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Lena Sun

@lenasun.bsky.social

3.2K followers 380 following 130 posts

National health reporter, The Washington Post [email protected]; Reach me securely on Signal: LenaSun.04

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Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · Feb 16

Hearing that @CDCgov personnel on probationary list are getting termination letters this evening. If you’re one of them, you can reach me securely on Signal at LenaSun.04. I promise to keep your name confidential. We want to get a sense of who’s been cut. DMs ok too. Also [email protected]

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Reposted by Lena Sun

Lauren Weber @laurenweberhp.bsky.social · 7h

She left the medical mainstream and rose to be RFK Jr.'s surgeon general pick

Read my and @rachelroubein.bsky.social @washingtonpost.com deep dive on Casey Means

www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

She left the medical mainstream and rose to be RFK Jr.'s surgeon general pick

Casey Means, the surgeon general nominee, has criticized the medical establishment. She could be put in position to change it.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 12d

Many parents fear Trump and RFKJr rhetoric about autism as an “epidemic” is harmful and going backwards. “We’re not a disease, we’re people,” one parent says. “We don’t need to ‘cure’ autism. We need to expand access to services.”

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 12d

Important Read: Programs that many autistic people and their families depend on — through Medicaid, the Education Department and the Administration for Community Living — have been targeted for funding cuts by Trump administration. @caitjgibson.bsky.social

www.washingtonpost.com/parenting/20...

Families push back on Trump’s autism rhetoric: ‘We’re not a disease’

Parents fear that progress toward inclusion is under threat as political leaders call autism a “crisis.”

www.washingtonpost.com

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Dan Diamond @ddiamond.bsky.social · 15d

GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy on Trump and RFK Jr’s claims about Tylenol and autism:

“Talk to your OB about it. But secondly, I was talking to a woman, she goes, ‘Oh, this is great. Two men telling me not to take the only thing I can take when my back's hurting and I'm pregnant.’”

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Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 19d

And here’s the link to our story about RFKJR’s handpicked vaccine advisory committee.

www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

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Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 19d

Would be helpful to include the link to our story.

www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

Vaccine panel tension exposes broader conflict about science under RFK Jr.

Members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices showed a tenuous grasp of process and cited flawed research as they revisited covid, hepatitis B and MMRV shots.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 19d

Our story on how RFKJr’s vaccine handpicked advisers were unprepared, misunderstood or ignored key data, per experts watching the meeting.
@washingtonpost.com @davidovalle.bsky.social @rachelroubein.bsky.social + me

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Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 19d

“With no approach to evaluating the science, the committee serves only as a siren singing us to shipwreck,” said Dan Jernigan, one of the senior CDC leaders who resigned in August to protest what he described as the politicization of science.

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Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 19d

When one panel member spoke on the importance of randomized controlled trials for vaccines — an approach pushed by Kennedy and criticized as unrealistic by some vaccine experts — someone could be heard saying “you’re an idiot.”

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Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 19d

They floated cancer, autism and DNA contamination as potential dangers of coronavirus vaccines.

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Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 19d

The CDC vaccine advisory committee members appeared at times uncertain about the issues before them or the powers of the panel, prompting staff to explain steps in evaluating data and setting vaccine recommendations.

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Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 19d

NEW: RFKJr’s handpicked vaccine panel met this week. They were unprepared, misunderstood or ignored key data + highlighted flawed or inconclusive research often trumpeted by vaccine critics, per medical/scientific experts who watched meeting @davidovalle.bsky.social @rachelroubein.bsky.social + me.

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Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 22d

We can’t say for sure what recommendations the CDC panel will make, but if getting vaccinated is important to you, it might be easier if you get one before the weekend. Earlier this month many states already lifted restrictions that made getting vaccinated harder. 3/3

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Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 22d

CDC advisers are deciding covid vaccine recommendations Friday. People familiar with the deliberations tell us options under serious consideration could be more restrictive and force some seniors to pay out-of-pocket or get a prescription. 2/3

www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

Trump officials to link covid shots to child deaths, alarming career scientists

The move to link coronavirus vaccines to 25 child deaths has alarmed career scientists who say the shots have been extensively studied.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 22d

If you are 65+ and thinking about getting a coronavirus shot, this week might be your best opportunity. Right now, the FDA has approved updated vaccines for that age group. But it’s possible it could get much tougher to get those shots next week. 1/3

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Fenit Nirappil @fenitn.bsky.social · 24d

HHS officially announced five new vaccine advisers who will decide fate of coronavirus vaccines Friday.

One called for stopping mRNA vaccines, another blamed covid shots for rare conditions and another said coronavirus isn't scary.

www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

RFK Jr. weighs adding critics of coronavirus shots to key vaccine panel

Two urged removal of mRNA coronavirus vaccines. One said physicians “blindly believed” in them. Another said covid isn’t scary, noting Jesus touched lepers.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 24d

Nine percent have skipped the polio or measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) shots, which public health experts say risks large outbreaks of potentially fatal diseases which have been curbed through widespread vaccination.

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Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 24d

The Post and KFF, a health policy research and news organization, surveyed 2,716 parents this summer, providing a detailed breakdown of why some people are avoiding childhood vaccines. It also shows that the vast majority of American parents still support immunizations.

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Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 24d

New poll by WaPo-KFF finds 1 in 6 US parents who skip/delay vaccines are more likely to home-school their children, be White and very religious, identify as Republican or be under 35, shedding new light on vaccine hesitancy. (Not incl covid or flu).

www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

Why 1 in 6 U.S. parents say they skipped or delayed their kids’ vaccines

A wide-ranging Washington Post-KFF poll details who tends to reject vaccine recommendations and their reasoning.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Dan Diamond @ddiamond.bsky.social · 27d

Exclusive at WaPo: RFK Jr's aides are prepping new bid to crack down on covid vaccine by linking it to 25 child deaths

They appear to be citing submissions to vaccine-report database VAERS — despite caution that it's unreliable.

@lenasun.bsky.social @rachelroubein.bsky.social w little help from me

Trump officials to link child deaths to covid shots, alarming career scientists

The move to link coronavirus vaccines to 25 child deaths alarms career scientists who say the shots have been extensively studied.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Reposted by Lena Sun

David Ovalle @davidovalle.bsky.social · 27d

NEW: Trump officials to link covid shots to child deaths, alarming career scientists www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/... via @rachelroubein.bsky.social @ddiamond.bsky.social @lenasun.bsky.social

www.washingtonpost.com

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Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · 27d

“The U.S. government is now in the business of vaccine misinformation.” Trump officials to link covid shots to child deaths, alarming career scientists. Story by @lenasun.bsky.social @rachelroubein.bsky.social @ddiamond.bsky.social wapo.st/47LFKvL

Trump officials to link covid shots to child deaths, alarming career scientists

The move to link coronavirus vaccines to 25 child deaths alarms career scientists who say the shots have been extensively studied.

wapo.st

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Reposted by Lena Sun

Source New Mexico @sourcenm.com · 28d

New Mexico's chief medical officer has provided a COVID-19 vaccine prescription for all residents that the department recommends people bring when they go to get a vaccine just to ensure no problems.

NM health department provides COVID-19 vaccine prescription for all residents • Source New Mexico

New Mexico Department of Health issues standing order —and a prescription—residents can use to get COVID-10 vaccine

buff.ly

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Fenit Nirappil @fenitn.bsky.social · 27d

Another important detail in this story: RFK Jr.'s vaccine advisers are considering lifting the minimum age for coronavirus vaccine recommendations from 65 to 75 wapo.st/47LFKvL

Trump officials to link covid shots to child deaths, alarming career scientists

The move to link coronavirus vaccines to 25 child deaths alarms career scientists who say the shots have been extensively studied.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 26d

 The more important question that researchers are still trying to understand: Why do men and women experience pain differently?

www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/202...

Who’s more sensitive to pain, men or women? The answer may surprise you.

Who’s more sensitive to pain, men or women? The answer may surprise you.

As we learn more about how pain processing can vary between women and men, it might lead to better treatments.