanafreepress.org

Lunch out with the Detroit Free Press to show solidarity for a #FairContractNow

We’re almost there. Hang on just a little longer.

This is horrible to post, but I may as well post it. We are essentially shutting down research operations in my group, which is focused on treatments for pediatric brain cancer. I’m a well funded investigator, and there’s no choice. Science can’t function without the stability of NIH

State's first 2025 measles case reported, likely exposing others at 2 Rochester locations People at Kruse and Muer restaurant and Henry Ford Rochester earlier in March may have been exposed.

Today, Michigan reported its first case of measles this year.

The virus infected a person from Oakland County who recently returned from international travel. Exposure times/dates/locations are detailed in the
@freep.com story here, along with symptoms to watch for, where to get a vaccine, etc.

NIH to terminate or limit grants related to vaccine hesitancy and uptake The order covers more than 40 awards to researchers around the country seeking to understand why vaccine acceptance has declined.

Link:

I was born in the ‘70s, when 1 MMR dose was considered fully vaxxed. I didn’t recall whether I got a boost in ‘89, when the CDC said 2 doses were needed for immunity. I went to my local health department when Oakland Co. had an outbreak in 2019, and no titer check was needed. I got another dose.

Many of us do. Short memories, misinformation, and fear, I think, drives the rest toward anti-vaccine sentiment.

It becomes an enormous public health problem when the number of those who don't believe in vaccination swell to the levels we're seeing now. It puts us all at risk.