Apoorva Mandavilli
@apoorvanyt.bsky.social
Science and global health reporter for The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/by/apoorva-mandavilli
Signal: amnyt.91
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They Fought Outbreaks Worldwide. Now They’re Fighting for New Lives.
www.nytimes.com
Hundreds of infectious disease specialists have been let go by the Trump administration. Here are four who helped to keep pandemics at bay.
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www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/h...
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www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/h...
Dr. Ralph Lee Abraham, who as Louisiana’s surgeon general ordered the state health department to stop promoting vaccinations and who has called Covid vaccines “dangerous,” has been named the second in command at the CDC.
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www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/h...
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www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/h...
C.D.C. Quietly Appoints Doctor Critical of Vaccines as Second in Command
www.nytimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Dr. Ralph Lee Abraham, who as Louisiana’s surgeon general ordered the state health department to stop promoting vaccinations and who has called Covid vaccines “dangerous,” has been named the second in command at the CDC.
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www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/h...
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www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/h...
Gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted infection, is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics
www.who.int/news/item/19...
www.who.int/news/item/19...
More countries report rising levels of drug-resistant gonorrhoea, warns WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that gonorrhoea, a sexually transmitted infection, is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, according to new data from its Enhanced Gonococcal Antim...
www.who.int
November 20, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted infection, is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics
www.who.int/news/item/19...
www.who.int/news/item/19...
The CDC’s website now says: The claim "vaccines do not cause autism" is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism.
www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safe...
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www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safe...
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Autism and Vaccines
Answers to common questions about vaccine safety and autism.
www.cdc.gov
November 20, 2025 at 3:20 AM
The CDC’s website now says: The claim "vaccines do not cause autism" is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism.
www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safe...
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www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safe...
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The US may be headed for a rough flu season, with a virus that causes more severe symptoms than the one last year and seems to be spreading more rapidly and earlier than usual.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/19/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/19/h...
Early Signs Point to a Harsh Flu Season in the U.S.
www.nytimes.com
November 19, 2025 at 7:16 PM
The US may be headed for a rough flu season, with a virus that causes more severe symptoms than the one last year and seems to be spreading more rapidly and earlier than usual.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/19/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/19/h...
SCOOP: CDC officials on Monday linked for the first time the measles outbreak that began in Texas with another in Utah and Arizona, a finding that could end America’s status as a nation that has eliminated measles.
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www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/h...
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www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/h...
C.D.C. Links Measles Outbreaks in Multiple States for the First Time
www.nytimes.com
November 18, 2025 at 12:28 AM
SCOOP: CDC officials on Monday linked for the first time the measles outbreak that began in Texas with another in Utah and Arizona, a finding that could end America’s status as a nation that has eliminated measles.
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www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/h...
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www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/h...
The CDC has lost a third of its work force this year. The Trump administration maintains that the losses are necessary, but critics say that there is no real plan, only animosity.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/27/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/27/h...
Behind the Dismantling of the C.D.C.: Reform or ‘Humiliation’?
www.nytimes.com
October 27, 2025 at 10:25 PM
The CDC has lost a third of its work force this year. The Trump administration maintains that the losses are necessary, but critics say that there is no real plan, only animosity.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/27/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/27/h...
After a quiet summer, the bird flu virus H5N1 is hitting poultry flocks hard in the run-up to the holidays — and in the midst of a federal government shutdown.
w/ @emilyanthes.bsky.social
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www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/h...
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www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/h...
Bird Flu Is Back
www.nytimes.com
October 22, 2025 at 5:06 PM
After a quiet summer, the bird flu virus H5N1 is hitting poultry flocks hard in the run-up to the holidays — and in the midst of a federal government shutdown.
w/ @emilyanthes.bsky.social
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www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/h...
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Happy Diwali!
May the next year bring light and lightness into all our lives.
May the next year bring light and lightness into all our lives.
October 20, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Happy Diwali!
May the next year bring light and lightness into all our lives.
May the next year bring light and lightness into all our lives.
Hundreds of infectious disease specialists have been let go by the Trump administration. Here are four who helped to keep pandemics at bay.
(Gift article)
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/h...
(Gift article)
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/h...
They Fought Outbreaks Worldwide. Now They’re Fighting for New Lives.
www.nytimes.com
October 13, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Hundreds of infectious disease specialists have been let go by the Trump administration. Here are four who helped to keep pandemics at bay.
(Gift article)
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/h...
(Gift article)
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/h...
Reposted by Apoorva Mandavilli
“I’m still searching...looking around to see where else I can use these skills"
Thank you @apoorvanyt.bsky.social for profiling these amazing US scientists @nytopinion.nytimes.com
I hope they all find new careers
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/h...
Thank you @apoorvanyt.bsky.social for profiling these amazing US scientists @nytopinion.nytimes.com
I hope they all find new careers
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/h...
They Fought Outbreaks Worldwide. Now They’re Fighting for New Lives.
www.nytimes.com
October 13, 2025 at 12:25 PM
“I’m still searching...looking around to see where else I can use these skills"
Thank you @apoorvanyt.bsky.social for profiling these amazing US scientists @nytopinion.nytimes.com
I hope they all find new careers
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/h...
Thank you @apoorvanyt.bsky.social for profiling these amazing US scientists @nytopinion.nytimes.com
I hope they all find new careers
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/h...
The Trump administration on Saturday scrambled to rescind layoffs of hundreds of CDC scientists who were mistakenly fired on Friday night in what appeared to be a substantial procedural lapse.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/h...
Trump Administration Is Bringing Back Scores of C.D.C. Experts Fired in Error
www.nytimes.com
October 12, 2025 at 12:14 AM
The Trump administration on Saturday scrambled to rescind layoffs of hundreds of CDC scientists who were mistakenly fired on Friday night in what appeared to be a substantial procedural lapse.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/h...
The mass layoffs of federal workers on Friday night swept up the top two leaders of the federal measles response team, those working on Ebola and dozens of other infectious disease experts
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www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/h...
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www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/h...
C.D.C. Layoffs Included 2 Top Measles Experts Amid Rising Cases
www.nytimes.com
October 11, 2025 at 6:37 PM
The mass layoffs of federal workers on Friday night swept up the top two leaders of the federal measles response team, those working on Ebola and dozens of other infectious disease experts
(Gift article)
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/h...
(Gift article)
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/h...
It was yet another rough night for CDC employees: Dozens — possibly hundreds, they are still self-surveying — were let go late at night, including those who worked on the prestigious MMWR reports
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...
Trump Administration Lays Off Dozens of C.D.C. Officials
www.nytimes.com
October 11, 2025 at 2:16 PM
It was yet another rough night for CDC employees: Dozens — possibly hundreds, they are still self-surveying — were let go late at night, including those who worked on the prestigious MMWR reports
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...
Reposted by Apoorva Mandavilli
On a Saturday in 2023, Sam Terblanche, a junior at Columbia University, told friends he felt lousy on the way to a soccer match. On Sunday, he went to the emergency room complaining of headache and chills. On Monday, sicker, he went again. On both visits, Sam was discharged. Days later, he died.
It’s Just a Virus, the E.R. Told Him. Days Later, He Was Dead.
Sam Terblanche was just 20 years old. Can a busy E.R. handle the hardest cases?
nyti.ms
October 6, 2025 at 12:10 AM
On a Saturday in 2023, Sam Terblanche, a junior at Columbia University, told friends he felt lousy on the way to a soccer match. On Sunday, he went to the emergency room complaining of headache and chills. On Monday, sicker, he went again. On both visits, Sam was discharged. Days later, he died.
Reposted by Apoorva Mandavilli
A substantial body of evidence supports the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy, contrary to the suggestions of some members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently reconstituted the committee.
www.factcheck.org/2025/10/vacc...
www.factcheck.org/2025/10/vacc...
October 3, 2025 at 9:21 PM
A substantial body of evidence supports the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy, contrary to the suggestions of some members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently reconstituted the committee.
www.factcheck.org/2025/10/vacc...
www.factcheck.org/2025/10/vacc...
A drug that provides near-perfect protection against HIV with shots just twice a year will be made available at $40 per patient annually in low- and middle-income countries, offering new hope for ending the HIV epidemic.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/24/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/24/h...
Philanthropies Strike a Promising Deal to Turn Back H.I.V.
www.nytimes.com
September 24, 2025 at 12:29 PM
A drug that provides near-perfect protection against HIV with shots just twice a year will be made available at $40 per patient annually in low- and middle-income countries, offering new hope for ending the HIV epidemic.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/24/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/24/h...
Icymi the first time this ran, here’s a refresher: Vaccines today are more efficient and contain far fewer stimulants to the immune system than some used decades ago
www.nytimes.com/2024/12/14/h...
www.nytimes.com/2024/12/14/h...
Are Childhood Vaccines ‘Overloading’ the Immune System? No.
www.nytimes.com
September 22, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Icymi the first time this ran, here’s a refresher: Vaccines today are more efficient and contain far fewer stimulants to the immune system than some used decades ago
www.nytimes.com/2024/12/14/h...
www.nytimes.com/2024/12/14/h...
The federal vaccine committee appointed by RFK Jr. voted unanimously to further limit access to Covid vaccines, recommending that adults 65 and older receive the shots only after discussing the potential benefits and risks with a health care provider.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/h...
Kennedy’s Vaccine Panel Votes to Limit Access to Covid Shots
www.nytimes.com
September 19, 2025 at 11:40 PM
The federal vaccine committee appointed by RFK Jr. voted unanimously to further limit access to Covid vaccines, recommending that adults 65 and older receive the shots only after discussing the potential benefits and risks with a health care provider.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/h...
The chaos from the first day of a meeting of the federal vaccine committee appointed by RFK Jr. bled into the second day, as the panel reversed one decision and indefinitely postponed a vote on a hepatitis B vaccine they had already deferred once.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/h...
Vaccine Panel Postpones One Vote and Reverses Another Amid Confusion
www.nytimes.com
September 19, 2025 at 7:41 PM
The chaos from the first day of a meeting of the federal vaccine committee appointed by RFK Jr. bled into the second day, as the panel reversed one decision and indefinitely postponed a vote on a hepatitis B vaccine they had already deferred once.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/h...
In a meeting that devolved into confusion and near chaos, federal advisers on Thursday voted 8 to 3 against vaccinating children under four years old with a combination shot that protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/h...
Kennedy’s Advisory Panel Votes to Limit M.M.R.V. Vaccine for Children Under 4
www.nytimes.com
September 18, 2025 at 11:53 PM
In a meeting that devolved into confusion and near chaos, federal advisers on Thursday voted 8 to 3 against vaccinating children under four years old with a combination shot that protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/h...
Members of a federal vaccine committee, appointed by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., may revise the longstanding recommendation to immunize all newborns against Hepatitis B
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/h...
C.D.C. Vaccine Advisers May Limit Hepatitis B Shots for Newborns
www.nytimes.com
September 16, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Members of a federal vaccine committee, appointed by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., may revise the longstanding recommendation to immunize all newborns against Hepatitis B
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/h...
Breaking: RFK Jr adds five new members to the federal committee that decides which shots Americans should get and when
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/h...
Kennedy Adds Five New Members to Vaccine Committee
www.nytimes.com
September 15, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Breaking: RFK Jr adds five new members to the federal committee that decides which shots Americans should get and when
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/h...
Thought to affect 200 million people globally, schistosomiasis is considered one of the most important parasitic infections worldwide, second only to malaria. Yet it attracts nowhere near the funding or the attention that killers like malaria do.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/h...
When a Simple Swim Carries a Risk of Dangerous Illness
www.nytimes.com
September 15, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Thought to affect 200 million people globally, schistosomiasis is considered one of the most important parasitic infections worldwide, second only to malaria. Yet it attracts nowhere near the funding or the attention that killers like malaria do.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/h...
At next week’s meeting of the federal vaccine committee, the FDA plans to present data linking birth defects and deaths in children to the Covid vaccine
With @by-cjewett.bsky.social
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www.nytimes.com/2025/09/12/h...
With @by-cjewett.bsky.social
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www.nytimes.com/2025/09/12/h...
F.D.A. Reviews Cases of Covid Vaccine Deaths
www.nytimes.com
September 12, 2025 at 4:11 PM
At next week’s meeting of the federal vaccine committee, the FDA plans to present data linking birth defects and deaths in children to the Covid vaccine
With @by-cjewett.bsky.social
(Gift article)
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/12/h...
With @by-cjewett.bsky.social
(Gift article)
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/12/h...
On Dec. 18, Olivia Li turned 4. Barely five weeks later, she slipped into unconsciousness, a rare and unexpected consequence of a flu infection.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/12/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/12/h...
Rare but Serious Complication Shows Flu’s Potential Harm
www.nytimes.com
September 12, 2025 at 3:36 PM
On Dec. 18, Olivia Li turned 4. Barely five weeks later, she slipped into unconsciousness, a rare and unexpected consequence of a flu infection.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/12/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/12/h...