Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH

We're riding a public health ship that absolutely has no rudder.

CIDRAP is launching new partnerships with Unbiased Science and The Evidence Collective to strengthen access to clear, evidence-based vaccine information and counter inaccurate claims.

Bill's life is testament to the profound impact that one dedicated individual can have on the health of humanity.

Bill's courage, creativity, and compassion continue to guide all of us working to improve health across communities and borders. On behalf of CIDRAP, I extend our deepest condolences to his family, colleagues, and the countless individuals whose lives were saved through his work.

I'm one of those people who Bill inspired. I benefited from his mentorship and his insight. For that, I count myself incredibly lucky - a feeling I know I share with many.

He inspired generations of public health professionals, strengthened immunization programs worldwide, and served the public with distinction, including leading the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and co-founding The Task Force for Global Health.

His work did not just defeat a scourge; it redefined what is possible in public health and demonstrated the power of evidence-based strategy to build trust and save lives on a global scale. Bill’s legacy is vast and enduring, and his efforts did not stop with smallpox.

Under his guidance, a disease that once claimed millions of lives was brought to an end, not through brute force but through ingenuity, scientific rigor, community engagement and a profound commitment to protecting the world’s most vulnerable.

We are deeply saddened by the loss of Dr. William H. Foege, a towering figure in global public health whose visionary leadership changed the course of human history. Bill's contributions to the eradication of smallpox stand as one of the most extraordinary achievements in medicine and epidemiology.

So happy to share 200 episodes with you all!

Navigating Conflicting Vaccination Recommendations This Perspective discusses how clinicians can navigate conflicting vaccination recommendations following revisions from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and US Centers for Disease Cont...

The authors warn that the real threats are confusion, instability, and potential payment and access disruptions—not malpractice liability.

Science hasn’t changed. Clinicians shouldn’t have to, either.

Link: tinyurl.com/5n6nwnu4

The Vaccine Integrity Project at CIDRAP is launching an independent review of the HPV vaccine, using transparent methods and drawing on more than a decade of data

Do you appreciate CIDRAP News' journalism? Here's a way to show your support. Help fund our non-profit newsroom so we can provide even more hard-hitting stories about infectious disease, particularly the assault on childhood vaccinations.

makingagift.umn.edu/give/fund.ht...

"The Big One," by @mtosterholm & Mark Olshaker, made the New York Post's list of the 15 best nonfiction books of 2025

nypost.com/2025/12/2...

🎉 Happy (almost) New Year! Due to the holiday, our next podcast drops Friday the 2nd instead of Thursday. See you then!

New Osterholm Update podcast episode! @mtosterholm & @cvdall discuss why we shouldn’t compare other countries’ vaccine schedules to the US schedule. And Dr O continues to cover the infant botulism outbreak & answers an ID Query about New World Screwworm

www.cidrap.umn.edu/a...

New! Public Health Alerts, a joint CIDRAP/NEJM Evidence effort to strengthen early detection and response to emerging health threats.

First 2 reports:
• Community transmission of clade Ib mpox in LA area
• Flu virus characteristics and vax effectiveness data supporting WHO 2025–26 strain selections

Public Health Alerts CIDRAP provides an initiative dedicated to safeguarding vaccine use in the U.S, so that it remains grounded in the best available science.

Public Health Alerts reports are free, expert-reviewed, and designed to help public health leaders act fast.

www.cidrap.umn.edu/public-healt...

In a world of profound change in public health, we are grateful to provide timely, comprehensive, and authoritative news, insights, and “straight talk” on emerging infectious disease threats. Please consider a gift to help make it possible, thanks!

This ACIP meeting set a historic precedent for the erosion and destruction of science-based vaccine programs in our country.

If ACIP chooses to ignore evidence, when it comes to vaccines, parents and clinicians must ignore ACIP and look to those who continue to offer data-based guidance, especially our medical societies.

In voting to eliminate the universal birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine, ACIP ignored decades of evidence confirming its strong safety profile and effectiveness. Its decision will result in more hepatitis B infections and more people with chronic liver disease.

CIDRAP’s Vaccine Integrity Project has released a major evidence review: 400+ studies/reports, 40 years of data—and the conclusion is unmistakable.

There is no evidence supporting a delay in the hepatitis B birth dose.

Full report: www.cidrap.umn.edu/vaccine-inte...

The infant botulism outbreak is an example of what public health does everyday to save lives--to identify the source and put an end to it.

Public trust is not a renewable resource. Our health agencies must be unwavering in their commitment to evidence, transparency, and integrity. Anything less jeopardizes the public’s ability to make informed decisions and ultimately puts more people at risk.

Don't miss this webinar happening TOMORROW #WAAW

Happy Day 1 of World AMR Awareness Week (#WAAW2025)! Today, we're highlighting some of the research that @cidrap.bsky.social has published over the years—from a 3-part analysis of outcomes research to a report on the introduction of typhoid conjugate vaccines www.cidrap.umn.edu/antimicrobia...

Just 10 days away! Make sure to register to secure your spot!

This is a wakeup call about society. It's not about politics, it's not about partisanship. It's about who we are as kind people.