Sabrina Assoumou, MD MPH

For a panel this morning at the #aaasmtg, the other speakers and I will share ideas and examples for improving trust in science. Here are a few I'll mention if I get a chance (we have a LOT to talk about). I'd love to hear yours. (1/7)

Love this! Thanks for sharing!

1. Some news about #flu & #measles in the US:
8 more kids have died from flu this winter. That brings the pediatric death toll to 60 & flu season isn't over. Flu B activity seems to be increasing & flu B is tough on kids. #CDC reports about 90% of these children weren't fully vaxed against flu.

Fewer people in Massachusetts are getting flu shots. It might be another legacy of COVID — or RFK Jr. - The Boston Globe Despite a bad flu season, the share of residents choosing to get vaccinated against the virus has fallen. Here are 4 possible reasons why.

During Covid, more Mass. residents got flu shots. But fewer are now choosing to get them even as a bad flu batters the state. For today’s @bostonglobe.com Starting Point, @billhanage.bsky.social and @assoumou.bsky.social helped me think through why that might be www.bostonglobe.com/2026/01/21/n...

Still need your flu or COVID-19 vaccine? 💉

There are four more free clinics this month, including several at BCYF community centers. All clinics are walk-in and open to everyone — no insurance or ID required.

Find all December clinics: boston.gov/vaccine-clinics
Stay healthy this winter, Boston. 💙

I am going to be that annoying friend. Get your #COVID & #flu shots. There is little downside to getting immunized and it will spare you from being out sick, having to go to the doctor's office, hospitalization and yes, death. Too many people aren't stepping up to get the shots. Do it this weekend.

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...

Dropping hepatitis B shots for newborns would ignore history and endanger children, scientists warn People who study, treat, or have hepatitis B say ending routine vaccination at birth - as some vaccine critics want - could lead to a resurgence of the virus.

Critics of newborn hepatitis B shots overlook why the CDC adopted the policy, and how cases dropped 99% after universal vaccination began
www.statnews.com/2025/09/11/n...

Congrats!!

Looks like we might both be on the case! See you soon!

I feel that we should also invite some renal friends! We always seem to be consulted on the same patients. Lol! I will be on consults next week if you are still on say hi!

Thank you for this wonderful piece and I agree that “ID is still the best job in medicine, even when it breaks your heart.”

Always a treat seeing you in the wild lol

Wow! The pediatric death toll for the 2024-25 flu season keeps climbing. #CDC was informed of +3 deaths last week; they occurred between early Feb & mid April.
The total is now 253 pediatric deaths (& more reports could still come). 90% of these kids weren't vaxed.
www.cdc.gov/fluview/surv...

Figure 1. Reported Measles Cases and Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) Vaccination Rates in the US

County-level data indicate a widespread decline in MMR vaccination rates across the U.S., particularly since the #COVID19 pandemic.

https://ja.ma/3ZdLmtr

#CDC has been alerted to another 4 pediatric flu deaths in the 2024-25 season, bringing the total now to 231 children. Awful, awful toll.
CDC says 90% of these children weren't fully vaccinated against flu. (Kids need 2 doses the first time they get flu vaccine.)
www.cdc.gov/fluview/surv...

Prevention >>>> treatment. That's the beauty of vaccines.

An animated, reimagined version of WSJ's measles visualization:

NIH funding delivers exponential economic returns — Harvard Gazette Report finds all 50 states reap gains in patient health, job creation, research resources, business development.

In fiscal year 2024, the report found, NIH awarded more than $36.9 billion to researchers, supporting more than 408,000 jobs and generating over $94.5 billion in new economic activity nationwide.

news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...

Some updates
#medSky #IDsky

West Texas measles outbreak expands to three states | CNN The measles outbreak in West Texas is linked with cases in New Mexico, officials said Tuesday, as well as new cases reported in Oklahoma. This brings the total number of cases to 258 across three stat...

The measles outbreak in West Texas is linked with cases in New Mexico, officials said, as well as new cases reported in Oklahoma. This brings the total number of cases to 258 across three states.

Quite tragic. We now have a second death from measles, a #vaccine preventable illness.

“… the deaths are a tragic reminder of the seriousness of the disease. With measles cases, 1 in 5 require hospitalization and approximately 3 in every 1,000 cases result in death.”
#medsky #IDsky

Picture of poster of Dr. Assoumou promoting vaccination

A colleague snapped this picture in the community and seeing it made my day!

Happy to continue to do my part to protect the community by partnering with Massachusetts Department of Public Health to get the community vaccinated for #flu and #Covid.
Cc @bostonu.bsky.social @bumedicine.bsky.social

A child is the first to die in Texas measles outbreak More than 120 people across nine counties have been infected during the largest Texas outbreak in 30 years.

As an ID doc, I must admit that I had to stop what I was doing when I saw this headline. I have trained my whole career to prevent this kind of outcome.

There are now over 120 cases from this current outbreak.

#IDsky #medsky

19thnews.org/2025/02/chil...

For those of you interested in following along- Here are the # of cases in West Texas outbreak over time. It's clearly growing quickly, but not as fast as it could be due to 75% of the population being vaccinated, (likely) behavior change, and the amazing work of public health workers on the ground.

A child is the first to die in Texas measles outbreak More than 120 people across nine counties have been infected during the largest Texas outbreak in 30 years.

As an ID doc, I must admit that I had to stop what I was doing when I saw this headline. I have trained my whole career to prevent this kind of outcome.

There are now over 120 cases from this current outbreak.

#IDsky #medsky

19thnews.org/2025/02/chil...

Happy bday!!

Reposting bc it is very timely.

#vaccination saves lives

“HPV vaccination has been recommended for routine use in US women since June 2006.”

#medsky #IDsky

Johns Hopkins sues federal government over NIH funds Johns Hopkins University joined several universities in a lawsuit on Monday evening suing the federal government over NIH funding.

Johns Hopkins officials said the NIH funding cut puts at risk approximately 600 current and ongoing clinical trials at Hopkins, including open clinical trials in cancer, pediatrics and children’s health, heart and vascular studies and the aging brain. www.thebaltimorebanner.com/education/hi...

Changes to NIH indirect rate will affect every state in the US. NIH funding doesn’t just enable research that finds cures—it supports jobs. Visit here to see how much in direct benefits your state receives reporter.nih.gov

Measles outbreak expands in West Texas around county with low vaccination rate | CNN A measles outbreak is growing in a rural area of West Texas where vaccination rates are well below the recommended level.

Measles is a #vaccine preventable illness. “All the cases are believed to be among people who are not vaccinated against measles”
#medsky #IDsky

www.cnn.com/2025/02/07/h...