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julieleask.bsky.social
Professor of Public Health | Social scientist | Vaccination | Risk communication. School of Public Health, University of Sydney https://sabii.sydney.edu.au/
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We are having the worst flu season in 15+ yrs & staring down an avian flu threat that has already spread unchecked in other mammals and taken American life Our government response is to cancel planning for the next flu shot, cancel funding for bird flu vaccines & treatments, & cut Medicaid coverage

submitted 8 hours ago • 60 comments

Who Will Prevent More Measles Deaths? www.nytimes.com/2025/02/26/o...

submitted 8 hours ago • 0 comments

So - I've actually led Ebola outbreak response at USAID. This is bunk from Elon. They have laid off most of the experts, they're bankrupting most of the partner orgs, have withdrawn from WHO, and muzzled CDC. What's left is a fig-leaf effort to cover their asses politically.

submitted 1 day ago • 460 comments

First symptoms of mystery illness that killed 50 people within hours revealed www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...

submitted 20 hours ago • 3 comments

Hopefully his first commissioned opinion piece will be about the measles outbreak, and how preventable diseases erode the freedom of those who die or become disabled and markets through the costs of that loss.

submitted 1 day ago • 0 comments

As Texas measles outbreak grows, parents are choosing to vaccinate kids www.nbcnews.com/health/healt... via @nbcnews.com @erikaedwards.bsky.social

submitted 1 day ago • 2 comments

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02...

submitted 1 day ago • 0 comments

RFK Jr wants informed consent for vaccination. Some resources from Australia designed to support that process 1/2 skai.org.au/childhood

submitted 1 day ago • 1 comment

So. It has officially happened. I have been officially let go from my position at CDC. I wasn’t a probationary employee. I had stellar performance reviews every year. I’ll be ok. But please understand that many worked HARD to get into these positions and were doing great public health work.

submitted 6 days ago • 1875 comments

For those in Australia, ACIP is like ATAGI - they make the vaccine recommendations.

submitted 6 days ago • 0 comments

Last Friday, Katie Attwell and I talked with ABC's PM program about what the confirmation of RFK Jr means for immunisation programs and more. www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

submitted 6 days ago • 0 comments

I expect many of you have seen this article. www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic... A few thoughts - a thread 1/n

submitted 8 days ago • 2 comments

Scientists are now organizing events, called Stand Up for Science, on 7 March in Washington, D.C., and state capitals. So far, they have attracted more than 100 volunteers from some 30 states who are hoping to rally support for research as a public good. scim.ag/4328LAD

submitted 8 days ago • 2 comments

“We’re cutting off our hand to spite our face,” Trump targets science and public health. www.nytimes.com/2025/02/18/u...

submitted 9 days ago • 0 comments

"All of which has Croakey wondering: where is the health sector response in Australia, mobilising action across governments, NGOs, civil society and more widely? It seems that some serious and urgent strategising is needed, given the likely flow on effects, including to health communications.”

submitted 9 days ago • 0 comments

Portuguese editorial cartoonist Zez Vaz reaches back to Tiananmen Square to call on American defiance.

submitted 12 days ago • 540 comments

RFK Jr is now confirmed as head of Health and Human Services. The possible impact on infectious disease control is hard to fathom because it will seem distant and abstract. Are there similar scenarios from the past? What has been learnt from these? What should we be doing now globally?

submitted 13 days ago • 0 comments

Interested to learn how localised strategies can improve vaccination understanding in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities? This paper reporting on the effectiveness of Aboriginal-led vaccine workshops has some valuable insights. Read it here: doi.org/10.1016/j.an... #PublicHealth

submitted 13 days ago • 0 comments

Weeks ago I highlighted the false balance of “if only scientists could communicate better”. One OpEd writer kindly reached out to me and I want to share my main response to them because I find it remarkable that people still can’t see what we are now all seeing has been under way for years. 🧵👇

submitted 18 days ago • 5 comments

submitted 19 days ago • 6 comments

Rubio claims that @USAID lifesaving assistance for health and humanitarian needs will continue. But his team just communicated that the entire agency will be imminently reduced from 14,000 to 294 people. Just 12 in Africa.

submitted 21 days ago • 146 comments

Why the drop-off in HPV vaccination in Australia? Prof Julia Brotherton and I talked with ABC Radio National's Fran Kelly last night. 1/3 www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

submitted 21 days ago • 1 comment

Two weeks into President Trump’s sweeping freeze on foreign aid, HIV groups abroad have not received any funding, jeopardizing the health of more than 20 million people, including 500,000 children.

submitted 22 days ago • 93 comments

ah cool, an archive of all CDC data before they tampered with it

submitted 25 days ago • 39 comments

There is still beauty in this world

submitted 23 days ago • 1452 comments

Basically kills any research looking into what drives human behaviour.

submitted 23 days ago • 1 comment

People have gathered outside USAID HQ for press event with Democratic Congressmen Beyer, Raskin, Connolly and Olzewski and Senator Van Hollen where they're addressing the building's mysterious shutdown today in the midst of the Trump admin dismantling the agency. (Photos shared with me)

submitted 24 days ago • 383 comments

BREAKING: CDC's top advisors demand answers and a restoration of crucial public health data. New story by me: www.statnews.com/2025/02/01/c...

submitted 25 days ago • 67 comments

My first and definitely last time working with the Los Angeles Times. Editing out the most urgent point of an OpEd in the minutes before sending to press while then also assigning a title and image that suggest an argument entirely opposite to the author’s clear intent is pretty shitty.

submitted 27 days ago • 510 comments

The MMR vaccine scare has come up with the RFK Jr hearings this week. Here's my interview on the origins of the Wakefield saga with ABC radio's Lab Notes program. www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

submitted 28 days ago • 1 comment

“When you continue to see doubt about settled science, it makes it impossible for us to move forward,” Sen Hansen in tears as she addresses the RFK Jr conformation hearing. www.nytimes.com/video/us/pol...

submitted 28 days ago • 1 comment

“Are you supportive of these onesies?” Bernie Sanders’ with the quote of the day.

submitted 28 days ago • 0 comments

RFK Jr trying to distance himself from the antivax movement is like Bob Seger denouncing old time rock and roll.

submitted 29 days ago • 95 comments

Stuff like this is ineffective and part of the problem.

submitted 28 days ago • 0 comments

Warren: "He can stand there, smile at you and say, 'anybody can vaccinate their kids who wants to,' but he literally could bankrupt the vaccines manufacturers with the power he will have. And since he's got a financial incentive to do that, we cannot trust him in that job."

submitted 28 days ago • 633 comments