Those Nerdy Girls

Is it ok to get medical advice from an AI chatbot? Any health decision or complex health question should always be discussed with a human clinician. However, AI chatbots can be helpful for answering some

Any health decision or complex health question should always be discussed with a human clinician. However, AI chatbots can be helpful for answering some basic health questions, with some caveats.
thosenerdygirls.org/medical-advi...

Beyond Immunity: Can mRNA vaccines improve immunotherapy in cancer patients? Researchers found that mRNA COVID-19 vaccinated patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) immunotherapy for cancer lived longer!

Beyond Immunity: Can mRNA vaccines improve immunotherapy in cancer patients?

Researchers have found that mRNA #COVID #vaccines prime certain cancers to a #cancer treatment known as immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) #immunotherapy!
Read the full post from Jamie Fornsaglio, PhD here:

KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust: Trust in the CDC and Views of Federal Childhood Vaccine Schedule Changes | KFF Weeks after the Trump administration reduced the number of childhood vaccine recommended for routine use, public trust in the CDC is at its lowest since the COVID-19 pandemic, and less than half are c...

@kff.org released a new poll on the public’s trust and confidence in CDC and vaccines following changes to the federal recommended childhood vaccine schedule.
#vaccines #vaccinescedule

Loads of Nerdy Fun at London & Oxford.
@thosenerdygirls.bsky.social @drjenndowd.bsky.social @gkountourides.bsky.social @sandylaping.bsky.social @emkayhey.bsky.social

2/ This post is a collaboration with Data for Health @drjenndowd.bsky.social, Those Nerdy Girls, and the Dartmouth International Vaccine Initiative (sites.dartmouth.edu/divi/)

Don’t Shoot the Messenger RNA mRNA is misunderstood, but pretty miraculous

1/ Don’t Shoot the Messenger RNA
#mRNA is misunderstood, but pretty miraculous. mRNA technology has been decades in the making and has exciting applications beyond #COVID, including fighting #cancer. TNG Alumna @drjenndowd.bsky.social unpacks all you need to know in this fascinating article.

USPSTF Meeting Pushed Back for Third Time in a Row Meeting will be 'rescheduled in the coming months,' according to HHS

7/ The USPSTF helps keep us healthy and ensure that we have access to cost-free prevention services.

Hot off the press - it was announced yesterday that the March 2026 meeting has also been “postponed.”
@medpagetoday.com

6/ The USPSTF is a critical group to provide prevention and screening recommendations based on science and not political ideology. It uses rigorous methodology to reduce conflict of interest and recuse members if a conflict arises and to use the best available evidence to make recommendations.

5/ While getting rid of the task force would need approval by Congress, HHS can still interfere with staffing and budget or throw out recommendations that the current administration deems “controversial,” such as sexually transmitted infections or care recommendations specific to LGBTQ+ populations.

What is the ACIP and why does it matter? The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is a federal advisory committee that develops recommendations for vaccination in the United

4/ Experts agree that this state of affairs is jarring. There is a concern about a repeat of what happened with the ACIP, in which members of the committee were abruptly fired and replaced by HHS. Several of the newly appointed members are known vaccine skeptics.
thosenerdygirls.org/acip-2/

3/ USPSTF, established in 1984, is a volunteer task force that reviews evidence and makes recommendations about screening and other preventive care.
Any recommendation getting an A or B grade must be covered by insurance with no cost sharing.

2/ In July 2025, the current Secretary of HHS abruptly canceled a meeting of the USPSTF, and to date, this meeting has not been rescheduled. In addition, the terms of five members of the 16-person task force expired on December 31 with no plans for their replacements announced.

What is the USPSTF and why does it matter? The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is an independent advisory panel of experts who make evidence-based recommendations about clinical preventive services.

1/ What is the USPSTF and why does it matter?

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is an independent advisory panel of experts who make evidence-based recommendations about clinical preventive services.

Don’t Shoot the Messenger RNA mRNA is misunderstood, but pretty miraculous

Some puns are too good to pass up... but seriously, mRNA technology is amazing, let's give it some love, not unwarranted hate!
open.substack.com/pub/jenndowd... #episky #publichealth #medsky #healthpolicy

#Vaccines Are Helping Older People More Than We Knew
@kffhealthnews.org

Can reaching back out heal what hurt me? That urge to reach back out after conflict, distance, or even estrangement is hard to ignore. For some of us, reconnection can be deeply healing, while for others, it can reopen old wounds.

That urge to reach back out after conflict, distance, or even estrangement is hard to ignore. For some of us, reconnection can be deeply healing, while for others, it can reopen old wounds. #mentalhealth

Has there been a recent increase in the number of people who identify as transgender? The overall number of people who identify as transgender in the U.S. is estimated to have increased over the past ~10 years, particularly among those aged 13-24 years.

There has been an increase in the total number of people estimated to identify as #transgender in the U.S. overall, especially among teens and young adults. This is most likely due to increased awareness and acceptance of gender diversity among younger generations and better data collection.

When trust is lost, how do we get it back? “Can you remember a time when you shared something that you later found out was not true or trustworthy?” Dean Megan L. Ranney, MD, MPH, posed that question

"Can you remember a time when you shared something that you later found out was not true or trustworthy?" Dean Megan L. Ranney, MD, MPH, @meganranney.bsky.social posed that question in her opening remarks at a conference about rebuilding trust in public health @yalesph.bsky.social. 👇

Let's talk about leaky gut!

Thank you so much @unbiasedscipod.bsky.social for inviting me and @sciencewhizliz.bsky.social on the podcast to talk about #inflammation!

European regulators recommend approval of combined mRNA vaccine for flu and COVID

If the recommendation is accepted by the European Commission, Moderna's mCombriax vaccine will be available for adults 50 and older throughout the European Union.

www.cidrap.umn.edu/c...

Opinion | I’m an Immunologist. I Grew Up Unvaccinated.

This is an excellent and thought-provoking piece from @sciencewhizliz.bsky.social. Definitely worth a read. 👇

Taking Care of Each Other: Resources and Information for Immigrants, Allies, and Neighbors

To meet this moment, we have created Nerdy Nexus: Where Science & Health Meet Society, we explore how rights, freedoms, & health come together in unexpected ways, from vaccine policies to water quality to who gets heard when health decisions & policies are made.
@emkayhey.bsky.social #publichealth

Opinion | Should Doctors Engage With Misinfo Spreaders? Dr. Mike and Paul Offit Weigh In The two physicians debate the pros and cons of sharing a stage with bad actors

Lots of food for thought in this @medpagetoday.com webinar with @pauloffit.bsky.social, Dr. Mike Varshavski & @jeremyfaust.bsky.social.
"Should Physicians Engage with Misinformation?" 👇

H. flu causes a wide variety of diseases, from meningitis to ear infections. H. flu infections can also be deadly. The type b variant of H. flu causes the most severe disease and can be prevented by a childhood vaccine.

For more, check out Rebecca Raskin’s full post here: thosenerdygirls.org/h-flu/

Epidemiologist joy…The OG Broad Street Pump.
Thanks, Dr. John Snow, for the steadfast reminder of why we do what we do!
#episky #publichealth @thosenerdygirls.bsky.social @lshtm.bsky.social

What Is Implementation Science? Implementation science is the study of how to make sure good, evidence-based ideas in medicine and public health actually reach people.

Implementation science is the study of how to make sure good, evidence-based ideas in medicine and public health actually reach people. Dive into the full post from guest contributor Bertha A. Hidalgo, PhD, MPH, FACE
@berthahidalgo.bsky.social here 👇:

Black History Month: Celebrating Nerd Kelly Valentin For Black History Month we are excited to celebrate the fabulous Black Nerds that are part of Those Nerdy Girls. Today we are highlighting Kelly Valentin

For #BlackHistoryMonth we are excited to celebrate the fabulous Black Nerds that are part of Those Nerdy Girls.
Today we are highlighting Kelly Valentin.
thosenerdygirls.org/bhm-nerdy-gi...

Heavy metals, like lead, can build up in the body and cause poisoning or toxicity. For most people, this is unlikely to happen from everyday exposures. Your clinician can tell you if testing is a good idea.
thosenerdygirls.org/heavy-metal-...

Black History Month: Celebrating Nerdy Girl MacKenzie Isaac, MA For Black History Month we are excited to celebrate the fabulous Black Nerds that are part of Those Nerdy Girls. Today we are highlighting MacKenzie

For #BlackHistoryMonth we are excited to celebrate the fabulous Black Nerds that are part of Those Nerdy Girls.

Today we are highlighting MacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA, CHES®
thosenerdygirls.org/bhm-nerdy-gi...

You see a WILD claim on social media, but how do you know it's true? The Bradford-Hill Criteria give you a scientific checklist that can help you evaluate whether wild health claims are actually true.

The Bradford-Hill Criteria give you a scientific checklist that can help you evaluate whether wild health claims are actually true. @sandylaping.bsky.social
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