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Reposted by Jenn Dowd

Vanessa di Lego @vdilego.bsky.social · 1d

For our next seminar at the Demography Department at Cedeplar, UFMG, we have the extraordinary Ridhi Kashyap @ridhikashyap.bsky.social presenting. Don´t miss it! The Zoom link is below. We see you all tomorrow, October 8, at 2 pm Brazilian time 👇 💡
Zoom link: lnkd.in/e5UC-M54
#demography

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Jenn Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social · 2d

www.statnews.com/2025/10/06/c... #episky #medsky

CDC approves updated Covid-19, chickenpox vaccine recommendations

The CDC has accepted advisers' recommendations on Covid vaccinations, though there may still be uncertainty in some states about whether a prescription is needed to access them.

www.statnews.com

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Jenn Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social · 2d

While kids are not at high risk for severe COVID, hospitalizations & deaths still happen. For babies & very young kids, the rates of hospitalization are similar to those over age 75. The vaccines can greatly reduce this risk. jenndowd.substack.com/p/do-kids-ne.... #episky #medsky, #publichealth

Do kids need COVID vaccines?

Let's talk about it.

jenndowd.substack.com

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Jenn Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social · 2d

The acting CDC director has now approved ACIP recs allowing anyone 6 months+ to receive an updated Covid-19 shot after discussing w/ their provider. If you are on the fence about getting an updated shot, read my in-depth take on the evidence we've accumulated on these vaccines. #publichealth

Do additional COVID vaccines really help?

We've accumulated a lot of scientific evidence in the last few years.

open.substack.com

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Jenn Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social · 2d

Yes, I agree 💯 about the need for more structural solutions.. it often feels like this work is such a drop in a big ocean. But for now, I am trying to see this as something I *can* do, however small. I am very eager to learn about and support more upstream ways to support scicomm as well.

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Reposted by Jenn Dowd

Hampton Gaddy @hggaddy.bsky.social · 3d

🚨 The Economist has been telling you for years that polygamy causes civil war by locking men out of marriage. A new article with @rebeccasear.bsky.social and @anthrolog.bsky.social explains that the demography of marriage markets doesn't actually work that way. 🧵

www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

High rates of polygyny do not lock large proportions of men out of the marriage market | PNAS

There is a widespread belief, in both the scholarly literature and the popular press, that polygyny prevents large numbers of men from marrying by ...

www.pnas.org

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Reposted by Jenn Dowd

Rebecca Sear @rebeccasear.bsky.social · 3d

If one man marries two women, another man must go unmarried, right? No. Demography matters. If sex ratios are skewed towards women, then polygyny can exist alongside universal marriage for men (who want to marry women). If only more people understood demography 😊

Hampton Gaddy @hggaddy.bsky.social · 3d

🚨 The Economist has been telling you for years that polygamy causes civil war by locking men out of marriage. A new article with @rebeccasear.bsky.social and @anthrolog.bsky.social explains that the demography of marriage markets doesn't actually work that way. 🧵

www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

High rates of polygyny do not lock large proportions of men out of the marriage market | PNAS

There is a widespread belief, in both the scholarly literature and the popular press, that polygyny prevents large numbers of men from marrying by ...

www.pnas.org

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Jenn Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social · 2d

7/ So I strongly encourage other scientists to give it a go- it's definitely a learning by doing type of situation! And Blue Sky feels like a safe place to develop those muscles :).

a man wearing a skull and crossbones shirt is sitting in front of a bookshelf and says give it a try

ALT: a man wearing a skull and crossbones shirt is sitting in front of a bookshelf and says give it a try

media.tenor.com

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Jenn Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social · 2d

6/ Having those skills puts us in a much better position to have impact when a crisis hits or our area of research becomes timely for whatever reason (thinking of all the policy, politics, & history accounts I am now following!). Consistency over time also builds trust for when it is needed.

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Jenn Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social · 2d

5/ I'm not sure if this answers any of your excellent questions-for me there isn't a specific goal of social media per se, but seeing a need for more researchers to fill this translational space while building our own capabilities to effectively communicate the science we work so hard to carry out.

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Jenn Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social · 2d

4/ I'm grateful for this type of outlet, as it's made me a better academic communicator & researcher as well. I've lost patience with opaque & jargony writing. Thinking through how to explain the "bottom line" of any research really focuses attention & helps me see connections across areas.

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Jenn Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social · 2d

3/ There is still a huge need for people who can bridge both deep knowledge from doing research (scientists) & effective communication/explaining the bigger picture (journalists or full-time #scicomm folks). We need more folks to try! But I'm aware that academic career incentives don't reward this.

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Jenn Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social · 2d

2/ but I think social media is a good place to practice clear & concise communication of work you think is important (your own & others). And of course it has the chance to amplify the reach & understanding of that science much more than the readership of academic journals.

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Jenn Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social · 2d

Great questions! My trial by fire was COVID, & a crisis is great for pushing you out of your comfort zone. But that experience convinced me of the value in scientists becoming better communicators. What that looks like might be different for everyone... 1/

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Reposted by Jenn Dowd

Ruth Ann Crystal @drruth.bsky.social · 4d

The HPV vaccine is doing what had been promised.
17 years after it became available, HPV infections decreased significantly in vaccinated people and unvaccinated people because of herd immunity. buff.ly/WvjQ1BS

h/t @boghuma.bsky.social

#medsky #pedsky 🛟🧪

Light blue background. Young woman with dark hair makes a sign of strength with her arm and she has a vaccine bandaid on her upper arm. It says "The HPV Vaccine Works!"

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Jenn Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social · 9d

With apologies to Jimmy Buffett....
jenndowd.substack.com/p/wasting-yo... #episky #medsky #dementia

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Jenn Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social · 10d

Nice job (maybe too nice?) not calling anyone out specifically 😂

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Reposted by Jenn Dowd

Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 13d

New Bluesky rule: you can’t post a figure showing dramatic decline in the TFR without either explaining what TFR can, and can’t tell us, or posting the excellent explainer by @scientificdiscovery.dev on the topic.

Why the total fertility rate doesn’t necessarily tell us the number of births women eventually have

The fertility rate is commonly confused with the eventual number of births per woman. This can result in misinterpreting the impact of policies and trends over time.

ourworldindata.org

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Jenn Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social · 16d

10/ We *do* in fact have a good idea of how many people in the US died of COVID... around 1.2 million. #episky #demography #medsky #policysky jenndowd.substack.com/p/how-many-p...

How many people died of COVID?

We likely undercounted, not overcounted COVID deaths

jenndowd.substack.com

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Jenn Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social · 16d

9/ Reason 101 why you don't want to get measles: jenndowd.substack.com/p/dont-you-f... #idsky #immunosky #episky

Don’t You Forget About Me(asles): The Virus That Erases Immune Memory

Measles vaccination protects your entire immune history.

jenndowd.substack.com

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Jenn Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social · 16d

8/ Did the pandemic age our brains? Maybe, but this paper doesn't show that... jenndowd.substack.com/p/did-the-pa... #episky

Did the Pandemic Really Age Our Brains?

A closer look at the evidence.

jenndowd.substack.com

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Jenn Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social · 16d

7/ The noisy statistics behind embryo selection: jenndowd.substack.com/p/can-you-pa... #genetics #medsky #episky

Can You Pay to Get Taller, Smarter Embryos?

Genetic prediction is not as good as you think.

jenndowd.substack.com

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Jenn Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social · 16d

6/ Do additional COVID shots really help? (I really can't help myself with Princess Bride memes): jenndowd.substack.com/p/do-additio... #episky #medsky #idsky #publichealth

Do additional COVID vaccines really help?

We've accumulated a lot of scientific evidence in the last few years.

jenndowd.substack.com

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Jenn Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social · 16d

5/ And responding to the current birth rate panic: jenndowd.substack.com/p/is-our-pop... #demography

Is our population collapsing?

Throwing some cold water on "population panic"

jenndowd.substack.com

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Jenn Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social · 16d

4/ This myth that I just heard one too many times on the TikTok: jenndowd.substack.com/p/there-were... #demography

There Were Still Old People When Life Expectancy Was 35.

A demography myth that won't die

jenndowd.substack.com

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