DYK @DennysDiner is based in South Carolina? Maybe SC Governor @henrymcmaster and his wife grabbed a Grand Slam (or a Moons over My Hammy) after getting their #COVID19 vaccinations! #republicansvax
mRNA research helped develop COVID vaccines in record time - saving millions of lives.
Cutting half a billion in mRNA funding, as HHS Sec. Kennedy proposes, isn’t just bad policy - it’s dangerous. As a physician & recipient of mRNA vaccines, here’s what people need to know 🧵
mRNA vaccines weren’t “rushed.”
They were built on decades of research funded by NIH, DARPA, and global scientists.
This investment let us go from COVID’s genetic code to safe, effective vaccines in under a year - and out of lockdowns FAR faster than predicted.
Attacking mRNA research means turning our backs on more than just COVID vaccines.
This platform is being used to develop vaccines and therapies for:
Flu
RSV
HIV
Zika
Cancer (yes, cancer)
Autoimmune diseases
And more...
Ending and/or politicizing support risks ALL of that.
1/ 🚨 Over 28 falsehoods and common anti-vaccine talking points were shared during yesterday’s ACIP meeting. The zone is being flooded with misinformation, and it’s impossible to debunk it all in real time. But here are some key ones you should know. 🧵
2/ The new ACIP Chair, Martin Kulldorff, falsely claimed kids may be getting “too many vaccines” and suggested re-evaluating long-used ones.
📌 Reality: Kids today actually get exposed to fewer antigens via vaccines than in past decades.
📖: cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/a…
3/ Kulldorff pushed misleading claims about the hepatitis B birth dose—saying it’s only needed for “high-risk” groups.
📌 Reality: Vertical transmission from mother to baby is common and dangerous. Birth dose prevents chronic liver disease and cancer.
📖: aap.org/en/news-room/f…
Elon Musk is clearly a visionary leader in technology and innovation. He recently endorsed Grok, an AI chatbot designed to provide “up-to-date” information on all subjects. So I asked Grok: Are Covid vaccines safe? Stay tuned for the answer in this🧵 👇🏽
According to Grok (which again Elon says has the most up to date information) the “vast majority of scientific evidence” says covid vaccines are “safe AND effective…” Grok points out the initial trials had “tens of thousands of volunteers…”
Grok acknowledges rare side effects, but points out how post authorization surveillance and VAERS are continually monitoring for safety concerns, and concludes the risk of vaccine sides effects is lower than “the risk from covid itself…”
By this time next week, @elonmusk could be in change of coordinating US tech and innovation strategy for the next 4 years. So I asked Grok- Musk’s new AI chat engine- a simple question: Do vaccines cause autism?
Here’s what Grok had to say (notice the word “conclusively”)👇🏽
Grok goes on to point out the source of this “myth” (Grok’s words, not mine)- a discredited study by Andrew Wakefield. It highlights “serious ethical violations, incorrect data interpretation,” and notes Wakefield’s license was revoked. 😮
Grok then explains “extensive” studies have been done to confirm that there is no link between autism and vaccines. It also points out the lack of “biological plausibility” (In a world of polluted air & water, food additives, etc, many more plausible causes of autism exist).
This summer, Americans have seen the biggest summer #COVID19 wave recorded in at least the last two years. This recent rise in COVID cases is a reminder about the importance of staying up to date with COVID vaccinations. Let’s get into it! #WhyIVax
👇🏽🧵
I recently spoke with several local news stations about all of this – COVID-19 continues to pose a greater burden than flu in the US, with significantly lower vaccination rates, despite its more severe outcomes. msn.com/en-us/video/he…
While the majority of Americans received the original COVID-19 vaccination series, data shows vaccine protection against COVID-19 wanes over time. COVID-19 remains responsible for a significant burden of illness throughout the year, even in the summer months.
It will be fascinating to see if
A) Anyone actually ultimate looks at covid infections at the #Olympics (many teams tested)
B) Anyone correlates that to performances (lots of anecdotal reports of “didn’t feel great” or mystery virus)
C) Anyone looks at Paxlovid use by athletes
Would also be interesting to learn how many knowingly competed (and exposed others) and if they took any specific actions to protect themselves or others when they knew they were positive. This could’ve been (and still can be) a great learning opportunity on “living with Covid.”
I’m hearing most large delegations did in fact have testing, tested their own athletes with symptoms, and treated positives -because they KNOW Covid impacts performance. But there was no disclosure of results or attempt to alert/ protect other delegations/ people. @iocmedia