Pandemic Center at Brown University’s School of Public Health

Cases of #measles have surged in 2026 with 1,270 cases reported, new detections in wastewater across states in areas without confirmed cases showing signs of spread.

Check out this week's #TrackingReport to learn more about measles and other outbreaks from this week.

mailchi.mp/messages/pan...

Since leaving the WHO, it’s been unclear how the US would contribute to the recipe for the next #flu shots.

@jennifernuzzo.bsky.social: It shows how irreplaceable multi-country networks are & that the Trump administration ultimately runs into the reality there’s no other way to protect the nation.

📅 March 6 | 12 PM ET
Join us for a webinar on the state of #Biodefense in the US and the rising risks from natural, accidental, and deliberate biological threats.

Moderated by @jennifernuzzo.bsky.social w/ @bethcameron-dc.bsky.social, Harshini Mukundan, & Kelly Chafin

brown.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Hey Brown University students!

Did you know that you can spend a semester in Washington and complete an internship aligned with your goals while staying enrolled at Brown?

Applications for the fall 2026 program close on March 1st.
brown.via-trm.com/client/progr...

#livelearnintern

Snowy conditions cause uptick in sick, emaciated birds The Wildlife Clinic of R.I. and Congress of the Birds reported an increase in avian patients from last winter.

From @browndailyherald.bsky.social: Heavy snow in Rhode Island has led to record numbers of injured birds at wildlife clinics, with some testing positive for #AvianFlu.

@jennifernuzzo.bsky.social says public risk remains low but experts advises avoiding contact with wild birds.

More here ⬇️

Hospitals fighting measles confront a challenge: Few doctors have seen it before | CNN As U.S. hospitals face an increasing risk of encountering measles, and pressure to immediately spot it, health care workers face an unusual barrier: Many don’t know what it looks like.

As #measles resurges, even hospitals struggle to recognize it. Delays in isolation can expose many people to the virus in a hospital setting.

As @jennifernuzzo.bsky.social notes, diagnosing measles is hard which makes coordination, clear guidance, & vaccination critical to protecting communities.

The #NIH reportedly removed info on pandemic preparedness & biodefense, research the US uses defend against biological threats.

“It is a dangerous message that leaves the US terrifyingly vulnerable…” — @jennifernuzzo.bsky.social

Read our latest #TrackingReport for more mailchi.mp/messages/pan...

After leaving WHO, Trump officials propose more expensive replacement to duplicate it HHS proposes spending $2 billion a year to re-create systems the U.S. accessed through the WHO at a fraction of the cost, according to officials briefed on the matter.

Cutting trusted relationships while spending more to recreate them raises tough questions and risks leaving Americans less protected

Leaving WHO does not serve America’s—or the world’s—best interests The United States has supported the World Health Organization (WHO) since its inception, playing a central role in its 1948 creation because it ultimately served American interests, despite the entity...

In a new piece for @science.org, our Senior Adviser @drsethberkley.bsky.social warns that US withdrawal from #WHO and cuts to partnerships like @gavi.org, seems like a recipe to weaken the US’s preparedness to combat disease rather than a strategy to make it safer.

Stay informed on emerging threats in our weekly #TrackingReport ⬇️

mailchi.mp/brown/tracki...

As federal data disappears & vaccine policy shifts, a strained public health system makes it harder for communities to stay informed.

Thank you @unbiasedscipod.bsky.social & @cidrap.bsky.social for highlighting our center’s work to help people understand the real-time disease landscape.

Hey Brown University students!

Did you know that you can spend a semester in Washington and complete an internship aligned with your goals while staying enrolled at Brown?

Applications for the Brown in Washington fall 2026 program are open.
brown.via-trm.com/client/progr...

NEW EPISODE🎙️Get to know new #BrownSPH Dean Dr. Francesca Beaudoin. She has been learning and leading at @brown.edu for 20 years. Now, she steps into the role of Interim Dean.

LISTEN: https://humans-in-public-health.captivate.fm/episode/student-scholar-dean-francesca-beaudoin-on-20-years-at-brown

Pandemics cost millions of lives and trillions of dollars.

@cepi.net’s new 3.0 strategy shows how the world can move from reacting to being truly response-ready, stopping outbreaks before they spiral.

Learn more ⤵️
cepi.net/securing-the...

FDA refuses review of mRNA flu vaccine; move could chill other research, doctor says The FDA is refusing to review Moderna's application for approval of an mRNA-based flu vaccine.

From #TNND: The #FDA has declined to review Moderna’s #mRNA flu vaccine application, raising concerns about the future of the technology.

@drsethberkley.bsky.social said this worrisome refusal could halt further vaccine studies, including mRNA.

More ⤵️
thenationaldesk.com/news/america...

This Is How a Child Dies of Measles When your family becomes a data point in an outbreak

“You look at your son, the glasses you picked out with him, the haircut he chose from the wall at the barber shop, the beating heart you gave him. And you know that you, too, will never recover.” Elizabeth Bruenig maps how a child dies of measles:

This week #norovirus makes headlines

🥇 Women’s hockey teams at the Winter #Olympics have reported outbreaks ahead of the quarterfinals

🚾 US wastewater data shows high activity levels of norovirus in the Midwes & Northeast

Read our latest #TrackingReport for more on this and other global outbreaks

YouTube video by Brown University School of Public Health Reimagining Verification of the Biological Weapons Convention in the Age of AI and Open Science

ICYMI: Out recent Game Changers Seminar covering the the Biological Weapons Convention in the Age of AI is posted on Youtube.

🎥 Watch Now!

Internships in Washington, DC info session The Brown in Washington program and the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Career Exploration are co-hosting an info session for students interes...

Hey Brown University students 👋

Spend a semester in DC completing an internship aligned with your goals while staying enrolled at Brown.

Fall 2026 Brown in Washington applications are now open

Info session today: 2:30–4 PM, Hemisphere Building (Room 103)

events.brown.edu/event/325918...

YouTube video by Brown University School of Public Health Measles: Why it’s back and what it means

ICYMI: Last week's webinar, "Measles: Why its Back and What it means," is now available to watch on demand!

🎥 : www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzU7...

The US recorded 160 new measles cases in the past week, 44 fewer cases than recorded the week prior, but still more than any week in 2025. The US has recorded 902 total cases in 2026, after 2,128 cases recorded in 2025.

Updates on measles and more in the Tracking Report: mailchi.mp/messages/pan...

Starting soon! Register here to join: brown.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

NTI Internship Application – Summer 2026

Our friends at The Nuclear Threat Initiative (@nti.org) are accepting applications for their Summer 2026 internship program. It offers hands-on experience advancing solutions to nuclear and biological threats!

Learn more here ⤵️
www.nti.org/job-listing/...

Wastewater Surveillance Works This video explains how wastewater surveillance became a powerful public health tool during COVID-19 and why ending or underfunding it now would be a major mistake.

#WastewaterSurveillance helped guide public health during the pandemic. Ending or underfunding it would be a major step backward.

We created this animated short to explain why wastewater monitoring matters, how it works, & what we stand to lose if funding’s eliminated.

📺 vimeo.com/1148140830

Join us tomorrow at 11AM ET for our Game Changers Seminar!

How can AI & open science reshape verification of the Biological Weapons Convention?

Our panel will explore opportunities, risks, and what this means for global biosecurity.

Register here ⤵️
brown.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Protecting Americans from Biological Threats As the risks of biological threats rise, Congress and the administration can bolster biodefenses by modernizing biosurveillance, ensuring biosafety and biosecurity, rebuilding the U.S. biodefense ente...

The risks of deliberate, accidental, and natural biological threats are growing rapidly.

A new CSIS report analyzes possibilities for government action to enhance U.S. biodefense with bipartisan support: https://www.csis.org/analysis/protecting-americans-biological-threats

NTI Internship Application – Summer 2026

Applications for our summer internship program are open and will close on February 8.

If you are a student or young professional interested in nuclear policy, biosecurity, AI and emerging tech, our internship program could be a great fit for you!

Learn more and apply now. ⤵️

📅 Feb 6 | 11:00 AM ET

How can AI & open science reshape verification of the Biological Weapons Convention?

Join leading experts to explore opportunities, risks, and what this means for global biosecurity.

Registration open ⤵️
brown.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Brown experts discuss measles complications, prevention amid potential loss of measles eliminated status in the US The Herald spoke to experts at Brown to better understand the threat of measles and loss of elimination status.

“We’re clearly, by no measure, doing a good job of protecting people from #measles.” — @jennifernuzzo.bsky.social

@browndailyherald.bsky.social: As outbreaks grow & immunization rates fall, the US risks losing it's measles elimination status signaling new gaps in health services.

A ‘shadow CDC’ is scrambling to fill gaps in public health data Dozens of routinely updated CDC databases have gone quiet. Here’s what states and medical societies are doing to preserve U.S. public health

From @sciam.bsky.social: As some #CDC datasets disappear, states & medical groups are scrambling to form a “shadow CDC” to preserve disease & vaccine data

While these moves help @jennifernuzzo.bsky.social warns that, “it is not going to replace what the CDC once did, and Americans will be harmed”