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Ashish K Jha

Ashish K Jha

@ashishkjha.bsky.social

7.5K followers 48 following 34 posts

Physician, Researcher, Advocate for the notion that an ounce of evidence is worth a pound of opinion. @brownpublichealth.bsky.social

My views are solely my own (who else would want them??)

Ashish Kumar Jha is an Indian-American general internist physician and academic who served as the White House COVID-19 response coordinator from 2022–2023. He has been Dean of the Brown University School of Public Health since 2020. Prior to Brown, he was the K.T. Li Professor of Global Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, faculty director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, and a Senior Advisor at Albright Stonebridge Group. Jha is recognized as one of the leading health policy scholars in the nation. Jha's role at Brown University focuses on improving the quality and cost of health care, and on the impact of public health policy. .. more

Public Health 34%

Economics 33%

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Ashish K Jha @ashishkjha.bsky.social · Nov 24

I'm a physician and Dean of Public Health @brownpublichealth.bsky.social

This is a time to rebuild public health

And we do that by:

1. Relying on evidence and data to make recommendations

2. Sharing what we know openly and honestly

3. Seeking to understand others through listening

Join me

Reposted by Ashish K. Jha

Brown University School of Public Health @brownpublichealth.bsky.social · Sep 26

🎧On the latest episode of A Moment in Health, Dean @ashishkjha.bsky.social takes on Tylenol. What does the data tell us? And how does his guest, @elizabethlangenmd.bsky.social of @umich.edu, think about balancing the risks medications may pose with the risks of uncontrolled disease? Listen now!

What Do Data and Science Tell Us About Advising Women on Tylenol and Pregnancy? - A Moment in Health with Dr. Ashish Jha

Dr. Ashish Jha and Dr. Elizabeth Langen discuss the data and science on advising women on Tylenol and pregnancy, weighing the risks of uncontrolled disease against the potential risks of medication and emphasizing the need for stronger, prospective rese...

a-moment-in-health-with-dr-ashish-jha.captivate.fm

Reposted by Ashish K. Jha

Brown University School of Public Health @brownpublichealth.bsky.social · Sep 25

"On Tylenol and #autism, one thing is clear: There is no credible evidence that the former causes the latter. What we do know is that fear and misinformation can cause real harm."
Keep reading Dean @ashishkjha.bsky.social's latest @bostonglobe.com opinion.⤵️

The real danger isn't Tylenol, it's bad information - The Boston Globe

The Trump administration's claims about Tylenol and autism -- and the weak science used to support them -- must be called out for what they are: reckless, disappointing, and dangerous.

www.bostonglobe.com

Reposted by Ashish K. Jha

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · Sep 24

How bad was Trump's Tylenol presser?

@ashishkjha.bsky.social, physician and former White House COVID-19 response coordinator, tells @citizencohn.bsky.social it was the worst public health briefing since the bleach moment.

Ashish K Jha @ashishkjha.bsky.social · Sep 23

In my weekly podcast, I had a fabulous conversation with a brilliant Obstetrician about how she advises pregnant women about the risks and benefits of taking a medicine

Dr. Elizabeth Langen is really good

This is worth your time

Benjy Renton @bhrenton.bsky.social · Sep 23

How should we think about the data and evidence on Tylenol during pregnancy? On this week's episode of @amomentinhealth.bsky.social, @ashishkjha.bsky.social and Dr. Elizabeth Langen discuss how to weigh the risks and where to go from here.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...

What Do Data and Science Tell Us About Advising Women on Tylenol and Pregnancy?

Podcast Episode · A Moment in Health with Dr. Ashish Jha · 09/23/2025 · 15m

podcasts.apple.com

Reposted by Ashish K. Jha

Brown University School of Public Health @brownpublichealth.bsky.social · Sep 23

"There is no new science here," Dean @ashishkjha.bsky.social says. "Bobby Kennedy said that he wanted to get to the root cause of autism by September—he's found what I think is a convenient scape goat. But the harm is going to be for pregnant women across the country."

Tylenol concerns around autism are overblown, says Dr. Ashish Jha

Dr. Ashish Jha, Dean of the School of Public Health at Brown University, joins 'Fast Money' to discuss new government guidance on Tylenol use during pregnancy, why leading studies show no link to autism, the reaction from obstetricians, and the challeng...

Reposted by Ashish K. Jha

Benjy Renton @bhrenton.bsky.social · Sep 23

How should we think about the data and evidence on Tylenol during pregnancy? On this week's episode of @amomentinhealth.bsky.social, @ashishkjha.bsky.social and Dr. Elizabeth Langen discuss how to weigh the risks and where to go from here.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...

What Do Data and Science Tell Us About Advising Women on Tylenol and Pregnancy?

Podcast Episode · A Moment in Health with Dr. Ashish Jha · 09/23/2025 · 15m

podcasts.apple.com

Reposted by Ashish K. Jha

Dan Diamond @ddiamond.bsky.social · Sep 14

Dr. @ashishkjha.bsky.social, who led Biden’s coronavirus response, on what the Trump administration’s MAHA report leaves out.

www.bostonglobe.com/2025/09/12/o...

The number one cause of death for kids in America is gun violence, a fact that the MAHA report makes no mention of. It's been the leading cause of death in children since 2020. In fact, a report from Johns Hopkins found that in 2022 alone, 2,526 children under 17 years old died from firearm-related injuries. The other leading cause of child mortality is motor vehicle accidents, which have killed more than 1,000 children under the age of 14 each year since 2013.
Despite these jarring figures, the MAHA strategy report is silent on these topics, offering no solutions for preventing gun deaths or making our roads safer for kids. How do we take seriously a report on children's health that fails to acknowledge the two leading causes of death?

Reposted by Ashish K. Jha

Brown University School of Public Health @brownpublichealth.bsky.social · Sep 13

"The number one cause of death for kids in America is gun violence, a fact that the MAHA report makes no mention of," Dean @ashishkjha.bsky.social writes in a @bostonglobe.com opinion. It gets some things right, he says, but "offers no real path to a healthier America."

The problem with RFK Jr.'s MAHA report - The Boston Globe

It falls short in its honesty, its innovation, and the evidence.

www.bostonglobe.com

Reposted by Ashish K. Jha

Brown University School of Public Health @brownpublichealth.bsky.social · Sep 5

The #CDC “no longer has any credibility as a public-health entity,” Dean @ashishkjha.bsky.social says. “States have to do it themselves.”

Decades of Vaccine Synchrony, Gone in Seven Months

The coming chaos could take decades more to undo.

www.theatlantic.com

Reposted by Ashish K. Jha

Brown University School of Public Health @brownpublichealth.bsky.social · Aug 29

"This amounts to a very dark moment for public health. . . The department needs leadership that respects evidence and allows CDC to operate free from political interference. Without that, it is hard to see how the agency can recover."

Read more from Dean @ashishkjha.bsky.social in @statnews.com⤵️

CDC's crisis marks a dark moment for public health

“The firing of Susan Monarez, the first Senate-confirmed CDC director in history, was more than just unprecedented,” writes Ashish K. Jha.

www.statnews.com

Ashish K Jha @ashishkjha.bsky.social · Aug 27

There is a destruction of leadership at the CDC. The newly confirmed Director is out

Most of the top leaders who run key centers have resigned en masse

Wholesale implosion

All because of @SecKennedy leadership

What a disaster

Reposted by Ashish K. Jha

Brown University School of Public Health @brownpublichealth.bsky.social · Aug 25

"Ending this research is not just a policy misstep. It is a profound failure of leadership."

Dean @ashishkjha.bsky.social's latest in the @bostonglobe.com. Keep reading ⤵️

Abandoning the mRNA vaccine platform is a failure of leadership - The Boston Globe

The retreat signals that the federal government is capricious and weak and easily persuaded by misinformation.

www.bostonglobe.com

Reposted by Ashish K. Jha

Our World in Data @ourworldindata.org · Nov 22

The global COVID-19 vaccination effort is estimated to have saved around 20 million lives — in just its first year.

This chart, titled "COVID-19 vaccination saved millions of lives worldwide," illustrates the estimated global number of deaths averted between December 2021 and December 2022 due to COVID-19 vaccination. The chart compares the actual number of excess deaths with the estimated number of lives saved by vaccinations, both directly (in dark blue, representing 15.5 million deaths averted) and indirectly (in light blue, representing 4.3 million deaths averted from lower infection rates). The pink area shows the actual number of excess deaths, totaling 11.6 million.

Reposted by Ashish K. Jha

Dr. Stephanie Psaki @spsaki.bsky.social · Jun 25

Gavi works in close partnership (operationally and financially) with governments around the world to distribute life-saving vaccines to children. Their work has saved nearly 20 million lives since 2000.

Kennedy is either misinformed or lying, but either way children will die as a result.

Kennedy Withdraws Funding Pledge to International Vaccine Agency

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Ashish K. Jha

Pandemic Center at Brown University’s School of Public Health @pandemiccenter.bsky.social · Jul 15

Our Senior Adviser @wilmotjames.bsky.social joins @amomentinhealth.bsky.social w/ @ashishkjha.bsky.social to discuss the US's retreat from global health leadership and how it's fueling political strong-arming and a decline in global trust.

🎧 Listen here:
open.spotify.com/episode/7ks6...

How Does the World See U.S. Public Health?

A Moment in Health with Dr. Ashish Jha · Episode

open.spotify.com

Reposted by Ashish K. Jha

Physicians for a Healthy Democracy @physiciandemocracy.medsky.social · Jul 11

@ashishkjha.bsky.social

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/10/h...

US Preventative Services Task Force, created by the Reagan administration, enjoys widespread respect among doctors and nurses across America. Its recommendations keep mammograms, colon cancer screening, etc free for patients with health insurance and Secretary Kennedy just canceled it.

Reposted by Ashish K. Jha

Brown University School of Public Health @brownpublichealth.bsky.social · Jul 7

"That’s the unspoken promise of our health care system: when the worst happens, an ER will be there, no questions asked. But that promise is about to become harder to keep."

Dean @ashishkjha.bsky.social writing in @timemagazine.bsky.social⤵️
time.com/7300067/budg...

The Budget Bill Could Make Your ER a Mess

Tucked inside the massive bill is a "wrecking ball" for local hospitals, writes Dr. Ashish Jha.

Reposted by Ashish K. Jha

Brown University School of Public Health @brownpublichealth.bsky.social · Jun 30

"On #IndependenceDay, politicians will speak of freedom. True freedom, however, requires not just platitudes but actual policies that improve health through innovation, access, and reduced costs," Dean @ashishkjha.bsky.social writes in the @bostonglobe.com. www.bostonglobe.com/2025/06/30/o...

Health is the foundation of American freedom - The Boston Globe

To pursue life, liberty, and happiness — not just politically but through our everyday lives — you need health.

www.bostonglobe.com

Ashish K Jha @ashishkjha.bsky.social · Jun 25

This move by Kennedy is just awful

Dr. Stephanie Psaki @spsaki.bsky.social · Jun 25

Gavi works in close partnership (operationally and financially) with governments around the world to distribute life-saving vaccines to children. Their work has saved nearly 20 million lives since 2000.

Kennedy is either misinformed or lying, but either way children will die as a result.

Kennedy Withdraws Funding Pledge to International Vaccine Agency

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Ashish K. Jha

Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · Jun 18

"Kennedy’s new ACIP panel isn’t about reform; it’s an effort to sabotage the vaccine program."

RFK Jr. is sabotaging the vaccine program. Here’s how to stop him. wapo.st/3ZBWqkt by @ashishkjha.bsky.social

Opinion | RFK Jr. is sabotaging the vaccine program. Here’s how to stop him.

States must act swiftly to protect their residents — especially children and the vulnerable.

Reposted by Ashish K. Jha

Washington Post Opinions @postopinions.bsky.social · Jun 17

"Congress must investigate and take urgent steps to restore ACIP’s scientific integrity," @ashishkjha.bsky.social writes. wapo.st/4k4WAs0

Opinion | RFK Jr. is sabotaging the vaccine program. Here’s how to stop him.

States must act swiftly to protect their residents — especially children and the vulnerable.

Ashish K Jha @ashishkjha.bsky.social · Jun 17

I do have a proposal

What RFK Jr did with ACIP makes one thing clear:

I don't believe we can rely on the federal government to keep vaccines accessible for Americans any longer

So I have a proposal

Its time for medical societies and for states to step up

They can. And they should

Jonah Blank @jonahblank.bsky.social · Jun 17

#RFKJr is dismantling America's access to #vaccines, and subjecting all of us to risk to deadly illnesses. And nobody is doing anything to stop him:
-Not Congress. Not the courts. Not healthcare corporations.

Dr @ashishkjha.bsky.social has a proposal:
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

Opinion | RFK Jr. is sabotaging the vaccine program. Here’s how to stop him.

States must act swiftly to protect their residents — especially children and the vulnerable.

www.washingtonpost.com

Reposted by Ashish K. Jha

Jonah Blank @jonahblank.bsky.social · Jun 17

#RFKJr is dismantling America's access to #vaccines, and subjecting all of us to risk to deadly illnesses. And nobody is doing anything to stop him:
-Not Congress. Not the courts. Not healthcare corporations.

Dr @ashishkjha.bsky.social has a proposal:
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

Opinion | RFK Jr. is sabotaging the vaccine program. Here’s how to stop him.

States must act swiftly to protect their residents — especially children and the vulnerable.

www.washingtonpost.com

Reposted by Ashish K. Jha

Dr. Stephanie Psaki @spsaki.bsky.social · Jun 11

Foreign aid can save lives and ALSO advance U.S. interests in the world. Its not an either/or.

I argued in @thinkglobalhealth.org that foreign aid builds soft power when it is:

✅ Visible
✅ Altruistic
✅ Effective
✅ Aligned with country priorities

U.S. Soft Power: Next Steps After the Foreign Aid Withdrawal | Think Global Health

A former White House official on the future of advancing strategic interests while saving lives and growing economies

www.thinkglobalhealth.org

Reposted by Ashish K. Jha

Physicians for a Healthy Democracy @physiciandemocracy.medsky.social · Jun 3

@ashishkjha.bsky.social

Of all the things that Sec Kennedy has done, canceling the bird flu contract may be the most reckless. It is hard to overstate how irresponsible this is. The virus can be deadly and is getting better at infecting mammals. It is time to prepare, not retrench.

Reposted by Ashish K. Jha

Brown University School of Public Health @brownpublichealth.bsky.social · Jun 3

In his latest @bostonglobe.com opinion, Dean @ashishkjha.bsky.social reacts to HHS cancelling Moderna’s bird flu vaccine contract—a decision he calls RFK Jr.'s "most dangerous yet." www.bostonglobe.com/2025/06/03/o...

Canceling Moderna’s bird flu contract could be Robert Kennedy’s most reckless act yet - The Boston Globe

The federal government should be investing and working to expand the nation’s scientific and public health arsenal, not shrinking it.

www.bostonglobe.com

Reposted by Ashish K. Jha

Physicians for a Healthy Democracy @physiciandemocracy.medsky.social · May 30

@ashishkjha.bsky.social

America’s biomedical ecosystem has thrived on:
1. NIH funding for research
2. Welcoming environment for global talent
3. Entrepreneurial culture that turns innovations into cures
Government policies are taking a sledgehammer to all of this ultimately harming the American people

Ashish K Jha @ashishkjha.bsky.social · May 27

The CDC data ends in 2018 and CDC has stopped updating its website

But over the past 50 years, we've had sizeable gains

What has driven the progress?

1. Less malnutrition
2. Vaccines
3. Better healthcare for kids

The MAHA commission misses all this progress

Reposted by Robert M. Califf

Ashish K Jha @ashishkjha.bsky.social · May 27

The recent MAHA Commission called kids in America "the sickest generation in American history in terms of chronic disease"

It failed to mention the HUGE progress we have made in childhood mortality over the past 50 years

Deaths for every age group of kids down 50-75%

Here's CDC's Data

Reposted by Ashish K. Jha

The Briefing with Jen Psaki @briefingwithpsaki.bsky.social · May 23

Watch @jenpsaki.msnbc.com 's full interview with @ashishkjha.bsky.social here:
youtu.be/fkPVSylvZ80