Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH
@ralsadoon.bsky.social
PhD Candidate · Public Health Epidemiology
Climate Change and Infectious Disease Research
Living between libraries, laptops, and lattes
All opinions are mine
Climate Change and Infectious Disease Research
Living between libraries, laptops, and lattes
All opinions are mine
Pinned
You can avoid the data, but you can't ignore the consequences of avoiding data.
Went outside to be productive.
The cold said no.
The cold said no.
January 19, 2026 at 3:09 PM
Went outside to be productive.
The cold said no.
The cold said no.
Reposted by Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH
The number of confirmed #measles cases in South Carolina has hit an astonishing 558 in an outbreak that started in October. For context: that is more cases in 4 months than the entire US racked up most years in the past 30+ years. www.reuters.com/business/hea...
Measles cases in South Carolina explode to 558, state officials say
South Carolina reported nearly 250 new measles cases this week, official figures showed on Friday, bringing the total of confirmed infections to 558 since October as the threat of a wider outbreak inc...
www.reuters.com
January 19, 2026 at 2:24 PM
The number of confirmed #measles cases in South Carolina has hit an astonishing 558 in an outbreak that started in October. For context: that is more cases in 4 months than the entire US racked up most years in the past 30+ years. www.reuters.com/business/hea...
As an epidemiologist, this is the data that keeps me up at night. We need 95% for herd immunity. When we drop the shield, the virus finds the gap. #measles
January 19, 2026 at 3:16 AM
As an epidemiologist, this is the data that keeps me up at night. We need 95% for herd immunity. When we drop the shield, the virus finds the gap. #measles
A 30% surge in the state doesn't happen by accident. When most impacted areas sit on a 90% vaccination rate it is simply too low to stop this virus. We’ve broken the herd immunity threshold. This is what a preventable crisis looks like. #Measles
Confirmed measles case on Clemson University's main campus amidst outbreak in South Carolina
In a press release published Saturday, Clemson officials were informed by the South Carolina Department of Public Health that an individual affiliated with the university was confirmed to have measles...
www.wral.com
January 19, 2026 at 3:14 AM
A 30% surge in the state doesn't happen by accident. When most impacted areas sit on a 90% vaccination rate it is simply too low to stop this virus. We’ve broken the herd immunity threshold. This is what a preventable crisis looks like. #Measles
Just this evening we got another update from SCDPH that you can add an additional 124 new cases of #measles in the state since Friday, bringing the total number of cases in South Carolina related to the Upstate outbreak to 434. There are currently 409 people in quarantine and 17 in isolation.
South Carolina reports 99 new measles cases; now more than 300 cases in Upstate outbreak
South Carolina has reported 310 measles cases in the last six months.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/m...
South Carolina has reported 310 measles cases in the last six months.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/m...
January 14, 2026 at 6:22 AM
Just this evening we got another update from SCDPH that you can add an additional 124 new cases of #measles in the state since Friday, bringing the total number of cases in South Carolina related to the Upstate outbreak to 434. There are currently 409 people in quarantine and 17 in isolation.
Off season heat can bring real disease risks. Warmer winters can extend transmission windows, affect vector and pathogen survival and leave communities more vulnerable when systems are not heat ready. It has been unusually warm in SC for January. These are not good signs.
HISTORIC JANUARY HEAT
Another record day with up to 88F in Florida,84F in Georgia and South Carolina,81F in North Carolina.
Several records of January High Temperatures:
83 Claxton GA
84 Mc Entire SC
79 Clinton NC
and many other minor stations.
Another record day with up to 88F in Florida,84F in Georgia and South Carolina,81F in North Carolina.
Several records of January High Temperatures:
83 Claxton GA
84 Mc Entire SC
79 Clinton NC
and many other minor stations.
January 12, 2026 at 2:31 AM
Off season heat can bring real disease risks. Warmer winters can extend transmission windows, affect vector and pathogen survival and leave communities more vulnerable when systems are not heat ready. It has been unusually warm in SC for January. These are not good signs.
Reminder that #Measles has an R0 around 12 to 18. It is airborne and can hang in the air for up to 2 hours after someone leaves. Translation: if susceptibles exist, measles will find them. Vaccinating or boosting is the intervention to reduce your risk, not a debate club.
January 10, 2026 at 11:34 AM
Reminder that #Measles has an R0 around 12 to 18. It is airborne and can hang in the air for up to 2 hours after someone leaves. Translation: if susceptibles exist, measles will find them. Vaccinating or boosting is the intervention to reduce your risk, not a debate club.
Some people collect magnets on vacation. Apparently we are collecting measles cases instead 🫣. SCDPH updated that Spartanburg County, SC is up 100 cases since Tuesday. Please check your #MMR status and vaccinate.
Spike in Upstate measles outbreak, nearly 100 new cases, hundreds more ‘likely’
“An increasing number of public exposure sites are being identified with likely hundreds more people exposed...,” said Dr. Linda Bell.
www.foxcarolina.com
January 10, 2026 at 11:28 AM
Some people collect magnets on vacation. Apparently we are collecting measles cases instead 🫣. SCDPH updated that Spartanburg County, SC is up 100 cases since Tuesday. Please check your #MMR status and vaccinate.
The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command. - George Orwell - 1984
January 8, 2026 at 5:43 AM
The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command. - George Orwell - 1984
Reposted by Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH
Lost science: “I can’t imagine something more related to the E.P.A.’s mission than understanding wildfires and protecting people in their homes…This is the kind of research that can have direct and immediate impact — not 10 or 20 years in the future, but this year, when the next wildfire hits.”
She Studied the Health Effects of Wildfires
www.nytimes.com
December 30, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Lost science: “I can’t imagine something more related to the E.P.A.’s mission than understanding wildfires and protecting people in their homes…This is the kind of research that can have direct and immediate impact — not 10 or 20 years in the future, but this year, when the next wildfire hits.”
Reposted by Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH
“To move forward in 2026, we must be honest about what this year exposed: the U.S. healthcare system is officially broken”
@ucheblackstockmd.bsky.social
time.com/7342307/amer...
@ucheblackstockmd.bsky.social
time.com/7342307/amer...
How America’s Health Care System Broke in 2025
2025 exposed the consequences of political interference, rising costs, workforce strain, and unregulated AI.
time.com
December 23, 2025 at 5:49 PM
“To move forward in 2026, we must be honest about what this year exposed: the U.S. healthcare system is officially broken”
@ucheblackstockmd.bsky.social
time.com/7342307/amer...
@ucheblackstockmd.bsky.social
time.com/7342307/amer...
Wishing those that celebrate a day filled with peace and beautiful memories 🎄🌲
December 26, 2025 at 2:37 AM
Wishing those that celebrate a day filled with peace and beautiful memories 🎄🌲
If you’re in public health and on Substack, let me know so I can follow your work
December 8, 2025 at 10:29 PM
If you’re in public health and on Substack, let me know so I can follow your work
Pretty sure I either met #norovirus or its evil cousin this weekend. I am now in the “can eat again but my stomach is emotionally unavailable” phase. Reminder from your friendly public health Epi to wash your hands, stay home when you are sick and please do not share whatever this is.
December 8, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Pretty sure I either met #norovirus or its evil cousin this weekend. I am now in the “can eat again but my stomach is emotionally unavailable” phase. Reminder from your friendly public health Epi to wash your hands, stay home when you are sick and please do not share whatever this is.
Reposted by Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH
Vaccinating newborns against hepatitis B saves lives. Why might a CDC panel stop recommending it?
The universal HBV birth dose has prevented more than 90,000 childhood deaths since 1991, but a federal vaccine advisory group may vote to end the practice.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/c...
The universal HBV birth dose has prevented more than 90,000 childhood deaths since 1991, but a federal vaccine advisory group may vote to end the practice.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/c...
December 3, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Vaccinating newborns against hepatitis B saves lives. Why might a CDC panel stop recommending it?
The universal HBV birth dose has prevented more than 90,000 childhood deaths since 1991, but a federal vaccine advisory group may vote to end the practice.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/c...
The universal HBV birth dose has prevented more than 90,000 childhood deaths since 1991, but a federal vaccine advisory group may vote to end the practice.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/c...
Sweater weather is a state of mind.
December 1, 2025 at 2:27 AM
Sweater weather is a state of mind.
Is it just me or has the media whiplash over the last few days been really intense. It feels like the story, tone and “main character” keep changing so fast that it is hard to even process what is happening.
November 22, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Is it just me or has the media whiplash over the last few days been really intense. It feels like the story, tone and “main character” keep changing so fast that it is hard to even process what is happening.
Morning conversations with my teen daughter can be light or serious and today it was all news. I never thought I’d have to explain that the #CDC blurred the #science on #vaccines and #autism. As an epi, it hits hard. Vaccines do not cause autism. The public deserves clarity, not confusion.
November 20, 2025 at 2:00 PM
The CDC’s primary job is to communicate science with precision and the evidence is very clear. Anything that blurs the line between evidence and fear puts lives, especially children’s, at risk.
CDC has overhauled its website to assert that “the claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim”
November 20, 2025 at 4:00 AM
The CDC’s primary job is to communicate science with precision and the evidence is very clear. Anything that blurs the line between evidence and fear puts lives, especially children’s, at risk.
#Marburg confirmed in Ethiopia for the first time and with no licensed vaccine available underscores the significance of this event. Understanding transmission dynamics in a region with already limited diagnostic reach is going to be critical. A reminder that pathogens have no borders. #EpiTwitter
Ethiopia confirms first outbreak of Marburg virus
Nine cases reported in Ethiopia's Omo region, bordering conflict-wracked South Sudan, which has a fragile health system.
www.aljazeera.com
November 16, 2025 at 4:44 AM
#Marburg confirmed in Ethiopia for the first time and with no licensed vaccine available underscores the significance of this event. Understanding transmission dynamics in a region with already limited diagnostic reach is going to be critical. A reminder that pathogens have no borders. #EpiTwitter
The flu doesn’t take holidays off. It takes about 2 weeks after your shot to build immunity, so get vaccinated now to stay healthy through the season. 💉✨ #FluPrevention#Vaccinate
November 12, 2025 at 12:29 PM
The flu doesn’t take holidays off. It takes about 2 weeks after your shot to build immunity, so get vaccinated now to stay healthy through the season. 💉✨ #FluPrevention#Vaccinate
Honored to have been part of the team as co-author and data specialist that helped secure a $996K grant for the Julie Valentine Center, a rape crisis/child advocacy center. This funding will help their clinical program by expanding mental health services for survivors in our community. #PublicHealth
November 8, 2025 at 12:17 AM
Honored to have been part of the team as co-author and data specialist that helped secure a $996K grant for the Julie Valentine Center, a rape crisis/child advocacy center. This funding will help their clinical program by expanding mental health services for survivors in our community. #PublicHealth
The pattern is familiar: spillover, spread, under-reporting. #H5N1 continues to evolve under weak surveillance and fragmented response systems. Silence and complacency will not stop this. #PublicHealth #OneHealth
Bird flu surges among poultry amid a scaled back federal response
Migrating wild birds are spreading the virus to domesticated flocks, increasing the risk of eventually seeing a human outbreak. Scientists are troubled by the muted federal response.
www.npr.org
November 7, 2025 at 11:45 PM
The pattern is familiar: spillover, spread, under-reporting. #H5N1 continues to evolve under weak surveillance and fragmented response systems. Silence and complacency will not stop this. #PublicHealth #OneHealth
Watching Jurassic World Rebirth. Best quote and reminder “Science is for all of us, not some of us”
November 1, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Watching Jurassic World Rebirth. Best quote and reminder “Science is for all of us, not some of us”
#SNAP benefits still down. Saw two shoppers at the supermarket have leave their carts. The cashier tried so hard to be discrete but you could see mix of shame and frustration they had. No one should ever feel like that for just trying to eat. This is what policy failure looks like in real time
November 1, 2025 at 8:48 PM
#SNAP benefits still down. Saw two shoppers at the supermarket have leave their carts. The cashier tried so hard to be discrete but you could see mix of shame and frustration they had. No one should ever feel like that for just trying to eat. This is what policy failure looks like in real time