Aimee Cunningham
@thisisaimeec.bsky.social
I write about health and medicine for Science News https://www.sciencenews.org/
Standing in solidarity with Science News Media Guild
she/her/hers
Standing in solidarity with Science News Media Guild
she/her/hers
Pinned
If anyone would like to learn more about the history of vaccines & infectious diseases and people's stories of the 1918 flu and other epidemics, I wrote this series in 2021. Lots of historical photos and videos. May help if you need to win over a vaccine skeptic. www.sciencenews.org/century/epid...
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
Mark MacCarthy says there is little doubt that the AI investment boom is a bubble. The real questions, he says, are when will the bubble burst, how severe will the consequences be, and what should policymakers do now to prepare for the inevitable downturn.
Policymakers Have to Prepare Now for When the AI Bubble Bursts | TechPolicy.Press
Mark MacCarthy says the fear of making a mistake in industrial policy should not paralyze policymakers.
www.techpolicy.press
November 24, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Mark MacCarthy says there is little doubt that the AI investment boom is a bubble. The real questions, he says, are when will the bubble burst, how severe will the consequences be, and what should policymakers do now to prepare for the inevitable downturn.
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
Did you know?
Kids can be affected by “horizontal transmission” of Hep B without likely exposure to blood or sexual contact
Most US articles on horizontal transmission are 30 years old
Why?
The perinatal dose of the Hep B vaccine — These cases declined after it was recommended by ACIP in 1991
Kids can be affected by “horizontal transmission” of Hep B without likely exposure to blood or sexual contact
Most US articles on horizontal transmission are 30 years old
Why?
The perinatal dose of the Hep B vaccine — These cases declined after it was recommended by ACIP in 1991
Horizontal transmission of hepatitis B virus infection to United States-born children of Hmong refugees - PubMed
There is evidence that hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission continues among Southeast Asian refugees after resettlement. To determine the prevalence of HBV infection (hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg] positive or core antibody positive) and modes of transmission in Hmong refugee households in Wisc …
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
November 23, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Did you know?
Kids can be affected by “horizontal transmission” of Hep B without likely exposure to blood or sexual contact
Most US articles on horizontal transmission are 30 years old
Why?
The perinatal dose of the Hep B vaccine — These cases declined after it was recommended by ACIP in 1991
Kids can be affected by “horizontal transmission” of Hep B without likely exposure to blood or sexual contact
Most US articles on horizontal transmission are 30 years old
Why?
The perinatal dose of the Hep B vaccine — These cases declined after it was recommended by ACIP in 1991
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
As families gather for the holidays, it’s easier for contagious viruses to spread, putting vulnerable groups at risk. Thankfully, widespread vaccination prevents these diseases from spreading and keeps everyone healthy. Learn more. www.healthychildren.org/English/safe...
November 24, 2025 at 6:07 PM
As families gather for the holidays, it’s easier for contagious viruses to spread, putting vulnerable groups at risk. Thankfully, widespread vaccination prevents these diseases from spreading and keeps everyone healthy. Learn more. www.healthychildren.org/English/safe...
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
From CDC:
"As of November 18, 2025, we estimate that COVID-19 infections are growing or likely growing in 19 states..."
"As of November 18, 2025, we estimate that Influenza infections are growing or likely growing in 42 states..."
www.cdc.gov/cfa-modeling....
"As of November 18, 2025, we estimate that COVID-19 infections are growing or likely growing in 19 states..."
"As of November 18, 2025, we estimate that Influenza infections are growing or likely growing in 42 states..."
www.cdc.gov/cfa-modeling....
November 24, 2025 at 1:40 PM
From CDC:
"As of November 18, 2025, we estimate that COVID-19 infections are growing or likely growing in 19 states..."
"As of November 18, 2025, we estimate that Influenza infections are growing or likely growing in 42 states..."
www.cdc.gov/cfa-modeling....
"As of November 18, 2025, we estimate that COVID-19 infections are growing or likely growing in 19 states..."
"As of November 18, 2025, we estimate that Influenza infections are growing or likely growing in 42 states..."
www.cdc.gov/cfa-modeling....
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
We really do want to know: What health issues are affecting people in your life? Have you seen anyone working on inspiring solutions?
Fill out this survey to tell us more:
Fill out this survey to tell us more:
We're launching a health equity beat!
The 51st is planning to publish more reporting on the health issues that matter most to D.C. residents. To do that, we want to hear from you. What health issues are affecting people in your life?…
forms.gle
November 24, 2025 at 1:54 PM
We really do want to know: What health issues are affecting people in your life? Have you seen anyone working on inspiring solutions?
Fill out this survey to tell us more:
Fill out this survey to tell us more:
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
What D.C. health stories should we report on?
We're launching a dedicated beat — with support from @abigailhiggins.bsky.social's fellowship at the Georgetown-Howard Center for Medical Humanities and Health Justice.
We're launching a dedicated beat — with support from @abigailhiggins.bsky.social's fellowship at the Georgetown-Howard Center for Medical Humanities and Health Justice.
We’re launching a health equity beat
We want to hear from you: What D.C. health stories should we tell?
51st.news
November 24, 2025 at 1:54 PM
What D.C. health stories should we report on?
We're launching a dedicated beat — with support from @abigailhiggins.bsky.social's fellowship at the Georgetown-Howard Center for Medical Humanities and Health Justice.
We're launching a dedicated beat — with support from @abigailhiggins.bsky.social's fellowship at the Georgetown-Howard Center for Medical Humanities and Health Justice.
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
November 23, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
"What necessary perspectives do we lose, and what questions go unasked and unanswered, when Black journalists are among the first to be seen as disposable on a masthead?" www.refinery29.com/en-us/black-...
Where Have All The Black Journalists Gone?
In the wake of the Teen Vogue layoffs and the rollback of DEI initiatives in media, we have to ask: what necessary perspectives do we lose, and what questions go unasked and unanswered, when Black jou...
www.refinery29.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:03 PM
"What necessary perspectives do we lose, and what questions go unasked and unanswered, when Black journalists are among the first to be seen as disposable on a masthead?" www.refinery29.com/en-us/black-...
Due to a faulty cholesterol processing system, people with familial hypercholesterolemia have elevated "bad" cholesterol soon after birth and a high risk of heart disease. The drug enlicitide, which works differently than statins, reduced cholesterol in a clinical trial in adults with the disorder.
A new cholesterol-lowering pill shows promise in clinical trials
The drug enlicitide reduced cholesterol for adults with high levels due to an inherited disorder and may also work for a broader population.
www.sciencenews.org
November 21, 2025 at 12:09 AM
Due to a faulty cholesterol processing system, people with familial hypercholesterolemia have elevated "bad" cholesterol soon after birth and a high risk of heart disease. The drug enlicitide, which works differently than statins, reduced cholesterol in a clinical trial in adults with the disorder.
"[T]he Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is promoting the outdated, disproven idea that vaccines cause autism. Medical researchers across the globe have spent more than 25 years thoroughly studying this claim. All have come to the same conclusion: Vaccines are not linked to autism."
Statement from Leading Medical, Health and Patient Advocacy Groups on CDC Autism Website Changes
www.aap.org
November 21, 2025 at 12:01 AM
"[T]he Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is promoting the outdated, disproven idea that vaccines cause autism. Medical researchers across the globe have spent more than 25 years thoroughly studying this claim. All have come to the same conclusion: Vaccines are not linked to autism."
Oxygen runs out quickly for a person buried in an avalanche. A safety device that channels air to the face may extend survival and increase the chance of a successful rescue. To test, people in a clinical trial were buried face-down under about a foot and a half of snow at a field site in Italy.
Volunteers agreed to be buried face-down in the snow, for science
A safety device helped maintain a buried person’s oxygen levels for up to 35 minutes, tests show, buying crucial time for an avalanche rescue.
www.sciencenews.org
November 20, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Oxygen runs out quickly for a person buried in an avalanche. A safety device that channels air to the face may extend survival and increase the chance of a successful rescue. To test, people in a clinical trial were buried face-down under about a foot and a half of snow at a field site in Italy.
As the Trump administration chips away at the childhood vaccine schedule, the US risks a return to the days when infectious diseases regularly hospitalized children & needlessly cut short young lives. Areas with low vaccination spur outbreaks, threatening the health of all. There is so much to lose.
Limiting childhood vaccines puts everyone's health at risk
Recent U.S. decisions about vaccines signal bigger changes to come that could threaten the foundation of the national childhood immunization schedule.
www.sciencenews.org
November 20, 2025 at 4:19 PM
As the Trump administration chips away at the childhood vaccine schedule, the US risks a return to the days when infectious diseases regularly hospitalized children & needlessly cut short young lives. Areas with low vaccination spur outbreaks, threatening the health of all. There is so much to lose.
Flu vaccines that take a page from the COVID-19 vaccine platform are making progress. In a clinical trial, Pfizer’s mRNA flu vaccine outperformed a traditional vaccine, reported in the Nov. 20 New England Journal of Medicine. Moderna announced promising results for its mRNA flu vaccine this summer.
mRNA flu vaccines are making their way through clinical trials
The mRNA platform offers the advantage of faster vaccine production, which could allow more time to decide on which flu strains to cover.
www.sciencenews.org
November 20, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Flu vaccines that take a page from the COVID-19 vaccine platform are making progress. In a clinical trial, Pfizer’s mRNA flu vaccine outperformed a traditional vaccine, reported in the Nov. 20 New England Journal of Medicine. Moderna announced promising results for its mRNA flu vaccine this summer.
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
Questions about vaccines and autism have been around for a while, despite multiple scientific studies that do not show a connection.
Read how a retracted study from the 1990s undermined trust in vaccines and why vaccines don't cause autism.
Read how a retracted study from the 1990s undermined trust in vaccines and why vaccines don't cause autism.
Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
How a retracted study from the 1990s led to a persistent myth about vaccines.
publichealth.jhu.edu
November 20, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Questions about vaccines and autism have been around for a while, despite multiple scientific studies that do not show a connection.
Read how a retracted study from the 1990s undermined trust in vaccines and why vaccines don't cause autism.
Read how a retracted study from the 1990s undermined trust in vaccines and why vaccines don't cause autism.
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
This is the first story I ever did that got more than a million views
November 19, 2025 at 5:16 PM
This is the first story I ever did that got more than a million views
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
NEW:
In 2024, Tierra Walker was sick and getting sicker. She was also pregnant.
She knew abortion was illegal in Texas, but thought there was an exception for women like her, whose health was at risk. Doctors told her there was no emergency.
Then she died.
www.propublica.org/article/texa...
In 2024, Tierra Walker was sick and getting sicker. She was also pregnant.
She knew abortion was illegal in Texas, but thought there was an exception for women like her, whose health was at risk. Doctors told her there was no emergency.
Then she died.
www.propublica.org/article/texa...
“Ticking Time Bomb”: A Pregnant Mother Kept Getting Sicker. She Died After She Couldn’t Get an Abortion in Texas.
Walker is one of several women ProPublica found with underlying health conditions who died when they couldn’t access abortions.
www.propublica.org
November 19, 2025 at 11:08 AM
NEW:
In 2024, Tierra Walker was sick and getting sicker. She was also pregnant.
She knew abortion was illegal in Texas, but thought there was an exception for women like her, whose health was at risk. Doctors told her there was no emergency.
Then she died.
www.propublica.org/article/texa...
In 2024, Tierra Walker was sick and getting sicker. She was also pregnant.
She knew abortion was illegal in Texas, but thought there was an exception for women like her, whose health was at risk. Doctors told her there was no emergency.
Then she died.
www.propublica.org/article/texa...
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
Insect-eating bird populations in France appear to be making a tentative recovery after a ban on bee-harming pesticides.
France’s population of insect-eating birds has increased by 2%-3% after the European Union banned neonicotinoids in fields in 2018.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
France’s population of insect-eating birds has increased by 2%-3% after the European Union banned neonicotinoids in fields in 2018.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
France’s birds start to show signs of recovery after bee-harming pesticide ban
Analysis shows small hike in populations of insect-eating species after 2018 ruling, but full recovery may take decades
www.theguardian.com
November 17, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Insect-eating bird populations in France appear to be making a tentative recovery after a ban on bee-harming pesticides.
France’s population of insect-eating birds has increased by 2%-3% after the European Union banned neonicotinoids in fields in 2018.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
France’s population of insect-eating birds has increased by 2%-3% after the European Union banned neonicotinoids in fields in 2018.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
On this day in 1960, 6-year-old Ruby Bridges integrated William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, escorted by federal marshals. A white mob protested her arrival, screaming slurs.
Nov. 14, 1960 | Six-Year-Old Ruby Bridges Integrates Elementary School Amidst Riots
Learn more about our history of racial injustice.
calendar.eji.org
November 14, 2025 at 2:01 PM
On this day in 1960, 6-year-old Ruby Bridges integrated William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, escorted by federal marshals. A white mob protested her arrival, screaming slurs.
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
This would hurt access to care, public health etc—not to mention these are degrees/careers largely pursued by women.
This is designed to tank public health & primary care by excluding public health professions, advanced nursing practice, physical & occupational therapy from loans that can cover the cost of education. This is going to make an existing workforce crisis worse.
aspph.org/department-o...
aspph.org/department-o...
Department of Education Proposal Excludes Public Health Degrees from “Professional Degree” Definition
Discover the new results and implications of Dept of Ed consensus regarding professional degree programs and public health education.
aspph.org
November 14, 2025 at 1:43 PM
This would hurt access to care, public health etc—not to mention these are degrees/careers largely pursued by women.
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
Very sick of organizations that claim to believe in (and raise money off of!) gender equality adopting policies that exacerbate the issue.
Return-To-Office Mandates Are The New Glass Ceiling
Return-to-office mandates are widening the gender pay gap. Learn how flexible, inclusive workplace policies can help companies close it, and retain top female talent.
www.forbes.com
November 13, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Very sick of organizations that claim to believe in (and raise money off of!) gender equality adopting policies that exacerbate the issue.
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
The Starbucks strike is open-ended and workers are prepared to stay on strike for a while. They're asking consumers not to buy Starbucks while they're striking so don't cross the picket line! bsky.app/profile/sbwo...
As of this morning, Starbucks workers across the country are officially ON STRIKE. And we're prepared for this to become the biggest and longest ULP strike in Starbucks history.
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
November 13, 2025 at 1:54 PM
The Starbucks strike is open-ended and workers are prepared to stay on strike for a while. They're asking consumers not to buy Starbucks while they're striking so don't cross the picket line! bsky.app/profile/sbwo...
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
Starbucks workers are on strike in 40 cities today. The coffee shop union movement they helped inspire is now everywhere: www.bonappetit.com/story/barist...
America's Baristas Are Brewing Up a Labor Movement
From union victories at local coffee institutions to the campaigns at giants like Starbucks, this grassroots movement is fundamentally reshaping the service industry.
www.bonappetit.com
November 13, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Starbucks workers are on strike in 40 cities today. The coffee shop union movement they helped inspire is now everywhere: www.bonappetit.com/story/barist...
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
"She tells of a student who kept trying to save her meal to carry home, because she didn’t have anything to eat there. Seiber-Garland and her staff found a way to provide her with a second meal for the evening."
All Praise to the Lunch Ladies — THE BITTER SOUTHERNER
Blessed are the women who watch over America’s children.
bittersoutherner.com
November 12, 2025 at 2:02 PM
"She tells of a student who kept trying to save her meal to carry home, because she didn’t have anything to eat there. Seiber-Garland and her staff found a way to provide her with a second meal for the evening."
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
Attendance has dropped at Chicago schools in communities with increased immigration enforcement.
Chalkbeat reports: blockclubchi.co/43hlTBr
Chalkbeat reports: blockclubchi.co/43hlTBr
November 7, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Attendance has dropped at Chicago schools in communities with increased immigration enforcement.
Chalkbeat reports: blockclubchi.co/43hlTBr
Chalkbeat reports: blockclubchi.co/43hlTBr
Reposted by Aimee Cunningham
Australia has so much electricity from solar power that it is going to start offering free electricity to everyone for at least three hours during the day as the wholesale price of power goes negative
electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...
electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...
Australia has so much solar that it's offering everyone free electricity
Australia's extensive solar power penetration makes so much energy that the government wants to offer free electricity at peak hours.
electrek.co
November 6, 2025 at 4:58 AM
Australia has so much electricity from solar power that it is going to start offering free electricity to everyone for at least three hours during the day as the wholesale price of power goes negative
electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...
electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...