Pranab Chatterjee MD, PhD

The Millions of Poor Americans at the Mercy of the Shutdown

Listening to this @nytimes.com episode covering SNAP benefits and the testimony from the interviewed people is simply heartbreaking.

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/p...

Fred Ramsdell has won the
@nobelprize.bsky.social
but may not know because he is off living his best life, hiking in Idaho. Be like Fred Ramsdell. Congratulations, Dr. Ramsdell!

Changes in Carbapenemase-Producing Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales, 2019 to 2023 | Annals of Internal Medicine

#CDC @altcdc.altgov.info finds alarming increase of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (not a fan of the NDM name!) producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (NDM-CRE) in lab testing & surveillance. This reverses previous declines in CRE. Read research: bit.ly/4nKi2Vo. #AMR #AntimicrobialResistance

Sitting in a flight from LHR London for the past hour or so. We are almost 2 hours late and have no estimate of when we can fly. I just hope it’s safe to fly. At this point I’m less worried about being delayed and more concerned with getting to Delhi safely.

Also, the EIS Officer who investigated the diphtheria outbreak was Dr. Reimert Thorolf Ravenholt. A USAID legend, I’ve always wondered how Harry Potteresque his name is.

And I’m left wondering about how much has remained unchanged in the decades since these landmark investigations happened.

I’m re-reading Mark Pendergrast’s master piece: “Inside the Outbreaks: The Elite Medical Detectives of the Epidemic Intelligence Service”, and I’ve just reached the end of chapter 2, where the author talks about Diphtheria and zoonoses.

Thanks, doc!

Thank you so much Dr. Pai! Still feels unreal. :-)

Thank you! I still can’t believe it. Feels unreal.

Changed my display name, coz I’m #PhDone. Yay @johnshopkinssph.bsky.social

I’m not sure if blogging is a thing anymore but I’ve decided to write more this year. And this is the account of how a random drive helped clear out the cobwebs in my mind. The Nocturnal Odyssey: Driving as a Pathway to Cognitive Restoration and Creative Insights: open.substack.com/pub/sceptice...

Meanwhile over on the other side of the spectrum, the resident AI has gone … umm … yeah. Not good.

Re-reading this classic book at a time when it’s important to re-reimagine global health. The dismantling of the US supported apparatus will be a shock, but it’s my hope that it’ll also push us to reach a more sustainable, locally-led future.

Bats are viral superheroes with fascinating immune systems.

Bats can host deadly viruses like Ebola, Nipah, and coronaviruses without getting sick. Their secret? A constantly “switched on” antiviral response and a finely tuned immune system that avoids the inflammation seen in other mammals.

Hanging out in style! These majestic fruit bats (also known as flying foxes) are enjoying a leafy snack while chilling upside down, because why not? Native to tropical regions, these gentle pollinators play a vital role in maintaining forest ecosystems by dispersing seeds and pollinating plants.

Meet the Northern Bald Ibis. Punk-rock plumage and a scimitar bill to match! Once widespread across Europe, North Africa & the Middle East, it’s now listed as endangered; breeding programs in Morocco, Turkey & Europe are driving a fragile comeback. Share, donate, advocate. Extinction isn’t an option

Yellow-bellied Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta) drifting under a mirrored water surface. 🌿🐢
Hear the soundtrack? Ripples tapping pads, cicadas buzzing, and a Red-eyed Vireo swapping its cheery “question-and-answer” phrases from the canopy! Wetland meditation in full surround-sound.
#nature #Turtle

So @bhavnaseth.bsky.social and I thought it was a hummingbird fluttering over the milkweed, until we looked closer. Meet the Hummingbird Clearwing Moth (Hemaris thysbe), a master mimic that hovers and feeds just like its avian namesake. It is a vital native pollinator, drawn to nectar-rich plants.

The world’s priciest pizzas just became a billionaire’s meal. @bitcoin.bsky.social #btc #crypto Today marks 15 years since Laszlo Hanyecz purchased two pizzas for 10,000 bitcoins. Worth $1.12 billion today. #PizzaDay

So… this just happened with @bitcoin.bsky.social Where is this headed? #btc #crypto

So… this just happened with @bitcoin.bsky.social Where is this headed? #btc #crypto

An Evidence-Based Approach to Covid-19 Vaccination | NEJM This article from the FDA compares broad U.S. recommendations on Covid vaccination with those from other countries and announces the adoption of an evidence-based approach to such recommendations.

21/
TL;DR:
✅ Covid boosters: now targeted
✅ RCTs required for low-risk groups
✅ Trust in vaccines needs rebuilding
✅ FDA finally walking the evidence-based walk
Let’s hope it’s the beginning of a more measured era.
📄 @nejm.org article: www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
#Covid19 #Vaccine #PublicHealth

20/
Parallel to trials, we must invest in restoring vaccine confidence: clear risk communication, community outreach, and rebuilding trust in public health, especially in communities hit hardest by Covid and misinformation.
#VaccineEquity #PublicHealth

19/
As the FDA shifts to evidence-based booster approvals, we must urgently launch RCTs per FDA guidance:
✅ include 50–64 yr-olds
✅ allow prior Covid infection
✅ follow ≥6 months, and
✅ measure real-world outcomes (symptomatic illness, hospitalization, death).

#Covid19 #Vaccines #RCT #FDA

18/
Downsides? This framework assumes “risk” is static and easily classified. Social vulnerability, exposure risk, and inequities (e.g., multigenerational households, essential workers) aren’t fully captured by medical comorbidity lists.

Oversimplification can cost lives.
#HealthEquity #Covid

17/
This should encourage efforts to initiate pragmatic, rapid clinical trials - something we excelled in #ICMR during the early phase of the pandemic.

16/
While the FDA’s new booster policy favors evidence-based rigor, delaying access to boosters for low-risk groups until RCTs are done could undermine protection for younger adults with long COVID risk or caretaking roles: filling evidence gaps shouldn’t justify inaction.
#Covid19 #Vaccines

15/
Will this shift save the credibility of U.S. vaccine policy?

Maybe it’s a start. Better than overt, unconditional vaccine denialism.

But transparency, clear communication, and trust-building will remain essential. More so, as we face a future rife with inevitable pandemic risks.

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It also recognizes that public health messaging must respect people's intelligence.

Rejecting the idea that Americans can’t understand nuanced recommendations is key to rebuilding credibility.

Given the resistance towards vaccine mandates, can clinical trial data help change people's beliefs?