Jessica Pickett
@pickettjessica.bsky.social
Pittsburgh-based health economist in the vaccine industry. Interested in everything; knowledgeable about demand for medical care & politics of service delivery.
Reposted by Jessica Pickett
My students asked me what I thought might turn the tide of vaccine sentiment in the US. I don't honestly know what will, or if any horrific outbreak or loss of life will make a difference. But my nightmare scenario looks something like this ... 1/
December 6, 2025 at 2:52 PM
My students asked me what I thought might turn the tide of vaccine sentiment in the US. I don't honestly know what will, or if any horrific outbreak or loss of life will make a difference. But my nightmare scenario looks something like this ... 1/
Reposted by Jessica Pickett
A lot of the history and shape of American public health is explained by civil society (professions, health care institutions, philanthropy, even payers) designing policy to circumvent governments they never trusted. Ideal? Not even close. But now, there might be something useful in that DNA.
As if it wasn’t clear long ago, it’s time to accept that the days of relying on the federal gov’t to lead vaccination work is over (for now, at least) and to focus on alternatives as if the longstanding HHS/CDC activities don’t exist. Because they don’t anymore! Time to be proactive, not reactive.
The U.S. childhood vaccine schedule is increasingly in jeopardy.
President Trump late Friday announced he has directed federal health officials to consider aligning the U.S. with other countries that recommend fewer shots. wapo.st/4atob4M
President Trump late Friday announced he has directed federal health officials to consider aligning the U.S. with other countries that recommend fewer shots. wapo.st/4atob4M
December 6, 2025 at 3:02 AM
A lot of the history and shape of American public health is explained by civil society (professions, health care institutions, philanthropy, even payers) designing policy to circumvent governments they never trusted. Ideal? Not even close. But now, there might be something useful in that DNA.
Reposted by Jessica Pickett
The cherry on top of today’s ACIP fiasco
December 6, 2025 at 2:18 AM
The cherry on top of today’s ACIP fiasco
Reposted by Jessica Pickett
“The West Coast Health Alliance (WCHA) strongly supports that hepatitis B vaccination continue to be routinely offered to all newborns…”
doh.wa.gov/newsroom/wes...
doh.wa.gov/newsroom/wes...
West Coast Health Alliance, WA DOH, and Leading National Medical Organizations Continue to Recommend Hepatitis B Vaccination for Newborns
For immediate release: December 5, 2025 (25-145) Contact: DOH Communications
doh.wa.gov
December 6, 2025 at 1:47 AM
“The West Coast Health Alliance (WCHA) strongly supports that hepatitis B vaccination continue to be routinely offered to all newborns…”
doh.wa.gov/newsroom/wes...
doh.wa.gov/newsroom/wes...
Reposted by Jessica Pickett
'Puppets on a string': ACIP chair airs independence concerns www.politico.com/news/2025/12...
CDC vaccine panel chair compares team to 'puppets on a string'
The newly appointed chair’s comments were overheard Friday during a break in the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ proceedings.
www.politico.com
December 6, 2025 at 12:51 AM
'Puppets on a string': ACIP chair airs independence concerns www.politico.com/news/2025/12...
...did Hoeg really just invoke Lysenkoism as an argument in *her* favor?!?
December 5, 2025 at 7:16 PM
...did Hoeg really just invoke Lysenkoism as an argument in *her* favor?!?
Reposted by Jessica Pickett
Annenberg survey suggests Americans trust AMA more than CDC, ie trusted experts can protect people from wing nuts
www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/americans-mo...
www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/americans-mo...
Americans More Likely to Accept Guidance from AMA than CDC on Vaccine Safety | The Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania
By a 2-1 margin, Americans would be more likely to accept guidance on vaccine safety from the AMA than the CDC, an Annenberg survey finds.
www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org
December 4, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Annenberg survey suggests Americans trust AMA more than CDC, ie trusted experts can protect people from wing nuts
www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/americans-mo...
www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/americans-mo...
Reposted by Jessica Pickett
all they know how to do is podcast
Not remotely the most important ACIP observation, but I’m struck by how they’ve transformed the setup into something that looks like an official CDC broadcast rather than an actual advisory committee meeting. (Compare to the old pre-covid setup). Better for clips/soundbites/social media, I suppose?
December 4, 2025 at 4:23 PM
all they know how to do is podcast
Reposted by Jessica Pickett
Here is Jason Goldman's beautiful, amazing takedown of the whole sham #ACIP meeting today. (2 parts) So glad he said what every expert in the field is feeling today (and all year).
December 4, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Here is Jason Goldman's beautiful, amazing takedown of the whole sham #ACIP meeting today. (2 parts) So glad he said what every expert in the field is feeling today (and all year).
People who conflate "elimination" and "eradication" of infectious disease are telling on themselves
December 4, 2025 at 1:50 PM
People who conflate "elimination" and "eradication" of infectious disease are telling on themselves
Reposted by Jessica Pickett
Chairman of Senate’s health committee with his sharpest words yet as CDC’s vaccine advisers meeting gets underway.
The question is what does Cassidy do now, beyond issue rebukes.
The question is what does Cassidy do now, beyond issue rebukes.
December 4, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Chairman of Senate’s health committee with his sharpest words yet as CDC’s vaccine advisers meeting gets underway.
The question is what does Cassidy do now, beyond issue rebukes.
The question is what does Cassidy do now, beyond issue rebukes.
Reposted by Jessica Pickett
#medsky #pedsky #idsky #immunosky #episky
I collaborated with exceptionally talented people in infectious diseases to write this Special Article about aluminum salts in childhood vaccines.
We review the evidence base for key safety concerns and offer guidance for communication with caregivers.
I collaborated with exceptionally talented people in infectious diseases to write this Special Article about aluminum salts in childhood vaccines.
We review the evidence base for key safety concerns and offer guidance for communication with caregivers.
The Role and Safety of Aluminum Adjuvants in Childhood Vaccines
Aluminum salts have been used as adjuvants in vaccines for nearly a century, enhancing the immune response to purified antigens and ensuring durable protection against serious infectious diseases. Des...
publications.aap.org
December 3, 2025 at 3:03 PM
#medsky #pedsky #idsky #immunosky #episky
I collaborated with exceptionally talented people in infectious diseases to write this Special Article about aluminum salts in childhood vaccines.
We review the evidence base for key safety concerns and offer guidance for communication with caregivers.
I collaborated with exceptionally talented people in infectious diseases to write this Special Article about aluminum salts in childhood vaccines.
We review the evidence base for key safety concerns and offer guidance for communication with caregivers.
Reposted by Jessica Pickett
At the CDC and the FDA, regulatory chaos reigns. And this is exactly what we don’t need:
Complete Regulatory Chaos
www.science.org
December 3, 2025 at 4:16 PM
At the CDC and the FDA, regulatory chaos reigns. And this is exactly what we don’t need:
Reposted by Jessica Pickett
"Credible sources suggest none—or very few—of the ACIP presentations will be delivered by CDC scientists or experts. Instead, external groups, including some with clear anti-vaccine track records, are slated to take the lead. This is highly unusual..."
open.substack.com/pub/yourloca...
open.substack.com/pub/yourloca...
What to expect from this week's U.S. vaccine meeting
Hep B, routine vaccination schedule, and a firehose of falsehoods
open.substack.com
December 3, 2025 at 4:02 PM
"Credible sources suggest none—or very few—of the ACIP presentations will be delivered by CDC scientists or experts. Instead, external groups, including some with clear anti-vaccine track records, are slated to take the lead. This is highly unusual..."
open.substack.com/pub/yourloca...
open.substack.com/pub/yourloca...
Reposted by Jessica Pickett
Prasad's leaked memo makes reckless and dangerous claims without evidence and offers a concerning glimpse into the future of vaccine regulation in the US — one that could have profound implications for both access to and the development of vaccines.
My latest for @opinion.bloomberg.com (🎁):
My latest for @opinion.bloomberg.com (🎁):
The FDA’s Leaked Covid Memo Is Reckless and Dangerous
An internal memo written by the Food and Drug Administration’s top vaccine regulator offers a concerning glimpse into the future of vaccine regulation in the US — and could have profound implications ...
www.bloomberg.com
December 3, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Prasad's leaked memo makes reckless and dangerous claims without evidence and offers a concerning glimpse into the future of vaccine regulation in the US — one that could have profound implications for both access to and the development of vaccines.
My latest for @opinion.bloomberg.com (🎁):
My latest for @opinion.bloomberg.com (🎁):
Reposted by Jessica Pickett
If new proposals detailed in an FDA memo are put into place, experts told me it would mean the end of annual flu shots. And end of most vaccines for pregnant people. And maybe the end of updates to pneumonia vaccines. And more.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/childhood-va...
www.cidrap.umn.edu/childhood-va...
FDA official proposes ‘impossible’ standards for vaccine testing that could curtail access to immunizations
www.cidrap.umn.edu
December 3, 2025 at 1:43 PM
If new proposals detailed in an FDA memo are put into place, experts told me it would mean the end of annual flu shots. And end of most vaccines for pregnant people. And maybe the end of updates to pneumonia vaccines. And more.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/childhood-va...
www.cidrap.umn.edu/childhood-va...
Reposted by Jessica Pickett
In a functional vaccine regulatory system there would be full data transparency & structured review of vax benefits & harms. That's not what we have now in the US.
👉FDA & ACIP have abandoned science for ideology. It will take many years to rebuild the regulatory infrastructure & regain public trust
👉FDA & ACIP have abandoned science for ideology. It will take many years to rebuild the regulatory infrastructure & regain public trust
When people prioritize ideology and political agendas over scientific evidence, they focus only on the side that supports their position. Case in point: Prasad's memo uses unsupported claims of dead children to justify ignoring the many benefits of COVID vaccination
Prasad's memo focuses only on the potential risks of vaccines, without considering their benefits or citing how many lives they have saved, says @angierasmussen.bsky.social. One estimate finds vaccines saved the lives of 299 children from 2020 to 2024.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/childhood-va...
www.cidrap.umn.edu/childhood-va...
December 2, 2025 at 8:51 PM
In a functional vaccine regulatory system there would be full data transparency & structured review of vax benefits & harms. That's not what we have now in the US.
👉FDA & ACIP have abandoned science for ideology. It will take many years to rebuild the regulatory infrastructure & regain public trust
👉FDA & ACIP have abandoned science for ideology. It will take many years to rebuild the regulatory infrastructure & regain public trust
In advance of this week’s ACIP meeting this new preprint modeling the impact of delaying HepB vaccines merits a close read: www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
Economic evaluation of delaying the infant hepatitis B vaccination schedule
Introduction Children who acquire hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in early childhood through perinatal, household or community exposures are at highest risk of all age groups for experiencing chroni...
www.medrxiv.org
December 2, 2025 at 2:24 PM
In advance of this week’s ACIP meeting this new preprint modeling the impact of delaying HepB vaccines merits a close read: www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Jessica Pickett
To be clear, there’s a big difference between criticizing the anti-vaccine movement & discrediting their influencers/leaders vs shaming vax-hesitant or quietly vax-refusing parents. The latter backfires/worsens the prob; the former is essential & is effective. But SciComm folks often conflate these.
A lesson I learned from living among vaccine-hesitant and anti-vax people in Autism Land: it's pointless to make vaccine-hesitant parents feel stupid. The anti-vax people make them feel smart, so that's who they'll listen to. @tarahaelle.bsky.social has been a great model.
December 1, 2025 at 11:13 PM
To be clear, there’s a big difference between criticizing the anti-vaccine movement & discrediting their influencers/leaders vs shaming vax-hesitant or quietly vax-refusing parents. The latter backfires/worsens the prob; the former is essential & is effective. But SciComm folks often conflate these.
Reposted by Jessica Pickett
Martin Kulldorff, the chair of ACIP, was just appointed chief science officer for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE).
Kirk Milhoan is the new chair of ACIP.
Kirk Milhoan is the new chair of ACIP.
December 1, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Martin Kulldorff, the chair of ACIP, was just appointed chief science officer for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE).
Kirk Milhoan is the new chair of ACIP.
Kirk Milhoan is the new chair of ACIP.
Reposted by Jessica Pickett
🚨New Paper🚨 US doctors are paid very different amounts for treating different patients—even when providing identical services.
How much less are physicians paid for treating non-White patients?
In @jamahealthforum.com, we offer the 1st national estimates. (1/7)
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
How much less are physicians paid for treating non-White patients?
In @jamahealthforum.com, we offer the 1st national estimates. (1/7)
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Payments to Physician Practices and Incentives to Serve Different Racial and Ethnic Groups
This study measures disparities across patient racial and ethnic groups in per-visit payment to physician practices from health insurers and other sources, adjusted for visit content, geographic marke...
jamanetwork.com
November 26, 2025 at 4:21 PM
🚨New Paper🚨 US doctors are paid very different amounts for treating different patients—even when providing identical services.
How much less are physicians paid for treating non-White patients?
In @jamahealthforum.com, we offer the 1st national estimates. (1/7)
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
How much less are physicians paid for treating non-White patients?
In @jamahealthforum.com, we offer the 1st national estimates. (1/7)
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Reposted by Jessica Pickett
Here's Prasad's full email, if you'd like to read it for yourself: www.washingtonpost.com/documents/30...
And I jotted down a few thoughts on my substack, including how the strategy of "asking more evidence" — which on the surface, sure, everyone wants more data — can lead to red tape.
And I jotted down a few thoughts on my substack, including how the strategy of "asking more evidence" — which on the surface, sure, everyone wants more data — can lead to red tape.
FDA's big change to how vaccines will get approved
We obtained an internal email laying out the planned shift in strategy.
dandiamond.substack.com
November 29, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Here's Prasad's full email, if you'd like to read it for yourself: www.washingtonpost.com/documents/30...
And I jotted down a few thoughts on my substack, including how the strategy of "asking more evidence" — which on the surface, sure, everyone wants more data — can lead to red tape.
And I jotted down a few thoughts on my substack, including how the strategy of "asking more evidence" — which on the surface, sure, everyone wants more data — can lead to red tape.
Reposted by Jessica Pickett
nirav shah not mincing words re: the new principle deputy director of CDC. good report from @apoorvanyt.bsky.social
🎁 www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/h...
🎁 www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/h...
November 25, 2025 at 6:50 PM
nirav shah not mincing words re: the new principle deputy director of CDC. good report from @apoorvanyt.bsky.social
🎁 www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/h...
🎁 www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/h...
Reposted by Jessica Pickett
can't believe rfk jr wants to stop me from eating red M&Ms but he'll eat *** out of an ****
November 23, 2025 at 1:49 AM
can't believe rfk jr wants to stop me from eating red M&Ms but he'll eat *** out of an ****