Hilary M. Babcock | Lightnews

Hilary Babcock

@h-babcock.bsky.social

820 followers 400 following 0 posts

ID MD, MPH, CQO, resist.

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Public Health 49%

Medicine 25%

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Paul Fairie @paulisci.bsky.social · 4d

A List of Things Said to Have Been Ruined by Women

🧵

Reposted by Hilary M. Babcock

Tom Sandora, MD MPH @tomsandora.bsky.social · Sep 4

This is vital for the health of our nation and the future of our children.

Joint statement calling for Secretary Kennedy resignation

www.idsociety.org

Reposted by Jesse M. Shapiro, Joshua S. Weitz, Scott L. Greer , and 7 more Jesse M. Shapiro, Joshua S. Weitz, Scott L. Greer, Hilary M. Babcock, Michael A. Clemens, Juan Cole, Smith, Larry W. Hunter, Aviel Roshwald, David Darmofal

ASM @asm.org · Sep 3

As national medical, scientific, public health and patient organizations, we call for the resignation of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to ensure the health of the American people. Read our statement: asm.org/press-releas...

Joint Statement Calling for Secretary Kennedy Resignation

The American Society for Microbiology released a joint statement calling for the resignation of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

asm.org

Reposted by Michael Barnett, Jonathan A. Eisen, Hilary M. Babcock , and 2 more Michael Barnett, Jonathan A. Eisen, Hilary M. Babcock, Sarah E. Gollust, Southern Africa

APHA @apha.org · Sep 3

New statement: IDSA, APHA and partners call for RFK Jr. to resign: "Our country needs leadership that will promote open, honest dialogue — not disregard decades of lifesaving science, spread misinformation, reverse medical progress and decimate programs that keep us safe." bit.ly/3JOgDya

JOINT STATEMENT CALLING FOR SECRETARY KENNEDY RESIGNATION Infectious Diseases Society of America 

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

American Academy of HIV Medicine 

American Association of Immunologists

American Public Health Association

American Society for Microbiology

American Society for Virology

Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) 

AVAC  

Camenzind Solutions LLC 

Fast-Track Cities Institute 

ID Care

International Association of Providers of AIDS Care 

NTM Info & Research 

Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society  

Peggy Lillis Foundation

Seattle Children’s Research Institute

Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America

Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP)

Stop TB USA 

Treatment Action Group

Reposted by Michael Barnett, Jesse H. Kroll, Hilary M. Babcock , and 3 more Michael Barnett, Jesse H. Kroll, Hilary M. Babcock, Philip N. Cohen, Lesley A. Hall, Smith

IDSA @idsainfo.bsky.social · Sep 3

Reposted by Elena Litchman, Hilary M. Babcock, Stacy D. VanDeveer , and 2 more Elena Litchman, Hilary M. Babcock, Stacy D. VanDeveer, Henry Jones, Goldie Blumenstyk

Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · Aug 29

“A respected network of hospitals and cancer centers is halting enrollment in clinical trials for children with brain cancer after the federal government said it would no longer provide funding to the group”

Pediatric Brain Cancer Group to Lose Federal Funding

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Hilary M. Babcock

Liz Szabo @lizszabo.bsky.social · Jun 27

“False comments about vaccine safety made by current committee members with no clinical experience will further sow seeds of fear, doubt, and distrust in medicine among patients and contribute to the spread of medical mis- and disinformation.”

r.mail.acpnews.org/mk/mr/sh/1t6...

American College of Physicians Alarmed by ACIP Committee Meeting - A Dangerous Path

r.mail.acpnews.org

Reposted by David Lazer, Hilary M. Babcock, Sabine Pahl , and 1 more David Lazer, Hilary M. Babcock, Sabine Pahl, David D. Buck

Megan Ranney MD MPH @meganranney.bsky.social · Jun 26

“Immunizations work, they are very effective and safe, and they save lives. Vaccines are among the most rigorously studied and effective tools in public health.”

Kudos to AAFP, AAP, ACOG, ACP, IDSA for this.

www.statnews.com/2025/06/26/v...

We will not stay silent on vaccines, say leaders of five major U.S. medical associations

“We cannot and will not gamble with our patients’ health or the health of our communities,” write the presidents of the AAFP, AAP, ACP, ACOG, and IDSA.

www.statnews.com

Reposted by Hilary M. Babcock

Edward Nirenberg @enirenberg.bsky.social · Jun 26

and that could affect vaccine accessibility).

NAPNAP representative asks that the CDC's pre-buttal document originally posted could be reposted. The answer apparently is "no." Such radical transparency.

Reposted by Hilary M. Babcock

The American Academy of Pediatrics @ameracadpeds.bsky.social · Jun 26

An update from Dr. Sean O’Leary on this morning’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting:

Reposted by Hilary M. Babcock

Ilan Schwartz @germhuntermd.bsky.social · Jun 26

I’m a physician who has looked at hundreds of studies of vaccine safety, and here’s some of what RFK Jr. gets wrong

by @jakescottmd.bsky.social (congrats Jake - keep it up!)

theconversation.com/im-a-physici...

I’m a physician who has looked at hundreds of studies of vaccine safety, and here’s some of what RFK Jr. gets wrong

The health secretary has made many inaccurate statements about vaccines. But the science is clear that vaccines have dramatically reduced childhood illness, disability and death.

theconversation.com

Reposted by Hilary M. Babcock

BK. Titanji @boghuma.bsky.social · Jun 25

Since 2000, GAVI has distributed 1.1 Billion vaccine doses to children around the world and averted 18.8 million deaths as a direct result of this effort. To cut U.S. funding for this incredible effort is to promote childhood deaths.
www.reuters.com/business/hea...

US to stop financial support of global vaccine alliance Gavi, health secretary says

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr said on Wednesday that the U.S. government will no longer contribute to Gavi, accusing the group that helps buy vaccines for the world's poorest children of ignoring safety, without providing evidence.

www.reuters.com

Reposted by Hilary M. Babcock, Dana Howard

Jason Ukman @jasonukman.bsky.social · Jun 25

A CDC “background briefing” on thimerosal — noting evidence doesn't support a link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism — was posted to the agency's website Tuesday. Today, it was taken down.

HHS explanation below.

www.statnews.com/2025/06/25/c...

Reposted by Hilary M. Babcock

Edward Nirenberg @enirenberg.bsky.social · Jun 25

Kulldorff calls for the establishment of a CDC work group examining whether or not children today get too many vaccines and cumulative harms of that. This is explicitly anti-vaccine propaganda and senseless. When new vaccines are evaluated in prelicensure clinical trials, you do not...

Reposted by Naomi Klein, Cary P. Gross, David Lazer , and 7 more Naomi Klein, Cary P. Gross, David Lazer, Jocalyn Clark, Hilary M. Babcock, Amy McGovern, Janet Murray, Rex Brynen, Shaun C. Hendy, Colin Talbot

Atul Gawande @agawande.bsky.social · Jun 25

This is a travesty & a nightmare. The US was a founder of @gavi.org. It lowers global vaccine costs, has vaccinated 1B children, & averted 19M deaths. This pull out will cost 100s of thousands of children's lives a year - and RFK Jr will be personally responsible.
www.politico.com/news/2025/06...

RFK Jr. says US won’t donate to global vaccine effort

Kennedy ripped into Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in a video address at its pledging summit.

www.politico.com

Reposted by Hilary M. Babcock

Krutika Kuppalli, MD FIDSA @krutikakuppalli.bsky.social · Jun 12

The #ACIP has long been made up of independent experts—leaders in medicine, public health, and immunology—chosen for their knowledge, not politics.

Firing them all and bypassing this process to push an agenda doesn’t build #vaccine confidence. It undermines it and is dangerous. #VaccinesWork

Reposted by Hilary M. Babcock

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal @jayapal.house.gov · Jun 5

The craziest thing about this fight between Trump and Elon Musk is that Republicans are trying to take away health care from 16 million people to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.

Reposted by Hilary M. Babcock

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · Jun 4

McSweeney's: New York Times’ Style Guide Substitutions for "The President Violated the Constitution" www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/new...

Reposted by Hilary M. Babcock

Paul Offit @pauloffit.bsky.social · May 29

open.substack.com/pub/pauloffi...
RFK Jr. has now put healthy young children at risk. He should step down as head of HHS. Enough.

RFK Jr.’s War on Children

Ignoring CDC data, RFK Jr. tweeted that the government will no longer recommend Covid vaccines for healthy children and pregnant women.

open.substack.com

Reposted by Hilary M. Babcock

Vanity Fair @vanityfair.com · May 27

RFK Jr. said Tuesday he “couldn’t be more pleased” for the CDC to stop recommending the Covid vaccine for “healthy” pregnant women and children.

Turns Out That RFK Jr.’s Plan to Make America Healthy Again Doesn’t Include Most Pregnant Women or Children

In response, the president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said, “The science has not changed. It is very clear that COVID infection during pregnancy can be catastrophic and...

www.vanityfair.com

Reposted by Hilary M. Babcock

Eli Perencevich @eliowa.bsky.social · May 25

“Again” media.newyorker.com/photos/59095...

Two men in a cave: "Something's just not right— our air is clean, our water is pure, we all get plenty of exercise, everything we eat is organic and free-
range, and yet nobody lives past thirty.”

Reposted by Hilary M. Babcock, Michelle L. Mazurek, David C. Kimball , and 1 more Hilary M. Babcock, Michelle L. Mazurek, David C. Kimball, Eric D. Knowles

Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · May 10

You’re allowed to argue that black people and women are genetically inferior. But you’re NOT allowed to argue they are NOT inferior because that’s divisive. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/09/u...

This expands a similar purge recently at the Naval Academy library, in Maryland. Last month, civilian Navy officials, following orders originating from Mr. Hegseth, pulled from shelves books including one that critiqued “The Bell Curve,” a 1994 text that argues that Black men and women are genetically less intelligent than white people. But the academy kept “The Bell Curve” itself on its shelves.

Reposted by Hilary M. Babcock

IDSA @idsainfo.bsky.social · May 7

Disbanding CDC’s Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) jeopardizes decades of progress in preventing healthcare-associated infections. IDSA, APIC, SHEA and PIDS comment on President Trump's decision to terminate the HICPAC: bit.ly/4m1jpyV

Reposted by Hilary M. Babcock

Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) @sheaepi.bsky.social · May 7

SHEA strongly urges CDC through HHS to reinstate HICPAC to preserve a resilient, coordinated, and science-driven public health infrastructure.

Read our full statement: 🔗 shea-online.org/importance-o...

Reposted by Hilary M. Babcock, Adam J. Berinsky, Jonathan Marks

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · May 6

Bessent says that little girls who are sad about having fewer dolls should just have it explained to them that they will have a better life for it

Reposted by Hilary M. Babcock, Anirban Mukhopadhyay, Judith Scott-Clayton

Michael W. Kraus @mwkraus.bsky.social · Apr 23

I am teaching my phd writing workshop course this quarter, question: are there any words/phrases said to you by an advisor/mentor that stuck with you, were memorable, or particularly helpful? If so please reply below!

Reposted by Hilary M. Babcock, Patrick Meier

Asha Rangappa @asharangappa.bsky.social · Apr 14

Criminals deserve due process because due process is literally how we determine whether someone is, *in fact*, a criminal

Reposted by Hilary M. Babcock, Ameet Sarpatwari

Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · Apr 4

“Kennedy’s team requested that Marks turn over data on cases of brain swelling and deaths caused by the measles vaccine—data that Marks said doesn’t exist because there have been no such confirmed cases in the U.S.” www.wsj.com/health/healt...

Exclusive | Ousted Vaccine Chief Says RFK Jr.’s Team Sought Data to Justify Anti-Science Stance

Dr. Peter Marks says the new health secretary’s team wants to show vaccines aren’t safe while promoting dangerous and unproven treatments.

www.wsj.com

Reposted by Hilary M. Babcock

Krutika Kuppalli, MD FIDSA @krutikakuppalli.bsky.social · Mar 5

Before the #measles vaccine was introduced in 1963, 400–500 people—mostly children—died yearly from measles in the U.S.

The data in the table below speaks for itself: the measles vaccine saves lives. It’s the best way to protect yourself and others. #VaccinesWork #Measles

Reposted by Hilary M. Babcock

Max Kennerly @maxkennerly.bsky.social · Feb 22

Just look at these paragraphs from the AP story.

Hegseth called Brown unqualified solely because he's Black. Then they fired him... and replaced him with a white guy so indisputably unqualified that he requires a Presidential waiver.

This is what "merit" means to them.

apnews.com/article/trum...

Hegseth had previously taken aim at Brown. “First of all, you gotta fire, you know, you gotta fire the chairman of Joint Chiefs,” he said flatly in a podcast in November. And in one of his books, he questioned whether Brown got the job because he was Black.

“Was it because of his skin color? Or his skill? We’ll never know, but always doubt — which on its face seems unfair to CQ. But since he has made the race card one of his biggest calling cards, it doesn’t really much matter,” Hegseth wrote.

Caine’s military service includes combat roles in Iraq, special operations postings and positions inside some of the Pentagon’s most classified special access programs. However, it does not include key assignments that were identified in law as prerequisites for the job, with an exemption for the president to waive them if necessary in times of national interest.

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