Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Julia Raifman, ScD @juliaraifman.bsky.social · 5h

Some Good News in public policy

CalMatters @calmatters.org · 4d

After weeks of waiting, California's governor signed a bill that will allow mid-rise apartment buildings near major transit stops in California's biggest metro areas. https://cal.news/4n3hzge

📝 @frombenc.bsky.social
📸 Ray Chavez

Passengers look on as a BART train didn’t stop at the Rockridge BART station due to a systemwide closure that affected all BART stations, in Oakland on March 9, 2025. Photo by Ray Chavez, Bay Area News Group

Hed: Breaking: Gov. Newsom signs massive California housing overhaul

1 7

Julia Raifman, ScD @juliaraifman.bsky.social · 5h

That’s great! Both of our kids got the perinatal Hepatitis B vaccine too & get all other vaccines as recommended on the immunization schedule. Grateful for science — and scientists — who help keep our kids, their peers, & our communities healthy

1

Julia Raifman, ScD @juliaraifman.bsky.social · 16h

We’ve made progress on Hepatitis B & have more progress to make in preventing this & other diseases.

NHANES & the people behind it are essential to our collective health & well-being. Grateful for their work & hopeful they & so many others will be reinstated.

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Progress and Unfinished Business: Hepatitis B in the United States, 1980-2019 - Danae Bixler, Henry Roberts, Lakshmi Panagiotakopoulos, Noele P. Nelson, Philip R. Spradling, Eyasu H. Teshale, 2023

During 1990-2019, universal infant and childhood vaccination for hepatitis B resulted in a 99% decline in reported cases of acute hepatitis B among children, ad...

journals.sagepub.com

3 6

Julia Raifman, ScD @juliaraifman.bsky.social · 16h

One of the ways we know the perinatal dose of Hepatitis B vaccine makes a difference? NHANES & the people who powered it

ACIP recommended the birth dose in 1991. The prevalence of Hepatitis B among children 6–19 years old declined 68% from 1988–1994 to 1999-2006.

academic.oup.com/jid/article-...

2 44 110

Reposted by Julia Raifman, ScD

Gregory Pratt @royalpratt.bsky.social · 2d

Read this dispatch from 2025 America: Family of Chicago-area man killed by ICE seeks to reunite with his children who are now in foster care in Idaho. By @chicagotribune.com @lauranrodriguez.bsky.social
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/12/s...

Family of Chicago-area man killed by ICE seeks to reunite with his children who are now in foster care in Idaho

The state of Idaho took custody of the children a few weeks after Silverio Villegas Gonzalez was killed by ICE agents in Franklin Park on Sept. 12.

www.chicagotribune.com

1 42 67

Julia Raifman, ScD @juliaraifman.bsky.social · 3d

Love to see this collaboration between economists & epidemiologists

We bring out the best in each other when we take a collaborative approach

Julia Raifman, ScD @juliaraifman.bsky.social · 3d

“Workers continued to see elevated health-related absences linked to COVID-19…

[which] has likely raised the value to workers of paid-leave policies & existing social safety net programs.

Measures to reduce COVID-19 transmission in the workplace may also mitigate these new exposure risks”

Enduring Outcomes of COVID-19 Work Absences on the US Labor Market

This cohort study examines the extent to which COVID-19 continues to generate work absences and decrease labor force participation beyond the pandemic period in the US.

jamanetwork.com

1 5

Julia Raifman, ScD @juliaraifman.bsky.social · 3d

Thanks to Julia Dennett, Evan Soltas, @gsgoda.bsky.social,
Thomas A. Thornhill; @kevinwerner.bsky.social , & @gregggonsalves.bsky.social for this important study in @jamanetworkopen.com

2 7

Julia Raifman, ScD @juliaraifman.bsky.social · 3d

“Workers continued to see elevated health-related absences linked to COVID-19…

[which] has likely raised the value to workers of paid-leave policies & existing social safety net programs.

Measures to reduce COVID-19 transmission in the workplace may also mitigate these new exposure risks”

Enduring Outcomes of COVID-19 Work Absences on the US Labor Market

This cohort study examines the extent to which COVID-19 continues to generate work absences and decrease labor force participation beyond the pandemic period in the US.

jamanetwork.com

1 38 73

Reposted by Julia Raifman, ScD

KFF @kff.org · 10d

Most Americans, including most Republicans and MAGA supporters, say they want Congress to extend the ACA enhanced premium tax credits that help make Marketplace coverage more affordable. https://on.kff.org/4q7ElGy

KFF graph showing that more than 3 in 4 adults (78%) support extending the enhanced premium tax credits for Affordable Care Act Marketplace coverage, based on a KFF Health Tracking Poll from September 23-29, 2025.

1 11 27

Reposted by Julia Raifman, ScD

NPR @npr.org · 13d

JUST IN: The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked President Trump's attempt to fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, a move that critics say would have compromised the central bank's independence

Supreme Court says Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can stay -- for now

The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked President Trump's attempt to fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, a move that critics say would have compromised the central bank's independence

n.pr

19 110 760

Reposted by Julia Raifman, ScD

Maggie Astor @maggieastor.bsky.social · 13d

Another call for sources: I'm reporting on pediatric Covid vaccine access. If you've had trouble finding pediatric doses in stock, or if your child was turned away, I'd love to hear from you: [email protected].

Thanks to those who replied to my pregnancy callout; that story will be out soon.

7 130 190

Reposted by Julia Raifman, ScD

Ron Chusid @rchusid.bsky.social · 13d

Study in JAMA Pediatrics estimates that vaccinating pregnant women against COVID-19 prevented 7,000 hospitalizations in infants and 3,000 in pregnant women from January 2024 to May 2025.
#Medsky
www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/cov...

COVID vaccines may have averted thousands of hospital stays in infants, pregnant women over 18 months

www.cidrap.umn.edu

6 160 440

Reposted by Julia Raifman, ScD

Garrett M. Graff @vermontgmg.bsky.social · 16d

My general belief is that Dems need to spend more time thinking about what they believe and less about what they think some imaginary swing voters want them to believe.

Political strategy will stem from an authentic set of beliefs.

Perry Bacon @perrybaconjr.bsky.social · 16d

This was revealing. Worth reading. The basic demand is that Coates spend less time thinking/writing his true feelings and more time playing political strategist. Klein asks him over and over him to do Dem strategy; he says no, over and over. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/28/o...

Opinion | Ta-Nehisi Coates on Bridging Gaps vs. Drawing Lines

www.nytimes.com

120 630 3.5K

Reposted by Julia Raifman, ScD

Timothy McBride @mcbridetd.bsky.social · 16d

How America cut deadly city fires in half www.vox.com/future-perfe...

US urban fire deaths have dropped sharply since 1980

Smoke alarms, sprinklers, safer products, and fewer smokers have cut US city fire deaths in half over four decades.

www.vox.com

2 3

Reposted by Julia Raifman, ScD

The Salt Lake Tribune @sltrib.com · 19d

Utah health officials discovered a person infected with measles visited a Logan medical clinic, where 11 vulnerable babies were exposed, launching a race to get the infants preventative treatment.

Nearly a dozen Utah infants were exposed to measles, triggering a race for preventative treatment

Utah health officials discovered a person infected with measles visited a Logan medical clinic, where 11 vulnerable babies were exposed, launching a race to get the infants preventative treatment.

www.sltrib.com

9 83 170

Reposted by Julia Raifman, ScD

Kathryn Anne Edwards @kedseconomist.com · 20d

For all the talk of a boys and men crisis, women have seen two tangible, and troubling, trends:
1. The gender wage gap increased over the last two years
2. The number of women working is falling, while the number of working men is going up.

I discuss in my latest:
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...

This Labor Market Isn’t Great for Women, Either

Amid all the talk of an economic crisis among young men in the US, female workers are also facing obstacles.

www.bloomberg.com

25 72

Reposted by Julia Raifman, ScD

Kathleen Bachynski @bachynski.bsky.social · 20d

This is huge: “A drug that provides near-perfect protection against H.I.V. with shots just twice a year will be made available at $40 per patient annually in low- and middle-income countries, offering new hope… making lenacapavir a realistic choice in countries with constrained resources.”

Philanthropies Strike a Promising Deal to Turn Back H.I.V.

www.nytimes.com

4 1.3K 4.2K

Julia Raifman, ScD @juliaraifman.bsky.social · 22d

We can also see how difficult it is to weigh many considerations

With lives on the line, an expert committee informed on the latest science can consider several factors & make hard decisions about evidence-based recommendations

It has to be about more than what is most popular or en vogue

1 3

Julia Raifman, ScD @juliaraifman.bsky.social · 22d

We can take good governance for granted until it’s gone — but it’s worth reflecting on what was working well

ACIP had
- Rigorous vetting of expertise by civil servants
- Rolling 4-year appointments providing continuity across administrations

This led to strong, credible vaccine recommendations

Voting Members
Voting members serve overlapping terms of 4 years. Voting members are identified by the ACIP Steering Committee, and selected and appointed by the Secretary of HHS. Members fall into the following two categories:
• Medical Professional Members (up to 19). ACIP includes up to 19 members representing clinical medical fields (physician, nurse, nurse practitioner) and/or public health professionals, e.g., State Health Department staff or epidemiologists. These positions are held by technically qualified people trained in a clinical medical field who possess in-depth knowledge of vaccines and immunization. Candidates for this position may be recommended by a professional medical organization or other interested parties. ACIP also welcomes self-nominated candidates possessing the required technical knowledge and experience.
• Lay Member: Consumer Representative (one). ACIP must include a consumer representative as one of the 15 voting members of the committee. This position is held by a technically qualified person knowledgeable about consumer perspectives and/or social and community aspects of immunization programs. Candidates for this position may be recommended by a consortium of consumer-oriented organizations, an individual consumer-oriented organization, or other interested parties. ACIP also welcomes self-nominated candidates possessing the required technical knowledge and experience.

https://www.cdc.gov/acip/downloads/Policies-Procedures-508.pdf

1 16 51

Julia Raifman, ScD @juliaraifman.bsky.social · 25d

Evidence-based vaccination recommendations are about more than individual decisions

A child infected with measles as a baby “not old enough to be vaccinated at the time of infection” recently died of a complication 💔

Vaccines protect kids who receive them — & infants & others in their communities

L.A. child dies from complication of measles infection contracted in infancy

The child died from subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, a fatal progressive brain disorder that strikes roughly 1 in 10,000 people infected with measles.

www.latimes.com

3 19 34

Julia Raifman, ScD @juliaraifman.bsky.social · 27d

Why is the hepatitis B vaccine important to deliver at birth?

The chance of developing chronic hep B differs based on the age at which a person is infected

Chance of chronic hep B:
Infants <1: 90%
Kids 1-5: 30%
Adults: 5%

Chronic hep B can cause liver damage, cancer, & even death

Clinical Overview of Perinatal Hepatitis B

Learn causes, rates, prevention, treatment, clinical features and more about perinatal hepatitis B.

www.cdc.gov

2 42 100

Julia Raifman, ScD @juliaraifman.bsky.social · 27d

Grateful to the scientists standing up for the integrity of institutions essential to the health & well-being of our whole society

Evidence-based approaches are especially critical to the health of infants & children, whose health depends on reduced community spread of infectious diseases

1 25 110

Julia Raifman, ScD @juliaraifman.bsky.social · 28d

There is peer-reviewed research highlighting incomplete testing for Hepatitis B

“Among 506,794 pregnancies, 14.6% did not receive HBsAg [hepatitis B surface antigen] testing.”

Some pregnant people may also contract Hepatitis B after testing in 1st trimester

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

Gaps in Prenatal Hepatitis B Screening and Management of HBsAg Positive Pregnant Persons in the U.S., 2015–2020

The Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends testing all pregnant women for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and testing HBsAg–positive pregnant women for hepatitis B virus d...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

2 6

Julia Raifman, ScD @juliaraifman.bsky.social · 28d

In theory, it’s sound to focus on Hepatitis B screening in pregnancy & targeted vaccination

But in practice, pregnant people at elevated risk of Hepatitis B are also at risk of less prenatal care

We can learn from syphilis - we haven’t been able to screen & treat in pregnancy as well as we wish

CDC: Congenital syphilis cases rose 740% over a decade

There were 3,882 congenital syphilis cases reported by states and Washington, D.C. in 2023 including 252 stillbirths and 27 infant deaths.

publications.aap.org

2 18 31

Julia Raifman, ScD @juliaraifman.bsky.social · 29d

Evidence-based public health policy is something to celebrate 🎉

And we must persist in this work. There continue to be preventable cases of Hepatitis B & inequities in the burden of disease. Continuing universal infant vaccination can help.

journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....

Trends in reported cases of acute Hepatitis B peaked in 1986 and then declined after ACIP recommended universal infant immunization

Source: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00333549231175548

9 17