Lauren Gravitz

See How Many Lives Vaccines Have Saved around the World Vaccines are the first step toward health equity in many parts of the world

Now seems like a good time to re-post this story I edited by @tarahaelle.bsky.social, which details the global public health impact of vaccines. They have saved innumerable lives. They can only continue to do so if we keep using them.

Yesterday the president demanded that evidence about Covid vaccines be shown to the public. Today @apoorvanyt.bsky.social & I run through some of the studies made public over the past 4+ years that show that the vaccines work. Gift link: nyti.ms/46k17Tq

This is not reporting. This is propaganda.

One deeply dangerous aspect of this is many smart-but-poorly-informed voters don’t understand that the damage occurring now cannot simply be reversed by a new president/administration. The number of conversations I have had explaining this is truly astounding.

And it's official!

Resistance Summer School is live!

You can sign up now to take my course, which Columbia cancelled-- Race, Media and International Affairs-- which I will teach live and online beginning in July.

124 signed up in five hours.

Let's goooo!!

open.substack.com/pub/karenatt...

Sent a gift link

Neon pink-lined clouds at sunset, reflected in a pool, with palms in the background.

Yes. It is okay here. 💕🌊

Two new wolf packs confirmed in California amid population boom Two new wolf packs were confirmed by wildlife officials this month, and explosive population growth could be around the corner.

Yes! 🐺💕

www.latimes.com/environment/...

The latest version of Sky Follower Bridge now lets you import your old X/Twitter lists into Bluesky! (Feature only available on Chrome for now)

Atlas Obscura kid books have been a big hit here. ❤️

Bird flu virus detected in California raw milk An independent Stanford research detected bird flu virus in a retail sample of Fresno-based Raw Farm milk.

I’m just going to note that pasteurization and vaccination exist for good reasons.

www.latimes.com/environment/...

“[F]or a nominee for a top position — much less the director of national intelligence — to have been placed on a government watchlist of any kind is highly unusual, if not unprecedented, several US officials said.”

There Are Three Main Reasons You Are Alive Right Now. RFK Jr. Is Fighting Tooth and Nail Against One of Them. Things could get really bad.

"We’re about to be deluged with the most brazen and dangerous lies of our lifetimes."

@laurahelmuth.bsky.social has been flying free for < 1 week and publishes a BANGER showing how RFK Jr. got where he is and why he's VERY dangerous. slate.com/_pages/cm3qc...

I want to add, RE: vaccines...

New Bird Flu Cases in Young People Are Raising Concerns about Mutating Virus Canada’s first human case of bird flu has left a teenager in critical condition as human infections continue to emerge in the western U.S.

Researchers are worried that emerging cases of bird flu in humans are giving H5N1 more opportunity to mutate and adapt. Here's what we've learned so far from the latest infections in young people: www.scientificamerican.com/article/bird...

RFK Jr. has made false and dangerous claims about AIDS. That could become a global problem. Will the United States abandon lifesaving efforts to research and fight the virus?

A reminder that RFK Jr. has other dangerous, bizarre, & stupid beliefs, such as the bogus idea that HIV does not cause AIDS. Another great piece by the always amazing, dependable @annamerlan.bsky.social. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Listen to the people who understand science and public health, rather than a bully who has bolstered measles outbreaks.

Linda McMahon, Trump’s Education pick, was sued for allegedly enabling sexual abuse of children | CNN Business A recent lawsuit alleges Linda McMahon, who President-elect Donald Trump tapped to lead the Department of Education, knowingly enabled the sexual exploitation of children by a World Wrestling Entertai...

So, now that Gaetz has withdrawn m, can we talk about McMahon and the DOE?

amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/11/...

That’s *exactly* the problem. Reporting this story changed my individual actions but not my view of overall policy.

‘Not Everyone Can Leave’: Survival Advice from Trans Teens in Texas Media attention often focuses on trans teens fleeing the anti-trans states they’re living in. But what about those who can’t leave?

“I have found so many amazing teachers and friends that support me that I don’t think people would even know that type of support is a thing in Texas.”

From our friends at @deceleration.bsky.social and @truthout.org : What happens to the #trans teens and their families who can't flee?

I swore I wasn't going to weigh in on fluoride, because it really is more complicated than appears at first glance. That said: It is a huge public health win. And also: it is worth reassessing these wins every so often. But it is NOT worth putting an anti-vaccine proselytizer in charge of US health.

Researchers are showing fluoride, even in low doses, may affect IQ. (ADA disagrees, points to old studies showing it's safe, but those studies didn't assess IQ). Since Fl is only helpful once teeth erupt, researchers suggest pregnant women in areas with fluoridated water drink the bottled stuff.

Middle- and higher-income families get enough fluoride from toothpaste (the science here is cool--we store fluoride in the plaque coating our teeth, releasing it when the environment gets too acidic). But lower-income communities are most at risk for harm from dental caries (pain, infection, etc.)

RFK Jr. wants fluoride out of drinking water. Oregon shows what’s coming. Fluoride is added to water to strengthen teeth and reduce cavities, but communities are abandoning the practice because of health concerns.

Today's @washingtonpost.com story (gift link below) is the best I've read about it since RFK Jr. burst onto the scene. At its core, this is an equity issue. Most people reading this post won't suffer if we stop fluoridating water, but lower-income communities will. They already do. wapo.st/40VkjVr

The fluoride wars rage on There is little question that supplemental fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces decay. But at what cost?

I wrote about the fluoride debate in 2021 for Nature. After 20+ interviews, I can tell you that it is nuanced and not as obvious as it first appears. Here's my (paywalled) story from 3 years ago, before the National Toxicology Program released their final report: www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Do you know about STATS check? A service from the American Statistical Association, a team of volunteer statisticians work with journalists to understand and correctly communicate statistics, on deadline. It's a hugely valuable resource for journalists.
senseaboutscienceusa.org/stats-check/

We just had our first two cases locally acquired dengue. In San Diego. Seems like a really good time to cut funding of mosquito-borne disease.

A screenshot of text that reads in part: "With the deadline of December 31, 2024, granted by the Second Temporary Rule quickly approaching, DEA, jointly with HHS, is now issuing a third temporary extension (Third Temporary Rule) to ensure a smooth transition for patients and practitioners that have come to rely on the availability of telemedicine for controlled medication prescriptions. This additional time will allow DEA (and also HHS, for rules that must be issued jointly) to promulgate proposed and final regulations that are consistent with public health and safety, and that also effectively mitigate the risk of possible diversion. Furthermore, this Third Temporary Rule will allow adequate time for providers to come into compliance with any new standards or safeguards eventually adopted in a final set of regulations. DEA remains committed to carefully evaluating the comments received in response to the prior NPRMs, as well as the information and perspectives presented at the Telemed

It's official:

HHS and DEA have moved to extend pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities on prescribing controlled substances like ADHD meds and opioids another year

This effectively punts fight over how to unwind this policy to Trump admin

public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2024-27018.pdf

Surge in worldwide measles cases driven by lack of vaccine coverage, WHO says The WHO and CDC say there were about 10.3 million cases of measles last year, up 20 percent from 2022. Children are especially susceptible to complications.

An estimated 10.3 million cases of measles occurred worldwide last year, up 20 percent from 2022, primarily because of inadequate immunization coverage, the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.

So how do we address the root of the problem? How to recreate community in such a siloed world? I’ve been struggling with this question (as relates to your hypothesis and others’). Clearly, many are struggling with it but I’d like to figure out how to move from diagnosis into action.