Whitney K, MPH, PhD
@factcontagion.bsky.social
Fact Contagion | Epidemiologist | Public Health | Infectious Diseases | Zoonotic flu | SciComm (All opinions are my own)
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👋 Hi everyone! I'm Whitney, an epidemiologist. I’m embarking on a mission to debunk public health misinformation, promote data-driven insights, and empower a science-savvy community. Follow along, share, and let’s make knowledge contagious! #DataWorthSpreading #AmplifytheFacts 🧬👭🌍
Tatiana is fighting for her life. Her cousin (RFK Jr) is fighting against the very science that could save people like her. Tatiana’s story shows exactly what’s at stake when health policy becomes anti-science.
#publichealth
#publichealth
Tatiana Schlossberg, Daughter of Caroline Kennedy, Shares Terminal Cancer Diagnosis
Tatiana Schlossberg took shots at cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a poignant essay about her terminal cancer diagnosis.
www.thewrap.com
November 23, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Tatiana is fighting for her life. Her cousin (RFK Jr) is fighting against the very science that could save people like her. Tatiana’s story shows exactly what’s at stake when health policy becomes anti-science.
#publichealth
#publichealth
1/ I love my Owala #waterbottles. Not because I collect them. I’m terrible at keeping them clean. And I’m a germophobe w/ a microbiology degree. Irony! Once I see mold, it never feels clean again, no matter how much I scrub. Thus, it completes its transformation into a flower vase 🧵 #idsky #episky
November 23, 2025 at 7:05 PM
1/ I love my Owala #waterbottles. Not because I collect them. I’m terrible at keeping them clean. And I’m a germophobe w/ a microbiology degree. Irony! Once I see mold, it never feels clean again, no matter how much I scrub. Thus, it completes its transformation into a flower vase 🧵 #idsky #episky
Science is the adult in the room building 30 years of concensus: "Vaccines don’t cause autism"
RFK Jr just edits the homepage: "Lol, what if we pretend otherwise?"
#PublicHealth #IDSky
RFK Jr just edits the homepage: "Lol, what if we pretend otherwise?"
#PublicHealth #IDSky
Decades of rigorous and scientifically sound research have proven that vaccines do not cause autism. CDC’s decision to change language on its website reversing that finding is reckless & harmful.
Our statement w/ @hivma.bsky.social, APIC, @sheaepi.bsky.social & @sidpharm.bsky.social: bit.ly/3XEc0KH
Our statement w/ @hivma.bsky.social, APIC, @sheaepi.bsky.social & @sidpharm.bsky.social: bit.ly/3XEc0KH
November 23, 2025 at 12:17 AM
Science is the adult in the room building 30 years of concensus: "Vaccines don’t cause autism"
RFK Jr just edits the homepage: "Lol, what if we pretend otherwise?"
#PublicHealth #IDSky
RFK Jr just edits the homepage: "Lol, what if we pretend otherwise?"
#PublicHealth #IDSky
No industry is perfect. But the imbalance is hard to miss. One sector must prove its products are safe & effective. The other profits by avoiding that responsibility. If we care about transparency and accountability, scrutiny shouldn’t be one-sided. (Source: For The Greater Glory of Science) #EpiSky
November 23, 2025 at 12:15 AM
No industry is perfect. But the imbalance is hard to miss. One sector must prove its products are safe & effective. The other profits by avoiding that responsibility. If we care about transparency and accountability, scrutiny shouldn’t be one-sided. (Source: For The Greater Glory of Science) #EpiSky
Food and healthcare aren’t optional #budget lines. Pretending basic needs are negotiable engineers harm. Dividing “deserving” vs “everyone else” just keeps people fighting each other instead of seeing who’s pulling resources upward.
#publichealth #socialdeterminants
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/31/u...
#publichealth #socialdeterminants
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/31/u...
November 1, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Food and healthcare aren’t optional #budget lines. Pretending basic needs are negotiable engineers harm. Dividing “deserving” vs “everyone else” just keeps people fighting each other instead of seeing who’s pulling resources upward.
#publichealth #socialdeterminants
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/31/u...
#publichealth #socialdeterminants
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/31/u...
"Fall back" hits different when you have kids/pets who don’t care about #DaylightSavingTime. Expect a few weird mornings/bedtimes. Shift routines slowly, get sunlight early, maintain consistent mealtimes, keep nights calm. Understanding circadian biology beats “biohack your sleep!” posts every time.
November 1, 2025 at 6:47 PM
"Fall back" hits different when you have kids/pets who don’t care about #DaylightSavingTime. Expect a few weird mornings/bedtimes. Shift routines slowly, get sunlight early, maintain consistent mealtimes, keep nights calm. Understanding circadian biology beats “biohack your sleep!” posts every time.
BARDA cuts mRNA vaccine programs bc they’re not miracle cures. RFK Jr is torching evidence-based innovation for fringe pet projects. This not just sabotages pandemic prep. It cripples cancer & autoimmune research. He's silencing science in favor of ideology. And people will die for it #episky #idsky
HHS slashes funding for mRNA vaccine development | CNN
US Health and Human Services is “winding down” its mRNA vaccine development and will instead fund other vaccine platforms through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, the agency...
www.cnn.com
August 6, 2025 at 3:01 PM
BARDA cuts mRNA vaccine programs bc they’re not miracle cures. RFK Jr is torching evidence-based innovation for fringe pet projects. This not just sabotages pandemic prep. It cripples cancer & autoimmune research. He's silencing science in favor of ideology. And people will die for it #episky #idsky
21 people incl kids sick from E coli & Campylobacter after drinking #rawmilk sold illegally in FL. 7 hospitalized, 2 severe cases. While influencers and RFK Jr glamorize milk as natural, science says otherwise. Nature gave us germs. Science gave us pasteurization. Choose wisely. #episky #idsky
E. coli outbreak in Florida linked to raw milk
The E. coli outbreak comes as Trump officials face pressure to loosen regulations on raw milk
www.independent.co.uk
August 5, 2025 at 12:53 AM
BREAKING: Scientists trying to protect your land, air and waterways are the real threat. Not the wildfires, lead pipes, microplastics, or greenhouse gases. Obviously. The real pollutant was evidence-based policy all along.
#EPA #EpiSky #PublicHealth
#EPA #EpiSky #PublicHealth
US EPA cutting workforce by 23%, closing research division
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday it is cutting the size of its workforce by at least 23% and closing its scientific research office as part of President Donald Trump's broad effort to downsize the federal government.
www.reuters.com
July 19, 2025 at 4:51 PM
BREAKING: Scientists trying to protect your land, air and waterways are the real threat. Not the wildfires, lead pipes, microplastics, or greenhouse gases. Obviously. The real pollutant was evidence-based policy all along.
#EPA #EpiSky #PublicHealth
#EPA #EpiSky #PublicHealth
Happy July 4th! Public health gave you clean water, safe meat, and emergency services. RFK Jr? He’s trying to dismantle the very systems that make this holiday safe, while blaming his worst ideas on a brain worm.
July 4, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Happy July 4th! Public health gave you clean water, safe meat, and emergency services. RFK Jr? He’s trying to dismantle the very systems that make this holiday safe, while blaming his worst ideas on a brain worm.
This Big Beautiful bill will drag our healthcare system backward. It will strip coverage from up to 16 million Americans by 2034. It will make it harder for working families, children, and the chronically ill to stay insured. 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭.
July 3, 2025 at 2:29 PM
This Big Beautiful bill will drag our healthcare system backward. It will strip coverage from up to 16 million Americans by 2034. It will make it harder for working families, children, and the chronically ill to stay insured. 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭.
RFK Jr just fired all 17 independent experts on the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee. Expect anti-science replacements. If ACIP falls, states, schools, and insurers will be on their own. Federal leadership may be gone, but the science isn’t.
🔗 www.axios.com/2025/06/09/r...
#EpiSky #IDSky #Vaccines
🔗 www.axios.com/2025/06/09/r...
#EpiSky #IDSky #Vaccines
June 10, 2025 at 9:47 PM
RFK Jr just fired all 17 independent experts on the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee. Expect anti-science replacements. If ACIP falls, states, schools, and insurers will be on their own. Federal leadership may be gone, but the science isn’t.
🔗 www.axios.com/2025/06/09/r...
#EpiSky #IDSky #Vaccines
🔗 www.axios.com/2025/06/09/r...
#EpiSky #IDSky #Vaccines
When science is silenced, blame finds a target elsewhere. Scapegoats get louder. Yet risk remains.
Suppressing science won't fix the problem. It shifts the blame until the consequences catch up.
Science will never stop being true because it’s politically inconvenient or difficult to understand.
Suppressing science won't fix the problem. It shifts the blame until the consequences catch up.
Science will never stop being true because it’s politically inconvenient or difficult to understand.
June 8, 2025 at 9:14 PM
When science is silenced, blame finds a target elsewhere. Scapegoats get louder. Yet risk remains.
Suppressing science won't fix the problem. It shifts the blame until the consequences catch up.
Science will never stop being true because it’s politically inconvenient or difficult to understand.
Suppressing science won't fix the problem. It shifts the blame until the consequences catch up.
Science will never stop being true because it’s politically inconvenient or difficult to understand.
"MILK - Maliciously Ignorant, Like Kennedy". 🥛
Maybe I'll start using this. 🤣 When the world feels like a dumpster fire, sarcasm is self-care. ❤️
#EpiSky #IDSky
Maybe I'll start using this. 🤣 When the world feels like a dumpster fire, sarcasm is self-care. ❤️
#EpiSky #IDSky
Other Trump White House Food Acronyms
“The term ‘TACO,’ short for Trump Always Chickens Out, has been used to describe how markets tumble on the president’s tariff threats, then rebound...
www.mcsweeneys.net
May 30, 2025 at 8:53 PM
#RFKJr ’s week in #PublicHealth: #Misinformation, infected ostriches, a dash of AI, and other 'bang-head-against-wall' absurdities. The scientific community can’t fix this alone. Together we speak up and push back. You don’t need a PhD to stand up for #science. #IDSky
May 30, 2025 at 2:11 PM
#RFKJr ’s week in #PublicHealth: #Misinformation, infected ostriches, a dash of AI, and other 'bang-head-against-wall' absurdities. The scientific community can’t fix this alone. Together we speak up and push back. You don’t need a PhD to stand up for #science. #IDSky
#Fluoride Myths vs Facts. #PublicHealth policy deserves evidence, not internet rumors.
www.factcontagion.org/water-fluori...
www.factcontagion.org/water-fluori...
May 16, 2025 at 9:55 PM
#Fluoride Myths vs Facts. #PublicHealth policy deserves evidence, not internet rumors.
www.factcontagion.org/water-fluori...
www.factcontagion.org/water-fluori...
Because nothing says personal liberty like elective tooth decay. Let’s talk #fluoride:
www.factcontagion.org/water-fluori...
#PublicHealth
www.factcontagion.org/water-fluori...
#PublicHealth
May 16, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Because nothing says personal liberty like elective tooth decay. Let’s talk #fluoride:
www.factcontagion.org/water-fluori...
#PublicHealth
www.factcontagion.org/water-fluori...
#PublicHealth
UT banned it. FL is next. RFK Jr wants to scrap CDC guidance entirely. Fluoridated water has protected millions from preventable oral disease. Now it’s under attack. Not by new data. By the tried and true misinformation playbook.
Here’s what to know about #fluoride and its coordinated unraveling.
Here’s what to know about #fluoride and its coordinated unraveling.
Water Fluoridation Under Attack: The Science, Misinformation, and What’s at Stake
For nearly 80 years, fluoridated drinking water has protected millions of Americans from painful, expensive tooth decay. Especially those living in communities with the fewest resources. It's cheap. I...
www.factcontagion.org
May 16, 2025 at 4:30 PM
UT banned it. FL is next. RFK Jr wants to scrap CDC guidance entirely. Fluoridated water has protected millions from preventable oral disease. Now it’s under attack. Not by new data. By the tried and true misinformation playbook.
Here’s what to know about #fluoride and its coordinated unraveling.
Here’s what to know about #fluoride and its coordinated unraveling.
Decades of public health warnings against swimming in sewage-contaminated DC-area waters, and RFK Jr thought, “Perfect spot for a photo op with my grandkids.”
When your public health platform is “do the opposite of scientific consensus,” this tracks.
When your public health platform is “do the opposite of scientific consensus,” this tracks.
RFK Jr. Swims in Sewage-Tainted Creek with Grandchildren Despite National Park Service’s Bacteria Warning
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. swam in bacteria-infested waters in Rock Creek Park with his grandchildren on Mother's Day, ignoring warnings from the National Park Service about pathogens in the water.
people.com
May 13, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Decades of public health warnings against swimming in sewage-contaminated DC-area waters, and RFK Jr thought, “Perfect spot for a photo op with my grandkids.”
When your public health platform is “do the opposite of scientific consensus,” this tracks.
When your public health platform is “do the opposite of scientific consensus,” this tracks.
Reposted by Whitney K, MPH, PhD
The misinformed anti-mRNA sentiment is so strong, that it has caused deep funding losses in the US. Scientists fear that this novel technology, widely seen as the next generation vaccines & therapeutics, won't see its full potential. Brandolini's Law applies here🧪
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/d41...
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/d41...
May 10, 2025 at 3:34 PM
The misinformed anti-mRNA sentiment is so strong, that it has caused deep funding losses in the US. Scientists fear that this novel technology, widely seen as the next generation vaccines & therapeutics, won't see its full potential. Brandolini's Law applies here🧪
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/d41...
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/d41...
This story sheds light on one researcher’s experience. But it’s far from an isolated case. The Trump administration’s abrupt funding freezes have derailed vital medical research. Behind every paused study are real patients, real losses, and years of progress undone by politics.
Trump administration halts research to help babies with heart defects
James Antaki has worked for over 30 years on a device to help infants with holes in their hearts and other defects. Now it’s all at risk.
www.nbcnews.com
May 10, 2025 at 2:44 PM
This story sheds light on one researcher’s experience. But it’s far from an isolated case. The Trump administration’s abrupt funding freezes have derailed vital medical research. Behind every paused study are real patients, real losses, and years of progress undone by politics.
She once criticized "the science" as a mind-control term. Nothing says public health leadership like spewing conspiracy theories as clickbait. Her journey proves that in 2025, a strong social media presence outweighs an active medical license when vying to be our top public health spokesperson.
Dr. Casey Means, Trump's new surgeon general nominee, is RFK Jr. ally and MAHA advocate
President Trump said his new pick for surgeon general, Dr. Casey Means, has "impeccable" credentials, after the White House withdrew his earlier nominee.
www.cbsnews.com
May 9, 2025 at 12:58 AM
She once criticized "the science" as a mind-control term. Nothing says public health leadership like spewing conspiracy theories as clickbait. Her journey proves that in 2025, a strong social media presence outweighs an active medical license when vying to be our top public health spokesperson.
McSweeney's usually posts satire, but this is raw truth. RFK Jr isn’t just spreading anti-vaccine misinformation. He’s scapegoating the neurodivergent community to stoke fear in parents and line his own pockets through lawsuits that target vaccine makers for profit, not justice.
An Open Letter to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Who Thinks My Daughter is a Tragedy
Dear Mr. RFK Jr.,
(The “dear” is tradition. Don’t mistake it for affection.)
You said autistic children are a burden. That they ruin families. That...
www.mcsweeneys.net
May 8, 2025 at 5:37 PM
McSweeney's usually posts satire, but this is raw truth. RFK Jr isn’t just spreading anti-vaccine misinformation. He’s scapegoating the neurodivergent community to stoke fear in parents and line his own pockets through lawsuits that target vaccine makers for profit, not justice.