RFK Jr. and vaccine policy controversy

In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin and Vincent Racaniello discuss the global spread of the ‘eradicated’ poliovirus, the suggestion of RFK’s autocratic ability to change vaccine policy and the ‘resignation’ for the second time of CBER director Vinjay Prasad, and zoonotic spillover of viruses without adaptation, before Dr. Griffin deep dives into economic costs of not vaccinating against measles, the measles outbreak in South Carolina, Utah and ICE detention centers, recent statistics RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections, the Wasterwater Scan dashboard, Johns Hopkins measles tracker, where to find PEMGARDA, VRPBEC meeting for ‘flu’ vaccine strain selection, how to access and pay for Paxlovid, closing of long COVID treatment centers globally, and contacting your federal government representative to stop the assault on science and biomedical research.

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• Polio: Practice enhanced precautions…..but isn’t it eradicated? (CDC: Travelers’ Health)
• RFK Jr has ‘unreviewable‘ authority to reshape vaccine policy, DOJ lawyer tells judge….’unreviewable’ is not even a word! (Reuters)
• Stark Divide: Americans More Confident in Career Scientists at U.S. Health Agencies Than Leaders (Annenberg: Public Policy Center, University of Pennsylvania)
• Divisive F.D.A. Vaccine Regulator Is Resigning…..for the second time in 6 months (NY Times)
• Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients With Hematologic Malignancies Hospitalized With Respiratory Viral Infections (OFID)
• Dynamics of natural selection preceding human viral epidemics and pandemics (Cell)
• Recent pandemic viruses, including SAR-CoV-2, spread directly to people without adaptation, researchers say (CIDRAP)
• Wastewater for measles (WasterWater Scan)
• US CDC deploys staff to curb South Carolina’s measles outbreak (Reuters)
• Measles cases and outbreaks (CDC Rubeola)
• Measles Dashboard (South Carolina Department of Public Health)
• Utah measles outbreak response (Utah Department of Health and Human Services)
• UtahMeasles Dashboard (Utah Department of Health and Human Services)
• Tracking Measles Cases in the U.S. (Johns Hopkins)
• Measles vaccine recommendations from NYP (jpg)
• Weekly measles and rubella monitoring (Government of Canada)
• Measles (WHO)
• Get the FACTS about measles (NY State Department of Health)
• Measles (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
• Measles vaccine (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
• Presumptive evidence of measles immunity (CDC)
• Contraindications and precautions to measles vaccination (CDC)
• Adverse events associated with childhood vaccines: evidence bearing on causality (NLM)
• Measles Vaccination: Know the Facts (ISDA: Infectious Diseases Society of America)
• Deaths following vaccination: what does the evidence show (Vaccine)
• Influenza: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• Respiratory virus activity levels (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• Flu vaccine recommendations: Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee March 12, 2026 Meeting Announcement (FDA)
• WHO updates all 3 viral strains to be included in fall flu shots (CIDRAP)
• Weekly surveillance report: cliff notes (CDC FluView)
• OPTION 2: XOFLUZA $50 Cash Pay Option (xofluza)
• RSV: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• Respiratory Diseases (Yale School of Public Health)
• USrespiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• RSV-Network (CDC Respiratory Syncytial virus Infection)
• Vaccines for Adults (CDC: Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV))
• Economic Analysis of Protein Subunit and mRNA RSV Vaccination in Adults aged 50-59 Years (CDC: ACIP)
• Respiratory Diseases (Yale School of Public Health)
• Effectiveness of RSV Vaccines against RSV-Associated Thromboembolic Events (CDC: Emerging Infectious Diseases)
• Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• COVID-19 deaths (CDC)
• Respiratory Illnesses Data Channel (CDC: Respiratory Illnesses)
• COVID-19 national and regional trends (CDC)
• COVID-19 variant tracker (CDC)
• SARS-CoV-2 genomes galore (Nextstrain)
• Characteristics of Young Children Hospitalized With Acute Respiratory Failure From Infection With Respiratory Syncytial Virus, SARS-CoV-2, or Both, November 2023–March 2024 (OFID)
• Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda)
• EUAfor the pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 (INVIYD)
• Infusion center (Prime Fusions)
• CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC)
• NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH)
• Drug interaction checker (University of Liverpool)
• Help your eligible patients access PAXLOVID with the PAXCESS Patient Support Program (Pfizer Pro)
• UnderstandingCoverageOptions (PAXCESS)
• Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (ID Society)
• Molnupiravir safety and efficacy (JMV)
• Convalescent plasma recommendation for immunocompromised (ID Society)
• What to do when sick with a respiratory virus (CDC)
• Managing healthcare staffing shortages (CDC)
• Anticoagulationguidelines (hematology.org)
• Daniel Griffin’s evidence based medical practices for long COVID (OFID)
• Long COVID hotline (Columbia : Columbia University Irving Medical Center)
• The answers: Long COVID
• Where are the long COVID clinics? (ScienceNews)
• Left without care: Many Long COVID clinics are closing down in the U.K. (The Sick Times)
• Where have all the Long COVID clinics gone? (The Sick Times)
• Reaching out to US house representative
• Letters read on TWiV 1304
• Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf)
• Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.