René F. Najera, MPH, DrPH, FCPP
@epiren.bsky.social
Father. Husband. Epidemiologist. Instructor at GMU and JHBSPH. Fellow at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Believer in Truth, Justice, and a Better Tomorrow. All opinions, my own.
Learn more: https://linktr.ee/rene.najera
Learn more: https://linktr.ee/rene.najera
A large trial finds an mRNA flu vaccine prevents more illness than standard shots but causes more mild side effects like arm pain and fatigue. The new technology could improve flu vaccination in future seasons.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/influenza-ge...
www.cidrap.umn.edu/influenza-ge...
Experimental mRNA flu vaccine is more effective than conventional flu shot, but causes more side effects
Antonio_Diaz / iStock
www.cidrap.umn.edu
November 20, 2025 at 7:00 PM
A large trial finds an mRNA flu vaccine prevents more illness than standard shots but causes more mild side effects like arm pain and fatigue. The new technology could improve flu vaccination in future seasons.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/influenza-ge...
www.cidrap.umn.edu/influenza-ge...
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy joins Ezekiel Emanuel at Penn for a fireside chat on loneliness, chronic stress, and public health. Event is December 3, Huntsman Hall, Philadelphia. Details at cph.upenn.edu/events/fires...
Fireside Chat with Vivek Murthy, MD, MBA - University of Pennsylvania — Penn Center for Public Health
Loneliness and Public Health: A Conversation with Ezekiel Emanuel, MD, PhD Hosted by Penn LDI and […]
cph.upenn.edu
November 19, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy joins Ezekiel Emanuel at Penn for a fireside chat on loneliness, chronic stress, and public health. Event is December 3, Huntsman Hall, Philadelphia. Details at cph.upenn.edu/events/fires...
Chronic absenteeism in U.S. schools is rising, putting student health and academic success at risk. Addressing this crisis requires public health solutions that support both kids and communities. magazine.publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/chronic...
Chronic Absenteeism: An Overlooked Vital Sign | Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine
Chronic school absenteeism is a national crisis—for education and for public health.
magazine.publichealth.jhu.edu
November 19, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Chronic absenteeism in U.S. schools is rising, putting student health and academic success at risk. Addressing this crisis requires public health solutions that support both kids and communities. magazine.publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/chronic...
Ethiopia has reported its first Marburg virus outbreak in Jinka, with 17 suspected cases and nine confirmed. There is no vaccine for this virus, which is related to Ebola and can be deadly.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/marburg/ethi...
www.cidrap.umn.edu/marburg/ethi...
Ethiopia faces its first Marburg outbreak, which has proved deadly
Microbe World / Flickr cc
www.cidrap.umn.edu
November 19, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Ethiopia has reported its first Marburg virus outbreak in Jinka, with 17 suspected cases and nine confirmed. There is no vaccine for this virus, which is related to Ebola and can be deadly.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/marburg/ethi...
www.cidrap.umn.edu/marburg/ethi...
Most public restroom germs aren’t a serious threat, but norovirus and E. coli can linger on surfaces. The real risk lies in poor hand hygiene, not the toilet seat. Wash your hands well, and your immune system handles the rest. medium.com/p/7d7060dab1a9
Germs in Public Restroom: What You Can Catch and What’s Just Unfounded Fear
And the single best way to protect yourself.
medium.com
November 19, 2025 at 12:01 AM
Most public restroom germs aren’t a serious threat, but norovirus and E. coli can linger on surfaces. The real risk lies in poor hand hygiene, not the toilet seat. Wash your hands well, and your immune system handles the rest. medium.com/p/7d7060dab1a9
The placebo effect isn’t just “mind over matter." It reveals how expectation and belief can cause real health changes. Understanding this helps shape ethical research and more effective public health.
medium.com/the-quantast...
medium.com/the-quantast...
The Placebo Effect: Trickery, Science, and the Magic of Expectation in Health
How expectation, hope, and belief shape real outcomes in medicine and public health.
medium.com
November 19, 2025 at 12:00 AM
The placebo effect isn’t just “mind over matter." It reveals how expectation and belief can cause real health changes. Understanding this helps shape ethical research and more effective public health.
medium.com/the-quantast...
medium.com/the-quantast...
"Emergency department (ED) patients who received tailored messages or a simple inquiry about the COVID-19 vaccine were no more likely to take the vaccine than patients who didn't receive interventions, according to a recent study published in JAMA Network Open."
www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/eme...
www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/eme...
Emergency department messaging doesn't increase COVID vaccine uptake, study finds
Vaccine uptake at 30 days was not significantly higher in either intervention group.
www.cidrap.umn.edu
November 18, 2025 at 8:03 PM
"Emergency department (ED) patients who received tailored messages or a simple inquiry about the COVID-19 vaccine were no more likely to take the vaccine than patients who didn't receive interventions, according to a recent study published in JAMA Network Open."
www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/eme...
www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/eme...
Data disaggregation is key to revealing health disparities and promoting equity, especially for AI/AN communities. Join experts for strategies on more inclusive, accurate data collection and reporting. Register for the webinar: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Counting Everyone, Counting Correctly: Case Studies in Data Disaggregation, Inclusive Data Visualization, And Reducing Misclassification of American Indian and Alaska Native PopulationsWebinar
us02web.zoom.us
November 18, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Data disaggregation is key to revealing health disparities and promoting equity, especially for AI/AN communities. Join experts for strategies on more inclusive, accurate data collection and reporting. Register for the webinar: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
New data shows HPV vaccination has led to a sharp drop in cervical cancer and precancer rates worldwide, confirming the vaccine’s remarkable effectiveness and safety. More than a decade of progress is now clear. www.gavi.org/vaccineswork...
The HPV vaccine is erasing cancer – here's the proof
More than a decade after the first HPV vaccination programmes rolled out, data from multiple countries reveals a dramatic fall in cervical cancers and precancers, confirming that HPV vaccines are…
www.gavi.org
November 18, 2025 at 5:19 PM
New data shows HPV vaccination has led to a sharp drop in cervical cancer and precancer rates worldwide, confirming the vaccine’s remarkable effectiveness and safety. More than a decade of progress is now clear. www.gavi.org/vaccineswork...
Please be careful if you take "natural" and/or unregulated Supplements or Complementary and Alternative Medicine (aka S.C.A.M.).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLOb...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLOb...
This Gas Station Drug Nearly Ruined My Life
I thought I’d found a natural fix for my ADHD. Instead, it became one of the hardest addictions I’ve ever had to break.
Vlog channel https://youtube.com/EvanEdinger
Some info for those trying to quit…
www.youtube.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Please be careful if you take "natural" and/or unregulated Supplements or Complementary and Alternative Medicine (aka S.C.A.M.).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLOb...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLOb...
Navigating family health debates at Thanksgiving isn't about winning. Instead, it should be about planting seeds of trust and understanding. Respectful conversations, grounded in empathy, can help counter misinformation. Real change starts with connection.
medium.com/@jsteier_292...
medium.com/@jsteier_292...
A Survival Guide for Thanksgiving Dinner Conversations About Health and Science
Pass the Potatoes, Hold the Panic
medium.com
November 18, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Navigating family health debates at Thanksgiving isn't about winning. Instead, it should be about planting seeds of trust and understanding. Respectful conversations, grounded in empathy, can help counter misinformation. Real change starts with connection.
medium.com/@jsteier_292...
medium.com/@jsteier_292...
New research suggests that common viral infections might gradually alter brain proteins in ways linked to diseases like Alzheimer’s, hinting at a “slow-burn” priming effect over a lifetime. medium.com/microbial-in...
Everyday Viruses Could Be Priming Our Brain for Neurodegeneration Over Time
It’s a slow-burn effect.
medium.com
November 18, 2025 at 12:17 AM
New research suggests that common viral infections might gradually alter brain proteins in ways linked to diseases like Alzheimer’s, hinting at a “slow-burn” priming effect over a lifetime. medium.com/microbial-in...
Public health needs more than just bodies and funding. It needs lasting solutions that require expertise, stable policy, and smarter resource use so we’re ready for future crises. medium.com/@epiren/who-are-you-going-to-use-to-rebuild-public-health-after-this-whole-fiasco-6313396bd3b9
Who Are You Going to Use to Rebuild Public Health After This Whole Fiasco?
Will it be quality over quantity, or are we just going to throw bodies and cash at the problem?
medium.com
November 17, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Public health needs more than just bodies and funding. It needs lasting solutions that require expertise, stable policy, and smarter resource use so we’re ready for future crises. medium.com/@epiren/who-are-you-going-to-use-to-rebuild-public-health-after-this-whole-fiasco-6313396bd3b9
Sarampión y tuberculosis están afectando gravemente a las comunidades indígenas de la Sierra Tarahumara, con 56 muertes este año y cientos de casos. Las causas incluyen baja vacunación y acceso limitado a atención médica. oem.com.mx/elheraldodec...
Mueren 56 por tuberculosis y sarampión en la Sierra Tarahumara - El Heraldo de Chihuahua | Noticias Locales, Policiacas, de México, Chihuahua y el Mundo
Del 1 de enero al 12 de noviembre, se han contabilizado 582 casos de sarampión y 147 de tuberculosis en 17 municipios de la región
oem.com.mx
November 17, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Sarampión y tuberculosis están afectando gravemente a las comunidades indígenas de la Sierra Tarahumara, con 56 muertes este año y cientos de casos. Las causas incluyen baja vacunación y acceso limitado a atención médica. oem.com.mx/elheraldodec...
OPINION: Homelessness in California is a public health emergency, with preventable illnesses driving early deaths. Treating housing as health care and investing in long-term support—not short-term fixes—can save lives and reduce costs. www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/open...
Homelessness is a public health emergency, not a PR problem
OPINION: If California is serious about reducing homelessness, it needs to start treating housing as health care, UC Berkeley School of Public Health student Claire Schutz writes.
www.sfchronicle.com
November 17, 2025 at 3:50 PM
OPINION: Homelessness in California is a public health emergency, with preventable illnesses driving early deaths. Treating housing as health care and investing in long-term support—not short-term fixes—can save lives and reduce costs. www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/open...
Sen. Bill Cassidy discussed Obamacare reforms, an upcoming ACIP vote on the hepatitis B vaccine, and Tylenol’s safety in pregnancy, emphasizing data-driven medical policy and vaccine effectiveness. kyma.com/decision-202...
Louisiana senator on Obamacare, upcoming ACIP hepatitis B vaccine vote and Tylenol
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) spoke with Margaret Brennan on Face the Nation Sunday about Obamacare, upcoming ACIP vote regarding hepatitis B vaccine and Tylenol.
kyma.com
November 17, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Sen. Bill Cassidy discussed Obamacare reforms, an upcoming ACIP vote on the hepatitis B vaccine, and Tylenol’s safety in pregnancy, emphasizing data-driven medical policy and vaccine effectiveness. kyma.com/decision-202...
Trump logró un acuerdo con farmacéuticas para reducir el costo de medicamentos GLP-1 de $1,000 a $150-245 mensuales, ampliando el acceso a tratamientos vitales para diabetes y obesidad en Medicare y Medicaid. ¿Una apuesta por invertir en salud hoy para ahorrar mañana?
oem.com.mx/elsoldetampi...
oem.com.mx/elsoldetampi...
Trump y los GLP-1: ¿una revolución en salud pública y economía? - El Sol de Tampico | Noticias Locales, Policiacas, sobre México, Tamaulipas y el Mundo
Entérate de las noticias locales, regionales, nacionales e internacionales más relevantes | El Sol de Tampico
oem.com.mx
November 17, 2025 at 12:17 AM
Trump logró un acuerdo con farmacéuticas para reducir el costo de medicamentos GLP-1 de $1,000 a $150-245 mensuales, ampliando el acceso a tratamientos vitales para diabetes y obesidad en Medicare y Medicaid. ¿Una apuesta por invertir en salud hoy para ahorrar mañana?
oem.com.mx/elsoldetampi...
oem.com.mx/elsoldetampi...
Avian flu has sharply reduced the world’s largest southern elephant seal colony, with nearly half of breeding females absent in 2024. The long-term impact on this vulnerable species remains unclear. www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influe...
Avian flu has decimated world's largest breeding colony of southern elephant seals
David Cook / Flickr cc
www.cidrap.umn.edu
November 16, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Avian flu has sharply reduced the world’s largest southern elephant seal colony, with nearly half of breeding females absent in 2024. The long-term impact on this vulnerable species remains unclear. www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influe...
A large US study finds seniors 65+ who had RSV face double the risk of developing Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare but serious autoimmune disorder. Risk rises up to fourfold for those 75 and older.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/respiratory-...
www.cidrap.umn.edu/respiratory-...
New data show double the risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome after RSV in seniors
The rate was quadruple in those 75 and older, but those findings demonstrate less statistical power.
www.cidrap.umn.edu
November 16, 2025 at 5:19 PM
A large US study finds seniors 65+ who had RSV face double the risk of developing Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare but serious autoimmune disorder. Risk rises up to fourfold for those 75 and older.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/respiratory-...
www.cidrap.umn.edu/respiratory-...
Ethiopia confirms a Marburg virus disease outbreak in Jinka, Southern Region, according to Africa CDC and Ethiopian health authorities. Monitoring is ongoing for public safety and response. Source: africacdc.org/news-item/af...
Africa CDC Statement on Confirmed Marburg Virus Disease in Jinka, Southern Region, Ethiopia – Africa CDC
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 15 November 2025 — The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) acknowledges the confirmation by the Federal Ministry of Health of Ethiopia and the…
africacdc.org
November 15, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Ethiopia confirms a Marburg virus disease outbreak in Jinka, Southern Region, according to Africa CDC and Ethiopian health authorities. Monitoring is ongoing for public safety and response. Source: africacdc.org/news-item/af...
Experts warn of a mismatched flu vaccine strain for the 2025-26 season, with H3N2 subclade K emerging. Surveillance gaps due to CDC absence raise uncertainty, but vaccines still offer some protection.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/influenza-va...
www.cidrap.umn.edu/influenza-va...
With an absent CDC and mismatched 'subclade K' flu strain, experts face upcoming season with uncertainty
NIAID / Flickr cc
www.cidrap.umn.edu
November 14, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Experts warn of a mismatched flu vaccine strain for the 2025-26 season, with H3N2 subclade K emerging. Surveillance gaps due to CDC absence raise uncertainty, but vaccines still offer some protection.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/influenza-va...
www.cidrap.umn.edu/influenza-va...
Aedes aegypti, the mosquito that spreads dengue and other viruses, is now thriving in Colorado's mountain region due to warmer winters—conditions once too harsh for its survival. Climate shifts are helping this invasive species expand. insideclimatenews.org/news/1011202...
A Disease-Carrying Mosquito Has Landed in the Rocky Mountains Where It Historically Couldn’t Survive - Inside Climate News
The Aedes aegypti mosquito that can carry dengue was thought to be too reliant on a hot and wet climate to survive in the Mountain West. But now, a population is thriving in Western Colorado.
insideclimatenews.org
November 14, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Aedes aegypti, the mosquito that spreads dengue and other viruses, is now thriving in Colorado's mountain region due to warmer winters—conditions once too harsh for its survival. Climate shifts are helping this invasive species expand. insideclimatenews.org/news/1011202...
Nearly 2 in 5 Houston households face food insecurity, impacting health and access to care. Women and Hispanics are hit hardest, with many forced to choose between essentials. Kinder Institute survey highlights this urgent issue. www.axios.com/local/housto...
Food insecurity takes a toll on Houston's health , per new Kinder survey
Houston
www.axios.com
November 14, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Nearly 2 in 5 Houston households face food insecurity, impacting health and access to care. Women and Hispanics are hit hardest, with many forced to choose between essentials. Kinder Institute survey highlights this urgent issue. www.axios.com/local/housto...
South Africa has begun clinical trials for Africa’s first locally manufactured oral cholera vaccine, aiming to boost regional self-sufficiency as cholera outbreaks and vaccine shortages challenge the continent. apanews.net/south-africa...
South Africa begins trials for continent’s first cholera vaccine
South African pharmaceutical company receives regulatory approval to begin clinical trials for continent’s first fully locally manufactured oral cholera vaccine.
apanews.net
November 14, 2025 at 12:17 AM
South Africa has begun clinical trials for Africa’s first locally manufactured oral cholera vaccine, aiming to boost regional self-sufficiency as cholera outbreaks and vaccine shortages challenge the continent. apanews.net/south-africa...
A recent study found that flu vaccine effectiveness depends on both the type of vaccine and the recipient’s age, with high-dose vaccines working best for older adults and cell-based options outperforming standard flu shots in younger adults. Source: news.aai.org/2025/11/12/s...
Study Reveals that Flu Vaccine Performance Varies by Age - AAI News
New research comparing four different flu vaccines found that the ability protect against infection varied greatly depending on the vaccine type and age.
news.aai.org
November 13, 2025 at 8:02 PM
A recent study found that flu vaccine effectiveness depends on both the type of vaccine and the recipient’s age, with high-dose vaccines working best for older adults and cell-based options outperforming standard flu shots in younger adults. Source: news.aai.org/2025/11/12/s...