Dan Freedman, DO
@dfreedman7.bsky.social
Child neurologist & epilepsy fellowship APD at Dell Med.
Interests: epilepsy, FND, medical education, history & vaccines.
Personal account, views my own.
Interests: epilepsy, FND, medical education, history & vaccines.
Personal account, views my own.
Reposted by Dan Freedman, DO
Things pediatricians are scared of:
Grapes
Hot dogs
Lawn mowers
Unmounted TVs
Babies on laps in cars
Riders without helmets
Ungated pools
Crib bumpers
Trampolines
Hot tubs
Guns
Things pediatricians are not scared of:
Any/all the vaccines
Grapes
Hot dogs
Lawn mowers
Unmounted TVs
Babies on laps in cars
Riders without helmets
Ungated pools
Crib bumpers
Trampolines
Hot tubs
Guns
Things pediatricians are not scared of:
Any/all the vaccines
February 20, 2025 at 1:45 AM
Things pediatricians are scared of:
Grapes
Hot dogs
Lawn mowers
Unmounted TVs
Babies on laps in cars
Riders without helmets
Ungated pools
Crib bumpers
Trampolines
Hot tubs
Guns
Things pediatricians are not scared of:
Any/all the vaccines
Grapes
Hot dogs
Lawn mowers
Unmounted TVs
Babies on laps in cars
Riders without helmets
Ungated pools
Crib bumpers
Trampolines
Hot tubs
Guns
Things pediatricians are not scared of:
Any/all the vaccines
Glad the UK has come around to this. The US has seen a dramatic decrease in mortality related to chickenpox since vaccination began in 1995.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Children offered chickenpox vaccine on NHS
All young children in England and Wales will be offered a free chickenpox vaccine by the NHS from January 2026.
www.bbc.com
August 30, 2025 at 3:44 AM
Glad the UK has come around to this. The US has seen a dramatic decrease in mortality related to chickenpox since vaccination began in 1995.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Dan Freedman, DO
open.substack.com/pub/pauloffi...
RFK Jr. will likely be called to testify before Senator Cassidy's HELP committee on May 14th.
RFK Jr. will likely be called to testify before Senator Cassidy's HELP committee on May 14th.
An Open Letter to Senator William Cassidy (R, La)
RFK Jr. is scheduled to testify in front of Senator Cassidy’s HELP Committee on May 14. Here is the letter I sent to him on May 1, 2025.
open.substack.com
May 6, 2025 at 11:07 AM
open.substack.com/pub/pauloffi...
RFK Jr. will likely be called to testify before Senator Cassidy's HELP committee on May 14th.
RFK Jr. will likely be called to testify before Senator Cassidy's HELP committee on May 14th.
Reposted by Dan Freedman, DO
New: HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. said he wouldn’t take away childhood vaccines.
Then he cut $2 billion from state health programs that helps get them to kids.
Clinics canceled. Nurses fired. Immunizations stalled—all amid a measles outbreak.
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
Then he cut $2 billion from state health programs that helps get them to kids.
Clinics canceled. Nurses fired. Immunizations stalled—all amid a measles outbreak.
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
How Kennedy is already weakening America's childhood vaccine system
The Department of Health and Human Services cut $2 billion from a program that supports vaccines for vulnerable children, forcing public health departments to lay off staff and cancel clinics.
www.nbcnews.com
April 3, 2025 at 7:22 PM
New: HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. said he wouldn’t take away childhood vaccines.
Then he cut $2 billion from state health programs that helps get them to kids.
Clinics canceled. Nurses fired. Immunizations stalled—all amid a measles outbreak.
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
Then he cut $2 billion from state health programs that helps get them to kids.
Clinics canceled. Nurses fired. Immunizations stalled—all amid a measles outbreak.
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
Reposted by Dan Freedman, DO
open.substack.com/pub/pauloffi...
"They were small and could not hope for help. And no help came." W.H. Auden
"They were small and could not hope for help. And no help came." W.H. Auden
Senator Cassidy: Please Save Our Children!
RFK Jr.’s reign of terror on vaccines is just beginning. The recent death of a six-year-old from measles is a glimpse of what lies ahead.
open.substack.com
April 1, 2025 at 12:06 PM
open.substack.com/pub/pauloffi...
"They were small and could not hope for help. And no help came." W.H. Auden
"They were small and could not hope for help. And no help came." W.H. Auden
Huge loss. Peter Marks' approvals for gene therapy led to a revolution in medicine. Children with a terrible disease called spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) used to die of respiratory failure early in life before they could walk. Now these kids live, breathe, & most walk. 1/
Dr. Peter Marks, the FDA’s top vaccine regulator, has resigned, an HHS official says.
A person familiar with the matter tells NBC News that Marks was forced out of his position.
A person familiar with the matter tells NBC News that Marks was forced out of his position.
FDA’s top vaccine scientist, Dr. Peter Marks, is out
In his resignation letter, Marks wrote that health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wanted "subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies."
nbcnews.to
March 29, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Huge loss. Peter Marks' approvals for gene therapy led to a revolution in medicine. Children with a terrible disease called spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) used to die of respiratory failure early in life before they could walk. Now these kids live, breathe, & most walk. 1/
Reposted by Dan Freedman, DO
Parents of the child who died of measles have joined RFK-founded Children's Health Defense. Anti-vaccine groups excel at swooping in for tragedy, offering parents a cause.
“Don’t do the shots,” her mother said, measles is “not as bad as they’re making it out to be.”
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
“Don’t do the shots,” her mother said, measles is “not as bad as they’re making it out to be.”
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
How the anti-vaccine movement weaponized a 6-year-old's measles death
Anti-vaccine influencers see the child’s death as proof — not of the danger of measles, but of their own debunked theories.
www.nbcnews.com
March 20, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Parents of the child who died of measles have joined RFK-founded Children's Health Defense. Anti-vaccine groups excel at swooping in for tragedy, offering parents a cause.
“Don’t do the shots,” her mother said, measles is “not as bad as they’re making it out to be.”
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
“Don’t do the shots,” her mother said, measles is “not as bad as they’re making it out to be.”
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
Reposted by Dan Freedman, DO
Sort of bleakly funny that RFK of all people is rumored to have said Weldon “wasn’t ready” www.axios.com/2025/03/13/w...
Scoop: White House pulls CDC director nomination
The nomination will be withdrawn the same day he was scheduled to testify at a confirmation hearing.
www.axios.com
March 13, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Sort of bleakly funny that RFK of all people is rumored to have said Weldon “wasn’t ready” www.axios.com/2025/03/13/w...
Reposted by Dan Freedman, DO
About Weldon: he wasn't just an anti-vaxx sympathizer—he was an important ally to the movement before Kennedy. The most interesting is how he helped anti-vaxx researchers access CDC vaccine data—a move that provided some of the earliest (and sloppiest) anti-vaxx science.
March 13, 2025 at 2:54 PM
About Weldon: he wasn't just an anti-vaxx sympathizer—he was an important ally to the movement before Kennedy. The most interesting is how he helped anti-vaxx researchers access CDC vaccine data—a move that provided some of the earliest (and sloppiest) anti-vaxx science.
Reposted by Dan Freedman, DO
No one:
Dave Weldon: The story of me being pushed out of CDC begins with my deep affinity for Andrew Wakefield.
Dave Weldon: The story of me being pushed out of CDC begins with my deep affinity for Andrew Wakefield.
March 13, 2025 at 5:43 PM
No one:
Dave Weldon: The story of me being pushed out of CDC begins with my deep affinity for Andrew Wakefield.
Dave Weldon: The story of me being pushed out of CDC begins with my deep affinity for Andrew Wakefield.
Reposted by Dan Freedman, DO
Remembering a lot of people saying stuff like “I don’t agree with RFK Jr. on everything but at least he’s going to do something about the food that’s making us sick”
USDA has eliminated two food safety advisory committees for microbiological contamination and meat inspection. Most recently, they had been reviewing regulatory approaches in response to the fatal Listeria outbreak from Boar’s Head meats and fatal Cronobacter contamination in powdered infant formula
USDA eliminates two food safety advisory committees
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has eliminated two committees that advise it on food safety, the agency said on Friday, raising concerns about government oversight of the food supply as the Trump administration seeks to downsize the federal bureaucracy and slash costs.
www.reuters.com
March 8, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Remembering a lot of people saying stuff like “I don’t agree with RFK Jr. on everything but at least he’s going to do something about the food that’s making us sick”
Reposted by Dan Freedman, DO
lol this could’ve been copy from a Vaccinate California social media post circa 2015, following the Disneyland measles outbreak, when this pest of a man showed up in CA to rail ab how MMR was causing autism.
Welcome to the team, Bobby!
The antivaxxers must be losing their minds. “THEY” got to him!
Welcome to the team, Bobby!
The antivaxxers must be losing their minds. “THEY” got to him!
March 3, 2025 at 2:18 AM
lol this could’ve been copy from a Vaccinate California social media post circa 2015, following the Disneyland measles outbreak, when this pest of a man showed up in CA to rail ab how MMR was causing autism.
Welcome to the team, Bobby!
The antivaxxers must be losing their minds. “THEY” got to him!
Welcome to the team, Bobby!
The antivaxxers must be losing their minds. “THEY” got to him!
Reposted by Dan Freedman, DO
1. #CDC was finally allowed to issue a statement on the Texas #measles outbreak, though it wasn't sent to the press distribution list or posted on its homepage. They tweeted it in the other place at 8:29 pm EST.
Communication by whisper. www.cdc.gov/media/releas...
Communication by whisper. www.cdc.gov/media/releas...
CDC Statement on Measles Outbreak
CDC is in close communication with Texas health authorities over the recent measles outbreak.
www.cdc.gov
February 28, 2025 at 1:48 AM
1. #CDC was finally allowed to issue a statement on the Texas #measles outbreak, though it wasn't sent to the press distribution list or posted on its homepage. They tweeted it in the other place at 8:29 pm EST.
Communication by whisper. www.cdc.gov/media/releas...
Communication by whisper. www.cdc.gov/media/releas...
Reposted by Dan Freedman, DO
An unvaccinated NJ traveler who returned to the US infected with #measles went to 3 health facilities earlier this month seeking care before being diagnosed. Not surprisingly, additional cases are now being detected.
Measles will spread if we give it the chance. www.nj.com/healthfit/20...
Measles will spread if we give it the chance. www.nj.com/healthfit/20...
New measles cases tied to N.J. patient who visited 3 health facilities
The New Jersey Department of Health confirmed an initial measles case on Feb. 14 in an unvaccinated individual, and by Feb. 20, two additional cases were identified in people who had close contact wit...
www.nj.com
February 28, 2025 at 11:56 AM
An unvaccinated NJ traveler who returned to the US infected with #measles went to 3 health facilities earlier this month seeking care before being diagnosed. Not surprisingly, additional cases are now being detected.
Measles will spread if we give it the chance. www.nj.com/healthfit/20...
Measles will spread if we give it the chance. www.nj.com/healthfit/20...
Reposted by Dan Freedman, DO
In contrast to RFK's nonexistent response, his antivaccine nonprofit has claimed that measles is healthy & the vaccine caused this outbreak, despite the overwhelming # of unvaccinated kids that have been infected & genotyping showing the outbreak is caused by a wild type virus
HHS Secretary Kennedy has been scarce at headquarters, has not visited a number of HHS agencies and has not sent all-staff emails to the department's workforce, according to one department official.
Notably, this person says, Kennedy has not done anything to address the measles outbreak.
Notably, this person says, Kennedy has not done anything to address the measles outbreak.
With RFK Jr. at his side, a measles outbreak could prove 'politically perilous' for Trump
The health secretary has long pushed misinformation about vaccines and played down an outbreak in Texas that has led to the death of a child.
www.nbcnews.com
February 28, 2025 at 1:34 AM
In contrast to RFK's nonexistent response, his antivaccine nonprofit has claimed that measles is healthy & the vaccine caused this outbreak, despite the overwhelming # of unvaccinated kids that have been infected & genotyping showing the outbreak is caused by a wild type virus
Reposted by Dan Freedman, DO
As Texas measles outbreak grows, parents are choosing to vaccinate kids www.nbcnews.com/health/healt... via @nbcnews.com @erikaedwards.bsky.social
As Texas measles outbreak grows, parents are choosing to vaccinate kids
At least 124 people, mostly babies, children and teens, have been infected. Eighteen people have been hospitalized.
www.nbcnews.com
February 26, 2025 at 10:09 PM
As Texas measles outbreak grows, parents are choosing to vaccinate kids www.nbcnews.com/health/healt... via @nbcnews.com @erikaedwards.bsky.social
Reposted by Dan Freedman, DO
On the morning of the first reported measles death in a decade, HHS Secretary Kennedy-founded anti-vaccine org Children's Health Defense hosts disgraced scientist Andrew Wakefield. He's urging parents to let their kids catch measles "naturally."
February 26, 2025 at 3:31 PM
On the morning of the first reported measles death in a decade, HHS Secretary Kennedy-founded anti-vaccine org Children's Health Defense hosts disgraced scientist Andrew Wakefield. He's urging parents to let their kids catch measles "naturally."
Reposted by Dan Freedman, DO
The Texas measles outbreak has reported its first death.
This was completely avoidable and it is infuriating that we choose to allow this disease to persist.
This was completely avoidable and it is infuriating that we choose to allow this disease to persist.
First measles death is reported in the West Texas outbreak that's infected more than 120 people
A person who was hospitalized with measles has died from measles in West Texas. It's the first since the outbreak began late last month.
apnews.com
February 26, 2025 at 3:35 PM
The Texas measles outbreak has reported its first death.
This was completely avoidable and it is infuriating that we choose to allow this disease to persist.
This was completely avoidable and it is infuriating that we choose to allow this disease to persist.
Reposted by Dan Freedman, DO
After the first measles death of a child HHS Secretary Kennedy seemed to downplay the Texas outbreak saying outbreaks were "not unusual," and the 18 kids hospitalized were "mainly for quarantine." A pediatrician on the ground said they couldn't breathe. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
February 26, 2025 at 6:02 PM
After the first measles death of a child HHS Secretary Kennedy seemed to downplay the Texas outbreak saying outbreaks were "not unusual," and the 18 kids hospitalized were "mainly for quarantine." A pediatrician on the ground said they couldn't breathe. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
Texas DOH confirms genomic testing shows no vaccine strain in its collected measles samples. Measles vaccine shedding is an antivaccine lie that has been used for years. The measles vaccine does not cause measles outbreaks. It stops them.
Update for the purveyors of this most recent conspiracy theory: Texas DOH confirms genomic testing shows no vaccine strain in its collected measles samples. www.nbcnews.com/news/texas-m...
February 26, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Texas DOH confirms genomic testing shows no vaccine strain in its collected measles samples. Measles vaccine shedding is an antivaccine lie that has been used for years. The measles vaccine does not cause measles outbreaks. It stops them.
Reposted by Dan Freedman, DO
Update for the purveyors of this most recent conspiracy theory: Texas DOH confirms genomic testing shows no vaccine strain in its collected measles samples. www.nbcnews.com/news/texas-m...
February 26, 2025 at 12:59 AM
Update for the purveyors of this most recent conspiracy theory: Texas DOH confirms genomic testing shows no vaccine strain in its collected measles samples. www.nbcnews.com/news/texas-m...
If you don't follow @brandyzadrozny.bsky.social, you should. She has been covering the antivaccine movement for years and has seen this all before.
NEW: As a measles outbreak sweeps through Texas, with at least 124 cases and hospitalizing 18 people, anti-vaccine groups are pushing a familiar and false theory — that the highly contagious virus is being caused by the vaccine itself.
@brandyzadrozny.bsky.social reports:
@brandyzadrozny.bsky.social reports:
Anti-vaccine movement falsely blames measles shots for Texas outbreak
The worsening measles outbreak has sickened 124, mostly unvaccinated children, and 18 people have been hospitalized.
www.nbcnews.com
February 25, 2025 at 10:58 PM
If you don't follow @brandyzadrozny.bsky.social, you should. She has been covering the antivaccine movement for years and has seen this all before.
Reposted by Dan Freedman, DO
1st: vaccines work
2nd: social media companies developed their OG vaccine policies in response to *outbreaks like this* in Samoa & Bklyn. Not COVID! They boosted good info. They labeled false claims.
That got redefined as “censorship” by ppl who profit from lies.
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/22/u...
2nd: social media companies developed their OG vaccine policies in response to *outbreaks like this* in Samoa & Bklyn. Not COVID! They boosted good info. They labeled false claims.
That got redefined as “censorship” by ppl who profit from lies.
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/22/u...
Measles Outbreak in Texas and New Mexico Sickens Nearly 100 People (Gift Article)
Texas reported 90 cases this week, while New Mexico reported nine. A majority of the cases have been in a Texas county where vaccination rates have lagged behind the rest of the state.
www.nytimes.com
February 22, 2025 at 6:44 PM
1st: vaccines work
2nd: social media companies developed their OG vaccine policies in response to *outbreaks like this* in Samoa & Bklyn. Not COVID! They boosted good info. They labeled false claims.
That got redefined as “censorship” by ppl who profit from lies.
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/22/u...
2nd: social media companies developed their OG vaccine policies in response to *outbreaks like this* in Samoa & Bklyn. Not COVID! They boosted good info. They labeled false claims.
That got redefined as “censorship” by ppl who profit from lies.
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/22/u...
Reposted by Dan Freedman, DO
NEW: RFK Jr. said a new study linked vaccines to autism in his confirmation hearing. We found that the study's author had a hard time getting it published.
Then he got help from Andrew Wakefield, who is famous for the first debunked study linking the the two.
GIFT: www.nytimes.com/2025/02/12/u...
Then he got help from Andrew Wakefield, who is famous for the first debunked study linking the the two.
GIFT: www.nytimes.com/2025/02/12/u...
Behind Kennedy’s Vow to ‘Follow the Science’ on Vaccines
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. cited a disputed study from a close network of fellow vaccine skeptics during his confirmation hearings. His critics say it is part of a pattern that raises concerns about whose ...
www.nytimes.com
February 12, 2025 at 8:32 PM
NEW: RFK Jr. said a new study linked vaccines to autism in his confirmation hearing. We found that the study's author had a hard time getting it published.
Then he got help from Andrew Wakefield, who is famous for the first debunked study linking the the two.
GIFT: www.nytimes.com/2025/02/12/u...
Then he got help from Andrew Wakefield, who is famous for the first debunked study linking the the two.
GIFT: www.nytimes.com/2025/02/12/u...