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sheencr.bsky.social
Prof Sheena Cruickshank
@sheencr.bsky.social
23K followers 3.8K following 3.2K posts
Immunologist and science communicator based at UoM fascinated by our immune response to threats (pathogens, pollution) & microbiome. Member IndependentSage person most likely to share random dog and nature pics 🧪👩‍🔬 #AcademicSky #SciCom #ImmunoSky
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Reposted by Prof Sheena Cruickshank
sheencr.bsky.social
Prof Sheena Cruickshank @sheencr.bsky.social · 21h
Now with updated information regarding the huge staffing cuts to CDC that massively reduce or erradicate capacity to monitor infections and immunisations on top of how Kennedy is using multiple tricks to attack vaccine access
Updates on the the latest attacks on vaccines in the USA
Attacks on MMR are gaining pace- could this threaten access to the MMR vaccine?
open.substack.com
3 10 30
Reposted by Prof Sheena Cruickshank
freedom.press
Freedom of the Press Foundation @freedom.press · 13h
John Oliver sounded the alarm this week on how secret donations to presidential libraries provide cover for bribery. We couldn’t agree more.

It’s time to close the library loophole — and you can help.

Read this story and much more in our secrecy newsletter, The Classifieds.
John Oliver rips presidential library loophole
Plus: There shouldn’t be secret law. Pam Bondi didn’t get the memo
freedom.press
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Reposted by Prof Sheena Cruickshank
ericmgarcia.bsky.social
Eric Michael Garcia @ericmgarcia.bsky.social · 13h
Many fired CDC employees began receiving emails communicating that despite the earlier notice, they would no longer be terminated. via @brandyzadrozny.bsky.social
www.msnbc.com/msnbc/news/c...
"CDC is over": RFK Jr. lays off over 1,000 employees in Friday night massacre
Amid the ongoing shutdown, the HHS secretary wiped out entire offices that investigate disease outbreaks, manage infectious disease responses and collect data.
www.msnbc.com
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Reposted by Prof Sheena Cruickshank
altcdc.altgov.info
Alt CDC (they/them) @altcdc.altgov.info · 14h
Pearls of wisdom from the guy who loudly promotes #vaccine disinfo for his own gain while trying to burn what’s left of science at #CDC.

Fuck off, Robert. Then fuck off some more. Then keep fucking off til you’ve fucked off around the world and come back here so we can tell you to fuck off again.
X post from Robert Malone: “My opinion, not speaking on behalf of USG, CDC leadership, or ACIP. CDC has had decades of mission creep, and has lost focus in core mission. It is now being restructured, redirected and dismantled. The international component is being transferred to the State department. There will be turbulence during this period. The opportunity and gift is for the ACIP to help guide the rebuilding and restructuring towards greater rigor, objectivity, transparency and integrity. But this will take years. In my opinion. And that job will be difficult, contentious and subject to intense criticism.” Second set of X posts from Robert Malone: “Robert W Malone, MD • @RWMalo... 5h • ... The other model is to allow the dysfunctional culture to continue for a period while creating a new organization, and then collapse the original and replace it with the new one. • 41 Robert W Malone, MD • @RWMalo.... 5h G ... I have been writing for years now that many agencies including CDC are compromised by having dual competing functions. In the case of the CDC, one example is holding responsibility for both vaccine advocacy and vaccine safety/ effectiveness monitoring/reporting. Similar Show more 27 31 © 121 I4.4K h1 Robert W Malone, MD • @RWMalo... 5h • ... Whether those silos both report to CDC director is a policy decision. 273 © 30 HI 17К • 1 Robert W Malone, MD • @RWMalo... 5h C ... A case could be made that post marketing surveillance of drugs, devices and biologics should be pulled out of FDA and CDC. ACIP is experiencing the consequences of split monitoring mandates between FDA and CDC. This leads to the game of "not our monkey, talk to the other guy"” Continuing Malone thread from X: “Robert W Malone, MD • @RWMalo... 5h Ø ... CDC must have rigorous external peer review and scrutiny. For far too long it has been an insular, self-reinforcing culture prone to chronic and pervasive confirmation bias. 3 L717 Robert W Malone, MD • @RWMalo...• 5h $ ... If you want to rebuild a corporate culture, you need a transformative leader, widespread cuts in FTE, followed by a surge of hiring of new FTE that are not caught up in the same cultural biases that you seek to replace.” Final Malone set of posts from X, including a comment from a user named Tim Cole: “Robert W Malone, MD • @RWMalo...• 5h $ ... For example the issue of the lot consistency and lot release data query for the COViD vaccines Tim Cole @ConservRational • 3h • Commentary account That's... quite an admission. ¿ O... If Malone's right, CDC isn't just "pivoting" —it's being gutted and redistributed. Moving its international scope to the State Department means health diplomacy becomes political diplomacy. That's like swapping lab coats for lapel pins. Robert W Malone, MD • @RWMalo... 3h g ... What you are apparently unaware of is that the International "health" world has long been the playground of spies, IC, DoD, and State. For example, see USAID”
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sheencr.bsky.social
Prof Sheena Cruickshank @sheencr.bsky.social · 21h
Now with updated information regarding the huge staffing cuts to CDC that massively reduce or erradicate capacity to monitor infections and immunisations on top of how Kennedy is using multiple tricks to attack vaccine access
Updates on the the latest attacks on vaccines in the USA
Attacks on MMR are gaining pace- could this threaten access to the MMR vaccine?
open.substack.com
3 10 30
sheencr.bsky.social
Prof Sheena Cruickshank @sheencr.bsky.social · 1d
Kennedy’s attacks on tylenol use and MMR vaccine could be converging but what could this mean for vaccine access?
Updates on the the latest attacks on vaccines in the USA
Attacks on MMR are gaining pace- could this threaten access to the MMR vaccine?
open.substack.com
7 14
Reposted by Prof Sheena Cruickshank
trishgreenhalgh.bsky.social
Trish Greenhalgh @trishgreenhalgh.bsky.social · 1d
Well done Shafaq Aftab. When a reviewer stole her work and published it under his own name, she fought for a YEAR to get the journal to retract the paper. Just wondering why it took Wiley a YEAR to do this. 🧪 #academicsky

retractionwatch.com/2025/10/03/w...
Wiley retracts study stolen by reviewer, following Retraction Watch coverage
A Wiley journal has retracted a paper more than a year after a researcher reported the work was hers and had been stolen by a reviewer for another journal. As we reported in July, Shafaq Aftab, now…
retractionwatch.com
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Reposted by Prof Sheena Cruickshank
npr.org
NPR @npr.org · 1d
After months of layoffs and funding cuts by the Trump administration, the government shutdown has given some federal employees hope that their voices are finally being heard.
'I'm done being afraid': How the shutdown has led federal workers to speak out
After months of layoffs and funding cuts by the Trump administration, the government shutdown has given some federal employees hope that their voices are finally being heard.
n.pr
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sheencr.bsky.social
Prof Sheena Cruickshank @sheencr.bsky.social · 2d
This is quite frankly terrifying- someone who hears voices, believes in conspiracy theories like chemtrails and pseudomedicine influences decisions of the Florida surgeon general Joseph Ladapo who is himself already a vaccine skeptic ..
Guided by angels, pursued by chemtrails: the weird world of Florida health chief’s influential wife
Brianna Ladapo, the wife of Florida surgeon general Dr Joseph Ladapo, claims her husband won’t work with anyone she hasn’t vetted
www.theguardian.com
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sheencr.bsky.social
Prof Sheena Cruickshank @sheencr.bsky.social · 2d
Interesting study that looks at dynamics of B cell responses in the lymph nodes to vaccination against SarsCov2 (COVID). This shows that B cell responses are broadened in the node germinal centres enabling wider responses to variants 🧪 #ImmunoSky
Germinal center–mediated broadening of B cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 booster immunization
SARS-CoV-2 variant booster vaccination broadens human B cell responses through the germinal center reaction.
www.science.org
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sheencr.bsky.social
Prof Sheena Cruickshank @sheencr.bsky.social · 2d
Academics and university staff being put on leave because of coordinated campaigns by right wing groups accusing them of criticising Charlie Kirk. I must admit I find the hypocrisy under the current US administration re free speech utterly outrageous.
US professors facing threats, firings and harassment over Charlie Kirk posts
As many as 40 academics have been dismissed in aftermath of shooting, allegedly without due process
www.theguardian.com
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sheencr.bsky.social
Prof Sheena Cruickshank @sheencr.bsky.social · 2d
We are now in a significant COVID wave after a period of relative calm- excellent summary from @chrischirp.bsky.social
England is now experiencing a significant Covid wave, after 10 months of relative quiet
The latest Covid situation in England and a look at where NHS services are as we head into winter
open.substack.com
6 56 110
sheencr.bsky.social
Prof Sheena Cruickshank @sheencr.bsky.social · 3d
Definitely strikes me as very curious
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sheencr.bsky.social
Prof Sheena Cruickshank @sheencr.bsky.social · 3d
The attacks on vaccine access are coming from so many angles it’s hard to keep track. Kennedy has spent much of his career attacking vaccines and is using everything he learned to bit by bit reduce confidence in and access to vaccines.
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sheencr.bsky.social
Prof Sheena Cruickshank @sheencr.bsky.social · 3d
Could allegations about Tylenol increasingly being made by Kennedy and Trump come into play too? Usually the small risk of fever after MMR vaccine would treated by Tylenol which of course they accuse baselessly of driving ASD.
The Monovalent Mirage
A pretend alternative to the MMR exists, just ask Andrew Wakefield
open.substack.com
1 1 8
sheencr.bsky.social
Prof Sheena Cruickshank @sheencr.bsky.social · 3d
So in essence there is no scientific evidence supporting separate vaccines but there IS evidence supporting a combined vaccine but will that stop RFK ACIP from going against the combined vaccine?
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sheencr.bsky.social
Prof Sheena Cruickshank @sheencr.bsky.social · 3d
3. Single vaccines in USA are not even an option as they are not licensed. They would have to be licensed which is not typically a fast process.
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sheencr.bsky.social
Prof Sheena Cruickshank @sheencr.bsky.social · 3d
Furthermore more shots = more vaccination appointments and more barriers to getting vaccines. Accessibility of vaccines is an issue affecting take up. Scotland massively enhanced MMR vaccine uptake by supporting accessibility
Uptake of infant and preschool immunisations in Scotland and England during the COVID-19 pandemic | EAVE II | Usher Institute
February 2022: Research published in PLOS Medicine looks at the uptake of routine childhood vaccines in Scotland and England before, during and after COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
usher.ed.ac.uk
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sheencr.bsky.social
Prof Sheena Cruickshank @sheencr.bsky.social · 3d
Single vaccines to measles mumps and rubella have a number of issues making them inferior to MMR combined vaccine. 1. Giving individual shots is less effective at boosting immunity than a combined shot
Immunogenicity and safety of the new MMR vaccine containing measles AIK-C, rubella Takahashi, and mumps RIT4385 strains in Japanese children: a randomized phase I/II clinical trial
Domestic measles, mumps, and rubella combined (MMR) vaccines were discontinued in 1993 in Japan because of the unexpected high incidence of aseptic meningitis. The introduction of an effective MMR vac...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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sheencr.bsky.social
Prof Sheena Cruickshank @sheencr.bsky.social · 3d
Excellent op Ed about the issues with single vaccines published in response to Trumps Statement about single shots for Measles, mumps and rubella as well as CDC call for single vaccine manufacturer 🧵🧪#HealthPolicy
CIDRAP Op-Ed: Why the CDC director is wrong about the MMR vaccine
www.cidrap.umn.edu
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sheencr.bsky.social
Prof Sheena Cruickshank @sheencr.bsky.social · 3d
There is a bitter edge to this tale when you consider research like this is more pressing as climate change induced wildfires increase in intensity and frequency which will increasingly threaten our food security. However this is a small ray of hope nonetheless
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sheencr.bsky.social
Prof Sheena Cruickshank @sheencr.bsky.social · 3d
But some bacteria can metabolise the phenols from the smoke. Researchers have now identified the bacteria that can do this which could help save the wine!
Bacteria isolated from the grape phyllosphere capable of degrading guaiacol, a main volatile phenol associated with smoke taint in wine
Recent wildfires near vineyards in the Pacific United States have caused devastating financial losses due to smoke taint in wine. When wine grapes (Vitis vinifera) are exposed to wildfire smoke, their...
journals.plos.org
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sheencr.bsky.social
Prof Sheena Cruickshank @sheencr.bsky.social · 3d
Vital research that could help avoid the loss of SO much red wine. Wildfires create a lot of smoke that can taint wine grapes- during the process of fermentation this taunt intensifies giving wine a smoky ashy bitter taint making it unusable 🧪🧵
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sheencr.bsky.social
Prof Sheena Cruickshank @sheencr.bsky.social · 3d
Sorry to hear that
sheencr.bsky.social
Prof Sheena Cruickshank @sheencr.bsky.social · 3d
This is scary seeing the growing divide in trust in medicine and health dependent on who you vote for.More Republicans believe RFK allegations on Tylenol for example. Might this be linked too to media consumption and differing narratives on media n social media platforms?
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