Craig Spencer MD MPH Profile picture
Feb 26 6 tweets 2 min read Read on X
Make a huge mistake. Then make a false claim about how you fixed it.

They did it for PEPFAR.

Now Ebola.

I follow this particular topic VERY closely, so here's what really happened and why this isn't true AT ALL...🧵
On January 29, Uganda reported an Ebola outbreak.

Normally the U.S. would've very quickly sent one of our Ebola experts to help the response.

But this time, we didn't.

Because we couldn't.

Because this administration wouldn't let them go right when this outbreak was declared.
And normally the U.S. would've helped set up border screening and other measures on the ground.

But this time, we didn't.

Normally, we would've spoke with the WHO about helping end the outbreak.

But this time, we didn't.

Because CDC staff weren't even allowed to talk to them.
I've been told by a colleague that Uganda tried calling the White House to notify them of the outbreak for 2 days...but no one answered the phone.

Two months ago we had amazing experts working on global health security there.

Now there appears to be no one to pick up a phone.
You know who does 'Ebola prevention' here in the U.S.?

The CDC.

Hundreds of these frontline experts lost their jobs last week as part of indiscriminate 'cost saving' firings. More cuts are expected.

USAID has long supported Ebola response efforts overseas. Not no more.
So, it's NOT true to say 'one of things we accidentally cancelled very briefly was Ebola prevention' and that it was quickly restored...

Because you've hobbled or directly dismantled the response structures needed to end Ebola outbreaks abroad and protect us here in the U.S.

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More from @Craig_A_Spencer

Apr 7
Today we learned the sad news another kid died from measles in Texas.

We also learned what RFK Jr. will and will not say

And we got a clearer glimpse of the playbook being used to discredit the proven measures to tackle measles outbreaks

Let me tell you why I'm worried 🧵 Image
Let's start with what we know

The death announced today was in an 8 year old girl

The hospital reports she died of 'measles pulmonary failure'

They also report she was unvaccinated

And had no other health conditions

An absolute tragedy. And completely preventable. Image
Her death was the third measles death in the past few months

And the second in a child

There have been more pediatric deaths from measles in the past 2 months as there have been in the previous 2 decades

This isn't just a coincidence

Read 28 tweets
Mar 26
The U.S. has actively dismantled the global disease-detection programs we all—including Americans—rely on to stay safe

Today this administration’s short-sighted global health agenda got even even worse

It’s ending its support for vaccine programs around the world

Why?? 🧵 Image
With unnecessary haste, the Trump administration is pulling funding from GAVI.

GAVI is a massive force in global health.

Since starting in 2000, it has saved millions of lives around the world through vaccination

Gift link to @nytimes story by @snolen
nytimes.com/2025/03/26/hea…
It is focused on getting vaccines to people around the world who need them

For routine immunization…

And also for really important but less common diseases like Ebola

To date, they’ve vaccinated over a billion kids!!!

They are irreplaceable. Losing GAVI would be disastrous.
Read 17 tweets
Mar 12
I just watched the whole RFK Jr—Hannity interview where they discuss measles.

I don't know what to say.

I'm really just speechless.

Listening to health leadership bungle basic facts at best—and tell outright lies about long-settled science at worst—is just SO disappointing.
No, the measles vaccine does NOT wane by 4.5% every year!

He's confusing the measles vaccine for the mumps vaccine, which does wane.

No, Vitamin A is NOT a cure-all, even if it CAN help.

The vaccine is BY FAR the safest way to stay safe.
He keeps saying natural immunity gives you better protection long-term...

But he never says that a measles infection can cause 'immune amnesia', suppressing your immune system immediately and for years after.
Read 5 tweets
Mar 3
The World Health Organization just released an update on the cluster of deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

There's a lot in here, and I'll break it down below.

But the biggest takeaway?

We are SO lucky to have WHO doing this work...

who.int/emergencies/di…
This cluster was first detected in early February in the northwestern part of DR Congo.

So far 55 deaths have been reported.

The deaths were quick—many reported in 24 hrs after symptom onset.

Ebola and Marburg testing was negative Image
Most deaths are in young people, especially males.

50% of those tested for malaria were positive...so it might explain SOME of this, but not ALL of this.

From the report: "working hypotheses include chemical poisoning or a rapid onset bacterial meningitis cluster" Image
Read 7 tweets
Feb 16
There was an ‘Ebola scare’ in NYC.

Or, at least there was on social media.

Viral posts manufactured a lot of things that just weren’t true.

NYC health commissioner already debunking this misinformation.

BUT this event DOES highlight something that is really important… 🧵 Image
In ‘normal’ times—that is, before we slashed USAID and CDC—we would’ve had a lot of boots on the ground responding to the Ebola outbreak in Uganda and the Marburg outbreak in Tanzania.

Guess what, now we don’t.

Because with the new Trump admin restrictions, we couldn’t.
In ‘normal’ times, USAID would’ve help establish border screenings at the airports to detect cases before they could get on a plane.

Guess what, this time they didn’t.

Thankfully, WHO stepped up this time.

Who knows what’ll happen next time.
Read 8 tweets
Dec 22, 2024
It’s being reported that the Trump administration plans to withdraw from the World Health Organization on day one.

This is not a huge surprise.

But it IS an absolutely stupid and self-defeating move.

And I say this as a longtime critic of the WHO…🧵
The first time the Trump administration tried to withdraw from the WHO back in 2020, I wrote for @USATODAY what we needed to do was build up, not tear down, the WHO.

Despite its faults, the WHO plays a huge role as ‘our eyes and ears around the world.’

usatoday.com/story/opinion/…
There is no other organization with the relationships and buy-in to do the critical work needed to keep us ALL safe—including us here in the U.S.

The WHO also has critical partnerships & programs that we benefit from for vaccines and critical health data

who.int/initiatives/gl…
Read 6 tweets

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