Craig Spencer MD MPH

Opinion | You Don’t Have to Be a Doctor to Understand This The moral argument for global health is the strongest we have.

“Politicians may slash budgets and dismantle institutions, but they cannot erase the principle that built them: that caring for others is a moral obligation, not a partisan position,” writes Dr. Craig Spencer.

Opinion | You Don’t Have to Be a Doctor to Understand This

"Empathy is not idealism; it articulates a pragmatic vision of our shared fate. In a world defined by worsening pandemics, climate instability and global interdependence, empathy is a necessity"

@craigspencer.bsky.social is spot on!

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/07/o...

Incredibly moving piece from an incredible human. I’m proud to know you @craigspencer.bsky.social. Thanks for inspiring us.

If we allow the Trump administration’s assault on empathy to define our global health agenda, or ourselves, we won’t just be turning away from the world—we’ll be turning away from who we are .

@craigspencer.bsky.social

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/07/o...

Opinion | You Don’t Have to Be a Doctor to Understand This

If we allow the Trump administration’s assault on empathy to define our global health agenda, or ourselves, we won’t just be turning away from the world — we’ll be turning away from who we are.

My latest for @nytimes.com

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/07/o...

Thank you! The feeling is very mutual!

Yesterday, RFK Jr announced the U.S. wouldn't continue to support Gavi, the leading international vaccine organization.

I had a lot of thoughts, so I put them in my first ever Substack.

tl;dr—this is RFK Jr taking his anti-vaccine crusade global.

Read it here:
open.substack.com/pub/craigasp...

Experts warn RFK Jr. is unraveling the system that kept vaccines safe Secretary Kennedy has long held many vaccine-skeptic views.

From #ABC: RFK Jr meets w/ his new vaccine panel this week to plan #flu season protocols, raising concern due to their anti-vax history.

@craigspencer.bsky.social warned that Kennedy “has an unbelievable ability to drastically change the access and availability of vaccines in this country”.

More ⤵️

What to expect from the upcoming CDC vaccine advisory committee meeting with RFK Jr.'s new members The CDC's vaccine advisory committee is set to meet for the first time since HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed the entire panel and appointed new members.

Center affiliate @craigspencer.bsky.social spoke to #ABCNews about what RFK Jrs vaccine panel might push next.

"It's anybody's question of what is going to happen, what the discussion around [MMRV] is going to be,"

Spencer warns of the effort to blur science and create doubt.

More ⤵️

A tale of two U.S. Global health security futures—withdraw or evolve? Rapid detection and response to biological threats are critical to global health security. For decades, the United States has played a leading role in…

NEW: Beth Cameron, @craigspencer.bsky.social and I share the impact of US funding cuts and policy changes to global health security now and in the future in Vaccine journal.

"A tale of two U.S. Global health security futures—withdraw or evolve?"
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

A member of RFK Jr.’s MAHA movement and a public health expert met on Zoom. Here’s what happened next. - The Boston Globe When public heealth experts and MAHA activists broke bread together, they found more in common than they expected.

Our Center affiliate @craigspencer.bsky.social joined a group of public health experts on Zoom, w/ MAHA grassroots members aiming to learn how to talk with each other

@bostonglobe.com: The conversation reflects the common ground that exists in a desire to rebuild trust in the medical system

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RFK Jr. has promoted 'freedom of choice' while limiting vaccines, food Experts say Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has talked about "freedom of choice" in health care while limiting choices on some products for many Americans.

#RFKJr talks about freedom of choice but limits it by bypassing norms.

@craigspencer.bsky.social told #ABCNews RFK Jr. identifies problems, but his solutions undermine community health "As the focus shifts from community to individuals, we're losing...a lot of the gains in public health"

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What I’m learning from MAHA And why public health needs to catch up with the curiosity-driven movement

This is incredibly important stuff from @kkjetelina.bsky.social . The only way those of us who care about public health can reach the many folks who agree with "MAHA" is to have difficult two-way conversations.
open.substack.com/pub/yourloca...

From Shark Dreams to Global Health Craig Spencer, MD, MPH, shares lessons from Ebola to COVID-19, highlighting crisis leadership, empathy, and why lessons of past pandemics must not be forgotten ...

Latest episode of #InfectiousIDeas features compelling conversation with #Ebola survivor and global health expert @craigspencer.bsky.social @brownpublichealth.bsky.social

🎧 Listen to his powerful story: www.nfid.org/podcast/from...

#GlobalHealth #NFIDPodcast

This is incredible reporting Brandy.

How measles tore through a remote West Texas city Anti-vaccine activists seized on a deadly outbreak in Seminole, setting off a battle between fringe doctors and mainstream medicine.

I spent time in Seminole, Texas, after a deadly measles outbreak tore through. I came back with a story about anti-vaccine activists who exploited the crisis, outmatched doctors and public health officials working to contain it — and a community left to bear the cost. www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...

We cover a lot of ground, touching on the current challenges in global health, leadership in times of crisis, the power of empathy, and lessons learned from past pandemics.

And yes, we talk about how I wanted to be a 'sharkologist' and then a cardiothoracic surgeon before landing where I am today

Really honored to be featured as a guest on the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID)'s podcast 'Infectious Ideas'.

Our episode—'From Shark Dreams to Global Health' was released today!

🎙️https://www.nfid.org/podcast/from-shark-dreams-to-global-health-with-craig-spencer-md-mph/

In Boston, @celinegounder.com is giving a fiery convocation address at Harvard School of Public Health talking about #misinfo in public health:
“The current administration is waging a war on science, and that can be seen most clearly on the issue of vaccines.”
#IDsky 🧪

Special: MAHA Meets w Public Health, the 2nd Conversation: On RFK Jr., Vaccines, Corporate Influence, & More Podcast Episode · Why Should I Trust You? · 05/20/2025 · 1h 34m

This conversation between two “sides” was deep, thoughtful, and truly honest… in ways that I didn’t expect.

Take a listen:

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...

@brindabee.bsky.social @craigspencer.bsky.social @kkjetelina.bsky.social

Opinion | Get Mad in Public, and 12 Other Ways to Save Health and Science

Here’s a gift link ⬇️

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/o...

Opinion | Get Mad in Public, and 12 Other Ways to Save Health and Science

Gift link ⬇️

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/o...

Opinion | 13 Ways to Save Health and Science

Times Opinion asked experts across disciplines to share concrete ways that individuals and institutions can keep science and health efforts in America moving forward. Here are their ideas.

Opinion | 13 Ways to Save Health and Science

For @nytopinion.nytimes.com I joined a dozen colleagues to offer concrete ways to save health and science at a time of immense change and uncertainty.

With timely and important perspectives from @reshmagar.bsky.social, @drkatemarvel.bsky.social‬ and many others.
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/o...

The GREAT @craigspencer.bsky.social will join me in The Doctor's Lounge today (May 13) at 2pm ET

We'll be discussing everything from how to bridge the gap between "us" and MAHA to why Craig is writing about...empathy.

Join us!
Link: lnkd.in/eeaV3YnU
Calendar invite: lnkd.in/ezY4s6mB

Inside A Rare Conversation Between MAHA Grassroots and Public Health Leaders - Why Should I Trust You? In today’s episode: a conversation between two sides that don’t typically speak with each other—mainstream public health leaders and voices from the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. These g...

Have a listen to the latest episode of ‘Why Should I Trust You?’ featuring clips from our conversation and an in-depth discussion between the Megan Ranney and Elizabeth Frost.

www.buzzsprout.com/2433134/epis...

Inside A Rare Conversation Between MAHA Grassroots and Public Health Leaders - Why Should I Trust You? In today’s episode: a conversation between two sides that don’t typically speak with each other—mainstream public health leaders and voices from the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. These g...

In our discussion between public health voices and MAHA members in Ohio, we discovered that even if we had some fundamental disagreements, there were places our hopes and ambitions were aligned.

These are the conversations we need right now.
www.buzzsprout.com/2433134/epis...

Inside A Rare Conversation Between MAHA Grassroots and Public Health Leaders - Why Should I Trust You? In today’s episode: a conversation between two sides that don’t typically speak with each other—mainstream public health leaders and voices from the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. These g...

@brindabee.bsky.social and her team are doing something remarkable—on their show, they are creating opportunities for open and honest conversation between groups that don’t often find themselves in the same spaces.

Inside A Rare Conversation Between MAHA Grassroots and Public Health Leaders - Why Should I Trust You? In today’s episode: a conversation between two sides that don’t typically speak with each other—mainstream public health leaders and voices from the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. These g...

At a time of intense turbulence and uncertainty for public health, I highly encourage everyone to listen to the ‘Why Should I Trust You?’ podcast.

Just a few weeks ago, the host @brindabee.bsky.social invited myself and other public health voices to a call with MAHA members in Ohio 🧵

The Global North is increasingly unsafe for global health meetings American civil rights activist Maya Angelou once wrote, “prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present inaccessible”.1 At a time of unprecedented national...

A remarkably important and timely piece in @thelancet.bsky.social by @madhupai.bsky.social, @shashikalb.bsky.social, and Nhial Deng. Essential reading for all of us in global health.

"The Global North is increasingly unsafe for global health meetings"

www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...