43 Comments

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. As intelligence, truth and real science goes quiet, you and your team will get us through this mess. Forever grateful for what you do.

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Thank you for all the helpful work you are doing to keep folks informed about these issues. I am hoping for progress on Covid vaccines that are able to target multiple strains, particularly in the form of nasal delivery without the need for someone else to administer them -- and also therapies to treat and eliminate Covid if contracted. I believe these things are moving forward in other countries (?). Could you keep us posted on their status here, and also the vulnerability of their research and testing being interfered with by RFK Jr. or someone like him (if he isn't confirmed)? Thank you!

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Thank you YLE for all you’ve been doing to inform, educate and protect us. I’ve had strong reactions to both Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, for every injection and have been closely following your coverage of novavax. I took that booster this fall and was pleasantly surprised that my reaction was extremely mild, as your reporting and the clinical data had suggested. 💪🏻

It’s one of the layers of protection I’ll be using for my transatlantic trip this December.

Hurray for choice, transparent reporting and data-backed science!

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With regard to H5N! the national and state agricultural and public health authorities have been derelict in response to the point of malpractice. For instance, California with 1.7 million cows, is the largest dairy farming state in the country. In spite of the spreading H5N1 infections around the country, the was no, NONE AT ALL, surveillance or proactive interventions. At the beginning of August there were no known H5N1 infections in California. By mid November - within 10 weeks - there are 398 infected dairy herds, 63 commercial poultry flocks, 30 backyard flocks (with 12 million birds culled) and 27 infected dairy farm workers. This explosive epidemic and increasing risk was 100% preventable. This borders on malfeasance. One would think that, forewarned as the virus continued to spread across the country, the California Departments of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and Public Health (CDPH), rather than waiting for cases to pop up, would have assertively been surveilling the situation and quarantining farms. This was not to be so. Now, long after the proverbial barn door was left open, livestock and veterinary groups and official agencies are beginning to take basic public health steps. We are very close to viral capacity genetic breakout. Very sad and scary.

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Looks good - basic public health surveillance strategy. Should have been rolled out universally across the nation 6-8 months ago. Needs to be complimented by CDC/ state-DPH ACTIVE surveillance of poultry and dairy farm workers and quarantines.

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You and all of Team YLE are inspirational already in so many ways, yet when I am wondering how the Team can possibly top what you already do, you add yet more. The America Dissected clip is delightful, and inspiring, among other reasons, in demonstrating your own trajectory from your post “Body as Shell.” I suspect we are all going through stages of grief here, each in our own way, and there you are, showing us the way by picking yourself up off the floor and coming out fighting—for science, for truth, and for better times ahead. Thank you for all.

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Dear Katelyn,

You are one of the main reasons I feel a little bit less panicked about the next 4 years. Thank from the bottom of my heart for what you do as our YLE! Have fun pulling out your boxes to do holiday decorating, and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

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Can you comment on how well we are currently prepared for a new pandemic.

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Thanks for your excellent efforts! Is YLE Routine Vaccination FAQ available in Spanish (and other languages)?

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Thank you so much for providing such detailed information. I know this takes time, energy, and brainpower -- and missed coffee breaks -- and courage to keep going despite negativity and resistance.. We need you, your knowledge, and your courage. What you do matters.

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Happy Thanksgiving to all

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I live in Maine and I vote in Maine. Regarding the response in the "reader question grab bag" at the end of this article, Maine joined CA, CT, NY, WV, and MS as the six states that did not allow non medical, or personal belief, exemptions. Recently, MS's exemption was struck down by legal challenge conducted by Aaron Siri. Remember that name. His firm is now moving on to Maine and the four remaining states. He (we, not you) will prevail. You overstepped your bounds in coming after non religious exemptions. You let your "scientism" religion cloud your constitutional and practical vision. Your not recognizing natural immunity during the Covid kerfuffle has done so much damage to your case. The Maine legislature voted in LD 798 in 2019 and then a referendum was held and the no exemption law was upheld. All those defeated are now coming to the fore. People are pissed, and rightfully so. You told us not to mask and then to mask. You removed children for far too long from school and caused harms from learning deprivation that persist. So much for "data backed science". You wrecked inflation on the American economy. And you denied natural immunity and forced emergency use authorized, not approved, novel technology platform with little to no testing. You oversaw the unblinding of the early Pfizer trial. You gaslit and censored and propanganized. You call MDs and PhD "fringe epidemiologists". Is it any wonder that Aaron Siri and his large law firm will not be in Maine (and CA, CT, WV, NY) looking to follow up on the success in MS and the removal of denial of personal exemptions? Things have changed.

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I used to live in Maine Downeast; it is where my wife decided to be as she lost the fight with cancer.

Lots of crusty thinking there. Charming until it really matters. Then, not so much.

==========

....."Natural Immunity" vs the "Covid kerfuffle"........

.......More than one million Americans have died of COVID-19. .......

.......That is one hell of a "kerfuffle"..........

==========

I note that Downeast had an inordinately high casualty rate.

https://usafacts.org/visualizations/coronavirus-covid-19-spread-map/

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Who is "you" in your note? What is "natural immunity"?

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Natural immunity is like surviving the plagues in the dark ages.

It did re-forest vast swaths in Europe as many towns were wiped out. Some would call that a greater good.

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I'll answer for him -

"you" is alladem dere what got way too much eddjication.

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Do you have the date correct for Maine eliminating exemptions? Perhaps 2021 was implementation? I remember voting for it in 2019. I remember thinking during COVID vaccine backlash "Good thing we had the vote before this." Also, Maine vote was 70%, which I thought was OK. I wonder if it could pass if held today.

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Agree. I commented same but I did find the dates for the actions in Maine that surrounded the various votes.

Sharon McDonnell

just now

In fact, due to rising exemption rates in the state, low level outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases in New England, and continued onslaughts against vaccines by anti-vaccine groups a statewide vote was arranged to support (or not) a legislative initiative that happened n 2019. The vote was not at all close -- we won with a 73% majority, and the vote took place just a few days before the pandemic tipped stateside (March 3 2020). The law was implemented in 2021 and overall rates went from 6.2% opted out to just 0.6%.

Here is a hard earned note of optimism from one of our advocates and leaders, Caitlin Gilmet, about keeping children safe with vaccines in the coming years.

https://www.statnews.com/2024/11/22/vaccine-advocacy-safe-communities-coalition-rfk-jr/

the History of the vaccine exemptions and is described here :)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Maine_Question_1

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Hi! I work with MDs and would love to share provider tools/resources on supporting conversations with patients who are ambivalent or skeptical when it comes to vaccines for themselves or family members. If anyone has resources to share, I would greatly appreciate it!

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Did you download YLE's 15 page Routine Vaccination pdf? There is a lot of meat in there! It is right in this post.

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I’ve been trying to get my elderly parents (84 and 82) the senior flu shot for weeks, but it’s been out of stock. The pharmacist’s theory is this is due to the recent hurricane in North Carolina that disrupted production of this particular vaccine. Other family members have said they can’t find the senior flu shot in their city, yet when I do an online search, I can’t find any news or information saying there is indeed a shortage.

Is it better for seniors just to get the regular flu shot now (Flublok in my area) or wait for the stronger senior dose (availability unknown)?

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Baydog: seniors can receive Flubkok or high dose. If you have access to flubkok, it’s a great choice.

At some point, any flu vaccine will be better than none. I have not heard of shortages so that’s is odd.

First flu in office today and it was flu B oddly. Kid was unvaccinated… we shall see.

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I have a question that's more general toward anti-vax sentiment. Has anyone done any research into whether there's a correlation between fear of vaccine safety and fear of needles in general? I just can't shake the intuition that if vaccines were all available in pill form we'd get way higher uptake. Could be just an anecdotal impression, but people seem willing to take pills for anything but balk at something piercing their skin. Thanks for everything you do!

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My observations are anecdotal as well, but I know that some vaccine hesitant people have a phobia of needles. This would be a great area of study!

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As a neonatologist, I am quite interested in the data about RSV vaccine in pregnant women. Thanks for including the pre-print. There are a lot more questions: RSV can be a serious disease for preterm infants who go home and could the maternal vaccine afford protection if given earlier in the pregnancy? I believe that authors have raised many of the same questions that I have and I look forward to the answers.

Greatly appreciate bird flu info as well. Glad you are keeping an eye on that one.

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