Bill Hanage
@billhanage.bsky.social
Refugee from Twix. Arsenal fan and Professor of Epidemiology at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. Opinions my own.
Superb take on the UK govt’s pandemic response and what it signifies for politics in an emergency. It chimes with a lot of my own recollections and knowledge of expert discussions at the time. But I did not realise @rory-stewart.bsky.social had been such an advocate for a more sensible policy
Ignored warnings. Optimism bias. Chaos behind closed doors.🚪🤫
@rory-stewart.bsky.social reveals what was going on inside government during COVID.
New episode out now - link in the replies 👇
@rory-stewart.bsky.social reveals what was going on inside government during COVID.
New episode out now - link in the replies 👇
November 22, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Superb take on the UK govt’s pandemic response and what it signifies for politics in an emergency. It chimes with a lot of my own recollections and knowledge of expert discussions at the time. But I did not realise @rory-stewart.bsky.social had been such an advocate for a more sensible policy
After Canada now the US is on course to lose measles elimination status. The TX outbreak that started in jan this year has spread to AZ and UT with evidence of multiple transmission chains, some of which have not been chased down so there may well be more. 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 11:35 PM
After Canada now the US is on course to lose measles elimination status. The TX outbreak that started in jan this year has spread to AZ and UT with evidence of multiple transmission chains, some of which have not been chased down so there may well be more. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/h...
This, from @maciekboni.bsky.social, is a sobering reminder of just how bad things were five years ago.
But it’s also five years since we got the trial results which signposted a way out of the nightmare. Warp speed was a huge success and we should not forget
maciekboni.substack.com/p/covids-lea...
But it’s also five years since we got the trial results which signposted a way out of the nightmare. Warp speed was a huge success and we should not forget
maciekboni.substack.com/p/covids-lea...
COVID’s leadership failures
Two moments that were too big for us, and the unfixable chain of mistakes that was set off after November 2020
maciekboni.substack.com
November 9, 2025 at 2:52 PM
This, from @maciekboni.bsky.social, is a sobering reminder of just how bad things were five years ago.
But it’s also five years since we got the trial results which signposted a way out of the nightmare. Warp speed was a huge success and we should not forget
maciekboni.substack.com/p/covids-lea...
But it’s also five years since we got the trial results which signposted a way out of the nightmare. Warp speed was a huge success and we should not forget
maciekboni.substack.com/p/covids-lea...
I never bothered reading The Tipping Point because my BS detector was off the chart. Sounds like that was the right choice
What happened when I dug into some of the key studies and ideas quoted in The Tipping Point and its sequel… kucharski.substack.com/p/the-real-r...
November 9, 2025 at 2:02 PM
I never bothered reading The Tipping Point because my BS detector was off the chart. Sounds like that was the right choice
Willing to bet that the images made with AI now will in a few years look as convincing as the special effects in Star Trek (the original)
If they’re lucky
If they’re lucky
October 20, 2025 at 4:18 AM
Willing to bet that the images made with AI now will in a few years look as convincing as the special effects in Star Trek (the original)
If they’re lucky
If they’re lucky
I’m reading Moby Dick, and I keeps hearing Ishmael as laszlo from what we do in the shadows and a) can’t stop and b) wonder if this was always intended
October 11, 2025 at 3:39 AM
I’m reading Moby Dick, and I keeps hearing Ishmael as laszlo from what we do in the shadows and a) can’t stop and b) wonder if this was always intended
Reposted by Bill Hanage
open.substack.com/pub/pauloffi...
In the midst of a measles epidemic that killed 3 people, RFK Jr. reminds us that vaccines don't save lives.
In the midst of a measles epidemic that killed 3 people, RFK Jr. reminds us that vaccines don't save lives.
RFK Jr.: “Vaccines Don’t Save Lives”
In a recent post on X, RFK Jr. said that vaccines are overrated.
open.substack.com
October 7, 2025 at 11:04 AM
open.substack.com/pub/pauloffi...
In the midst of a measles epidemic that killed 3 people, RFK Jr. reminds us that vaccines don't save lives.
In the midst of a measles epidemic that killed 3 people, RFK Jr. reminds us that vaccines don't save lives.
“It’s hard to explain how the Secretary can think that the President deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for this, while at the same time believing that these vaccines are the most harmful that have ever been made”
Me on mRNA vaccines
hsph.harvard.edu/news/slashin...
Me on mRNA vaccines
hsph.harvard.edu/news/slashin...
Slashing of funding for mRNA vaccine development raises concern | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
In August, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) cancelled nearly $500 million in contracts that funded mRNA vaccine development. The mRNA
hsph.harvard.edu
September 26, 2025 at 1:05 PM
“It’s hard to explain how the Secretary can think that the President deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for this, while at the same time believing that these vaccines are the most harmful that have ever been made”
Me on mRNA vaccines
hsph.harvard.edu/news/slashin...
Me on mRNA vaccines
hsph.harvard.edu/news/slashin...
Reposted by Bill Hanage
This is the official communication from the FDA to physicians on acetaminophen use in pregnancy.
- They acknowledge the lack of a causal link with autism
- Essentially tell physicians to keep doing what we've been doing anyway
It's very different from the press conference.
Pass it on.
- They acknowledge the lack of a causal link with autism
- Essentially tell physicians to keep doing what we've been doing anyway
It's very different from the press conference.
Pass it on.
September 25, 2025 at 1:59 PM
This is the official communication from the FDA to physicians on acetaminophen use in pregnancy.
- They acknowledge the lack of a causal link with autism
- Essentially tell physicians to keep doing what we've been doing anyway
It's very different from the press conference.
Pass it on.
- They acknowledge the lack of a causal link with autism
- Essentially tell physicians to keep doing what we've been doing anyway
It's very different from the press conference.
Pass it on.
Reposted by Bill Hanage
My understanding is that the situation for H1B visa holders outside the US today is urgent: if a current H-1B holder seeks entry into the U.S. after 12:01 a.m. EDT on September 21, 2025, it is too late to avoid the fee—entry will be restricted without the newly-imposed $100,000 employer payment.
September 20, 2025 at 2:44 PM
My understanding is that the situation for H1B visa holders outside the US today is urgent: if a current H-1B holder seeks entry into the U.S. after 12:01 a.m. EDT on September 21, 2025, it is too late to avoid the fee—entry will be restricted without the newly-imposed $100,000 employer payment.
There have been some… extensive changes to this web page. This thread will include resources to help understand them cdc.gov/about/cdc/in... 1/2
About CDC
CDC serves the American public who rely on accurate data, health guidance, and preventive measures
cdc.gov
September 17, 2025 at 8:21 PM
There have been some… extensive changes to this web page. This thread will include resources to help understand them cdc.gov/about/cdc/in... 1/2
Crikey atomic mass is a hard concept to explain
September 15, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Crikey atomic mass is a hard concept to explain
Reposted by Bill Hanage
“If a new pandemic began today, mRNA vaccines are currently the only type of vaccine that could be developed quickly enough to disrupt its spread”
www.cnn.com/2025/09/10/h...
www.cnn.com/2025/09/10/h...
How RFK Jr.’s misguided science on mRNA vaccines is shaping policy − a vaccine expert examines the false claims | CNN
At a Sept. 4, 2025, hearing before the Senate Finance Committee, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced heated questions from numerous senators about his vaccine policies, inc...
www.cnn.com
September 11, 2025 at 9:08 AM
“If a new pandemic began today, mRNA vaccines are currently the only type of vaccine that could be developed quickly enough to disrupt its spread”
www.cnn.com/2025/09/10/h...
www.cnn.com/2025/09/10/h...
Recently we published a report describing what I *think* is the longest known continuous case of Covid-19 to date.
For some reason I've not found time to post about it. While I get around to doing so you can read a summary here 👇
www.contagionlive.com/view/persist...
For some reason I've not found time to post about it. While I get around to doing so you can read a summary here 👇
www.contagionlive.com/view/persist...
Persistent SARS-CoV-2 Infection Lasting Over 750 Days Documented in Person With HIV
William Hanage, PhD, discusses viral evolution, transmission risk, and clinical implications for immunocompromised patients.
www.contagionlive.com
September 12, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Recently we published a report describing what I *think* is the longest known continuous case of Covid-19 to date.
For some reason I've not found time to post about it. While I get around to doing so you can read a summary here 👇
www.contagionlive.com/view/persist...
For some reason I've not found time to post about it. While I get around to doing so you can read a summary here 👇
www.contagionlive.com/view/persist...
This astonishing feat has been dismissed across the political spectrum
Some are upset about things the administration did/did not do
Warp speed still delivered and deserves recognition
Others applaud things the administration did/did not do
Warp speed still delivered and deserves recognition
Some are upset about things the administration did/did not do
Warp speed still delivered and deserves recognition
Others applaud things the administration did/did not do
Warp speed still delivered and deserves recognition
Operation Warp Speed was arguably one of the most successful policy initiatives in recent history, accelerating vaccine delivery that saved millions of lives.
It’s remarkable to see some now urging the leaders who backed it to disown the achievement.
It’s remarkable to see some now urging the leaders who backed it to disown the achievement.
September 9, 2025 at 1:38 AM
This astonishing feat has been dismissed across the political spectrum
Some are upset about things the administration did/did not do
Warp speed still delivered and deserves recognition
Others applaud things the administration did/did not do
Warp speed still delivered and deserves recognition
Some are upset about things the administration did/did not do
Warp speed still delivered and deserves recognition
Others applaud things the administration did/did not do
Warp speed still delivered and deserves recognition
Imagine doing something that saved quite literally millions of lives
That’s a summary of Operation Warp Speed, started under the first Trump Administration. And everyone involved including the president should be proud
Vaccines don’t care how you vote
That’s a summary of Operation Warp Speed, started under the first Trump Administration. And everyone involved including the president should be proud
Vaccines don’t care how you vote
Operation Warp Speed was arguably one of the most successful policy initiatives in recent history, accelerating vaccine delivery that saved millions of lives.
It’s remarkable to see some now urging the leaders who backed it to disown the achievement.
It’s remarkable to see some now urging the leaders who backed it to disown the achievement.
September 8, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Imagine doing something that saved quite literally millions of lives
That’s a summary of Operation Warp Speed, started under the first Trump Administration. And everyone involved including the president should be proud
Vaccines don’t care how you vote
That’s a summary of Operation Warp Speed, started under the first Trump Administration. And everyone involved including the president should be proud
Vaccines don’t care how you vote
Reposted by Bill Hanage
Operation Warp Speed was arguably one of the most successful policy initiatives in recent history, accelerating vaccine delivery that saved millions of lives.
It’s remarkable to see some now urging the leaders who backed it to disown the achievement.
It’s remarkable to see some now urging the leaders who backed it to disown the achievement.
September 8, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Operation Warp Speed was arguably one of the most successful policy initiatives in recent history, accelerating vaccine delivery that saved millions of lives.
It’s remarkable to see some now urging the leaders who backed it to disown the achievement.
It’s remarkable to see some now urging the leaders who backed it to disown the achievement.
Well who’da thunk it?
September 8, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Well who’da thunk it?
Discussions grounded in science and clear that pandemic response involves hard choices, are a vital part of how we *should* respond to Covid. Even if they are thin on the ground right now
Thanks to Braver Angels & David Zweig for engaging in this debate on the primary effects of the first year of the pandemic (540,000 deaths), the secondary effects (one year of learning loss for kids, unemployment, isolation), and things that we did right and wrong 1/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=59Gg...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=59Gg...
A COVID Pandemic Policy Conversation
YouTube video by Braver Angels
www.youtube.com
September 8, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Discussions grounded in science and clear that pandemic response involves hard choices, are a vital part of how we *should* respond to Covid. Even if they are thin on the ground right now
Reposted by Bill Hanage
Thanks to Braver Angels & David Zweig for engaging in this debate on the primary effects of the first year of the pandemic (540,000 deaths), the secondary effects (one year of learning loss for kids, unemployment, isolation), and things that we did right and wrong 1/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=59Gg...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=59Gg...
A COVID Pandemic Policy Conversation
YouTube video by Braver Angels
www.youtube.com
September 8, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Thanks to Braver Angels & David Zweig for engaging in this debate on the primary effects of the first year of the pandemic (540,000 deaths), the secondary effects (one year of learning loss for kids, unemployment, isolation), and things that we did right and wrong 1/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=59Gg...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=59Gg...
Excellent primer on Tylenol (acetaminophen/paracetamol) in pregnancy from @jeremyfaust.bsky.social which just happens to quote me insidemedicine.substack.com/p/tylenol-ha...
Tylenol has entered the chat: RFK Jr. wants to link it to autism, even though the best evidence says otherwise.
It's not pseudoscience. But it's not settled either, nor is it "safe" to assume otherwise.
insidemedicine.substack.com
September 8, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Excellent primer on Tylenol (acetaminophen/paracetamol) in pregnancy from @jeremyfaust.bsky.social which just happens to quote me insidemedicine.substack.com/p/tylenol-ha...
Key “His supporters don’t trust the agencies he oversees, and his detractors don’t trust him.”
Public Health is certainly a political issue - it is about how much we invest in human lives and wellbeing, so how could it not be?
But it should never be *politicized*
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/u...
Public Health is certainly a political issue - it is about how much we invest in human lives and wellbeing, so how could it not be?
But it should never be *politicized*
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/u...
Kennedy, Rejecting Data, Fuels Distrust of His Own Agencies
www.nytimes.com
September 8, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Key “His supporters don’t trust the agencies he oversees, and his detractors don’t trust him.”
Public Health is certainly a political issue - it is about how much we invest in human lives and wellbeing, so how could it not be?
But it should never be *politicized*
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/u...
Public Health is certainly a political issue - it is about how much we invest in human lives and wellbeing, so how could it not be?
But it should never be *politicized*
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/u...
And we certainly know that millions of lives have been *saved* by the very vaccines that the Secretary has singled out for attack
Psaki: "What Secretary Kennedy means when he says that nobody knows how many Americans died of Covid is not actually that nobody knows. People know. What he means is that he does not like the data."
September 5, 2025 at 12:21 PM
And we certainly know that millions of lives have been *saved* by the very vaccines that the Secretary has singled out for attack
Reposted by Bill Hanage
"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." - Philip K. Dick
September 5, 2025 at 12:37 AM
"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." - Philip K. Dick