Greg Folkers
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gregfolkers.bsky.social
Greg Folkers
@gregfolkers.bsky.social
340 followers 31 following 1.2K posts
Washington, D.C.
Posts Replies Media Videos
gregfolkers.bsky.social
ScienceInsider: Musical-chairs leadership shakeup planned for science agencies

by Jocelyn Kaiser and Jeffrey Mervis
@science.org @jocelynkaiser.bsky.social @policyhound.bsky.social NIH Jay Bhattacharya CDC

▶️ bit.ly/4rvzPBS
February 19, 2026 at 3:17 AM
Reposted by Greg Folkers
gregggonsalves.bsky.social
The public health of spite. A great piece by @dwallacewells.bsky.social.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/18/o...
Opinion | The MAHA Coalition Is Falling Apart
www.nytimes.com
February 19, 2026 at 12:12 AM
Reposted by Greg Folkers
lizzylawrence.bsky.social
Honored to have won a George Polk award for my coverage of the turmoil at the FDA. The STAT team was also recognized for reporting on the Trump admin's impact on health and science. www.statnews.com/2026/02/18/s...
STAT wins fourth Polk Award for reporting on impact of Trump on health
STAT has won its fourth Polk Award in five years for documenting the Trump administration’s shakeup of the FDA, scientific research, and public health.
www.statnews.com
February 18, 2026 at 5:07 PM
gregfolkers.bsky.social
NEJM: Cabotegravir plus Rilpivirine for Persons with HIV and Adherence Challenges

Aadia I. Rana et al for the ACTG A5359 LATITUDE Trial Team
@nejm.org @actgnetwork.bsky.social

bit.ly/40gqy4u
February 18, 2026 at 10:54 PM
gregfolkers.bsky.social
Science Translational Medicine: Baloxavir alleviates severe disease and viremia in ferrets infected with avian- or bovine-origin influenza A(H5N1) virus

Jeremy C. Jones et al bit.ly/3OPuGpF
Baloxavir alleviates severe disease and viremia in ferrets infected with avian- or bovine-origin influenza A(H5N1) virus
Treating A(H5N1) influenza virus–infected ferrets with baloxavir resulted in greater survival, decreased viremia, and reduced neurotransmission.
bit.ly
February 18, 2026 at 10:27 PM
gregfolkers.bsky.social
ACLU: Medical researchers win permanent restoration of research on federal website

bit.ly/4ruYKFG
Medical researchers win permanent restoration of research on federal website | American Civil Liberties Union
Research about endometriosis, suicide risk had been removed from a government website due to an executive order prohibiting “gender ideology”
bit.ly
February 18, 2026 at 8:03 PM
gregfolkers.bsky.social
In the Pipeline: Moderna Reversal

by Derek Lowe @dereklowe.bsky.social

bit.ly/46KnnWs

influenza vaccine FDA Prasad
February 18, 2026 at 7:52 PM
Reposted by Greg Folkers
i270exit1.bsky.social
Jay Bhattacharya was a poor choice to run NIH. As the acting CDC director, he will have a more immediate ability to harm the health of all Americans by further rolling back vaccine recommendations.

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/18/u...
N.I.H. Director Will Temporarily Run C.D.C. in Leadership Shake-Up
www.nytimes.com
February 18, 2026 at 6:17 PM
gregfolkers.bsky.social
CROI 2026 Preliminary Program

HIV
bit.ly/41Bq9e6
February 18, 2026 at 5:00 PM
gregfolkers.bsky.social
FT: Brain drain is undermining America’s scientific edge

by Anjana Ahuja @financialtimes.com @anjahuja.bsky.social

bit.ly/3ZF0yzI
NIH HHS etc
February 18, 2026 at 4:54 PM
gregfolkers.bsky.social
NBC video: National Institutes of Health facing widespread vacancies in director roles

bit.ly/40isVUu
NIH cc Jay Bhattacharya
National Institutes of Health facing widespread vacancies in director roles
More than a dozen key director positions at the National Institutes of Health are unfilled. All but two of these vacancies opened after President Trump took office last year. NBC News' Aria Bendix explains how this leadership vacuum could impact public health. For more context and news coverage of the most important stories of our day, click here: https://www.nbcnews.com » Subscribe to NBC News: http://nbcnews.to/SubscribeToNBC » Subscribe to Here's the Scoop podcast: https://www.nbcnews.com/heres-the-scoop-daily-podcast Every day, NBC News helps people understand what’s happening and why it matters — through fact-based reporting, meaningful conversations, and powerful stories. From its leading news broadcasts — TODAY, NBC Nightly News, Meet the Press, and Dateline — to NBC News NOW, the 24/7 streaming news channel, plus chart-topping podcasts, the NBC News app, and NBCNews.com, NBC News keeps audiences informed and connected to the stories shaping our world. Connect with NBC News Online! NBC News App: https://apps.nbcnews.com/mobile Breaking News Alerts: https://link.nbcnews.com/join/5cj/breaking-news-signup?cid=sm_npd_nn_yt_bn-clip_190621 Visit NBCNews.Com: http://nbcnews.to/ReadNBC Find NBC News on Facebook: http://nbcnews.to/LikeNBC Follow NBC News on Twitter: http://nbcnews.to/FollowNBC Follow NBC News on Instagram: http://nbcnews.to/InstaNBC #vaccine #health #Trump
bit.ly
February 18, 2026 at 4:48 PM
Reposted by Greg Folkers
gregggonsalves.bsky.social
4-5 years ago there were MDs like Lucy McBride crowing about the urgency of normal, getting kids back to school. There were PR hacks like David Zweig supporting them. Now kids are being sent to immigration detention, getting measles & these folks are nowhere to be found. It was never about the kids.
February 18, 2026 at 11:25 AM
Reposted by Greg Folkers
joshuasweitz.bsky.social
Public pushback matters... and reveals levers of power.

www.statnews.com/2026/02/18/f...
FDA reverses course, agrees to review Moderna’s flu vaccine
The FDA reversed course and told Moderna it would review its application for a new flu vaccine, the company announced Wednesday.
www.statnews.com
February 18, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Reposted by Greg Folkers
lizessleywhyte.bsky.social
FDA's decision to review Moderna flu shot, after initially refusing, came after discussions with HHS and WH officials www.wsj.com/health/healt...
FDA Reverses Course and Will Now Review Moderna’s Flu Shot
The company’s mRNA flu shot, if approved, could be available for the 2026-27 flu season.
www.wsj.com
February 18, 2026 at 2:36 PM
Reposted by Greg Folkers
taghivscience.bsky.social
Characterization of elite controllers with undetectable intact #HIV DNA reservoir www.jci.org/articles/vie... (open access)
JCI - Characterization of elite controllers with undetectable intact HIV DNA reservoir
www.jci.org
February 18, 2026 at 2:55 PM
gregfolkers.bsky.social
LA Times: RFK Jr.’s attacks on vaccines could undermine American science for generations

by Michael Hiltzik @hiltzikm.bsky.social

bit.ly/4c0yy0T
February 18, 2026 at 4:13 PM
gregfolkers.bsky.social
STAT: FDA reverses course, agrees to review Moderna’s flu vaccine

by Lizzy Lawrence @lizzylawrence.bsky.social

bit.ly/4qNVfJp
February 18, 2026 at 12:48 PM
gregfolkers.bsky.social
CIDRAP: South Carolina’s measles total rises to 962

bit.ly/4rv3viI
February 17, 2026 at 8:41 PM
gregfolkers.bsky.social
Health Policy Watch: Investment in Malaria Venture Yields 13x Health Benefits

by Kerry Cullinan @healthpolicywatch.bsky.social @kerrycullinan.bsky.social

bit.ly/469z9JP
Investment In Malaria Venture Yields 13x Health Benefits - Health Policy Watch
Every $1 invested in the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) between 2000 and 2023 yielded $13 in monetised health benefits, according to a study published in
bit.ly
February 17, 2026 at 2:02 PM
gregfolkers.bsky.social
Paul Offit: Weaponizing the FDA Against Vaccines

By rejecting Moderna’s application for an mRNA influenza vaccine, RFK Jr.’s FDA is advancing his anti-vaccine agenda

bit.ly/4bZOvnU

by @pauloffit.bsky.social
Weaponizing the FDA Against Vaccines
By rejecting Moderna’s application for an mRNA influenza vaccine, RFK Jr.’s FDA is advancing his anti-vaccine agenda.
bit.ly
February 17, 2026 at 1:26 PM
gregfolkers.bsky.social
Axios: AI's big biosecurity blind spot

by Megan Morrone @axios.com @meganmorrone.bsky.social

bit.ly/4kGn05a
The narrow slice of data that worries biosecurity experts
Once high-risk biological data hits the open web, it can't be recalled.
bit.ly
February 17, 2026 at 12:32 PM
gregfolkers.bsky.social
UKHSA: Parents urged to protect children through vaccination campaign

waiting for a US CDC missive like this......

bit.ly/4kCSB7E
February 17, 2026 at 12:22 PM
gregfolkers.bsky.social
Bulwark: The Disastrous First Year of RFK Jr.

by Jill Lawrence @thebulwark.com

bit.ly/4tGnufG
The Disastrous First Year of RFK Jr.
The damage the HHS secretary has done to science and public health is appalling—and it could have been avoided.
bit.ly
February 17, 2026 at 3:40 AM
Reposted by Greg Folkers
jenna-m-norton.bsky.social
“Taken together, these two policies create a structure in which dissent becomes professionally costly, alignment becomes professionally necessary, and the space for honest scientific judgment quietly contracts.”

open.substack.com/pub/elizabet...
What NIH Staff Can’t Tell You—And Why That Matters
The people who understand most clearly what is being lost at the NIH are also the people least able to say so.
open.substack.com
February 16, 2026 at 8:26 PM
Reposted by Greg Folkers
kevinmkruse.bsky.social
So you're saying ICE is incompatible with the rule of law as practiced in this nation from the founding?

Think I see a pretty easy solution here, champ.
atrupar.com Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d
Rep. Mark Alford: "If you tie a judicial warrant to what ICE is doing, it will never happen"
February 16, 2026 at 8:07 PM