Alasdair Munro
@apsmunro.bsky.social
5.9K followers 350 following 700 posts
NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer in Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases University of Southampton and Southampton Children’s Hospital UK alasdairmunro.substack.com
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apsmunro.bsky.social
My new post takes a look at the topic of “immunity debt”

What does this term mean, and why has it been so controversial?

What explains the weird reemergence of seasonal pathogens since the pandemic?

Is Covid-19 damaging immune systems?

Let’s find out! 💥

#MedSky #IDSky #PedSky 🧪
What is "immunity debt"?
A new study sheds further light on this seemingly controversial issue
open.substack.com
Reposted by Alasdair Munro
andrewtanyongyi.bsky.social
"trials were immediately halted and a meeting ... convened on December 12th 2024. Despite the vaccine passing all the pre-clinical tests put in place to ensure the vaccines didn’t result in VAERD, it looks possible it may have happened anyway. ... the safety checks ... worked extremely well"
apsmunro.bsky.social
Pleased to share my new post looking at the recent successes and turbulence in the development of therapeutics for infant RSV protection

Much progress made - but there’s more to do still!

#IDSky #PedsID 🧪
Protecting babies against RSV
The last two years have changed the landscape of RSV disease prevention
open.substack.com
apsmunro.bsky.social
I actually just fell off my swivel chair
Reposted by Alasdair Munro
benmorton.bsky.social
Really nice summary - thanks @apsmunro.bsky.social
apsmunro.bsky.social
Pleased to share my new post looking at the recent successes and turbulence in the development of therapeutics for infant RSV protection

Much progress made - but there’s more to do still!

#IDSky #PedsID 🧪
Protecting babies against RSV
The last two years have changed the landscape of RSV disease prevention
open.substack.com
apsmunro.bsky.social
Pleased to share my new post looking at the recent successes and turbulence in the development of therapeutics for infant RSV protection

Much progress made - but there’s more to do still!

#IDSky #PedsID 🧪
Protecting babies against RSV
The last two years have changed the landscape of RSV disease prevention
open.substack.com
apsmunro.bsky.social
Yes it is

No idea what came over me

I will be burning bottles of azithromycin next week as penance for my sin
apsmunro.bsky.social
Just remembered when I broke one of my golden rules and suggested testing for Mycoplasma serology last week

Saying it took just moments, but the shame will last a lifetime
apsmunro.bsky.social
This morning I awoke to discover we had run out of coffee

In behaviours not at all indicative of addiction, I drove immediately to the nearest drive-through Costa in my pyjamas to obtain flat-whites for me and my wife

I have no regrets
apsmunro.bsky.social
Very please to say that for the first time in nearly a year, I have a new Substack post coming on Monday!

Looking at the successes and tribulations of novel therapeutics to protect infants from RSV

Looking forward to sharing ✍️

open.substack.com/pub/alasdair...
The Munro Report | Alasdair Munro | Substack
A newsletter with analysis on issues affecting science, medical research, child health and infectious diseases. Click to read The Munro Report, by Alasdair Munro, a Substack publication with thousands...
open.substack.com
apsmunro.bsky.social
I’d be interested in your thoughts on a related issue

When statistics IS taught to scientists, my experience is that it is often taught very poorly

If it’s not difficult, why is it done so badly?
Reposted by Alasdair Munro
apsmunro.bsky.social
Everything spoken about here is pretty widely accepted now

These are really important things for institutions to be demonstrating they accept, and have learnt from if we want to build back trust from the public

That includes us as health professionals

www.economist.com/culture/2025...
Covid-19 sent the world mad
The pandemic polarised voters and undermined trust in institutions
www.economist.com
Reposted by Alasdair Munro
ejlim.bsky.social
It’s that time of year again. You know RSV is coming! But it could all be different with RSV vaccination. Listen to the brilliant Dr Simon Drysdale for hear the latest @ox.ac.uk @voices4vaccines.bsky.social #RCPCH #paedsround @apsmunro.bsky.social @mariekeemonts.bsky.social
Protecting infants with the maternal vaccine for RSV
Podcast Episode · The Paeds Round · 08/04/2025 · 28m
podcasts.apple.com
Reposted by Alasdair Munro
damianroland.bsky.social
On #WorldSepsisDay highlighting editorial (with @apsmunro.bsky.social )

"Time for paediatrics to screen out sepsis “screening”

www.bmj.com/content/381/...

(For example screening, by definition, requires patient to be asymptomatic. But many patients receiving a “sepsis screen” are symptomatic)
Time for paediatrics to screen out sepsis “screening”
It is time to remove the term, “sepsis screen,” from the paediatric lexicon, argue these authors Despite the success of vaccinations against organisms such as Haemophilus influenza type B and Neisser...
www.bmj.com
apsmunro.bsky.social
Argh I hate how much I love this
apsmunro.bsky.social
This equates to 0.5 micromorts for each person receiving a vaccination course (usually several vaccines)

That is less than the mortality risk for a single day of skiing (0.7 micromorts)
mazer.us
Covid vaccine deaths: the best data came out of Korea, which did autopsies on all post-vaccination sudden deaths.

The country identified 21 deaths out of 44 million vaccinees.

Yes people can die from the vaccine, but it’s incredibly rare.

mazer.substack.com/p/koreas-rea...
Korea's reassuring vaccine data
Autopsy results reveal extremely rare sudden deaths
mazer.substack.com
Reposted by Alasdair Munro
mazer.us
Covid vaccine deaths: the best data came out of Korea, which did autopsies on all post-vaccination sudden deaths.

The country identified 21 deaths out of 44 million vaccinees.

Yes people can die from the vaccine, but it’s incredibly rare.

mazer.substack.com/p/koreas-rea...
Korea's reassuring vaccine data
Autopsy results reveal extremely rare sudden deaths
mazer.substack.com
apsmunro.bsky.social
Everything spoken about here is pretty widely accepted now

These are really important things for institutions to be demonstrating they accept, and have learnt from if we want to build back trust from the public

That includes us as health professionals

www.economist.com/culture/2025...
Covid-19 sent the world mad
The pandemic polarised voters and undermined trust in institutions
www.economist.com
apsmunro.bsky.social
This reminds me that contrary to some thinking, social media doesn’t reduce exposure to alternative viewpoints (eg “bubble effect”)

It increases exposure - but only to the worst and most extreme versions of them, further convincing you that you’re right and “the others” are terrible idiots
financialtimes.com
Whereas traditional media caters to a range of views, with moderate positions well-represented, extreme views — of both left and right — are heavily over-represented on social media. on.ft.com/3HNwX1M
Reposted by Alasdair Munro
financialtimes.com
Whereas traditional media caters to a range of views, with moderate positions well-represented, extreme views — of both left and right — are heavily over-represented on social media. on.ft.com/3HNwX1M
Reposted by Alasdair Munro
statsepi.bsky.social
We didn't randomize, and there was no allocation concealment or blinding, and we can't really be sure what intervention they got or how the outcomes were measured, but we emulated a trial by drawing a DAG.
apsmunro.bsky.social
There are a lot of oral/enteral source infections where we add anaerobic cover to standard empirical antibiotics (usually cephalosporins - classic “cef and met” combo)

Is there actually any empirical evidence this is beneficial?

#IDSky
Reposted by Alasdair Munro
larshenningmd.bsky.social
Instructive thread by Alasdair explaining difference in covid vaccination policy in UK & EU vs US and the difference to flu vaccination. Refreshing to see nuance and the need for thinking in trade-offs which is a necessary element for building a sustainable and efficient public health policy.
apsmunro.bsky.social
You’ve missed the point

Not every seasonal vaccine requires an RCT (I don’t believe anyone is suggesting that currently)

The scenario for covid vaccines is unique as they were trialled on a background of ~zero population immunity

There is now substantial population immunity
apsmunro.bsky.social
This means an updated RCT for covid would be generalisable for future seasons

A flu RCT would not be very generalisable

Hence, a new RCT for covid vaccines in the modern immunity landscape is not an unreasonable suggestion (although personally I don’t feel is necessary)

Nothing disingenuous here
apsmunro.bsky.social
This is different to flu, where trials were conducted on a background of population immunity comparable to today

Also, there is large inter-seasonal variation in flu vaccine efficacy due to strain matching

There are much smaller, marginal differences for covid per vaccine/variant