Katelyn, I can't begin to thank you enough for your continued quest to keep the public educated. As a physician, I so appreciate your information and perspective. Scary times!
Katelyn, in the face of the intentional tidal wave of threats to normal scientific and public health data and communications, your posts and voice help to provide clarity.
You and others at Substack are becoming increasingly important as reliable sources. Thank you for your ongoing communications.
Thank you for this! So well written and clear. Even though these are dire and far from normal times, reading this actually calmed me down a bit. So grateful for your and others crucial vigilance.
Ruth, exactly! Katelyn’s writing has wonderful clarity. Even though the content is alarming, her precision of the chaos being created has brought me hope. An oxymoron? Thank you Ruth and Katelyn!
Caitlin Rivers has been forced to manually update the influenza information and we are in a second spike that is quite concerning--data is critical to public health. There are so many concerning actions happening in this administration. Thank you for your updates.
If you're so inclined, download an app called 5 Calls.
Use it to contact your reps in Congress EVERY DAY and leave them messages about the topics that concern you. The app has their numbers (of course, you can look them up on your own, but this is easier) and provides a script each day that gathers the issues of the moment. Whether your concern du jour is Musk, RFK, health data, etc... you can leave a short message with what you'd like your reps to do.
If your reps are Democrats, let them know you support them and what they are doing to fight back. This is important. They need to know that their constituents are behind them, especially if they are in a position to take bold action. If your reps are Republicans, urge them to vote against RFK, or stand up to Musk, or whatever it is that day. Because the one thing they don't want to lose is your vote; if they think their voters disagree with what the administration is doing and need their help, perhaps they will begin to push back.
It's super easy. 10 minutes of your day, tops. And SO worth it.
To me, this is scarier than tariffs, trade wars, even financial meddling and data insecurity at the federal level. All of that has a paper trail. But our health - some things can't be turned around once they're ruined. I've been watching the RFK hearings (terrifying) and will be tuning in for the vote today.
Adding: My understanding is that calls are better than emails or letters.
At the end of the day, the staff logs every call that comes in and groups them by topic. That's how the members of Congress know what's most important to their constituents at any given time. Emails often don't get read.
If you have 10 minutes to make a couple of calls, please do. And do it daily. My calls today will be about the RFK vote.
Don't worry if you're not a phone person or you don't know what to say. The app has easy scripts for various scenarios (which of course you can adlib if you have to). But please, please call.
I and many of my friends have experienced suspicious disruptions in the voice mails of elected officials, e.g. Representatives and Senators. There is distortion to the point of near inaudibility in the outgoing message, and I"m not sure our voice mail messages are being properly recorded. This seems a little too coincidental, but maybe it's just caused by such a high volume of calls that their systems are overloaded?
Yes, the app acknowledged this. Not coincidental, nor suspicious. You’re exactly right that it’s struggling to keep up with the large volume of calls. They are working on quality issues, so stick with it!
What would happen if health agency staff refused to comply with executive orders, and ust went rogue -- sending out communications, possibly publishing data separately from the official sites, if necessary? I believe some of that has already happened to some extent.
Why is the CDC, NIH, FDA, etc. complying with orders that undermine public health?
Dictatorships can only take hold if there is compliance.
Your account shares the value of science and the importance of strategic planning for actions that are reasonable and sound. Do not ever be silent! Speak truth. You do so with respect that engenders trust.
Seeing "pregnant person" changed to "pregnant woman" is a bigger punch to the gut than I thought it would be. I can't imagine how younger trans and gender nonconforming people who haven't lived through less tolerant times before must be taking it.
We women are being reduced to our body parts with the grotesque language of terms such as "people with uteruses," "people with vaginas," "pregnant people," etc.
I've already stated many times how much I loathe and despise Trump and his administration. But this changing of language to suit an ideology -- a deluded and faux-left ideology -- is positively Orwellian.
(Yes, I know, I know, I'm a "TERF," "bigot," "transphobe," blah blah blah. I've been called all that and more. I've put my ass on the line for social justice and civil liberties all my life, and I won't stand by while women are erased and told to shut up and take a back seat to MEN who are so psychologically disturbed that they think they're women.)
As a mother and grandmother, I originally didn’t see anything wrong with “pregnant person.” Women are people, are they not? I think of myself being a person before I think of being a woman or biological female.
“Mother-to-be” was the term used to avoid saying the word “pregnant” in my 1950s formative years. Also “expecting” instead of pregnant. In my grandmother’s day, it was “in the family way.” (I suppose it was to keep people’s minds off the “facts of life” and that sexual intercourse was responsible for pregnancy.) Language changed, but it was gradually.
Should we use now use “gestating person” instead of mother? Or “mitochondrial DNA donor,” to be perfectly clear.
Elizabeth, what bothers me is that Trump’s people have used their power to serve their desire to denigrate “others.” By calling migrants “illegals,” et cetera. Orwell warned about the takeover of language.
As I imagine it, non-binary and trans people are feeling more of a gut punch from seeing Trump’s people having the power to target them, than they feel from being referred to by terms they object to.
Katelyn, do you know anything about the National Library of Medicine and its Medical Subject Headings? (MeSH) terms? They provide access to all the literature such as guidelines and studies? Are they threatened? Thank you for your diligent work.
On addition let’s all look for data / info on the conséquences for all children if some of them are not vaccinated. That can endanger e.g. immune suppressed kids and adults!
Thanks for this update, it is such a tenuous time. I do want to note a couple things, I'm not sure what your definition of "big" is but the Ebola/Sudan virus outbreak is 1 case right now (https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON555). Still reportable and still notable, but not sure it's big. Second, there is 1 case of measles in Georgia reported on January 28, 2025. Six cases were reported in 2024 (no mention of them being linked).
If anything this further confirms how much we need the CDC to compile this information so we can be as accurate as possible in reporting it. Thanks for all you do!
Thanks so much for calling those out. There’s a lot of fires to pay attention to. For Uganda, I meant big implications but that wasn’t clear. And there are three cases now (confirmed yesterday). Measles was just a mistake. Edited!
We know the American Public Health Association has taken an assertive, public position on these matters. Where is the American Medical Association, the American Academy of ZPediastrics, etc? Why are they not speaking out?
Thank you for this explication of what's at stake. As a sociolinguist who's been analyzing teaching and writing about communication between health experts and the public for decades, we have to continue to get the message out that the specific language of the communication under review and potential corruption is NOT just a rhetorical issue. The language we choose and use powerfully shapes people's thinking and framing of info. "I'm riding the horse/vs. The horse is riding for me." (to use an old example) I'd very much like to hear from you and readers who have presciently downloaded some original (circa 2024) CDC text, as my team and I want to do a formal before / after linguistic and semantic analysis. Thank you very much. publiclinguist@substack.com or czarcadoolas@gmail.com
She talks about this and pulling "old" texts and "modified" text from CDC, etc. documents.
Quote from her substack: "My name is Dr. Caitlin Rivers. I’m an epidemiologist and associate professor at Johns Hopkins. I have a PhD in epidemiology and an MPH in infectious diseases." Her personal website is http://www.caitlinmrivers.com/
How quickly we seem to have forgotten the confusion that the public experienced during the covid epidemic. What goes around comes around. Silo and partison thinking are not unique to any persuasion. Finger pointing should not replace reflection. Humility is missing on all sides as I see it. The results are evident. As things evolve the challenges include not increasing polarization and doing ones best to make reality evident to those whose beliefs conflict mine. We live in interesting times.
While the communications freeze and disappearance of data are certainly alarming, my biggest concern is whether or not updated Covid-19 and influenza vaccines will be authorized for this fall. It seems inconceivable that they would not be, but nothing appears to be beyond the pale anymore…
I share your concern regarding all vaccines. Therefore, while I still can I’ve gotten boosters for all of my childhood vaccinations, and am working on those which did not exist in the 1960’s. Thankfully, so far they have all been covered 100% by insurance.
P.S. The above should not be considered medical advice.
You may not like what I'm about to write, but here goes…
You all had fair warning this crazy making was going to happen. Spelled out in detail: Project 2025. There was at least a year warning, plenty of time to coordinate steps and measures to arrange substitutes to the data you rely on.
As you point out there are state data resources (I'm sure there are states that are less reliable than others however data is always raw until adjusted for reality that's later determined).
I have not read P2025 however my sister, a former Deputy Attorney General in CA read this (she prosecuted the wide spread practice of trafficking seniors in No. CA). What she read was massively alarming. To paraphrase the Carpenters… They've only just begun. You may want to allocate more resources to data gathering amongst the states you trust, the WHO, foreign governments.
"You all had fair warning this crazy making was going to happen" Yeah, that's why I voted for and support Harris/Walz. Had another million of us done the same, this criminal insanity would not be going on now.
Katelyn, I can't begin to thank you enough for your continued quest to keep the public educated. As a physician, I so appreciate your information and perspective. Scary times!
Katelyn, in the face of the intentional tidal wave of threats to normal scientific and public health data and communications, your posts and voice help to provide clarity.
You and others at Substack are becoming increasingly important as reliable sources. Thank you for your ongoing communications.
Thank you for this! So well written and clear. Even though these are dire and far from normal times, reading this actually calmed me down a bit. So grateful for your and others crucial vigilance.
Ruth, exactly! Katelyn’s writing has wonderful clarity. Even though the content is alarming, her precision of the chaos being created has brought me hope. An oxymoron? Thank you Ruth and Katelyn!
Caitlin Rivers has been forced to manually update the influenza information and we are in a second spike that is quite concerning--data is critical to public health. There are so many concerning actions happening in this administration. Thank you for your updates.
https://caitlinrivers.substack.com
Thank you, I just signed up for her flu season newsletter.
*Here's something we all can do:*
If you're so inclined, download an app called 5 Calls.
Use it to contact your reps in Congress EVERY DAY and leave them messages about the topics that concern you. The app has their numbers (of course, you can look them up on your own, but this is easier) and provides a script each day that gathers the issues of the moment. Whether your concern du jour is Musk, RFK, health data, etc... you can leave a short message with what you'd like your reps to do.
If your reps are Democrats, let them know you support them and what they are doing to fight back. This is important. They need to know that their constituents are behind them, especially if they are in a position to take bold action. If your reps are Republicans, urge them to vote against RFK, or stand up to Musk, or whatever it is that day. Because the one thing they don't want to lose is your vote; if they think their voters disagree with what the administration is doing and need their help, perhaps they will begin to push back.
It's super easy. 10 minutes of your day, tops. And SO worth it.
To me, this is scarier than tariffs, trade wars, even financial meddling and data insecurity at the federal level. All of that has a paper trail. But our health - some things can't be turned around once they're ruined. I've been watching the RFK hearings (terrifying) and will be tuning in for the vote today.
Adding: My understanding is that calls are better than emails or letters.
At the end of the day, the staff logs every call that comes in and groups them by topic. That's how the members of Congress know what's most important to their constituents at any given time. Emails often don't get read.
If you have 10 minutes to make a couple of calls, please do. And do it daily. My calls today will be about the RFK vote.
Don't worry if you're not a phone person or you don't know what to say. The app has easy scripts for various scenarios (which of course you can adlib if you have to). But please, please call.
I and many of my friends have experienced suspicious disruptions in the voice mails of elected officials, e.g. Representatives and Senators. There is distortion to the point of near inaudibility in the outgoing message, and I"m not sure our voice mail messages are being properly recorded. This seems a little too coincidental, but maybe it's just caused by such a high volume of calls that their systems are overloaded?
Yes, the app acknowledged this. Not coincidental, nor suspicious. You’re exactly right that it’s struggling to keep up with the large volume of calls. They are working on quality issues, so stick with it!
My wife found the same problem and she dialed directly, no app. Just FYI.
I found that to be the case, too. My two Senators' voice mails were garbled and inaudible. I also think this was an unlikely coincidence.
Same in Ohio with the senators' voicemails.
What would happen if health agency staff refused to comply with executive orders, and ust went rogue -- sending out communications, possibly publishing data separately from the official sites, if necessary? I believe some of that has already happened to some extent.
Why is the CDC, NIH, FDA, etc. complying with orders that undermine public health?
Dictatorships can only take hold if there is compliance.
Georgia, Texas, and Kansas -- states that went bit for Chump. Gee, what a surprise.
Thanks, as always, for your newsletter, Katelyn. It's a beacon of much-needed light in these dark MAGA times.
Your account shares the value of science and the importance of strategic planning for actions that are reasonable and sound. Do not ever be silent! Speak truth. You do so with respect that engenders trust.
Seeing "pregnant person" changed to "pregnant woman" is a bigger punch to the gut than I thought it would be. I can't imagine how younger trans and gender nonconforming people who haven't lived through less tolerant times before must be taking it.
I'm sorry, but I must disagree.
Women get pregnant; men don't.
We women are being reduced to our body parts with the grotesque language of terms such as "people with uteruses," "people with vaginas," "pregnant people," etc.
I've already stated many times how much I loathe and despise Trump and his administration. But this changing of language to suit an ideology -- a deluded and faux-left ideology -- is positively Orwellian.
(Yes, I know, I know, I'm a "TERF," "bigot," "transphobe," blah blah blah. I've been called all that and more. I've put my ass on the line for social justice and civil liberties all my life, and I won't stand by while women are erased and told to shut up and take a back seat to MEN who are so psychologically disturbed that they think they're women.)
Not to put too fine a point on it, but this probably the least evil thing that was done.
As a mother and grandmother, I originally didn’t see anything wrong with “pregnant person.” Women are people, are they not? I think of myself being a person before I think of being a woman or biological female.
“Mother-to-be” was the term used to avoid saying the word “pregnant” in my 1950s formative years. Also “expecting” instead of pregnant. In my grandmother’s day, it was “in the family way.” (I suppose it was to keep people’s minds off the “facts of life” and that sexual intercourse was responsible for pregnancy.) Language changed, but it was gradually.
Should we use now use “gestating person” instead of mother? Or “mitochondrial DNA donor,” to be perfectly clear.
Elizabeth, what bothers me is that Trump’s people have used their power to serve their desire to denigrate “others.” By calling migrants “illegals,” et cetera. Orwell warned about the takeover of language.
As I imagine it, non-binary and trans people are feeling more of a gut punch from seeing Trump’s people having the power to target them, than they feel from being referred to by terms they object to.
Katelyn, do you know anything about the National Library of Medicine and its Medical Subject Headings? (MeSH) terms? They provide access to all the literature such as guidelines and studies? Are they threatened? Thank you for your diligent work.
I haven’t heard about that front. I can try to run it down for you. Lets see what I can find
Thank you. My whole career was as a hospital and academic medical librarian in Kansas City.
On addition let’s all look for data / info on the conséquences for all children if some of them are not vaccinated. That can endanger e.g. immune suppressed kids and adults!
Excellent question. This applies not only to MeSH but also to LCSH.
Thanks for this update, it is such a tenuous time. I do want to note a couple things, I'm not sure what your definition of "big" is but the Ebola/Sudan virus outbreak is 1 case right now (https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON555). Still reportable and still notable, but not sure it's big. Second, there is 1 case of measles in Georgia reported on January 28, 2025. Six cases were reported in 2024 (no mention of them being linked).
If anything this further confirms how much we need the CDC to compile this information so we can be as accurate as possible in reporting it. Thanks for all you do!
Thanks so much for calling those out. There’s a lot of fires to pay attention to. For Uganda, I meant big implications but that wasn’t clear. And there are three cases now (confirmed yesterday). Measles was just a mistake. Edited!
We know the American Public Health Association has taken an assertive, public position on these matters. Where is the American Medical Association, the American Academy of ZPediastrics, etc? Why are they not speaking out?
Katelyn,
Thank you for this explication of what's at stake. As a sociolinguist who's been analyzing teaching and writing about communication between health experts and the public for decades, we have to continue to get the message out that the specific language of the communication under review and potential corruption is NOT just a rhetorical issue. The language we choose and use powerfully shapes people's thinking and framing of info. "I'm riding the horse/vs. The horse is riding for me." (to use an old example) I'd very much like to hear from you and readers who have presciently downloaded some original (circa 2024) CDC text, as my team and I want to do a formal before / after linguistic and semantic analysis. Thank you very much. publiclinguist@substack.com or czarcadoolas@gmail.com
see https://caitlinrivers.substack.com/ Feb 3 post
She talks about this and pulling "old" texts and "modified" text from CDC, etc. documents.
Quote from her substack: "My name is Dr. Caitlin Rivers. I’m an epidemiologist and associate professor at Johns Hopkins. I have a PhD in epidemiology and an MPH in infectious diseases." Her personal website is http://www.caitlinmrivers.com/
be careful, as the US is transitioning to a dictatorship and they don't like information that doesn't align with their views
Sorry. Technically challenged.
How quickly we seem to have forgotten the confusion that the public experienced during the covid epidemic. What goes around comes around. Silo and partison thinking are not unique to any persuasion. Finger pointing should not replace reflection. Humility is missing on all sides as I see it. The results are evident. As things evolve the challenges include not increasing polarization and doing ones best to make reality evident to those whose beliefs conflict mine. We live in interesting times.
It's pretty amazing to see someone still practicing "both sideism" as a coup d'état is in progress.
And I think you might have left out a vacuous cliché or two that content-free babble. You need to work on that.
While the communications freeze and disappearance of data are certainly alarming, my biggest concern is whether or not updated Covid-19 and influenza vaccines will be authorized for this fall. It seems inconceivable that they would not be, but nothing appears to be beyond the pale anymore…
I’m wondering about the impact on ALL vaccines, should rfk jr be confirmed.
I share your concern regarding all vaccines. Therefore, while I still can I’ve gotten boosters for all of my childhood vaccinations, and am working on those which did not exist in the 1960’s. Thankfully, so far they have all been covered 100% by insurance.
P.S. The above should not be considered medical advice.
You may not like what I'm about to write, but here goes…
You all had fair warning this crazy making was going to happen. Spelled out in detail: Project 2025. There was at least a year warning, plenty of time to coordinate steps and measures to arrange substitutes to the data you rely on.
As you point out there are state data resources (I'm sure there are states that are less reliable than others however data is always raw until adjusted for reality that's later determined).
I have not read P2025 however my sister, a former Deputy Attorney General in CA read this (she prosecuted the wide spread practice of trafficking seniors in No. CA). What she read was massively alarming. To paraphrase the Carpenters… They've only just begun. You may want to allocate more resources to data gathering amongst the states you trust, the WHO, foreign governments.
"You all had fair warning this crazy making was going to happen" Yeah, that's why I voted for and support Harris/Walz. Had another million of us done the same, this criminal insanity would not be going on now.