BK. Titanji
@boghuma.bsky.social
Physician Scientist MDPhD
Infectious Diseases
Academic Medicine
Global Health
Science Communicator
Posts are my opinions, not my employer's and not medical advice
I bet on myself and double down
https://substack.com/@bktitanji
Infectious Diseases
Academic Medicine
Global Health
Science Communicator
Posts are my opinions, not my employer's and not medical advice
I bet on myself and double down
https://substack.com/@bktitanji
Pinned
How I Experienced This Year
Living through 2025 as a Physician, Scientist and Advocate
bktitanji.substack.com
I wrote a reflection on how I experienced this year, as a physician, a scientist, and a human being.
If you’ve been carrying a lot too, this one’s for you.
Thanks for reading and engaging with me here and on other platforms. There's plenty of work ahead!
bktitanji.substack.com/p/how-i-expe...
If you’ve been carrying a lot too, this one’s for you.
Thanks for reading and engaging with me here and on other platforms. There's plenty of work ahead!
bktitanji.substack.com/p/how-i-expe...
Please stop calling the circulating sub-clade K strain of H3N2 a "super flu". It is a strain that drifted through a normal evolutionary process from the strains included in this year's vaccine. It means we are seeing more cases of flu and the vaccine may not work as well in preventing infections.
January 6, 2026 at 5:17 PM
Please stop calling the circulating sub-clade K strain of H3N2 a "super flu". It is a strain that drifted through a normal evolutionary process from the strains included in this year's vaccine. It means we are seeing more cases of flu and the vaccine may not work as well in preventing infections.
A really important conversation on the sudden changes to the US immunization schedule by highly respected science communicators. I recommend listening to it. @angierasmussen.bsky.social @saskiapopescu.bsky.social @jessicamalaty.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/rasmusse...
open.substack.com/pub/rasmusse...
Make America Denmark Today! With Angie Rasmussen, Jessica Malaty Rivera, and Saskia Popescu
Just three immunization-loving American scientists expressing professional concern and moral contempt for the European Country-ization of the US childhood vaccine schedule
open.substack.com
January 6, 2026 at 2:12 PM
A really important conversation on the sudden changes to the US immunization schedule by highly respected science communicators. I recommend listening to it. @angierasmussen.bsky.social @saskiapopescu.bsky.social @jessicamalaty.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/rasmusse...
open.substack.com/pub/rasmusse...
Nothing better than a study PI breaking down the findings of an important paper. They show differential protection between intradermal and intravenous sporozoites by licensed Malaria Vaccines. This has implications for human studies.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 6, 2026 at 2:07 PM
Nothing better than a study PI breaking down the findings of an important paper. They show differential protection between intradermal and intravenous sporozoites by licensed Malaria Vaccines. This has implications for human studies.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A must read!
@carlzimmer.com thank you for your reporting.
@carlzimmer.com thank you for your reporting.
Here's my latest contribution to the @nytimes "Lost Science" series. Brenna Henn's sweeping study of African genetics has been frozen. Gift link: nyti.ms/3Ypmm1A
January 6, 2026 at 1:49 PM
A must read!
@carlzimmer.com thank you for your reporting.
@carlzimmer.com thank you for your reporting.
In case you were still wondering, it is indeed a horrible idea to have a militant anti-vaxxer and conspiracy theorist dictating the healthcare policy of an entire country.
January 5, 2026 at 11:02 PM
In case you were still wondering, it is indeed a horrible idea to have a militant anti-vaxxer and conspiracy theorist dictating the healthcare policy of an entire country.
1). The US is in the middle of the worst flu season in a decade.
2). Pertussis cases are the highest they have been in 20 years.
3). Measles has rebounded and elimination status has been lost.
RFK.Jr. has not recommended vaccination, instead he is aggressively rolling back vaccine policy.
2). Pertussis cases are the highest they have been in 20 years.
3). Measles has rebounded and elimination status has been lost.
RFK.Jr. has not recommended vaccination, instead he is aggressively rolling back vaccine policy.
January 5, 2026 at 8:42 PM
1). The US is in the middle of the worst flu season in a decade.
2). Pertussis cases are the highest they have been in 20 years.
3). Measles has rebounded and elimination status has been lost.
RFK.Jr. has not recommended vaccination, instead he is aggressively rolling back vaccine policy.
2). Pertussis cases are the highest they have been in 20 years.
3). Measles has rebounded and elimination status has been lost.
RFK.Jr. has not recommended vaccination, instead he is aggressively rolling back vaccine policy.
This thread I put together a few weeks ago is especially relevant today. De-recommending routine childhood vaccines which have proven benefit, when the overwhelming evidence shows their benefits for a particular population is the definition of an anti-science and anti-health approach.
The US is not Denmark. Denmark is not the US. The Danish immunization schedule is not adapted for the realities of the American Healthcare system and population.
Let me explain.
This is a long thread so buckle up 🧵
Let me explain.
This is a long thread so buckle up 🧵
January 5, 2026 at 7:41 PM
This thread I put together a few weeks ago is especially relevant today. De-recommending routine childhood vaccines which have proven benefit, when the overwhelming evidence shows their benefits for a particular population is the definition of an anti-science and anti-health approach.
This is incredibly short sighted and will cause serious harm longterm. This unilateral decision to reduce recommended childhood vaccines from 17 to 11 in the USA is not backed by science or the healthcare access realities of the US population.
www.statnews.com/2026/01/05/c...
www.statnews.com/2026/01/05/c...
Federal health officials slash recommended childhood vaccinations under Trump’s directive
The number of recommended childhood shots drops from 17 to 11.
www.statnews.com
January 5, 2026 at 7:24 PM
This is incredibly short sighted and will cause serious harm longterm. This unilateral decision to reduce recommended childhood vaccines from 17 to 11 in the USA is not backed by science or the healthcare access realities of the US population.
www.statnews.com/2026/01/05/c...
www.statnews.com/2026/01/05/c...
Happy "circling back Monday".
May your resilience be strong as you clear your inbox post holiday break. We can do this !
May your resilience be strong as you clear your inbox post holiday break. We can do this !
January 5, 2026 at 12:59 PM
Happy "circling back Monday".
May your resilience be strong as you clear your inbox post holiday break. We can do this !
May your resilience be strong as you clear your inbox post holiday break. We can do this !
2026 was a terrible year, and it has barely started.
January 3, 2026 at 9:40 PM
2026 was a terrible year, and it has barely started.
I can attest to this. The last really bad flu season liked this one that I recall was 2018. We needed a mobile ER installed to help with cases. Current test positivity rates for quad screen pcr is coming back 40-50% positive for flu A on all tested patients
www.11alive.com/article/news...
www.11alive.com/article/news...
Metro Atlanta flu outbreak worst in years, doctors say
"This is one of the most severe years we've seen in a little bit," said Dr. Gavin Harris.
www.11alive.com
January 3, 2026 at 2:17 AM
I can attest to this. The last really bad flu season liked this one that I recall was 2018. We needed a mobile ER installed to help with cases. Current test positivity rates for quad screen pcr is coming back 40-50% positive for flu A on all tested patients
www.11alive.com/article/news...
www.11alive.com/article/news...
That's a wrap for work in 2025.
Working the new year stretch this year and it's a privilege to be able to end the year doing this work. Be safe out there as you mark the start of 2026. See y'all next year and thanks for rocking with me in this online space. ✌️
#HappNewYear
Working the new year stretch this year and it's a privilege to be able to end the year doing this work. Be safe out there as you mark the start of 2026. See y'all next year and thanks for rocking with me in this online space. ✌️
#HappNewYear
December 31, 2025 at 10:17 PM
That's a wrap for work in 2025.
Working the new year stretch this year and it's a privilege to be able to end the year doing this work. Be safe out there as you mark the start of 2026. See y'all next year and thanks for rocking with me in this online space. ✌️
#HappNewYear
Working the new year stretch this year and it's a privilege to be able to end the year doing this work. Be safe out there as you mark the start of 2026. See y'all next year and thanks for rocking with me in this online space. ✌️
#HappNewYear
Maternal and congenital syphilis are markers of under development and lack of public health infrastructure.
Sad that we are adding " explosive growth in maternal syphilis" to the list of public health failures closing out 2025.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/sexually-tra...
Sad that we are adding " explosive growth in maternal syphilis" to the list of public health failures closing out 2025.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/sexually-tra...
Mississippi experiences explosive growth in maternal syphilis
www.cidrap.umn.edu
December 31, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Maternal and congenital syphilis are markers of under development and lack of public health infrastructure.
Sad that we are adding " explosive growth in maternal syphilis" to the list of public health failures closing out 2025.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/sexually-tra...
Sad that we are adding " explosive growth in maternal syphilis" to the list of public health failures closing out 2025.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/sexually-tra...
The @natureportfolio.nature.com published a really good spotlight on #influenza two weeks ago. I have not read all the articles yet (but I will). The ones I have read are great, learned a lot. Highly recommend checking them out. #IDSky
www.nature.com/collections/...
www.nature.com/collections/...
Influenza
Every year, there are about one billion cases of influenza globally, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths.
www.nature.com
December 31, 2025 at 2:37 PM
The @natureportfolio.nature.com published a really good spotlight on #influenza two weeks ago. I have not read all the articles yet (but I will). The ones I have read are great, learned a lot. Highly recommend checking them out. #IDSky
www.nature.com/collections/...
www.nature.com/collections/...
Another day, another tragic pediatric #flu death. Last year's flu season caused 200 pediatric deaths in the US.this year is on track to match or surpass this number.
www.fox19.com/2025/12/30/h...
www.fox19.com/2025/12/30/h...
‘He was loved by all’: 14-year-old dies after suffering complications from the flu
An Alabama community is mourning the loss of a teenager who died due to reported complications from the flu.
www.fox19.com
December 31, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Another day, another tragic pediatric #flu death. Last year's flu season caused 200 pediatric deaths in the US.this year is on track to match or surpass this number.
www.fox19.com/2025/12/30/h...
www.fox19.com/2025/12/30/h...
If you are ending this year tired, uncertain, or bruised, you are not failing. You are paying attention. May 2026 give us the courage to keep going anyway, the humility to change our minds when the evidence demands it, & the generosity to extend grace to ourselves and to one another.
#December31st
#December31st
I wrote a reflection on how I experienced this year, as a physician, a scientist, and a human being.
If you’ve been carrying a lot too, this one’s for you.
Thanks for reading and engaging with me here and on other platforms. There's plenty of work ahead!
bktitanji.substack.com/p/how-i-expe...
If you’ve been carrying a lot too, this one’s for you.
Thanks for reading and engaging with me here and on other platforms. There's plenty of work ahead!
bktitanji.substack.com/p/how-i-expe...
How I Experienced This Year
Living through 2025 as a Physician, Scientist and Advocate
bktitanji.substack.com
December 31, 2025 at 1:59 PM
If you are ending this year tired, uncertain, or bruised, you are not failing. You are paying attention. May 2026 give us the courage to keep going anyway, the humility to change our minds when the evidence demands it, & the generosity to extend grace to ourselves and to one another.
#December31st
#December31st
Remember how during the pandemic masking eliminated an entire flu strain, well guess what ? Large health systems including mine are back to recommending masking for visitors + healthcare personnel in hospitals and clinics due to the very high levels of flu we are seeing currently & because it works!
December 30, 2025 at 10:28 PM
Remember how during the pandemic masking eliminated an entire flu strain, well guess what ? Large health systems including mine are back to recommending masking for visitors + healthcare personnel in hospitals and clinics due to the very high levels of flu we are seeing currently & because it works!
The come back of pertussis and Measles is only the beginning of the resurgence of preventable infectious diseases in the US. This has been one of the biggest public health failures of 2025 and the competition is tough.
www.cnn.com/2025/12/30/h...
www.cnn.com/2025/12/30/h...
The US has seen nearly 28,000 whooping cough cases this year. Here’s what you need to know | CNN
For the second year in a row, the US has surpassed 25,000 whooping cough cases — another sign of the risks of falling vaccination levels.
www.cnn.com
December 30, 2025 at 9:10 PM
The come back of pertussis and Measles is only the beginning of the resurgence of preventable infectious diseases in the US. This has been one of the biggest public health failures of 2025 and the competition is tough.
www.cnn.com/2025/12/30/h...
www.cnn.com/2025/12/30/h...
I love ID and would wish to do nothing else😊
First consult page of the day: Patient coming in after a fall, blood cultures are positive for Listeria, source unknown.
Me: Oh Listeria bacteremia, how cool. rubs hands together, pep in my step as I go to see the consult. Detective mode activated.
First consult page of the day: Patient coming in after a fall, blood cultures are positive for Listeria, source unknown.
Me: Oh Listeria bacteremia, how cool. rubs hands together, pep in my step as I go to see the consult. Detective mode activated.
a black and white photo of people walking down a narrow street with a sign that says hotel voyageur on it
ALT: a black and white photo of people walking down a narrow street with a sign that says hotel voyageur on it
media.tenor.com
December 30, 2025 at 1:45 PM
I love ID and would wish to do nothing else😊
First consult page of the day: Patient coming in after a fall, blood cultures are positive for Listeria, source unknown.
Me: Oh Listeria bacteremia, how cool. rubs hands together, pep in my step as I go to see the consult. Detective mode activated.
First consult page of the day: Patient coming in after a fall, blood cultures are positive for Listeria, source unknown.
Me: Oh Listeria bacteremia, how cool. rubs hands together, pep in my step as I go to see the consult. Detective mode activated.
I believe this meme speaks for most in healthcare, science, public health, global health, research, and anyone wanted a return to precedented times.
December 30, 2025 at 1:20 AM
I believe this meme speaks for most in healthcare, science, public health, global health, research, and anyone wanted a return to precedented times.
Stories like this make me feel hopeful. Resilience in the face of adversity. When USAID was shut down programs like this malaria program in cameroon faced collapse. They found a way to continue doing the work and saving the lives of children affected by malaria.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/28/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/28/h...
How Cameroon Fought to Save Its Malaria Program After the U.S. Cut Critical Funding
www.nytimes.com
December 29, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Stories like this make me feel hopeful. Resilience in the face of adversity. When USAID was shut down programs like this malaria program in cameroon faced collapse. They found a way to continue doing the work and saving the lives of children affected by malaria.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/28/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/28/h...
The death of any child is tragic. We always think it will not be my child, they are healthy. Severe influenza can be unpredictable & deadly. Getting vaccinated considerably reduces dz severity and deaths. Please make sure you are vaccinated & your children are too.
people.com/alabama-boy-...
people.com/alabama-boy-...
Boy, 11, Dies After Severe Case of the Flu: ‘Jace Never Even Got to Open His Christmas Gifts’
Jace Watkins, 11, of Alabama died on Dec. 27 after being hospitalized due to complications from the flu.
people.com
December 29, 2025 at 12:44 AM
The death of any child is tragic. We always think it will not be my child, they are healthy. Severe influenza can be unpredictable & deadly. Getting vaccinated considerably reduces dz severity and deaths. Please make sure you are vaccinated & your children are too.
people.com/alabama-boy-...
people.com/alabama-boy-...
It's always a different type of excitement when you get an advanced book copy in the mail and it's a project you contributed to. Very excited that this gets released in early 2026. It was a joy and privilege to author a chapter in this text alongside a stellar cadre of co-authors and amazing editors
December 28, 2025 at 11:56 PM
It's always a different type of excitement when you get an advanced book copy in the mail and it's a project you contributed to. Very excited that this gets released in early 2026. It was a joy and privilege to author a chapter in this text alongside a stellar cadre of co-authors and amazing editors
I wrote a reflection on how I experienced this year, as a physician, a scientist, and a human being.
If you’ve been carrying a lot too, this one’s for you.
Thanks for reading and engaging with me here and on other platforms. There's plenty of work ahead!
bktitanji.substack.com/p/how-i-expe...
If you’ve been carrying a lot too, this one’s for you.
Thanks for reading and engaging with me here and on other platforms. There's plenty of work ahead!
bktitanji.substack.com/p/how-i-expe...
How I Experienced This Year
Living through 2025 as a Physician, Scientist and Advocate
bktitanji.substack.com
December 28, 2025 at 1:49 PM
I wrote a reflection on how I experienced this year, as a physician, a scientist, and a human being.
If you’ve been carrying a lot too, this one’s for you.
Thanks for reading and engaging with me here and on other platforms. There's plenty of work ahead!
bktitanji.substack.com/p/how-i-expe...
If you’ve been carrying a lot too, this one’s for you.
Thanks for reading and engaging with me here and on other platforms. There's plenty of work ahead!
bktitanji.substack.com/p/how-i-expe...