Aimee Cunningham
@thisisaimeec.bsky.social
I write about health and medicine for Science News https://www.sciencenews.org/
Standing in solidarity with Science News Media Guild
she/her/hers
Standing in solidarity with Science News Media Guild
she/her/hers
Pinned
If anyone would like to learn more about the history of vaccines & infectious diseases and people's stories of the 1918 flu and other epidemics, I wrote this series in 2021. Lots of historical photos and videos. May help if you need to win over a vaccine skeptic. www.sciencenews.org/century/epid...
Denmark’s vax schedule reflects "choices made in a small, highly homogeneous country with a centralized health care system that guarantees universal access to care, low baseline disease prevalence, and strong social infrastructure. Those conditions do not apply to the United States, not even close."
Viewpoint: The myth of an over-vaccinated America: The US DOES follow global consensus
www.cidrap.umn.edu
December 22, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Denmark’s vax schedule reflects "choices made in a small, highly homogeneous country with a centralized health care system that guarantees universal access to care, low baseline disease prevalence, and strong social infrastructure. Those conditions do not apply to the United States, not even close."
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
At 97, Ms. Betty Reid Soskin was named Glamour Magazine Woman of the Year.
By the time she was 104, she had lived many, many lives and bravely reinvented herself over and over again.
May she rest well. 👑🙏🏾💐
#BlackSky 🌱
www.glamour.com/story/women-...
By the time she was 104, she had lived many, many lives and bravely reinvented herself over and over again.
May she rest well. 👑🙏🏾💐
#BlackSky 🌱
www.glamour.com/story/women-...
December 22, 2025 at 2:01 PM
At 97, Ms. Betty Reid Soskin was named Glamour Magazine Woman of the Year.
By the time she was 104, she had lived many, many lives and bravely reinvented herself over and over again.
May she rest well. 👑🙏🏾💐
#BlackSky 🌱
www.glamour.com/story/women-...
By the time she was 104, she had lived many, many lives and bravely reinvented herself over and over again.
May she rest well. 👑🙏🏾💐
#BlackSky 🌱
www.glamour.com/story/women-...
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
Trained historians produce knowledge. We research in archives to write books/articles that reveal something new about our human past. The process starts with secondary source reading to get the context for what we view in the archives. No part of this process can or should be outsourced to AI. Ever.
December 22, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Trained historians produce knowledge. We research in archives to write books/articles that reveal something new about our human past. The process starts with secondary source reading to get the context for what we view in the archives. No part of this process can or should be outsourced to AI. Ever.
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
This is unethical scientific exploitation through "research" on vulnerable populations that will cause harm and will be written about and taught in ethics courses in years to come. This study would not be approved by any IRB in the US or in Europe. African children deserve better.
“NIH is in crisis, grants are being terminated, labs are closing….but they found $1.6 million for an unsolicited proposal to study whether we should delay a vaccine we’ve been safely giving for 40 years, in a country where infants are at high risk of infection”
www.cidrap.umn.edu/childhood-va...
www.cidrap.umn.edu/childhood-va...
CDC awards $1.6 million for hepatitis B vaccine study, likely to controversial Danish researchers
www.cidrap.umn.edu
December 18, 2025 at 4:12 PM
This is unethical scientific exploitation through "research" on vulnerable populations that will cause harm and will be written about and taught in ethics courses in years to come. This study would not be approved by any IRB in the US or in Europe. African children deserve better.
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
Ending Housing First would set us back in our fight to end homelessness. Our analysis below is open access. Read, distribute broadly, and engage on this topic!
@cuanschutz.bsky.social @nhchc.bsky.social @jesserbnwtz.bsky.social @brian-goldstone.bsky.social
@cuanschutz.bsky.social @nhchc.bsky.social @jesserbnwtz.bsky.social @brian-goldstone.bsky.social
What would be the real world impacts of the loss of federal funding for Housing First programs? We modeled it: an additional 44,590 ppl beyond anticipated growth due to economic factors. @jabarocas.bsky.social @kirkfetters.bsky.social @ucsfbhhi.bsky.social url: jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Potential Changes in US Homelessness by Ending Federal Support for Housing First Programs
This decision analytical model estimates the change in the number of people experiencing homelessness in a year following termination of federal support for Housing First programs.
jamanetwork.com
December 19, 2025 at 7:58 PM
Ending Housing First would set us back in our fight to end homelessness. Our analysis below is open access. Read, distribute broadly, and engage on this topic!
@cuanschutz.bsky.social @nhchc.bsky.social @jesserbnwtz.bsky.social @brian-goldstone.bsky.social
@cuanschutz.bsky.social @nhchc.bsky.social @jesserbnwtz.bsky.social @brian-goldstone.bsky.social
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
HHS is reportedly planning to adopt Denmark’s vaccine schedule. The comparison driving this policy is totally misguided, and the consequences for American children would be severe.
open.substack.com/pub/jakescot...
open.substack.com/pub/jakescot...
Why Adopting Denmark’s Vaccine Schedule Would Be Dangerous for American Children
The comparison driving HHS policy is methodologically flawed and ignores fundamental differences in healthcare systems, disease burden, and public health philosophy.
open.substack.com
December 19, 2025 at 3:26 PM
HHS is reportedly planning to adopt Denmark’s vaccine schedule. The comparison driving this policy is totally misguided, and the consequences for American children would be severe.
open.substack.com/pub/jakescot...
open.substack.com/pub/jakescot...
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
Amazing news that 91.4% of people enrolled in Ryan White have suppressed viral loads.
RW is the gov't program for people living w/ HIV who are uninsured/underinsured. It funds CBOs to provide wrap-around services.
This number is the result of yrs of activism, organizing, & community-led care.
RW is the gov't program for people living w/ HIV who are uninsured/underinsured. It funds CBOs to provide wrap-around services.
This number is the result of yrs of activism, organizing, & community-led care.
New Data Show Over 91% Viral Suppression Rate Among Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Patients
Cross-posted from: HRSAToday the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released new data, marking a re...
www.hiv.gov
December 19, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Amazing news that 91.4% of people enrolled in Ryan White have suppressed viral loads.
RW is the gov't program for people living w/ HIV who are uninsured/underinsured. It funds CBOs to provide wrap-around services.
This number is the result of yrs of activism, organizing, & community-led care.
RW is the gov't program for people living w/ HIV who are uninsured/underinsured. It funds CBOs to provide wrap-around services.
This number is the result of yrs of activism, organizing, & community-led care.
AAP "remains committed to ensuring that all children — including gender-diverse youth and children covered by Medicaid — receive care that is backed by science, delivered with compassion, and offered without political interference. We call on HHS to ... rescind these harmful proposals.”
AAP Opposes New HHS Rules Restricting Access to Care for Families
Unprecedented actions and harmful rhetoric taking place today by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) leaders mark a concerning departure from the longstanding principle that health ca...
www.aap.org
December 18, 2025 at 6:01 PM
AAP "remains committed to ensuring that all children — including gender-diverse youth and children covered by Medicaid — receive care that is backed by science, delivered with compassion, and offered without political interference. We call on HHS to ... rescind these harmful proposals.”
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
NEW: Without USAID funding to help buy food for refugees, the World Food Program rushed to prioritize families based on need, determining that only half the population would get food.
Refugees learned which half they were in from a number stamped on the back of their ration card.
Refugees learned which half they were in from a number stamped on the back of their ration card.
After Trump Officials Cut Food Aid to Kenya, Children Starved to Death
“Brutal and traumatizing”: Interviews and a trove of internal documents show government officials and aid workers desperately tried to warn Trump advisers about impending disaster and death.
www.propublica.org
December 17, 2025 at 12:00 PM
NEW: Without USAID funding to help buy food for refugees, the World Food Program rushed to prioritize families based on need, determining that only half the population would get food.
Refugees learned which half they were in from a number stamped on the back of their ration card.
Refugees learned which half they were in from a number stamped on the back of their ration card.
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
From last night: My remembrance of Rob Reiner, who was, not for nothing, one of the great American directors of romance.
Remembering Rob Reiner, who made movies for people who love them
The movies Reiner directed, from A Few Good Men to The Princess Bride, weren't just good — they were people's favorites, the types of films people come back to again and again.
www.npr.org
December 16, 2025 at 3:16 PM
From last night: My remembrance of Rob Reiner, who was, not for nothing, one of the great American directors of romance.
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
The human cost of Trump's gutting of USAID: By the time Tor Top’s mother was sick with cholera, the nearby clinic had been shuttered for weeks. He bundled her into a canoe & paddled toward the nearest hospital, 8 hours away. Less than halfway into the journey, his mother died.
New, @propublica.org
New, @propublica.org
Trump Officials Celebrated With Cake After Slashing Aid. Then People Died of Cholera.
Behind closed doors in Washington, top advisers made a series of decisions that had devastating repercussions for the poorest country on earth. We went to South Sudan and found people who died as a re...
www.propublica.org
December 15, 2025 at 10:37 AM
The human cost of Trump's gutting of USAID: By the time Tor Top’s mother was sick with cholera, the nearby clinic had been shuttered for weeks. He bundled her into a canoe & paddled toward the nearest hospital, 8 hours away. Less than halfway into the journey, his mother died.
New, @propublica.org
New, @propublica.org
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
I'm grateful for this thoughtful and generous review of *Black Religion in the Madhouse* in *Science News.*
I read Black Religion in the Madhouse: Race and Psychiatry in Slavery’s Wake by @judithweisenfeld.com. After the Civil War, white psychiatrists claimed Black religious expression was proof of insanity and that Black people couldn't handle freedom. A richly-sourced, compelling and haunting book.
'Black Religion in the Madhouse' examines psychiatry and race post-Civil War
In the aftermath of slavery, white psychiatrists diagnosed Black people with “religious excitement” and claimed they were unfit for freedom.
www.sciencenews.org
December 12, 2025 at 5:57 PM
I'm grateful for this thoughtful and generous review of *Black Religion in the Madhouse* in *Science News.*
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
At the end of each year, FDA releases data on antibiotics sold for use in livestock.
It usually changes a few %. This year, it went up 15.8%.
I was shocked & emailed experts/industry groups. Likeliest explanation per a source: industry is not "being good stewards of antibiotics"
It usually changes a few %. This year, it went up 15.8%.
I was shocked & emailed experts/industry groups. Likeliest explanation per a source: industry is not "being good stewards of antibiotics"
December 12, 2025 at 2:10 PM
At the end of each year, FDA releases data on antibiotics sold for use in livestock.
It usually changes a few %. This year, it went up 15.8%.
I was shocked & emailed experts/industry groups. Likeliest explanation per a source: industry is not "being good stewards of antibiotics"
It usually changes a few %. This year, it went up 15.8%.
I was shocked & emailed experts/industry groups. Likeliest explanation per a source: industry is not "being good stewards of antibiotics"
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
I fly into DCA enough that I'd met one of the flight attendants killed in that crash. I was even supposed to be on a flight that landed 2 planes (<10 min) before that tragic collision. (My meeting that day had been cancelled because of government dysfunction). SMH
This part of the national defense reauthorization bill passed by the House should be getting more attention because the tragic accident literally just happened and apparently they’re happy for it to happen again
www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/t...
www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/t...
‘This is shameful': NTSB chair angered by bill relaxing DCA flight restrictions
The NTSB criticized a proposal to ease DCA air safety rules, reversing post-collision measures.
www.nbcwashington.com
December 12, 2025 at 2:03 PM
I fly into DCA enough that I'd met one of the flight attendants killed in that crash. I was even supposed to be on a flight that landed 2 planes (<10 min) before that tragic collision. (My meeting that day had been cancelled because of government dysfunction). SMH
I read Black Religion in the Madhouse: Race and Psychiatry in Slavery’s Wake by @judithweisenfeld.com. After the Civil War, white psychiatrists claimed Black religious expression was proof of insanity and that Black people couldn't handle freedom. A richly-sourced, compelling and haunting book.
'Black Religion in the Madhouse' examines psychiatry and race post-Civil War
In the aftermath of slavery, white psychiatrists diagnosed Black people with “religious excitement” and claimed they were unfit for freedom.
www.sciencenews.org
December 12, 2025 at 3:52 PM
I read Black Religion in the Madhouse: Race and Psychiatry in Slavery’s Wake by @judithweisenfeld.com. After the Civil War, white psychiatrists claimed Black religious expression was proof of insanity and that Black people couldn't handle freedom. A richly-sourced, compelling and haunting book.
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
New paper led by G Wang @ucsf-ihps.bsky.social is among first to examine #childhealth impacts of 2021 #ctc, finding improved behavioral health. After policy expired, #childhealth worsened. This suggests policymakers should focus on more frequent payments. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... 1/
December 10, 2025 at 4:58 PM
New paper led by G Wang @ucsf-ihps.bsky.social is among first to examine #childhealth impacts of 2021 #ctc, finding improved behavioral health. After policy expired, #childhealth worsened. This suggests policymakers should focus on more frequent payments. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... 1/
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
A small, but effective USAID program has played a leading role in driving down the burden of neglected tropical diseases around the world.
The Trump administration cut the program, and countries are scrambling to prevent these debilitating diseases from roaring back.
www.npr.org/sections/goa...
The Trump administration cut the program, and countries are scrambling to prevent these debilitating diseases from roaring back.
www.npr.org/sections/goa...
The fight to beat neglected tropical diseases was going well. 2025 could change that
The campaign to prevent and treat these diseases has seen great success thanks to a USAID program. Now that program is gone.
www.npr.org
December 10, 2025 at 2:26 PM
A small, but effective USAID program has played a leading role in driving down the burden of neglected tropical diseases around the world.
The Trump administration cut the program, and countries are scrambling to prevent these debilitating diseases from roaring back.
www.npr.org/sections/goa...
The Trump administration cut the program, and countries are scrambling to prevent these debilitating diseases from roaring back.
www.npr.org/sections/goa...
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
In this cohort study incl. 22.7 million vaccinated individuals & 5.9 million unvaccinated individuals, vaccinated individuals had a 74% lower risk of death from severe COVID-19 & no increased risk of all-cause mortality over a median follow-up of 45 months @jama.com
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination and 4-Year All-Cause Mortality Among Adults in France
This cohort study uses the data from all adults aged 18 to 59 years living in France on November 1, 2021, to evaluate whether there is an association of receipt of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine with long-t...
jamanetwork.com
December 10, 2025 at 2:00 PM
In this cohort study incl. 22.7 million vaccinated individuals & 5.9 million unvaccinated individuals, vaccinated individuals had a 74% lower risk of death from severe COVID-19 & no increased risk of all-cause mortality over a median follow-up of 45 months @jama.com
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
Amazon is making money off AI copies of books - and putting the onus on authors to prove they’ve been plagiarised.
Honestly, just stop buying books from Amazon. Get them from an actual bookshop or order them from a reputable book supplier like bookshop.org
www.rollingstone.com/culture/cult...
Honestly, just stop buying books from Amazon. Get them from an actual bookshop or order them from a reputable book supplier like bookshop.org
www.rollingstone.com/culture/cult...
Amazon Is the World's Biggest Online Book Marketplace. It's Filled With AI Knockoffs
Authors say Amazon's knockoff book problem is leaving them frustrated — and making the internet worse in the process.
www.rollingstone.com
December 10, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Amazon is making money off AI copies of books - and putting the onus on authors to prove they’ve been plagiarised.
Honestly, just stop buying books from Amazon. Get them from an actual bookshop or order them from a reputable book supplier like bookshop.org
www.rollingstone.com/culture/cult...
Honestly, just stop buying books from Amazon. Get them from an actual bookshop or order them from a reputable book supplier like bookshop.org
www.rollingstone.com/culture/cult...
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
Five years ago today. I remember seeing this figure and thinking, for the first time, that I might escape the pandemic without losing at least one of the people I love in this world. I cried in relief, and in regret for those who didn't survive to benefit from this human miracle.
December 10, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Five years ago today. I remember seeing this figure and thinking, for the first time, that I might escape the pandemic without losing at least one of the people I love in this world. I cried in relief, and in regret for those who didn't survive to benefit from this human miracle.
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
Five years ago (Dec. 10, 2020) the NEJM published the results of the Pfizer mRNA Covid vaccine trial.
Science and evidence in the service of human well being.
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
Science and evidence in the service of human well being.
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
December 10, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Five years ago (Dec. 10, 2020) the NEJM published the results of the Pfizer mRNA Covid vaccine trial.
Science and evidence in the service of human well being.
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
Science and evidence in the service of human well being.
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
7/ So what does this mean? With low vaccination coverage now, we could be facing a more severe hospitalization season as winter transmission ramps up. Get vaccinated. It’s not too late.
December 10, 2025 at 12:00 AM
7/ So what does this mean? With low vaccination coverage now, we could be facing a more severe hospitalization season as winter transmission ramps up. Get vaccinated. It’s not too late.
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
6/ Pediatric flu vaccination continues to fall, now at 35.8%, a 23% drop since 2019. Adult rates remain steady, but still below national goals of 70%. After a year of federal chaos, shifting CDC messaging, and low perceived risk, urgency has evaporated, which is unsurprising.
December 10, 2025 at 12:00 AM
6/ Pediatric flu vaccination continues to fall, now at 35.8%, a 23% drop since 2019. Adult rates remain steady, but still below national goals of 70%. After a year of federal chaos, shifting CDC messaging, and low perceived risk, urgency has evaporated, which is unsurprising.
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
5/ Vaccination data is finally here and it’s not looking good. Covid vax rates are down a LOT from last year. Specifically:
🔹 5.7% of children are vaccinated, down from 9.3% this time last year
🔹14.7% of adults are vaccinated this year, down from 18.6% this time last year
🔹 5.7% of children are vaccinated, down from 9.3% this time last year
🔹14.7% of adults are vaccinated this year, down from 18.6% this time last year
December 10, 2025 at 12:00 AM
5/ Vaccination data is finally here and it’s not looking good. Covid vax rates are down a LOT from last year. Specifically:
🔹 5.7% of children are vaccinated, down from 9.3% this time last year
🔹14.7% of adults are vaccinated this year, down from 18.6% this time last year
🔹 5.7% of children are vaccinated, down from 9.3% this time last year
🔹14.7% of adults are vaccinated this year, down from 18.6% this time last year
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
4/ Moving on to infectious diseases: influenza-like illness (coughs, fevers, and sore throats) just crossed the epidemic threshold. If you're looking to stay healthy this holiday season, wear a well-fitted mask! We're also seeing colds decline while flu rises. Covid and RSV levels are fairly low.
December 10, 2025 at 12:00 AM
4/ Moving on to infectious diseases: influenza-like illness (coughs, fevers, and sore throats) just crossed the epidemic threshold. If you're looking to stay healthy this holiday season, wear a well-fitted mask! We're also seeing colds decline while flu rises. Covid and RSV levels are fairly low.