Tim Callaghan

Today in @jhppl.bsky.social, we show that few Americans express strong concern about H5N1 health risks.

That's a problem, because public apathy may impede an already-sluggish policy response to a potential pandemic (as @propublica.org documented this week).

read.dukeupress.edu/jhppl/articl...

@thcallaghan.bsky.social & @mattmotta.bsky.social evaluate the challenge that polarization poses for our health and importantly, they propose a three-pronged path for better understanding and overcoming polarization in health and medicine. read.dukeupress.edu/jhppl/articl...

I know I speak for both @thcallaghan.bsky.social and I when I say we're so excited to collaborate with this amazing team!

Congratulations!!!!!

Vaccine Hesitancy: Past, Present, and Future. - Public Health Conversations

I'm excited to say that The Politics and Health Lab @busph.bsky.social which I co-direct with @mattmotta.bsky.social, will be hosing a Public Health Conversation this Fall about vaccine hesitancy!

You can register to attend the zoom webinar below!

publichealthconversation.org/conversation...

Happy 60th birthday to Medicare and Medicaid! Hang in there, I hear 60 is the new 40

We hope that our research spurs public health communication to improve knowledge of these new immunizations in pregnant individuals

We also point to the need to demonstrate to pregnant women that these shots are safe, effective, and important to increase uptake

Our analysis shows that intention to immunize was higher among pregnant individuals who were previously aware of RSV immunization options and who viewed RSV immunizations as safe, effective and important

Reasons for hesitancy included concerns about side effects and the immunizations being too new

Working alongside @wisewoman75.bsky.social and @akregan.bsky.social, we show that a significant share of pregnant individuals did not intend to vaccinate themselves with the RSVpreF vaccine or give their babies nirsevimab, putting their infants at risk of RSV

Intention to Use RSVpreF Vaccine or Nirsevimab to Prevent... : The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal b (a monoclonal antibody for infants)—intended uptake of these products is unclear. Our objective was to evaluate intended uptake of each product and their correlates among pregnant individuals. Meth...

I'm excited to say that my latest paper - focused on immunization to prevent infant RSV - has been published! You can access the paper at the link below and learn more about it in this thread!

journals.lww.com/pidj/fulltex...

Great upcoming (and all too timely, given current events) panel on Medicaid with authors from @jhppl.bsky.social special issue

New SVPP Data & Preprint: Anti-Vaccine Legislating Spiked Following the COVID-19 Pandemic Big news from our team here at the State Vaccine Policy Project.

New SVPP data shows that anti-vaccine policymaking spiked following COVID-19, primarily due to the actions of GOP lawmakers.

New state vaccine policy data (available for download!) & press release from @thcallaghan.bsky.social and I.

medium.com/@mmotta_8662...

Big news from SVPP at @busph.bsky.social !

Our new working paper (w/public data!) shows that anti-vaccine state policymaking nearly doubled following COVID-19. Republican state lawmakers are overwhelmingly responsible for this trend.

With: @thcallaghan.bsky.social

osf.io/preprints/so...

It’s BU Giving Day - join me in supporting the Politics and Health Lab at @busph.bsky.social!

@thcallaghan.bsky.social and @mattmotta.bsky.social are using cutting edge social sciences to monitor and counter the growing politicization of health & medicine. More info: sites.bu.edu/healthpoliti...

Volume 50 Issue 2 | Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law | Duke University Press

Medicaid at 60 special issue from JHPPL is out, ungated. All-star lineup includes: @povertyscholar.bsky.social @pamherd.bsky.social @laurawherryr.bsky.social @joefigs.bsky.social @charleywillison.bsky.social @ericpatashnik.bsky.social & more

read.dukeupress.edu/jhppl/issue/...

Identifying and mitigating the public health consequences of meta-ignorance about "Long COVID" risks While past work studies public concern about "Long COVID," fewer have asked what the public knows and/or purports to know about Long COVID. This is an…

New at Public Health:

1 in 5 people *think* they're well-informed about Long COVID, but struggle to answer basic qs about it. "Meta-ignorance" in turn motivates vax. hesitancy.

w/ @thcallaghan.bsky.social @jencornacc.bsky.social & RIDOH + Policy Lab team!

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

New Politics and Health Lab Aims to Depolarize Public Health Led by Matt Motta and Tim Callaghan, the lab aims to thwart the rapidly increasing politicization of public health by developing evidence-based data and tailored communication strategies to bolster su...

Check out this wonderful story from @busph.bsky.social about the new Politics and Health Lab that I'm launching with @mattmotta.bsky.social!!!

www.bu.edu/sph/news/art...

The generational politics of the 2020s: Young voters rule

Just posted my evaluation of what happened in the 2024 election, based on CHIP50 data. The TLDR is that the 2020 to 2024 shift was mostly a backlash of younger individuals against what had been a pretty lousy 4 years for them.
www.chip50.org/blog/the-gen...

@hongqu.bsky.social

Mortality Trends Among Early Adults in the United States, 1999-2023 This cross-sectional study examines trends in mortality rates among adults aged 25 to 44 years across the pre–COVID-19 pandemic, pandemic, and postpandemic periods.

New study with @wrigleyfield.bsky.social & colleagues finds that excess deaths among young U.S. adults have surged since 2011, accelerating during the pandemic and remaining high in 2023. Our research shows that this crisis extends far beyond drug overdoses. 🧵 (1/6)

jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Global Systematic Scoping Review of Adolescent Factors Associated With COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Although COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for adolescents aged 12–17 years, they remain one of the least commonly vaccinated age groups. Therefore,…

💉Sharing our new paper in the Journal of Adolescent Health, led by Brianna Agnew and Annette Regan presenting a systematic scoping review of adolescent COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy! We show the need for more research that includes adolescents own perspectives. 💉

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

I'm excited to announce the launch of The Politics and Health Lab at Boston University, co-directed by @mattmotta.bsky.social and myself!

Our lab will highlight research on the growing politicization of health and strategies to overcome it

@busph.bsky.social

sites.bu.edu/healthpoliti...

Biden's claim that he would've won in Nov. isn't backed up by most polling data.

It also ignores the tremendous impact Harris' campaign had on fundraising for Dems down-ballot, which we document in a naturally-occurring experiment conducted before/after Biden dropped out.

osf.io/preprints/so...

It’s been so much fun to join some of @busph.bsky.social’s best students for the Massachusetts Health Policy Forum!

Students have gotten to learn from the state’s most important health policy officials and visit some of the key centers of health policy making for the state. What a wonderful event!

NEW from @thcallaghan.bsky.social, K. Goidel, M. Stein, and I at HEPL.

Concerns about supply shortages have no influence on public support for physicians' ability to prescribe ozempic off-label. But, concerns about potential health risks do.

More here! 👇

www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Have you ever wondered what the public thinks about weight loss medications like Ozempic?

I'm excited to say that my new paper with @mattmotta.bsky.social and colleagues tackles this question, examining public concerns about safety and supply shortages. Check it out here 👇!
doi.org/10.1017/S174...

New AVMA guidance highlights the dangers of feeding cats raw food. Unfortunately, we find that public H5N1 concern is low, which may impede our public health response.

@stecula.bsky.social @thcallaghan.bsky.social @klunztrujillo.bsky.social @ophiryotam.bsky.social @drorwalter.bsky.social

Evidence on trends in uptake of childhood vaccines and association with COVID-19 vaccination rates Childhood vaccination rates have declined in recent years; there is also concern that resistance to COVID-19 vaccines could spill over to childhood va…

New at Vaccine from our team (led by Ali Moghtaderi).

Declining school vax rates; especially in states that allow for non-med exemptions. States that *removed* exemptions experienced an increase.

With: @thcallaghan.bsky.social @aportnoy.bsky.social

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

In Covid’s wake, CDC proposed reforms that aim to enhance its performance during the next pandemic. But would they work? Check out Ann Keller’s new ungated JHPPL article #healthpolicy #publichealth:
read.dukeupress.edu/jhppl/articl...

New SVPP Report from @thcallaghan.bsky.social and I.

Even with RFK Jr. at the helm of DHHS, most vaccine policymaking will fall to the states.

Unfortunately, many are taking aim at vaccine access. We detail a few concerning bills from the prev. leg. cycle ('23).

medium.com/@mmotta_8662...

Re-upping this working paper, in light of news that bird flu has been detected in raw milk in CA.

Lack of concern about the dangers of raw milk could undermine our policy response to bird flu's increasing public health risks.