MD Hobbs

Exclusive: Instagram shows more ‘eating disorder adjacent’ content to vulnerable teens, internal Meta research shows Meta researchers found that teens who report that Instagram regularly made them feel bad about their bodies saw significantly more “eating disorder adjacent content” than those who did not, according to an internal document reviewed by Reuters.

Absolute bombshell from @jeffhorwitz.bsky.social:

Meta's internal research found that Instagram's algorithms preferentially displayed harmful content to vulnerable teens.

I'm glad I left Instagram back when I did, even if it was for other reasons (their anti-LGBTQ policies).

‘The damage is beyond repair’: The CDC faces another round of deep staff cuts | CNN The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suffered another round of deep staff cuts late Friday, with disease detectives, outbreak forecasters, policy and data offices among those impacted, ac...

“The administration did not like that CDC data did not support their narrative, so they got rid of them. They didn’t like that CDC policy groups would not rubber stamp their unscientific ideas, so they got rid of them”.

The damage to the CDC is “beyond repair”.

Trump Administration Lays Off Dozens of C.D.C. Officials

Fustiliarian Friday: Trump/Kennedy/GOP use the shutdown as an excuse to destroy the CDC’s elite field epidemiology team and one of the most important epidemiology journals in the world.

Gift link.

The editors of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) were apparently fired today.

The precursor to MMWR began in 1878 to address emerging public health threats rapidly.

We are not “great” without it. We are vulnerable to threats from sporadic foodborne illness to bioterrorism.

Gonna be thinking about this lede for a minute.

1/ A lot of people have genuine questions about #routinevaccines. Between headlines, politics, and fear, it can be hard to find nuanced answers. Let’s walk through some FAQs. 👇

Parents are flocking to natural and ‘clean medicine’ brands. Medical experts are worried Parents are flocking to natural and "clean medicine" brands for Tylenol alternatives and more, leaving medical experts worried.

"When President Trump warned that pregnant women and children should avoid taking Tylenol, the wellness industry was ready to pounce."

www.statnews.com/2025/10/07/t...

Parents are bringing back the landline Looking to steer kids away from screens and social media, more families are going analog.

As more parents steer their children away from screens and social media, the landline phone — a mainstay of Gen X- and millennial-generation childhoods — is having a renaissance.

This may be the best response to much of the junk science being pushed by the trumpies in the US. 🧪🌎🐟⚒️ #TeamFish

Mississippi Baby Dies of Whooping Cough Amid Rising Cases A baby in Mississippi has died of whooping cough for the first time since 2012. The baby was less than two months old—too young for vaccination.

A baby has died of whooping cough in Mississippi amidst their worst pertussis outbreak in more than a decade.

If you have a loved one with an infant or are near babies a lot, please consider getting a pertussis booster, as is recommended by legitimate science and healthcare professionals.

1/ Last week, RFK Jr.’s promised autism “report” finally dropped. But instead of new science, we got far-reaching claims drawn from decades of existing research. As a mom, I saw the fallout firsthand. I got texts from my friends who were wracked with guilt and fear.

The Doctors Building a Public-Health Universe Outside the Government A growing contingent of physicians and policymakers are breaking away from federal health guidance under Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Great to see: The Vaccine integrity Project rolls out this week www.wsj.com/health/healt... @mtosterholm.bsky.social

Kennedy commission child health report ignores gun violence, the leading cause of child death HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said violence could be fault of antidepressants, social media and video games, but not guns.

RFK Jr.’s new report that claims it will make childen healthy again ignores the number one cause of death for childen in the United States: gun violence.

Fellow Defend Public Health member @brucemirken.mas.to.ap.brid.gy talked to the LA Times about this.

We didn’t ignore it in our IHAT report.

1/ Fall 2025 #vaccines are here: flu, RSV, and Covid-19. Keeping track of them isn’t always easy—especially with Covid-19 guidance in flux—but clarity is the antidote to confusion. But you know what? Clarity is the antidote to confusion and that’s what I’m providing today. 👇

Opinion | We Ran the C.D.C.: Kennedy Is Endangering Every American’s Health

9 CDC Directors going back to 1977 speak out. What RFK Jr has done to our nation’s public health system "should alarm every American."

It "is unlike anything we have ever seen at the agency, and unlike anything our country has ever experienced." www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/o...

Sign the Petition Demand RFK Jr. Resign: Petition for a Healthy America

Join some Nobel Laureates and sign this petition to remove RFK Jr. from office. He is a danger to the people of the United States and a national security threat.

www.change.org/p/demand-rfk...

Unraveling the arc of vaccine progress The philosopher Thomas Hobbes famously described life in 1651 as “nasty, brutish, and short.” He was undeniably correct, with estimates of average life expectancy in the UK at the time ranging from 37...

"This is not the future the American public desires or deserves."—Seth Berkley @science.org
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Pfizer and BioNTech’s COMIRNATY® Receives U.S. FDA Approval for Adults 65 and Older and Individuals Ages 5 through 64 at Increased Risk for Severe COVID-19 The 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine formulation targets the SARS-CoV-2 sublineage LP.8.1, in line with FDA guidance to more closely match circulating strains1Shipping of the LP.8.1-adapted vaccine will beg...

Pfizer just got FDA approval for 2025-2026 COVID19 vaccines for those:

-Aged 65+ years
-Aged 5-64 years with at least one underlying condition that puts them at high risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19.

THE HILL HEALTH CARE RFK Jr. says agency will reveal causes of autism in September BY JOSEPH CHOI - 08/26/25 4:01 PM ET

You’re not dropping a single, asshole.

If you’re actually knew anything, it would be criminal not to reveal it now. But of course, this is a bullshit publicity stunt.

Great topic. I’ve always hoped to know more about potential neuro/endocrine effects of pesticides. Do they impact fetal brain development? Do they impact human hormone axises?
And how bad is it all the nitrogen that gets poured into the ground and runs off into the water?

The Invention of “Sesame Street” Renata Adler’s 1972 review of the program that revolutionized children’s television.

“Small children from poor or middle-class families who watch ‘Sesame Street’ do better on cognitive tests and in first grade than children who do not watch it,” Renata Adler wrote, in 1972.

RFK Jr. is targeting mRNA technology, a major scientific advancement that allowed for the rapid development of coronavirus vaccines. wapo.st/4lhtvKe

The WSJ Editorial Board has just published an absolutely *brutal* takedown of RFK Jr.’s desire to end the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.

“…about to dismantle a rare oasis of legal sanity.”

“Therein lies the real goal of Mr. Kennedy’s “fixes”: Enriching the personal-injury bar.”

Guest column | I’m a microplastics researcher. Here’s how I limit the plastic in my life. Microplastics are everywhere. But there are simple ways to lower your exposure.

Some good tips for reducing your microplastic exposure
wapo.st/4o35OId

Summer Covid cases are rising across the U.S. — Is it time for a vaccine? The uptick in cases, caused by a variant of the virus nicknamed "razor blade throat," comes as many Americans have likely gone a year or longer without Covid shots.

The new COVID vaccines won’t be available until the fall, and are expected to be approved only for adults 65 and up and kids and adults with at least one medical condition that puts them at risk of severe illness.
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

Daily steps and health outcomes in adults: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis Although 10 000 steps per day can still be a viable target for those who are more active, 7000 steps per day is associated with clinically meaningful improvements in health outcomes and might be a mor...

What's the optimal number of steps of physical activity this is associated with multiple (9) favorable outcomes?
The largest, systematic review of 57 studies, 35 cohorts.
7,000 steps is clinically meaningful, benefit also seen for 4,000 steps cf 2,000 steps
thelancet.com/journals/lan...

1/ Happy Monday! As always, there’s lots going on in the world of #publichealth: a summer COVID wave, record-high tick bites, misleading sugar claims, and a major vaccine safety study. Plus a couple bright spots we can actually celebrate. Here’s what’s happening 👇

Here's the latest variant picture for the United States, to late June.

The XFG.* "Stratus" variant grew to dominant at 40%, with LP.8.1.* at 28%.

Growth of the NB.1.8.1 "Nimbus" variant is slower, at 16%.

#COVID19 #USA #XFG #Stratus #NB_1_8_1 #Nimbus
🧵

Wow. Using tax money to help the people who pay those taxes. What a concept 😲

No link between childhood vaccines and 50 health conditions A massive study of over 1.2 million children has found no link between aluminum-containing vaccines and 50 chronic childhood conditions, including autism, ADHD, asthma, and diabetes, delivering a reas...

newatlas.com/health-wellb...