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Jim Alwine

@jimalwine.bsky.social

Virologist, Retired UPenn Professor, avid defender of facts, scientific research, vaccines and public health. Bicyclist, hiker, grandfather, writer, owned by two dachshunds and bass player for the Herpetic Legion.

3,390 Followers  |  37 Following  |  499 Posts  |  Joined: 15.11.2024
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Posts by Jim Alwine (@jimalwine.bsky.social)

A lie runs around the world before the truth gets its shoes on.

03.03.2026 00:15 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Meeting on U.S. Measles Status Is Delayed Until November

Measles is out of control in the US, yet RFKJr lies and manipulate the system so the US won’t lose its measles elimination status until after the mid term elections. Just hideing the fucking mess this shitbird has made of US health. Well I won’t let anyone forget. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/02/w...

02.03.2026 23:08 β€” πŸ‘ 22    πŸ” 14    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Freedom, Responsibility, and the Lessons Polio Taught Our Generation | Common Dreams ​Those of us who lived through the polio era know something that is easy to forget today: Vaccines did not take freedom away, they restored it.

The fabulous and prolific @nurseteria.bsky.social and Dr. Arthur Lavin have a piece out about the lessons that polio taught us about vaccines and public health.

It’s ludicrous that RFK Jr. and his minions want to destroy the progress made against infectious disease.

26.02.2026 18:37 β€” πŸ‘ 108    πŸ” 46    πŸ’¬ 8    πŸ“Œ 2
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What Makary’s Plan For Expanding OTC Drug Access Could Mean For Safety There are political and safety considerations as the FDA looks to make more drugs OTC. Also, antibiotic resistance is a huge problem where those meds are OTC.

From @drjudystone.bsky.social

24.02.2026 22:00 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Skipping vaccines could be a constitutional right in Arizona A measure awaiting a vote by the full Hose would ask voters to decide whether to put a "right to refuse medical mandates'' in the Arizona Constitution.

What about the constitutional right to life - to live not fearing deadly diseases. No these shitbirds want medical freedom, the selfish pigheaded attitude that they can do whatever and the rest of society be damned. Well, history shows this will bite you in the ass. tucson.com/news/state-r...

23.02.2026 22:20 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

When I moved to Tucson From Philadelphia (which is getting clobbered with snow right now) I left a large Honda snowblower with the house we sold. I hope it is still functioning so the present owners can clear the long downhill driveway. Good luck with the storm.

23.02.2026 16:53 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

The rise of vaccine-preventable diseases in the US (now including mumps) is being suppressed by RFKJr’s anti-vaccine efforts. Most Americans are unaware of how hideous and deadly his MAHA movement is. And its all to benefit Big Wellness that will fleece millions selling snake oil.

17.02.2026 17:21 β€” πŸ‘ 23    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Medical Freedom, the darling of the Republicans is really support for the Big Wellness, an industry which is much, much bigger than Big Pharma, and is largely unregulated. It makes those medical clames that their products are what β€œyour Dr. won’t tell you about.” That’s because it’s snake oil.

17.02.2026 13:31 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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What To Watch For When ICE Buys Local Warehouses DHS is buying huge warehouses raising concerns about economic impacts on towns, adequate water and infrastructure, and outbreaks of measles, other infectious diseases.

Unfortunately as an Arizonan I am all too familiar with ICE purchasing warehouses to use as detention camps.

The incredible @drjudystone.bsky.social takes on this cruelty in her latest.

16.02.2026 21:42 β€” πŸ‘ 143    πŸ” 66    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 4
Post image Post image Post image Post image

Tucson sunrise 2-16-26

16.02.2026 14:19 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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The Trump Administration Is Waging a Global War on Children | Common Dreams ​By cutting aid abroad and the social safety net at home, while spreading vaccine skepticism, the administration is ensuring that more children will suffer and die.

The Trump Administration Is Waging a Global War on Children. An OpEd with my friend and co-author @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social
www.commondreams.org/opinion/trum...

15.02.2026 14:59 β€” πŸ‘ 28    πŸ” 19    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Another blow to public health and science.

12.02.2026 21:00 β€” πŸ‘ 117    πŸ” 41    πŸ’¬ 10    πŸ“Œ 3

with the flood of lies and misinformation from RFKJr and his plague mongers. Or it may be the invasion of another pandemic virus that the US will be completely unable to deal with because public health, biological science and the ability to creat a vaccine have been decimated in the US.

12.02.2026 01:19 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

a beeping metal sphere orbiting the earth that causes awakening. It will be the frightening morbidity and mortality as vaccine-preventable diseases rise exponentially in the US over the next few years. All because of vaccine hesitance caused by lack of knowledge, combined

12.02.2026 01:19 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

education in the US, the utter lack of critical thinking. We need another Sputnik moment to make us aware of how far we have regressed under the burgeoning authoritarian regime and realize how much we must change and repair. Unfortunately, it won't be

12.02.2026 01:19 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

the most vulnerable. What really worries, indeed scares me, is the dreadful ignorance of so many Americans about the most elementary science, the lack of critical thinking, the rampant Dunning-Kruger effect, the belief in conspiracy theories…the basic lack of adequate

12.02.2026 01:19 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

and commentaries about virology, the misinformation propagated during the pandemic, and now on the anti-science and anti-vaccine misinformation being propagated that is a threat to the health of every American, especially children and

12.02.2026 01:19 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

postdoctoral work in molecular biology and virology and in 1980 I started my 38 year career directing my own virology research lab at the University of Pennsylvania. I retired in 2018, but maintained my contact with science and the state of science in the US. Since 2020, I have written 50 OpEds

12.02.2026 01:19 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

was a cold war victory for Russia. The US was shocked at being beaten. It set off an awareness of how far behind the US was in science and science education. The increase in all science education was wonderful for me. I got a BS in chemistry, PhD in biochemistry,

12.02.2026 01:19 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

I have been a scientist for nearly all my life, starting with the fascination I felt with my first science classes in school; then in 1957 Sputnik was launched. For those who don’t know, Sputnik was the first satellite launched into Earth orbit. It

12.02.2026 01:19 β€” πŸ‘ 13    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 0

The FDA refused to review Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine application. The first shot at eliminating US flu vaccines. Actually RFKJr and the plague mongers want to severely limit or eliminate ALL vaccines. I can hear the viruses and bacteria cheering as they prepare to spread pestilance.

11.02.2026 16:01 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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DomainShifters By 2085, government rule by the authoritarian conservatives, also known as the AuthCons, had taken the freedoms of the people, concentrated the wealth to a few, and ignored climate change. Society was...

In the SciFi novel β€œDomainShifters” portals like this are how the DomainShifters came back from 2085 to stop the AuthCons from taking power and destroying civilization and the Earth. Be careful not to step into it otherwise you’ll be transported to a parallel universe and a different time.

08.02.2026 19:21 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

promotion of raw milk are the work of RFKJr and his plague mongers at HHS, NIH, CDC, FDA and the administration. This is outrageous and insane, it’s time for change, but a lot of children will be damaged or die before this will be turned around.

05.02.2026 17:24 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

increases in syphilis, and TB, their rise shows the breakdown of effective public health in the US. And a newborn has died of Lysteria from his mother drinking raw milk while pregnant. All of this, the vaccine hesitancy, the breakdown of public health and the

05.02.2026 17:24 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

this season. Tetnus is showing a slow but disturbing rise. All these are vaccine preventable and their rise show the morbidity and mortality that vaccine hesitancy is causing. If you open the door to the pathogens they will have their way. Then there are the

05.02.2026 17:24 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Making America healthy again? Measles spread in the US is essentially out of control. Measles encephalitis is increasing and a case of SSPE has been reported. Measles deaths are eminent. Whooping cough is rising at a frightening rate. Pediatric deaths from influenza are dreadfully increased

05.02.2026 17:24 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1

The ICE Health Services Corp is in charge of dealing with the communicable diseases, like measles, that are blooming in ICE detection Facilities. They haven’t suggested vaccinations, but are probably prepared with leeches and ivermectin.

03.02.2026 16:51 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

β€œAll sides should be heard”, the triumphant return to NIH of alchemy and voodoo.

03.02.2026 13:37 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I ate an artichoke for dinner and it was a lesson in Trumpian government. In the beginning it was a beautiful bud, the leaves all ordered and symetric, but as I removed the leaves and ate them it became chaos and a mess to be discarded in the trash.

03.02.2026 03:40 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

The leading man in that world, RFKJr, is not science adjacent. No science or medical training or experience. Just a conspiracy theorist with a famous name who doesn’t believe contagious diseases are caused by infectious pathogens. His MD appointees will throw science under the bus in a minute.

30.01.2026 22:28 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0