Simone Popperl

Aluminum Exposure From Vaccines and Diet This Perspective examines aluminum exposure from vaccines and diet, including how the body processes aluminum, possible health effects, and safety considerations.

Over a century of life, if all recommended, aluminum-containing vaccines are received, maximum potential aluminum exposure from vaccines would be approximately 12 mg of aluminum, whereas exposure from absorbed aluminum in diet would be between 468 and 2785 mg. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

The Kids Trump Sent to ICE’s Dilley Detention Center ProPublica went inside the immigrant detention center for families in Dilley, Texas. Children held there told us about the anguish of being ripped from their lives in the United States and the fear of...

Such an important story: ProPublica went inside the immigrant detention center for families in Dilley, Texas. Children held there told us about the anguish of being ripped from their lives in the U.S. and the fear of what comes next.
@micarosenberg.bsky.social

Alex Pretti from his early days working at the VA

Alex from our time working together, while he was in nursing school. Later, he moved to ICU, working as a nurse to support critically ill Veterans. He had such a great attitude. We’d chat between patients about trying to get in a mountain bike ride together. Will never happen now

My ears are so offended

Why comparing the U.S. vaccine schedule to European countries’ is a red herring If any ambiguity remained about the ultimate goal of the current administration’s public health policy, last week shattered it. On Friday, following a

"This is a seductive argument to a layperson, but it is ethically bankrupt." Worth a read.

Pediatricians reject CDC advisers’ guidance, plan to continue vaccinating all newborns against hepatitis B

RFK Jr has warned doctors that failing to follow federal vaccine panel’s recommendations puts them at legal risk.

Not true, experts say.

And many pediatricians say they won’t change their advice to patients.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/childhood-va...

AAP is not changing its recommendations in response to the CDC vaccine panel; they diverged on covid shots as well

Babies get far more aluminum from food, including breast milk, than from vaccines. In the first 6 mos of life, a breast-fed baby takes in 10 mg of aluminum; a baby given a milk-based formula takes in 30 milligrams; a soy formula-fed baby gets 120 milligrams. #acip

www.usatoday.com/story/news/2...

Doctors warn delaying hepatitis B shot for newborns could revive a deadly threat As RFK Jr.'s new vaccine panel ponders changing the hepatitis B vaccination schedule, some doctors recall past patients, including children, who died painful deaths before there was a vaccine.

If you’re curious about what‘s at stake in today’s #ACIP discussions, check out our story on the real risks of “horizontal transmission” of hep B among babies:

www.npr.org/sections/sho...

If you are used to attending or watching ACIP metings, it is difficult to describe just how disturbing this one has been. People talking over one another, confusion, outright ignorance. Compare this to the very orderly, sedate, consideration of facts of previous meetings for years and years.

Høeg also said ”from a regulatory perspective we have a very low level of confidence“ in the safety and efficacy of hep B vaccines.

FDA is the agency that would have the power to effectively outlaw specific vaccines in the U.S. by deauthorizing them.

FDA‘s Tracy Beth Høeg reiterates that peer nations mostly don’t vax at birth.

The experts we talked to say…that’s because (for once) the U.S. is leading peer nations in preventative care on this! They’re looking to us as a success!

Liaison member Sandra Fryhofer also hitting on the importance of understanding how easy it is to get hep B from indirect contact.

Even the CDC still acknowledges that hep B is far more infectious than HIV.

Liaison member Jason Goldman echoes Middleman. Says this whole meeting is an example of waste fraud and abuse. “the best thing you can do is adjourn this entire session”

YouTube video by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) - December 4, 2025 - Day 1 of 2

Watch #ACIP live here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lpth...

Liaison member Dr. Amy Middleman is on the line now, correcting a serious misrepresentation of her own study that was presented earlier.

Pointing out that presenters are not actually trained or knowledgable on the topics they’ve presented. Asks pointedly what their day jobs are.

Doctors warn delaying hepatitis B shot for newborns could revive a deadly threat As RFK Jr.'s new vaccine panel ponders changing the hepatitis B vaccination schedule, some doctors recall past patients, including children, who died painful deaths before there was a vaccine.

If you’re curious about what‘s at stake in today’s #ACIP discussions, check out our story on the real risks of “horizontal transmission” of hep B among babies:

www.npr.org/sections/sho...

(I really wonder what it feels like to be Cody Meissner right now. What does he hope he can accomplish today given the data distortions in the non-expert presentations and the ideological bent of others on the committee?)

Malone cuts him off.

Meissner circles to a question about “what is the risk of the hepatitis B vaccine?” Takes anti-vax activist and presenter Mark Blaxill to task for implying post-vax irritability might be encephalitis. “You cannot say that.“

Robert Malone interrupts - “in your opinion.”

Meissner: “uh, ok. These are facts Robert”

#ACIP member Cody Meissner: “I take strong issue with each of the three presentations we just heard“ on the hep B birth dose.

“There were so many statements that I disagree with that it’s hard to be succinct”

Louisiana officials waited months to warn public of whooping cough outbreak After a whooping cough outbreak killed two infants, Louisiana health officials waited months to officially alert physicians or do public outreach. That's not the typical public health response.

New from me: After a whooping cough outbreak killed two infants, Louisiana health officials waited months to officially alert physicians or do public outreach.

www.npr.org/sections/sho...

@rosemarywestwood.bsky.social spent months carefully reporting this important, nuanced, and chilling piece.

What happens when public health institutions don't follow their playbook during an infectious disease outbreak?

Take a look/listen:

I’m so sorry this happening to you 💔

You got it.

In the spring, we reported on how pharmacies were trying to prepare for all these unknowns.

Bottom line: lots of independent pharmacies are probably in trouble. And they don’t know how to answer @lizzieohreally.bsky.social’s very reasonable question.

Radio and print story for NPR:

I am a well educated, pretty media literate person whose job it is to be professionally annoying. I cannot figure out if my cancer medication, which costs $17k a month (I do not pay anything thanks to a combo of insurance/access programs), is going to be tariffed 100%.

- recommending healthcare providers discuss risks and benefits of COVID-19 vaccination with patients based on age, health history, and other factors. Again, no specific wording provided for this.

- recommending the CDC change the vaccine information statement for COVID-19 vaccines to include at least the six risks outlined by Retsef Levi today. They aren't offering any wording to the CDC for how to do this.

4. A whole mess of things for COVID-19 shots:
- changing the immunization schedule to require "individual decision-making" for all groups, with extra instructions for those under age 65. There was confusion (even among HHS staff in the room) about what this will mean in practice.