Alasdair Munro

PhD position (Manchester, UK)
Modelling reactive response in outbreaks of respiratory infections in vulnerable settings
with Lorenzo Pellis, Ian Hall, Thomas House
at University of Manchester
More details: http://iddjobs.org/jobs/2462

Position Statement on Respiratory PCR testing in children​ PIER Guideline for Position Statement on Respiratory PCR testing in children​

Respiratory PCR testing has exploded since the pandemic, but tests are expensive and sometimes used indiscriminately

We produced a statement for our regional paediatric network to help guide testing and improve diagnostic stewardship

#IDSky #PedsID

I get so confused when residents want to get the big panels in the primary care setting.

As you state in the guideline multiplex for when it will impact management! Which in primary care is almost never.

Position Statement on Respiratory PCR testing in children​ PIER Guideline for Position Statement on Respiratory PCR testing in children​

Respiratory PCR testing has exploded since the pandemic, but tests are expensive and sometimes used indiscriminately

We produced a statement for our regional paediatric network to help guide testing and improve diagnostic stewardship

#IDSky #PedsID

Protecting babies against RSV The last two years have changed the landscape of RSV disease prevention

Pleased to share my new post looking at the recent successes and turbulence in the development of therapeutics for infant RSV protection

Much progress made - but there’s more to do still!

#IDSky #PedsID 🧪

"we haven't been able to give them the vaccine ... there hasn't been enough data for the regulators ... this trial is looking at getting this additional data that we need so that hopefully in the future we'll be able to offer the vaccine to children younger than two." - @apsmunro.bsky.social

Did you see @uhsft.bsky.social's @apsmunro.bsky.social on BBC South with @edwardjsault.bsky.social? 📺

While many people recover quickly, flu can be dangerous for young children.

A new trial is exploring whether the flu vaccine can be extended to younger toddlers.

🔗 bbc.co.uk/news/article...

"trials were immediately halted and a meeting ... convened on December 12th 2024. Despite the vaccine passing all the pre-clinical tests put in place to ensure the vaccines didn’t result in VAERD, it looks possible it may have happened anyway. ... the safety checks ... worked extremely well"

I actually just fell off my swivel chair

Thank you!

Really nice summary - thanks @apsmunro.bsky.social

Protecting babies against RSV The last two years have changed the landscape of RSV disease prevention

Pleased to share my new post looking at the recent successes and turbulence in the development of therapeutics for infant RSV protection

Much progress made - but there’s more to do still!

#IDSky #PedsID 🧪

Yes it is

No idea what came over me

I will be burning bottles of azithromycin next week as penance for my sin

Just remembered when I broke one of my golden rules and suggested testing for Mycoplasma serology last week

Saying it took just moments, but the shame will last a lifetime

This morning I awoke to discover we had run out of coffee

In behaviours not at all indicative of addiction, I drove immediately to the nearest drive-through Costa in my pyjamas to obtain flat-whites for me and my wife

I have no regrets

The Munro Report | Alasdair Munro | Substack A newsletter with analysis on issues affecting science, medical research, child health and infectious diseases. Click to read The Munro Report, by Alasdair Munro, a Substack publication with thousands...

Very please to say that for the first time in nearly a year, I have a new Substack post coming on Monday!

Looking at the successes and tribulations of novel therapeutics to protect infants from RSV

Looking forward to sharing ✍️

open.substack.com/pub/alasdair...

I’d be interested in your thoughts on a related issue

When statistics IS taught to scientists, my experience is that it is often taught very poorly

If it’s not difficult, why is it done so badly?

Covid-19 sent the world mad The pandemic polarised voters and undermined trust in institutions

Everything spoken about here is pretty widely accepted now

These are really important things for institutions to be demonstrating they accept, and have learnt from if we want to build back trust from the public

That includes us as health professionals

www.economist.com/culture/2025...

Protecting infants with the maternal vaccine for RSV Podcast Episode · The Paeds Round · 08/04/2025 · 28m

It’s that time of year again. You know RSV is coming! But it could all be different with RSV vaccination. Listen to the brilliant Dr Simon Drysdale for hear the latest @ox.ac.uk @voices4vaccines.bsky.social #RCPCH #paedsround @apsmunro.bsky.social @mariekeemonts.bsky.social

Time for paediatrics to screen out sepsis “screening” It is time to remove the term, “sepsis screen,” from the paediatric lexicon, argue these authors Despite the success of vaccinations against organisms such as Haemophilus influenza type B and Neisser...

On #WorldSepsisDay highlighting editorial (with @apsmunro.bsky.social )

"Time for paediatrics to screen out sepsis “screening”

www.bmj.com/content/381/...

(For example screening, by definition, requires patient to be asymptomatic. But many patients receiving a “sepsis screen” are symptomatic)

Argh I hate how much I love this

This equates to 0.5 micromorts for each person receiving a vaccination course (usually several vaccines)

That is less than the mortality risk for a single day of skiing (0.7 micromorts)

Korea's reassuring vaccine data Autopsy results reveal extremely rare sudden deaths

Covid vaccine deaths: the best data came out of Korea, which did autopsies on all post-vaccination sudden deaths.

The country identified 21 deaths out of 44 million vaccinees.

Yes people can die from the vaccine, but it’s incredibly rare.

mazer.substack.com/p/koreas-rea...

Covid-19 sent the world mad The pandemic polarised voters and undermined trust in institutions

Everything spoken about here is pretty widely accepted now

These are really important things for institutions to be demonstrating they accept, and have learnt from if we want to build back trust from the public

That includes us as health professionals

www.economist.com/culture/2025...

This reminds me that contrary to some thinking, social media doesn’t reduce exposure to alternative viewpoints (eg “bubble effect”)

It increases exposure - but only to the worst and most extreme versions of them, further convincing you that you’re right and “the others” are terrible idiots

Whereas traditional media caters to a range of views, with moderate positions well-represented, extreme views — of both left and right — are heavily over-represented on social media. on.ft.com/3HNwX1M

We didn't randomize, and there was no allocation concealment or blinding, and we can't really be sure what intervention they got or how the outcomes were measured, but we emulated a trial by drawing a DAG.

There are a lot of oral/enteral source infections where we add anaerobic cover to standard empirical antibiotics (usually cephalosporins - classic “cef and met” combo)

Is there actually any empirical evidence this is beneficial?

#IDSky

Cycles of Susceptibility: Immunity Debt Explains Altered Infectious Disease Dynamics Post-Pandemic The epidemiology of infectious disease re-emergence since the COVID-19 pandemic is consistent with reduced population immunity from infection, due to non-p

Reading that piece was like time travelling back to 2022

Although they cited our article, they don’t appear to have read it as it explained clearly all the mistakes they made

@tah-sci.com

academic.oup.com/cid/advance-...

Instructive thread by Alasdair explaining difference in covid vaccination policy in UK & EU vs US and the difference to flu vaccination. Refreshing to see nuance and the need for thinking in trade-offs which is a necessary element for building a sustainable and efficient public health policy.