Apoorva Mandavilli
@apoorvanyt.bsky.social
Science and global health reporter for The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/by/apoorva-mandavilli
Signal: amnyt.91
https://www.nytimes.com/by/apoorva-mandavilli
Signal: amnyt.91
Pinned
Trump Administration Cancels U.S. Observance of World AIDS Day
www.nytimes.com
SCOOP: The Trump administration has instructed employees and grantees not to use U.S. funds to commemorate World AIDS Day — because the observance was started by the World Health Organization.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/h...
Comments by President Trump, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and some panelists suggest the committee is likely to delay hepatitis B shots and discuss revising the use of other vaccines.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/h...
Vaccine Committee May Make Significant Changes to Childhood Schedule
www.nytimes.com
December 2, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Comments by President Trump, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and some panelists suggest the committee is likely to delay hepatitis B shots and discuss revising the use of other vaccines.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/h...
Mind-blowingly cool use of AI
“Altogether, these findings are leading us to an extraordinary conclusion: Whales may possess a communication system more intricate than our own, one that possibly predates human language by tens of millions of years.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/o...
“Altogether, these findings are leading us to an extraordinary conclusion: Whales may possess a communication system more intricate than our own, one that possibly predates human language by tens of millions of years.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/o...
Opinion | I’m a Marine Biologist. This Is How I Talk to Whales.
www.nytimes.com
November 30, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Mind-blowingly cool use of AI
“Altogether, these findings are leading us to an extraordinary conclusion: Whales may possess a communication system more intricate than our own, one that possibly predates human language by tens of millions of years.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/o...
“Altogether, these findings are leading us to an extraordinary conclusion: Whales may possess a communication system more intricate than our own, one that possibly predates human language by tens of millions of years.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/o...
Internal memo at the FDA claims 10 deaths in children as a result of Covid vaccines — but does not include data
Explosive story by @by-cjewett.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/28/h...
Explosive story by @by-cjewett.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/28/h...
F.D.A. Attributes 10 Children’s Deaths to Covid Vaccines
www.nytimes.com
November 29, 2025 at 3:54 AM
Internal memo at the FDA claims 10 deaths in children as a result of Covid vaccines — but does not include data
Explosive story by @by-cjewett.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/28/h...
Explosive story by @by-cjewett.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/28/h...
SCOOP: The Trump administration has instructed employees and grantees not to use U.S. funds to commemorate World AIDS Day — because the observance was started by the World Health Organization.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/h...
Trump Administration Cancels U.S. Observance of World AIDS Day
www.nytimes.com
November 26, 2025 at 6:41 PM
SCOOP: The Trump administration has instructed employees and grantees not to use U.S. funds to commemorate World AIDS Day — because the observance was started by the World Health Organization.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/h...
Dr. Ralph Lee Abraham, who as Louisiana’s surgeon general ordered the state health department to stop promoting vaccinations and who has called Covid vaccines “dangerous,” has been named the second in command at the CDC.
(Gift article)
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/h...
(Gift article)
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/h...
C.D.C. Quietly Appoints Doctor Critical of Vaccines as Second in Command
www.nytimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Dr. Ralph Lee Abraham, who as Louisiana’s surgeon general ordered the state health department to stop promoting vaccinations and who has called Covid vaccines “dangerous,” has been named the second in command at the CDC.
(Gift article)
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/h...
(Gift article)
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/h...
Gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted infection, is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics
www.who.int/news/item/19...
www.who.int/news/item/19...
More countries report rising levels of drug-resistant gonorrhoea, warns WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that gonorrhoea, a sexually transmitted infection, is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, according to new data from its Enhanced Gonococcal Antim...
www.who.int
November 20, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted infection, is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics
www.who.int/news/item/19...
www.who.int/news/item/19...
The CDC’s website now says: The claim "vaccines do not cause autism" is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism.
www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safe...
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www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safe...
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Autism and Vaccines
Answers to common questions about vaccine safety and autism.
www.cdc.gov
November 20, 2025 at 3:20 AM
The CDC’s website now says: The claim "vaccines do not cause autism" is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism.
www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safe...
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www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safe...
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The US may be headed for a rough flu season, with a virus that causes more severe symptoms than the one last year and seems to be spreading more rapidly and earlier than usual.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/19/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/19/h...
Early Signs Point to a Harsh Flu Season in the U.S.
www.nytimes.com
November 19, 2025 at 7:16 PM
The US may be headed for a rough flu season, with a virus that causes more severe symptoms than the one last year and seems to be spreading more rapidly and earlier than usual.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/19/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/19/h...
SCOOP: CDC officials on Monday linked for the first time the measles outbreak that began in Texas with another in Utah and Arizona, a finding that could end America’s status as a nation that has eliminated measles.
(Gift link)
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/h...
(Gift link)
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/h...
C.D.C. Links Measles Outbreaks in Multiple States for the First Time
www.nytimes.com
November 18, 2025 at 12:28 AM
SCOOP: CDC officials on Monday linked for the first time the measles outbreak that began in Texas with another in Utah and Arizona, a finding that could end America’s status as a nation that has eliminated measles.
(Gift link)
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/h...
(Gift link)
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/h...
The CDC has lost a third of its work force this year. The Trump administration maintains that the losses are necessary, but critics say that there is no real plan, only animosity.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/27/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/27/h...
Behind the Dismantling of the C.D.C.: Reform or ‘Humiliation’?
www.nytimes.com
October 27, 2025 at 10:25 PM
The CDC has lost a third of its work force this year. The Trump administration maintains that the losses are necessary, but critics say that there is no real plan, only animosity.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/27/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/27/h...
After a quiet summer, the bird flu virus H5N1 is hitting poultry flocks hard in the run-up to the holidays — and in the midst of a federal government shutdown.
w/ @emilyanthes.bsky.social
(Gift article)
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/h...
w/ @emilyanthes.bsky.social
(Gift article)
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/h...
Bird Flu Is Back
www.nytimes.com
October 22, 2025 at 5:06 PM
After a quiet summer, the bird flu virus H5N1 is hitting poultry flocks hard in the run-up to the holidays — and in the midst of a federal government shutdown.
w/ @emilyanthes.bsky.social
(Gift article)
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/h...
w/ @emilyanthes.bsky.social
(Gift article)
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/h...
Happy Diwali!
May the next year bring light and lightness into all our lives.
May the next year bring light and lightness into all our lives.
October 20, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Happy Diwali!
May the next year bring light and lightness into all our lives.
May the next year bring light and lightness into all our lives.
Hundreds of infectious disease specialists have been let go by the Trump administration. Here are four who helped to keep pandemics at bay.
(Gift article)
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/h...
(Gift article)
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/h...
They Fought Outbreaks Worldwide. Now They’re Fighting for New Lives.
www.nytimes.com
October 13, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Hundreds of infectious disease specialists have been let go by the Trump administration. Here are four who helped to keep pandemics at bay.
(Gift article)
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/h...
(Gift article)
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/h...
Reposted by Apoorva Mandavilli
“I’m still searching...looking around to see where else I can use these skills"
Thank you @apoorvanyt.bsky.social for profiling these amazing US scientists @nytopinion.nytimes.com
I hope they all find new careers
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/h...
Thank you @apoorvanyt.bsky.social for profiling these amazing US scientists @nytopinion.nytimes.com
I hope they all find new careers
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/h...
They Fought Outbreaks Worldwide. Now They’re Fighting for New Lives.
www.nytimes.com
October 13, 2025 at 12:25 PM
“I’m still searching...looking around to see where else I can use these skills"
Thank you @apoorvanyt.bsky.social for profiling these amazing US scientists @nytopinion.nytimes.com
I hope they all find new careers
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/h...
Thank you @apoorvanyt.bsky.social for profiling these amazing US scientists @nytopinion.nytimes.com
I hope they all find new careers
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/h...
The Trump administration on Saturday scrambled to rescind layoffs of hundreds of CDC scientists who were mistakenly fired on Friday night in what appeared to be a substantial procedural lapse.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/h...
Trump Administration Is Bringing Back Scores of C.D.C. Experts Fired in Error
www.nytimes.com
October 12, 2025 at 12:14 AM
The Trump administration on Saturday scrambled to rescind layoffs of hundreds of CDC scientists who were mistakenly fired on Friday night in what appeared to be a substantial procedural lapse.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/h...
The mass layoffs of federal workers on Friday night swept up the top two leaders of the federal measles response team, those working on Ebola and dozens of other infectious disease experts
(Gift article)
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/h...
(Gift article)
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/h...
C.D.C. Layoffs Included 2 Top Measles Experts Amid Rising Cases
www.nytimes.com
October 11, 2025 at 6:37 PM
The mass layoffs of federal workers on Friday night swept up the top two leaders of the federal measles response team, those working on Ebola and dozens of other infectious disease experts
(Gift article)
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/h...
(Gift article)
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/h...
It was yet another rough night for CDC employees: Dozens — possibly hundreds, they are still self-surveying — were let go late at night, including those who worked on the prestigious MMWR reports
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...
Trump Administration Lays Off Dozens of C.D.C. Officials
www.nytimes.com
October 11, 2025 at 2:16 PM
It was yet another rough night for CDC employees: Dozens — possibly hundreds, they are still self-surveying — were let go late at night, including those who worked on the prestigious MMWR reports
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...
Reposted by Apoorva Mandavilli
On a Saturday in 2023, Sam Terblanche, a junior at Columbia University, told friends he felt lousy on the way to a soccer match. On Sunday, he went to the emergency room complaining of headache and chills. On Monday, sicker, he went again. On both visits, Sam was discharged. Days later, he died.
It’s Just a Virus, the E.R. Told Him. Days Later, He Was Dead.
Sam Terblanche was just 20 years old. Can a busy E.R. handle the hardest cases?
nyti.ms
October 6, 2025 at 12:10 AM
On a Saturday in 2023, Sam Terblanche, a junior at Columbia University, told friends he felt lousy on the way to a soccer match. On Sunday, he went to the emergency room complaining of headache and chills. On Monday, sicker, he went again. On both visits, Sam was discharged. Days later, he died.
Reposted by Apoorva Mandavilli
A substantial body of evidence supports the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy, contrary to the suggestions of some members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently reconstituted the committee.
www.factcheck.org/2025/10/vacc...
www.factcheck.org/2025/10/vacc...
October 3, 2025 at 9:21 PM
A substantial body of evidence supports the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy, contrary to the suggestions of some members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently reconstituted the committee.
www.factcheck.org/2025/10/vacc...
www.factcheck.org/2025/10/vacc...
A drug that provides near-perfect protection against HIV with shots just twice a year will be made available at $40 per patient annually in low- and middle-income countries, offering new hope for ending the HIV epidemic.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/24/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/24/h...
Philanthropies Strike a Promising Deal to Turn Back H.I.V.
www.nytimes.com
September 24, 2025 at 12:29 PM
A drug that provides near-perfect protection against HIV with shots just twice a year will be made available at $40 per patient annually in low- and middle-income countries, offering new hope for ending the HIV epidemic.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/24/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/24/h...
Icymi the first time this ran, here’s a refresher: Vaccines today are more efficient and contain far fewer stimulants to the immune system than some used decades ago
www.nytimes.com/2024/12/14/h...
www.nytimes.com/2024/12/14/h...
Are Childhood Vaccines ‘Overloading’ the Immune System? No.
www.nytimes.com
September 22, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Icymi the first time this ran, here’s a refresher: Vaccines today are more efficient and contain far fewer stimulants to the immune system than some used decades ago
www.nytimes.com/2024/12/14/h...
www.nytimes.com/2024/12/14/h...
The federal vaccine committee appointed by RFK Jr. voted unanimously to further limit access to Covid vaccines, recommending that adults 65 and older receive the shots only after discussing the potential benefits and risks with a health care provider.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/h...
Kennedy’s Vaccine Panel Votes to Limit Access to Covid Shots
www.nytimes.com
September 19, 2025 at 11:40 PM
The federal vaccine committee appointed by RFK Jr. voted unanimously to further limit access to Covid vaccines, recommending that adults 65 and older receive the shots only after discussing the potential benefits and risks with a health care provider.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/h...
The chaos from the first day of a meeting of the federal vaccine committee appointed by RFK Jr. bled into the second day, as the panel reversed one decision and indefinitely postponed a vote on a hepatitis B vaccine they had already deferred once.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/h...
Vaccine Panel Postpones One Vote and Reverses Another Amid Confusion
www.nytimes.com
September 19, 2025 at 7:41 PM
The chaos from the first day of a meeting of the federal vaccine committee appointed by RFK Jr. bled into the second day, as the panel reversed one decision and indefinitely postponed a vote on a hepatitis B vaccine they had already deferred once.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/h...
In a meeting that devolved into confusion and near chaos, federal advisers on Thursday voted 8 to 3 against vaccinating children under four years old with a combination shot that protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/h...
Kennedy’s Advisory Panel Votes to Limit M.M.R.V. Vaccine for Children Under 4
www.nytimes.com
September 18, 2025 at 11:53 PM
In a meeting that devolved into confusion and near chaos, federal advisers on Thursday voted 8 to 3 against vaccinating children under four years old with a combination shot that protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/h...
Members of a federal vaccine committee, appointed by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., may revise the longstanding recommendation to immunize all newborns against Hepatitis B
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/h...
C.D.C. Vaccine Advisers May Limit Hepatitis B Shots for Newborns
www.nytimes.com
September 16, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Members of a federal vaccine committee, appointed by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., may revise the longstanding recommendation to immunize all newborns against Hepatitis B
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/h...