J. Offir, PhD
@joffirphd.bsky.social
Ph.D. in social psychology. Former researcher in pandemic behavioral risk reduction (non-pharma intervention). Only here to keep up. @[email protected]
Pinned
J. Offir, PhD
@joffirphd.bsky.social
Β· Aug 23
In The Bad Place, I have a pinned thread of my covid essays & threads, w/ short descriptions of ea. Here's one for This Place, though w/o descriptions, b/c I'm tired. As is true there, I've put them in reverse chrono order, but anything new will post at the end. I flagged ones people liked best:
Updated π list of my essays on the psychology of public health (inc. topics like covid, HIV & reproductive health). As of 8/22/25, there are *31* long-form pieces in this π§΅.
The list starts in reverse chrono. order, but in Oct. 2024 starts rolling forward, so oldest posts are in the middle. Doh.
The list starts in reverse chrono. order, but in Oct. 2024 starts rolling forward, so oldest posts are in the middle. Doh.
Financial and reputational.
February 11, 2026 at 2:40 AM
Financial and reputational.
Social drinking is linked to addiction, violence, & accidents - and experts should have said so a month ago when Oz first mouthed off about alcohol's utility as a "social lunricant." (I said something, below, but I'm not an expert on alcohol use.)
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/h...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/h...
February 11, 2026 at 2:40 AM
Social drinking is linked to addiction, violence, & accidents - and experts should have said so a month ago when Oz first mouthed off about alcohol's utility as a "social lunricant." (I said something, below, but I'm not an expert on alcohol use.)
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/h...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/h...
"A small group of conservative activists has worked for 16 years to stop all government efforts to fight climate change. Their efforts seem poised to pay off."
I'd wonder how they sleep at night, but the truth is that monsters like this sleep far better than I do.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/c...
I'd wonder how they sleep at night, but the truth is that monsters like this sleep far better than I do.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/c...
Trump Allies Near βTotal Victoryβ in Wiping Out U.S. Climate Regulation
www.nytimes.com
February 11, 2026 at 2:29 AM
"A small group of conservative activists has worked for 16 years to stop all government efforts to fight climate change. Their efforts seem poised to pay off."
I'd wonder how they sleep at night, but the truth is that monsters like this sleep far better than I do.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/c...
I'd wonder how they sleep at night, but the truth is that monsters like this sleep far better than I do.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/c...
This is a problem; it's not policy that wins elections, but (much of the time) money.
Find some candidates you like & donate. Or if you aren't sure where your contributions could help most, donate to the seats we can most easily flip & need most to defend.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/u...
Find some candidates you like & donate. Or if you aren't sure where your contributions could help most, donate to the seats we can most easily flip & need most to defend.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/u...
Republican Cash Edge Threatens to Swamp Democrats in the Midterms
www.nytimes.com
February 11, 2026 at 2:24 AM
This is a problem; it's not policy that wins elections, but (much of the time) money.
Find some candidates you like & donate. Or if you aren't sure where your contributions could help most, donate to the seats we can most easily flip & need most to defend.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/u...
Find some candidates you like & donate. Or if you aren't sure where your contributions could help most, donate to the seats we can most easily flip & need most to defend.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/u...
Reposted by J. Offir, PhD
Journalists have often asked me how vaccine policy in the US could impact Canadians. I've repeated that one way, among many, is by fundamentally altering the value proposition for vaccine research and development. And so it begins.
More reporting: At the WEF in Davos, Modernaβs CEO said Moderna will "stop investing in late-stage vaccine trials that are a crucial part of the approval process," b/c βYou cannot βmake a return on investment if you donβt have access to the U.S. market."
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...
February 11, 2026 at 2:09 AM
Journalists have often asked me how vaccine policy in the US could impact Canadians. I've repeated that one way, among many, is by fundamentally altering the value proposition for vaccine research and development. And so it begins.
More reporting: At the WEF in Davos, Modernaβs CEO said Moderna will "stop investing in late-stage vaccine trials that are a crucial part of the approval process," b/c βYou cannot βmake a return on investment if you donβt have access to the U.S. market."
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...
February 11, 2026 at 1:53 AM
More reporting: At the WEF in Davos, Modernaβs CEO said Moderna will "stop investing in late-stage vaccine trials that are a crucial part of the approval process," b/c βYou cannot βmake a return on investment if you donβt have access to the U.S. market."
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...
Thank goodness - no indictments of Sens. Mark Kelly & Elissa Slotkin, & Reps. Crow, Goodlander, Houlahan & Deluzio, who used their 1A rights to speak facts.
I just wish the news would start including the cost to taxpayers for all of this nonsense at the DoJ.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/u...
I just wish the news would start including the cost to taxpayers for all of this nonsense at the DoJ.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/u...
Grand Jury Rebuffs Justice Dept. Attempt to Indict 6 Democrats in Congress
www.nytimes.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:46 AM
Thank goodness - no indictments of Sens. Mark Kelly & Elissa Slotkin, & Reps. Crow, Goodlander, Houlahan & Deluzio, who used their 1A rights to speak facts.
I just wish the news would start including the cost to taxpayers for all of this nonsense at the DoJ.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/u...
I just wish the news would start including the cost to taxpayers for all of this nonsense at the DoJ.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/u...
We're certainly stressing out US manufacturers. But note that anything developed & made elsewhere would still need FDA approval to be offered in the US. (Sometimes, the gov. doesn't enforce the law when pts. import only a small amount of an Rx'ed drug for personal use, but that doesn't apply, here.)
February 11, 2026 at 12:42 AM
We're certainly stressing out US manufacturers. But note that anything developed & made elsewhere would still need FDA approval to be offered in the US. (Sometimes, the gov. doesn't enforce the law when pts. import only a small amount of an Rx'ed drug for personal use, but that doesn't apply, here.)
Really bad - not just b/c the FDA refused even to review the application after previously indicating they would, but b/c this biotech is very important: the article doesn't mention it, but an mRNA vax could be produced much faster than a std. flu vax, & so, offer a superior fit w/ circulating virus.
The FDA has refused to accept an application from Moderna to review its first mRNA seasonal flu vaccine, the company said, in another setback for the technology thatβs been a target of some Trump administration health officials. https://cnn.it/4kt8iyn
February 10, 2026 at 11:58 PM
Really bad - not just b/c the FDA refused even to review the application after previously indicating they would, but b/c this biotech is very important: the article doesn't mention it, but an mRNA vax could be produced much faster than a std. flu vax, & so, offer a superior fit w/ circulating virus.
ICYMI: The terms you use to think about your health care providers matter; your providers' views about the terms you use matter, too.
Mini-essay π§΅: Words matter. But I don't agree with these authors' conclusions.
They note that the term "provider" deemphasizes "professional identity...because differences in training and expertise among clinicians are not recognized; others have found it to be ambiguous and disrespectful."
1/10
They note that the term "provider" deemphasizes "professional identity...because differences in training and expertise among clinicians are not recognized; others have found it to be ambiguous and disrespectful."
1/10
"The term [provider] should not be used to describe physicians, nor should physicians use it to describe themselves, their team members, or their trainees."
www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/...
www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/...
February 10, 2026 at 11:46 PM
ICYMI: The terms you use to think about your health care providers matter; your providers' views about the terms you use matter, too.
not fine to wield professional credentials as a cudgel to subdue & dominate the masses. (Btw, at my undergrad alma mater, professors were called Mr. & Ms., not Dr; no one exploded.)
Get a grip, guys. We know you graduated med school. But we'd like you to remember you're providing a service - to us.
Get a grip, guys. We know you graduated med school. But we'd like you to remember you're providing a service - to us.
February 10, 2026 at 9:10 PM
not fine to wield professional credentials as a cudgel to subdue & dominate the masses. (Btw, at my undergrad alma mater, professors were called Mr. & Ms., not Dr; no one exploded.)
Get a grip, guys. We know you graduated med school. But we'd like you to remember you're providing a service - to us.
Get a grip, guys. We know you graduated med school. But we'd like you to remember you're providing a service - to us.
world renowned brain surgeon Peter Black, whose whole office used the honorific in speaking to me; he was a great guy who didn't need to bury insecurities in honorific exclusivity, b/c he actually *was* the best).
It's fine when MDs don't refer to me this way (PhDs are only Drs. at work), but it's
It's fine when MDs don't refer to me this way (PhDs are only Drs. at work), but it's
February 10, 2026 at 9:10 PM
world renowned brain surgeon Peter Black, whose whole office used the honorific in speaking to me; he was a great guy who didn't need to bury insecurities in honorific exclusivity, b/c he actually *was* the best).
It's fine when MDs don't refer to me this way (PhDs are only Drs. at work), but it's
It's fine when MDs don't refer to me this way (PhDs are only Drs. at work), but it's
*patient* getting that service (not the advanced training of the person providing it; congrats - you have a fancy post-graduate diploma; so do I). I like it that way.
In my long experience interacting with HCWs, I've had a grand total of 2 who referred to *me* as "Doctor Offir." (One was the
In my long experience interacting with HCWs, I've had a grand total of 2 who referred to *me* as "Doctor Offir." (One was the
February 10, 2026 at 9:10 PM
*patient* getting that service (not the advanced training of the person providing it; congrats - you have a fancy post-graduate diploma; so do I). I like it that way.
In my long experience interacting with HCWs, I've had a grand total of 2 who referred to *me* as "Doctor Offir." (One was the
In my long experience interacting with HCWs, I've had a grand total of 2 who referred to *me* as "Doctor Offir." (One was the
still hear nurses or MAs refer to an MD in the 3rd person as simply "Doctor," it tells me something bad about that practice's culture.
"Provider," OTOH, reminds us that healthcare providers, whomever they may be, are providing us with a paid service: it centers that service, & it centers the...
"Provider," OTOH, reminds us that healthcare providers, whomever they may be, are providing us with a paid service: it centers that service, & it centers the...
February 10, 2026 at 9:10 PM
still hear nurses or MAs refer to an MD in the 3rd person as simply "Doctor," it tells me something bad about that practice's culture.
"Provider," OTOH, reminds us that healthcare providers, whomever they may be, are providing us with a paid service: it centers that service, & it centers the...
"Provider," OTOH, reminds us that healthcare providers, whomever they may be, are providing us with a paid service: it centers that service, & it centers the...
titles; they'd simply say things like "Doctor will return your call tonight," or "Doctor says to take your pills at 7." That divorcement of the person from his (usually it was a man's) position of power over his patients wasn't a good thing (Doctor says to! Doctor is God!), & when I occasionally...
February 10, 2026 at 9:10 PM
titles; they'd simply say things like "Doctor will return your call tonight," or "Doctor says to take your pills at 7." That divorcement of the person from his (usually it was a man's) position of power over his patients wasn't a good thing (Doctor says to! Doctor is God!), & when I occasionally...
patient & provider. That partnership didn't even exist until recently, & returning to a new emphasis on physicians' power & supremacy in healthcare settings would undermine it.
Back in the day, medical offices & hospitals often didn't even attach doctors' last names (or the article "the") to their
Back in the day, medical offices & hospitals often didn't even attach doctors' last names (or the article "the") to their
February 10, 2026 at 9:10 PM
patient & provider. That partnership didn't even exist until recently, & returning to a new emphasis on physicians' power & supremacy in healthcare settings would undermine it.
Back in the day, medical offices & hospitals often didn't even attach doctors' last names (or the article "the") to their
Back in the day, medical offices & hospitals often didn't even attach doctors' last names (or the article "the") to their
same. But OTOH, we've needed some egalitarianism injected into this arena for a long time. (Many folks are no longer treated by MDs anyway, & if the Trump regime gets its way, they won't even be treated by humans.) And even more important, we need our newly won emphasis on the equal partnership b/t
February 10, 2026 at 9:10 PM
same. But OTOH, we've needed some egalitarianism injected into this arena for a long time. (Many folks are no longer treated by MDs anyway, & if the Trump regime gets its way, they won't even be treated by humans.) And even more important, we need our newly won emphasis on the equal partnership b/t
members, or their trainees."
But this sounds like simple jockeying for (symbolic) position. Yes, using the term "health care provider" to refer to PAs, RNs, APRNs, DOs & MDs alike is rather egalitarian, even though these positions (in education, skills, & financial compensation) are indeed not the
But this sounds like simple jockeying for (symbolic) position. Yes, using the term "health care provider" to refer to PAs, RNs, APRNs, DOs & MDs alike is rather egalitarian, even though these positions (in education, skills, & financial compensation) are indeed not the
February 10, 2026 at 9:10 PM
members, or their trainees."
But this sounds like simple jockeying for (symbolic) position. Yes, using the term "health care provider" to refer to PAs, RNs, APRNs, DOs & MDs alike is rather egalitarian, even though these positions (in education, skills, & financial compensation) are indeed not the
But this sounds like simple jockeying for (symbolic) position. Yes, using the term "health care provider" to refer to PAs, RNs, APRNs, DOs & MDs alike is rather egalitarian, even though these positions (in education, skills, & financial compensation) are indeed not the
They then conclude that the term "undermines the physicianβs ethical obligations, clinical integrity, and accountability, as well as trust in the patientβphysician relationship," saying it "should not be used to describe physicians, nor should physicians use it to describe themselves, their team...
February 10, 2026 at 9:10 PM
They then conclude that the term "undermines the physicianβs ethical obligations, clinical integrity, and accountability, as well as trust in the patientβphysician relationship," saying it "should not be used to describe physicians, nor should physicians use it to describe themselves, their team...
Mini-essay π§΅: Words matter. But I don't agree with these authors' conclusions.
They note that the term "provider" deemphasizes "professional identity...because differences in training and expertise among clinicians are not recognized; others have found it to be ambiguous and disrespectful."
1/10
They note that the term "provider" deemphasizes "professional identity...because differences in training and expertise among clinicians are not recognized; others have found it to be ambiguous and disrespectful."
1/10
"The term [provider] should not be used to describe physicians, nor should physicians use it to describe themselves, their team members, or their trainees."
www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/...
www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/...
Physicians Are Not Providers: The Ethical Significance of Names in Health Care: A Policy Paper From the American College of Physicians | Annals of Internal Medicine
More than 25 years ago, Pellegrino and Relman noted the increasing commercialization of the learned professions, anticipating what many physicians are increasingly experiencing today: an impairment of...
www.acpjournals.org
February 10, 2026 at 9:10 PM
Mini-essay π§΅: Words matter. But I don't agree with these authors' conclusions.
They note that the term "provider" deemphasizes "professional identity...because differences in training and expertise among clinicians are not recognized; others have found it to be ambiguous and disrespectful."
1/10
They note that the term "provider" deemphasizes "professional identity...because differences in training and expertise among clinicians are not recognized; others have found it to be ambiguous and disrespectful."
1/10
prepared.β That's the plan Stan. (Or rather, it's to force blue states to compromise their own budgets to address a HHS-caused crisis.)
The CDC says its new goals deprioriotize conditions that mostly affect minority groups, b/c those interventions "in many cases...undermined core American values."
The CDC says its new goals deprioriotize conditions that mostly affect minority groups, b/c those interventions "in many cases...undermined core American values."
February 10, 2026 at 8:20 PM
prepared.β That's the plan Stan. (Or rather, it's to force blue states to compromise their own budgets to address a HHS-caused crisis.)
The CDC says its new goals deprioriotize conditions that mostly affect minority groups, b/c those interventions "in many cases...undermined core American values."
The CDC says its new goals deprioriotize conditions that mostly affect minority groups, b/c those interventions "in many cases...undermined core American values."
appropriated the funds."
She said, βIt is concerning that H.H.S. is cutting public health funding to local communities that cover core functions in the middle of a measles outbreak and other health threats. This coupled with large staffing cuts to federal public health leaves communities less...
She said, βIt is concerning that H.H.S. is cutting public health funding to local communities that cover core functions in the middle of a measles outbreak and other health threats. This coupled with large staffing cuts to federal public health leaves communities less...
February 10, 2026 at 8:20 PM
appropriated the funds."
She said, βIt is concerning that H.H.S. is cutting public health funding to local communities that cover core functions in the middle of a measles outbreak and other health threats. This coupled with large staffing cuts to federal public health leaves communities less...
She said, βIt is concerning that H.H.S. is cutting public health funding to local communities that cover core functions in the middle of a measles outbreak and other health threats. This coupled with large staffing cuts to federal public health leaves communities less...
More reporting on CDC public health funding cuts to blue states - this time, programs on the chopping block are in CA, CO, IL & MN. Cuts include grants to state & local public health depts & to NGOs.
Former CDC CMO Deb Houry "noted that Congress had already...
π§΅1/3
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/h...
Former CDC CMO Deb Houry "noted that Congress had already...
π§΅1/3
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/h...
Trump Administration to Cut $600 Million in Health Funding From Four States
www.nytimes.com
February 10, 2026 at 8:20 PM
More reporting on CDC public health funding cuts to blue states - this time, programs on the chopping block are in CA, CO, IL & MN. Cuts include grants to state & local public health depts & to NGOs.
Former CDC CMO Deb Houry "noted that Congress had already...
π§΅1/3
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/h...
Former CDC CMO Deb Houry "noted that Congress had already...
π§΅1/3
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/h...
Reposted by J. Offir, PhD
They definitely could not be.
Even when we had a functional public health infrastructure, the primary reason people got their kids vaxxed was b/c of school mandates. Even among pro-vax folks, the mandate provides a necessary push.
Ex: I don't know what Canada's car emissions testing sys. is, but
Even when we had a functional public health infrastructure, the primary reason people got their kids vaxxed was b/c of school mandates. Even among pro-vax folks, the mandate provides a necessary push.
Ex: I don't know what Canada's car emissions testing sys. is, but
February 10, 2026 at 8:01 PM
They definitely could not be.
Even when we had a functional public health infrastructure, the primary reason people got their kids vaxxed was b/c of school mandates. Even among pro-vax folks, the mandate provides a necessary push.
Ex: I don't know what Canada's car emissions testing sys. is, but
Even when we had a functional public health infrastructure, the primary reason people got their kids vaxxed was b/c of school mandates. Even among pro-vax folks, the mandate provides a necessary push.
Ex: I don't know what Canada's car emissions testing sys. is, but
3/ mentioned on your podcast, having a (clear) mandate (the ex. then was for childhood vaccination, but other exs. are re: seatbelts & not smoking in restaurants) generally shifts attitudes to be more pro-intervention. So when the mandate falls, people become less pro-, & so, less likely to comply.
February 10, 2026 at 8:01 PM
3/ mentioned on your podcast, having a (clear) mandate (the ex. then was for childhood vaccination, but other exs. are re: seatbelts & not smoking in restaurants) generally shifts attitudes to be more pro-intervention. So when the mandate falls, people become less pro-, & so, less likely to comply.