Smith | Lightnews

Tara C. Smith

@aetiology.bsky.social

33K followers 2.8K following 5.2K posts

Collector of social media sites. Infectious disease epidemiologist. Writes about vaccine hesitancy, science misinfo, zombies. Probably somewhere on a trail. Views own etc.

Videos

The Smith special counsel investigation was a special counsel investigation that was opened by U.S. attorney general Merrick Garland on November 18, 2022, three days after Donald Trump announced his campaign for the 2024 United States presidential election. The investigation was created to continue two investigations initiated by the Justice Department (DOJ) regarding former U.S. president Donald Trump. Garland appointed Jack Smith, a longtime federal prosecutor, to lead the independent investigations. Smith was tasked with investigating Trump's role in the January 6 United States Capitol attack and Trump's mishandling of government records, including classified documents. .. more

Political science 39%

Economics 19%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Smith, Aviel Roshwald

Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · 7h

Just when I thought I'd seen it all........
endpoints.news/new-acip-cha....

Reposted by Smith

Kathleen Bachynski @bachynski.bsky.social · 8h

ACT UP NY announces HEALTHGATE, “a campaign released on the heels of World AIDS Day…that condemns Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s deadly pseudoscience-led healthcare death circus while calling for the implementation of the New York Health Act & sustained funding for public & global health”

HEALTRGATE
RFK, JR: THE PUBLIC MAN-MADE DEATH
The government has cut $783 million in federal funding to basic research and 56% of HIV clinical trials have been halted.
New HIV infections are predicted to increase 49% by 2030.
ACT UP
LEARN THE FACTS
DISMANTLING HEALTHCARE = DEATH

Reposted by Smith

Dorit Reiss @doritreiss.bsky.social · 8h

"The new leader of [ACIP] recently claimed that Covid-19 vaccines were responsible for a rise in cancer cases, and that the vast majority of women who get the vaccine in their first trimester have miscarriages."
False claims.

endpoints.news/new-acip-cha...

New ACIP chair compares Covid requirements to Holocaust, says shots caused cancer, miscarriages

CDC vaccine panel chair Kirk Milhoan claimed Covid vaccines cause cancer, high miscarriage rates, and compared vaccine cards to Holocaust armbands in a YouTube video.

endpoints.news

Reposted by Smith

PLOS Global Public Health @plosglobalpublichealth.org · 9h

NEW Review by Lawrence Gostein:

The Trump presidency: Cascading global shocks on global health

journals.plos.org/globalpublic...

The Trump presidency: Cascading global shocks on global health

journals.plos.org

Tara C. Smith @aetiology.bsky.social · 9h

Nope. Can't watch knowingly awful people. Takes me right out of the story.

Reposted by Smith

CIDRAP @cidrap.bsky.social · 12h

Death toll climbs in Ethiopia's Marburg outbreak

Three new deaths have been confirmed in the outbreak of the viral hemorrhagic fever, bringing the death toll to eight.

www.cidrap.umn.edu/m...

Reposted by Smith

Science Accountability Institute @scienceai.bsky.social · 12h

This is important! IMA (formerly FLCCC) is now running ACIP. Members of key COVID-disinformation groups are leading multiple branches of the government and advisory bodies. Health disinformation has become the law of the land.

Melody Schreiber @melodyschreiber.com · 15h

Martin Kulldorff, the chair of ACIP, was just appointed chief science officer for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE).

Kirk Milhoan is the new chair of ACIP.

Renowned Epidemiologist and Biostatistician Martin Kulldorff Appointed to Senior HHS Role

WASHINGTON—DECEMBER 1, 2025—The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced the appointment of Martin Kulldorff, Ph.D., as chief science officer for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE). Kulldorff recently chaired the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and previously taught at Harvard Medical School. He is a biostatistician and epidemiologist with more than 200 peer-reviewed publications.

ASPE serves as HHS’ in-house think tank, providing policy advice to the Secretary. It also leads special initiatives, coordinates departmentwide research and evaluation activities, manages major planning processes, and produces analyses and cost estimates for policy options across public health, health care, and human services.

“Martin Kulldorff transformed ACIP from a rubber stamp into a committee that delivers gold-standard science for the American people,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said. “I’m glad to welcome him to my team to help develop bold, evidence-based policies to Make America Healthy Again.”

Before his leadership on ACIP, Kulldorff helped build the CDC and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) vaccine and drug safety surveillance systems by developing new statistical and epidemiological methods for the Vaccine Safety Datalink and Sentinel systems. He served on the FDA Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee and on the ACIP COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Technical Work Group.

Kirk Milhoan, M.D., Ph.D., a pediatric cardiologist and former U.S. Air Force flight surgeon, now chairs ACIP. Robert Malone, M.D., serves as vice chair.

Reposted by Catherine Baker, Anders Nilsson, Smith

Kat Tenbarge @kattenbarge.bsky.social · 14h

It has now been a year since I stopped posting on X. For @spitfirenews.com, I wrote about watching the platform I loved become a conduit for the worst extremism I've ever witnessed. I don't regret leaving. In fact, I wish I'd left even earlier.
spitfirenews.com/p/x-bluesky-...

I'm glad I stopped posting on X

A year ago, I abandoned my account. It was the right thing to do.

spitfirenews.com

Reposted by Smith

Dorit Reiss @doritreiss.bsky.social · 14h

HHS appointed Dr. Martin Kulldorff as chief science officer for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) aspe.hhs.gov.

A few thoughts: 1/n

Renowned Epidemiologist and Biostatistician Martin Kulldorff Appointed to Senior HHS Role. ...(HHS) today announced the appointment of Martin Kulldorff, Ph.D., as chief science officer for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE). Kulldorff recently chaired the (CDC) ...(ACIP) and previously taught at Harvard Medical School. He is a biostatistician and epidemiologist with more than 200 peer-reviewed publications.

ASPE serves as HHS’ in-house think tank, providing policy advice to the Secretary. It also leads special initiatives, coordinates departmentwide research and evaluation activities,...

“Martin Kulldorff transformed ACIP from a rubber stamp into a committee that delivers gold-standard science for the American people,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said. “I’m glad to welcome him to my team to help develop bold, evidence-based policies to Make America Healthy Again.”

“Five years ago, Martin Kulldorff and I co-authored the Great Barrington Declaration calling for an end to pandemic lockdowns,” National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya, M.D., Ph.D. said. “That evidence-based approach to public health now permeates HHS.”

“It’s an honor to join the team of distinguished scientists that Secretary Kennedy has assembled,” Kulldorff said. “I look forward to contributing to the science-based public health policies that will Make America Healthy Again.”

Before his leadership on ACIP, Kulldorff helped build the CDC and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) vaccine and drug safety surveillance systems by developing new statistical and epidemiological methods for the Vaccine Safety Datalink and Sentinel systems. He served on the FDA Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee and on the ACIP COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Technical Work Group.
Kirk Milhoan, M.D., Ph.D., a pediatric cardiologist and former U.S. Air Force flight surgeon, now chairs ACIP. Robert Malone, M.D., serves as vice chair.

Reposted by Smith

Brian Schirmer @brianschirmer.bsky.social · 15h

I named my fists Master and Commander, because together they’re gonna send you to the far side of the world.

Chuck Wendig @chuckwendig.bsky.social · 15h

I named my fists Pride and Prejudice, because it is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of two fists must be in want of whupping ass

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 17h

I named my fists Common and Sense because I'm about to bring the Paine

Tara C. Smith @aetiology.bsky.social · 1d

All of the women in this admin are fine with selling everyone else out. They got theirs, fuck everyone else, including vulnerable kids.

Tara C. Smith @aetiology.bsky.social · 1d

I looked for these today and no dice. Guess it's a treat/punishment for y'all east coasters.

Reposted by Smith

Jonathan Howard @joho.bsky.social · 1d

January 2022 was the worst month for kids. 150-200 died, 900 hospitalized daily at the peak.

Yet out medical establishment saw that and wrote this in February 2022.

They have a high tolerance for viruses hurting kids. They shown 0 evidence it bothers them at all.

Tara C. Smith @aetiology.bsky.social · 1d

Got mine in today! hcwvshunger.org to log your donation.

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Daniel W. Drezner, Smith , and 1 more Anna O. Law, Daniel W. Drezner, Smith, David S. Tanenhaus

Doug Mack @douglasmack.bsky.social · 1d

I named my fists Chekhov and Gun because you know they're coming but you don't know when

Tal B. Lavin @swordsjew.bsky.social · 1d

i named my fists Rodgers and Hammerstein cuz theyre always in my own little corner

studdwardo.bsky.social @studdwardo.bsky.social · 1d

I named my fists Gilbert and Sullivan because they are slaves to duty

Reposted by Smith

Emily Somers, PhD ScM 💚🌻 @emsomers.bsky.social · 1d

📣Team #mealioidosis
Time to rise above 6-7😉

#HCWvsHunger
hcwvshunger.org

Leaderboard showing team mealioidosis in 6th place

Tara C. Smith @aetiology.bsky.social · 1d

I have a signed copy of that in my office.

Reposted by Smith

Dr. Richard Pan @drpanmd.bsky.social · 1d

In 2015, Rush Limbaugh blamed immigrant children for the Disneyland #measles outbreak, except immigrant children were more vaccinated than American children. We fixed this in California by passing #SB277 to abolish nonmedical exemptions. #Ivax2protect
www.politifact.com/factchecks/2...

Rush Limbaugh blames measles outbreak on immigrant children

Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh says the focus on vaccinations in the wake of the measles outbreak is a "leftist D

www.politifact.com

Reposted by Rosemary A. Joyce, Smith, Raúl Pacheco-Vega

Jonathan Howard @joho.bsky.social · 1d

There was 0 data about the pediatric vaccine at the time.

Journalists, please remind your readers that Prasad was always against the covid vaccine for kids.

Always.

FIRST OPINION
Kids don't need Covid-19 vaccines to return to school
By Vinay Prasad Feb. 3, 2021

Tara C. Smith @aetiology.bsky.social · 1d

Are you a member of @defendpublichealth.bsky.social ? It's one of the few things helping me stay grounded right now, trying to minimize the damage as much as civilians can.

Tara C. Smith @aetiology.bsky.social · 1d

Maybe this one but it's now paywalled for me.

Hilary Wollis @hilarywollis.bsky.social · 27d

Unvaccinated woman and child travel from area of Thailand in outbreak to New Brunswick #Canada for her Mennonite sister’s wedding. They become symptomatic on flight. Stay w/ family and attend wedding anyway. Unvaxed guests return to 4 🇨🇦 provinces, Texas and New Mexico with gift of measles.
Boom!

How the measles made its way back to Canada

The Globe travelled 40,000 kilometres to find the origin of the disease’s resurgence in North America

www.theglobeandmail.com

Tara C. Smith @aetiology.bsky.social · 1d

Well not the CDC cause they're now constrained but there was an independent investigation which of course I can't find at the moment, but linked it to the Mennonite groups(?) traveling between TX & Canada, & the spark was from y'all. Should have bookmarked it.

Tara C. Smith @aetiology.bsky.social · 1d

But I think they traced our TX measles outbreak to y'all...

Tara C. Smith @aetiology.bsky.social · 1d

So not really sure how wide of a gulf that is. Even our local supposedly "grassroots" AV groups ultimately recycle information from the top-level leaders in the field.

Tara C. Smith @aetiology.bsky.social · 1d

Bulk of vaccine misinformation originates from places like CHD/Kennedy and folks in his sphere or who share those views. Many of those in the first group do like McCarthy did--do a Google search, and then they end up with misinfo from the "disinformation dozen" and other AV influencers.

The Disinformation Dozen — Center for Countering Digital Hate | CCDH

Just twelve anti-vaxxers are responsible for almost two-thirds of anti‑vaccine content circulating on social media platforms. This new analysis of content posted or shared to social media over 812,000...

counterhate.com

Tara C. Smith @aetiology.bsky.social · 1d

Yeah. Huge stain on us.

Tara C. Smith @aetiology.bsky.social · 1d

Reminder that many countries where these migrants come from have higher vaccination rates than we do in the US. The call is coming from inside the house. (and whooops we exported #measles cases TO Mexico from our Texas outbreak).

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Bonnie Honig, Smith , and 10 more Stephen M. Walt, Bonnie Honig, Smith, Rebecca Tushnet, David R. Miller, Adrian Daub, Jacob T. Levy, Brian Keegan, William Myers, Lisa Diedrich, Raúl Pacheco-Vega, Brooke Harrington, Daxton R. Stewart

GOLIKEHELLMACHINE @golikehellmachine.com · 1d

the primary thing that TPUSA provides to young conservatives is a blueprint for weaponizing the abject cowardice of university administrators against individual teachers and instructors, and university admins should take a long look in the mirror and think about what that says about them

gwen howerton @kissphoria.bsky.social · 1d

OU has put the professor here on administrative leave:

Tara C. Smith @aetiology.bsky.social · 1d

(I guess the only good thing to come of any of this is that her book sales are in the shitter afaik).

Tara C. Smith @aetiology.bsky.social · 1d

Best practices--active listening, trusted messengers, responding to specific concerns etc. are important, but the task is so overwhelming right now. Hines will likely become another comforting celeb antivaxxer like McCarthy, & scientists continue to get threats for speaking truth. Maddening. /fin

Add to Home Screen

Light up
your news

Add to Home Screen

Light upyour news

Sign in to Lightnews

Sign up to start reading

Connect Bluesky

Connect with Bluesky

Light up
your news