Prof Sheena Cruickshank

Finally, spring gearing up in the garden and even a bee enjoying the crocuses

5 Logical fallacies in the era of RFK Jr. Common rhetorical tricks that are trending right now

This is fantastic from Kristen Panthagani on the common disinformation tropes RFKJr uses to reduce trust in and now access to vaccines. Learn how to spot these common logical fallacies.

"I see nothing in the data"

Bhattacharya urges measles vaccination as US activity increases

As the US case number of measles spirals ever more (>1000already) following a year where over 2000 cases occurred, one statement on X by Bhattacharya urging vaccination is too little too late given the anti-vax policies RFKJr et al have pushed

Yikes!

😮😮

Nooooo!

😬😬😬😬

Noooooo!

Fun days with late night lectures - either my wifi disconnected or some idiot interfered with the lectern PC display set up. Oh the joys. The students were ever so kind but I hate those incidents when nothing works as it should! Gah. Please share your own teaching disasters & make feel less useless

It shouldn’t do but ACIP have been confused about Children’s Health Insurance Program and children eligible for that may have reduced access to free vaccines as kennedy recommending fewer vaccines but not clear as varies between states as some states sticking to physician association guidelines

However which ever way this goes- the degree of anti vaccine activism in the States is very concerning

Vaccine policy changes in the USA What could the latest changes in the States mean for vaccine access and uptake?

Personally i have mixed views about mandates but in a country where disinformation is presiding over health issues mandates could help reduce the number of unvaccinated kids going to school. However many states have so many exemptions it could be argued it will not matter so much

As measles spreads in South Carolina, RFK Jr’s allies work to gut vaccine laws Activists who dispute safety of vaccines are pushing to limit immunization requirements in schools

Kennedy allies are currently trying to coalesce groups to reject vaccine mandates for vaccines such as the MMR that protects against measles- this is despite the growing number of measles cases which could surpass last year’s total #PublicHealth 🧵

Measles outbreaks are costing the U.S. millions of dollars. The true losses can't be counted. As vaccination rates decline, the economic consequences will increase, research suggests.

If measles vaccination rates continue to drop just 1% annually for the next five years, the cost to the U.S. could reach $1.5 billion a year, according to a new report from the Yale School of Public Health.

Gorse was blooming - it was lovely. Still a muddy mire underfoot though

River with dog next to it

Spring finally here

This story has been puzzling, because im still not clear exactly what is meant to have happened where, or why DV insists there was egregious family voting but the council seems so sure nothing was raised with them on the day (bar one concern, I’m told, which apparently turned out to be innocent)

Is there a thing

Immunotherapy uses invisibility cloak to deliver direct hit to prostate cancer Immunotherapy uses invisibility cloak to deliver direct hit to prostate cancer

You can read even more about the trial of the VIR-5500 T-cell engager drug that we've been trialling in #ProstateCancer here ⤵️

#GU26

www.icr.ac.uk/about-us/icr...

T cell engager not T cell engaged- stupid spellchecker

T cell engagers: expanding horizons in oncology and beyond - British Journal of Cancer British Journal of Cancer - T cell engagers: expanding horizons in oncology and beyond

It used a type of monoclonal antibody called a T cell engaged- these are designed to help your cytotoxic T cells bind to the tumour where they can deliver their killing action

Researchers praise ‘stunning’ results of new prostate cancer treatment Early trials of the drug VIR-5500 showed it shrinking tumours in some patients

This trial looks very promising of a new type of immunotherapy for cancer that shrunk prostrate tumours 🧪🧵

Lydia Becker – Herbology Manchester Posts about Lydia Becker written by Rachel, David Green, and Suzanne

herbologymanchester.wordpress.com/tag/lydia-be...

Reduced access to critical datasets such as food safety, maternal health, cut research programs whilst supporting niche research and pushed disinformation. He MUST be impeached

Robert F Kennedy Jr: 1 year of failure In his first speech as Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F Kennedy Jr laid out a plan to restore trust. The COVID-19 pandemic saw public faith in Federal health...

But the @thelancet.com editorial reminds us of his many other actions such as suppressing info about warnings of potential harm from consuming products (such as raw milk and chlorine dioxide) falsely marketed as treatments for autism

Sweeping cuts are being made to the US childhood vaccine schedule The USA have made dramatic changes to the childhood vaccine schedule

He has brought in sweeping changes to vaccine access, tried to fund a grossly unethical trial in Guinea-Bissau and cut science research programmes in vaccines whilst presiding over a huge scale of infections outbreaks including measles and whooping cough….

How RFK Jr is systematically undermining vaccines around the world Vaccines saved 154 million lives. But as fear of disease fades, so does protection – raising the chilling prospect of a return to the pre-vaccine era.

He has systematically eroded trust in science and reopened established science that has been well investigated in an effort to push his own ideas about vaccine harms…

Vaccine advisory committees and transparent practices Why changes to ACIP are concerning.

I have made some attempts to track his actions to diminish vaccine access starting with his dismantling of the vaccine advisory committee….

Robert F Kennedy Jr: 1 year of failure In his first speech as Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F Kennedy Jr laid out a plan to restore trust. The COVID-19 pandemic saw public faith in Federal health...

That is pretty damming and the accompanying editorial that reviews his actions in his first year in office emphasise just how much he has reneged on his original promises, disregarded public and expert scrutiny and pushed his niche ideas whilst suppressing others