Pandemic Center at Brown University’s School of Public Health

States Zero In on Vaccine Uptake as Measles Outbreaks Spread South Plains, Texas, had long declared its measles outbreak over when in January wastewater testing picked up what Zachary Holbrooks called “a blip, a spike.”

From @bloomberglaw.com: States can fight #measles by taking vaccine outreach to the community level. Success is found from better communication & local leadership.

This is critical because places where vaccine rates are lower than 95% are most "ripe for outbreaks" shares @jennifernuzzo.bsky.social

LISTEN🎧 Special #BrownClimateWeek episode of Humans in Public Health!

Professor Allan Just explains why your weather app is wrong, and why it's important for public health. https://humans-in-public-health.captivate.fm/episode/more-than-a-forecast

Public health experts say the term “shared clinical decision making" has been co-opted by the MAHA movement as a way to undermine #vaccines.

@jennifernuzzo.bsky.social notes vaccines are a routine standard of care, framing them as uncertain is simply false given the evidence.

More ⤵️

#cholera cases in Africa continue to increase this year with The DRC & Mozambique accounting for nearly 89% of cases.

Leaders at #AfricaCDC call for development of a vaccine made in Africa to curb infection.

Catch this update and more in our weekly #TrackingReport!

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With concerns about biological attacks, funding cuts & a number of outbreaks; where does US biodefense stand?

Join us today at 12PM ET for webinar discussion with
@jennifernuzzo.bsky.social joined by @bethcameron-dc.bsky.social, Harshini Mukundan & Kelly Chafin.

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

14 people detained in one of US’s largest ICE detention centers are confirmed to have #measles infections.

Our Director @jennifernuzzo.bsky.social notes that when groups of unvaccinated or under-vaccinated people are crammed indoors for an extended period, outbreaks will happen if someone is sick.

TODAY 3/5 4PM
Join experts on pollution, pathogens, food systems, weather & public health for a #BrownClimateWeek discussion!

@brown-ibes.bsky.social @brownbiostatistics.bsky.social @brown-epi.bsky.social

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/health-vulnerability-in-a-changing-climate-tickets-1982797079440

Trump administration is failing to address spread of measles, experts say As number of cases climbs past 1,000, experts say CDC is not taking obvious steps amid funding cuts

@theguardian.com: Trump officials have failed to contain the spread of #measles, which continues to accelerate in the US and many Americans likely aren't aware.

@jennifernuzzo.bsky.social shares that funding cuts have slowed communications between hospitals, local health departments and the CDC.

📅 March 6 | 12 PM ET

With funding cuts & more outbreaks, where does US biodefense stand?

Join us for our webinar tomorrow
🗣️ @jennifernuzzo.bsky.social will be joined by
@bethcameron-dc.bsky.social, Harshini Mukundan (@biosci.lbl.gov)& Kelly Chafin (@securebio.org)

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

Flu was again worse than covid this winter. Is that pattern here to stay? Flu has overtaken covid in infections and hospitalizations during the winter respiratory virus season, and their virulence is becoming similar.

@washingtonpost.com reports this is 2nd winter in a row, the US has seen a more severe #Flu cases than #COVID.

@jennifernuzzo.bsky.social shares w/ @fenitn.bsky.social that conditions for an infectious wave of COVID remains as less infants & at-risk individuals are getting vaccinated.

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Strengthening Biological Threat Reduction in Africa: Brown Pandemic Center Receives $900,000 Grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York

We’re excited to share @carnegie.org awarded the Pandemic Center a $900K grant for #biosecurity! This will support an initiative that will produce a biological threat reduction policy program for rising African decision-makers & develop a pipeline of experts in Africa to lead & implement it.

More ⤵

Our Senior Fellow Georgia Lagoudas joined Air Health, Our Health to share her knowledge on #biosecurity and #IndoorAir for a discussion about CO2 indoors.

Thanks to Dr. Erika for leading a great conversation!

🎧 Listen Here creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/...

SPH Blood Drive The RI Blood Center will be at the School of Public Health on Wednesday, March 4th from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Your donation might make all the differenc...

📢 Attention #BrownSPH! March 4th is your next chance to contribute to the life-saving work of the @ribloodcenter.bsky.social. Details at the link. Sign up and save a life! ⬇️⬇️⬇️ https://events.brown.edu/public-health/event/324969-sph-blood-drive

Tomorrow (Tues, March 3) at 6pm! Join IBES, the Global Environmental Justice Working Group, Breathe Providence & the Dept of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences for Providence EJ Goes Global: Local Activists & the EJAtlas #BrownClimateWeek

Learn more & RSVP: events.brown.edu/ibes/event/3...

With policy/funding shifts & a higher frequency of outbreaks, where do US biodefense capabilities stand?

Join us this Friday!
🗣️ @jennifernuzzo.bsky.social will be joined by @bethcameron-dc.bsky.social, Harshini Mukundan (@biosci.lbl.gov)& Kelly Chafin (@securebio.org)

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

‘Viruses don’t know borders’: US anti-vaccine rhetoric could impact global measles crisis Experts say global measles vaccination rates are falling as Trump officials signal a deprioritization of the virus

From @theguardian.com: Global #measles vaccination is falling as Trump Admin decreases attention to the virus.

@jennifernuzzo.bsky.social points out that we live in a global ecosystem, so when countries hear the vaccine is not good enough for the Americans, maybe it’s not good for them either.

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.

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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...