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Ben Pierce

@benfpiercephd.bsky.social

1.1K followers 1.9K following 790 posts

Health, real world data, data science, stats, science, vaccines, research. Pro-science. All views/opinions are my own.

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Ben Pierce @benfpiercephd.bsky.social · Mar 7

Very happy to share my first corresponding author paper : a review of real-world data and its use/impact in England. We looked at a wide range of health areas and evaluated how RWD has been used in Technology Assessments by NICE. #science #scicomm 🧪📊📈
👇👇👇
becarispublishing.com/doi/10.57264...

Real-world evidence: state-of-the-art and future perspectives

Recent developments in digital infrastructure, advanced analytical approaches, and regulatory settings have facilitated the broadened use of real-world evidence (RWE) in population health management a...

becarispublishing.com

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Ben Pierce @benfpiercephd.bsky.social · 16d

Women in the US are now being forced to have babies and carry in the most painful way possible.

The #autism announcement yesterday was not based at all on science. The correlations found in that 1 study are not sound: the follow up times were unbalanced, leading to bias and misleading associations.

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Reposted by Ben Pierce

Peter Lewis @peterlewis55.bsky.social · 19d

Occultation! Venus is about to disappear behind the 5% lit Moon! #astronomy #astrophotography #Occultation #Moon #Venus @stormhour.com @photohour.bsky.social 1/2

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Ben Pierce @benfpiercephd.bsky.social · 19d

My favorite thing: one of the CDC's COVID-19 risk factors is vaccination status, so one has an increased risk when discussing the COVID-19 vaccine prior to being vaccinated.

So meta! And so meaningless from the ACIP.

This #ACIP is not helping Americans.

Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · 19d

This is the proposition that passed.

Screenshot of slide that says

COVID-19 Vaccines - Vote #4
The pediatric and adult immunization schedules for administration of FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines should be updated as follows:
• Adults 65 and older: Vaccination based on individual-based decision-making*
• Individuals 6 months to 64 years: Vaccination based on individual-based decision-making-with an emphasis that the risk-benefit of vaccination is most favorable for individuals who are at an increased risk for severe
COVID-19 disease and lowest for individuals who are not at an increased risk, according to the CDC list of COVID-19 risk factors.
*Also known as shared clinical decision making.
uh uh that uh that is not something that this vote is

Ben Pierce @benfpiercephd.bsky.social · 19d

Listening to the ACIP meeting in the background....

When voting, there were several comments about postponing the Hep B vote until a future meeting, but the motion was actually that the Hep B vote be postponed indefinitely.

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Ben Pierce @benfpiercephd.bsky.social · 21d

Several times, though I don't know the cause - could be supply, demand, or just unrelated.

Ben Pierce @benfpiercephd.bsky.social · 21d

Thanks for posting this. I'm Type 1 and very much need one. It's also good for this craze to not catch on and not disturb the supply/distribution for those who truly need them.

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Ben Pierce @benfpiercephd.bsky.social · 27d

Excellent news and hard work pays off - one of our studies, "Health outcomes of women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in North West London: a 10-year longitudinal study" accepted in BMJ Public Health 🥳🎉

Reposted by Ben Pierce

Delthia Ricks @dricks.bsky.social · 27d

#Birdflu still circulating: Scientists are testing a #birdflu vaccine in seals. If results show promise, the shots could be given to endangered Hawaiian monk seals. #H5N1 birdflu virus has devastated marine mammals globally. It tore thru Argentina's Valdés Peninsula killing ~17,400 seal pups 👇

Scientists Begin Testing Bird Flu Vaccine in Seals

www.nytimes.com

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Ben Pierce @benfpiercephd.bsky.social · 28d

Flags should have been at half mast at some point for those lost from the dropped PEPFAR programs.

Reposted by Ben Pierce

Rita Rubin @ritarubin.bsky.social · 28d

My latest for @jama.com:

JAMA @jama.com · 28d

Top medical groups warn that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr poses a risk to US public health amid vaccine policy turmoil. Here’s the latest on the mounting pressure to remove him from the HHS. ja.ma/4n5gPb9

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Reposted by Ben Pierce

Flo Débarre @flodebarre.bsky.social · Sep 8

@zachhensel.bsky.social and I have a new paper on the origin of SARS-CoV-2! 🧪

There are a lot of reviews on the topic already, so we tried to do something different: characterize "lab leak" scenarios, and directly address those on SARS-CoV-2's furin cleavage site.▫️1/9

doi.org/10.5802/crbi...

doi.org

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Ben Pierce @benfpiercephd.bsky.social · Sep 8

It's good that you've experienced it - it's quite a different experience as a Type 1. One of the drawbacks with widespread use now is having several assume I don't need it (this has happened at the gym a few times).

Reposted by Ben Pierce

Ben Pierce @benfpiercephd.bsky.social · Sep 3

Our 2021 review on COVID #vaccines was open access and provides a full report of effectiveness. Thanks to @carlzimmer.com and @apoorvanyt.bsky.social for their terrific article in NYT 👍

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/02/h...

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Ben Pierce

Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · Sep 5

There was a slew of false statements made about COVID19 mRNA vaccines yesterday.

I can’t recommend highly enough this article from May by Dr. Deborah Fuller to clear up a lot of the chaff.

How RFK Jr.’s misguided science on mRNA vaccines is shaping policy − a vaccine expert examines the false claims

Chaos at the CDC and the sharp move away from mRNA vaccines has public health experts alarmed.

theconversation.com

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Ben Pierce @benfpiercephd.bsky.social · Sep 5

10 - I couldn't see the maps so guessed on that one!

Ben Pierce @benfpiercephd.bsky.social · Sep 5

Show me these data and I will find you at least 30 confounders. The language will be most important, particularly how strong (that is, poor) are the report's claims of causality.

www.wsj.com/health/healt...

Exclusive | RFK Jr., HHS to Link Autism to Tylenol Use in Pregnancy and Folate Deficiencies

Kennedy’s autism report, touted by Trump, will suggest that using the pain reliever during pregnancy might be linked to the developmental disorder.

www.wsj.com

Ben Pierce @benfpiercephd.bsky.social · Sep 5

Kennedy described Geier's actions more as establishing a call for expressions of interest for others, rather than him taking on a single study, despite Geier himself having been granted sole access to a vast database.

So, what is Geier (employee? subcontractor?) doing at the HHS?

Ben Pierce @benfpiercephd.bsky.social · Sep 5

Lots of disturbing takeaways from the RFK Jr hearing, most prominently that he's listening only to Bhattacharya and Makary - non-experts - about vaccines rather than others (or reading any papers).

However, there's another major question:

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Reposted by Ben Pierce

Angie Rasmussen @angierasmussen.bsky.social · Sep 5

He is a predator. He will prey upon the nation and the world if he is not stopped.

Necessary reading from @gregggonsalves.bsky.social

www.thenation.com/article/soci...

RFK Jr., American Psycho

He needs to go. Now.

www.thenation.com

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BK. Titanji @boghuma.bsky.social · Sep 5

In under 24h following the newly identified outbreak of #Ebola in the DRC, the virus has been isolated, sequenced and the virus sequence data made publicly available.
virological.org/t/the-16th-e...

The 16th Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak in Bulape Health Zone, Kasai, Democratic Republic of the Congo: A new spillover event from an unknown reservoir host

Background The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is currently facing concurrent outbreaks including mpox, cholera and malaria (1-4). The Ministry of Public Health, DRC has declared the 16th Ebola...

virological.org

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Reposted by Ben Pierce

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal @jayapal.house.gov · Sep 4

RFK Jr.’s tenure as HHS Secretary has been a disgrace. He’s destroying our public health system and putting millions of lives at risk.

He is wholly unfit to serve in this role and should resign immediately.

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🎃 public HELLth guy 🎃 @publichealthguy1.bsky.social · Sep 4

gift link to dr. susan monarez’s piece in the wall street journal this morning.

Opinion | Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the CDC and Me

I was fired after 29 days because I held the line and insisted on rigorous scientific review.

www.wsj.com

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Ben Pierce @benfpiercephd.bsky.social · Sep 3

Strange that they're still forcing kids to go to school.

Reposted by Ben Pierce

Delthia Ricks @dricks.bsky.social · Sep 3

Florida plans to end school vaccination mandates, the first to do so. The state's controversial surgeon general compared the requirements to "slavery." Joseph Ladapo says "people have a right to make their own decisions, informed decisions"👇

State Plans to End School Vax Mandates, First to Do So

Florida's controversial surgeon general compared the requirements to 'slavery'

www.medpagetoday.com

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Reposted by Ben Pierce

Trish Greenhalgh @trishgreenhalgh.bsky.social · Sep 3

Your periodic reminder that mRNA vaccines are a scientific and public health game-changer. Those that have been approved have passed stringent efficacy and safety checks. They protect you and your child against potentially fatal diseases. You may, however, get a sore arm.

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