Birthday Reflections from a Winter Solstice Baby

Many thoughts as I begin another year around the sun

Yesterday I celebrated my birthday.

Yes, I am a Winter Solstice Baby. They say individuals born on the winter solstice are catalysts for the sun’s return. Winter solstice babies have been called “a ball of sunshine.” According to astrologists and mythologists, winter solstice babies will thrive when challenged, are hardworking, persistent, loyal, and sensitive, and can be mischievous, we like to stir things up.

(These points will become relevant as you read on…)

Yesterday I spent some time reflecting on the past year.

Highlights from my previous trip around the sun include —

Hiking to the top of Cadillac Mountain.

Photo credit goes to my youngest kid, who loves a good panoramic picture. We — three generations — hiked to the top of Cadillac Mountain. At the top, we ate whoopie pies and gummy lobsters and enjoyed the breathtaking views.

Experiencing the Solar Eclipse. Truth be told… I did not have high expectations for the eclipse, but our entire town caught eclipse fever. There were t-shirts to buy, parties to attend, and even a special yoga class. The eclipse (which I viewed from the top of a parking garage) was magical; all of my expectations were exceeded. The three minutes of totality that we experienced were mesmerizing. It is an experience I will never forget.

Solar Eclipse -- April 2024, Meadville PA

During the past year, I have also read some great books. I highly recommend — Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (who is one of my all-time favorite authors), The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese (who is the best!), Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder, and The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher.

And as great as the past year was personally,

It was also hard professionally.

Specifically, the results of the Presidential Election.

Someone asked me why I was so upset following the election. My response was simple…

“I am worried that my profession will be erased over the next four years.”

And I didn’t mean I was concerned that I would lose my job.

I meant I was worried that public health, preventive medicine, science-informed decisions/policies, and data-informed health information would be erased.

And we are already seeing my fear become a reality…

As I’ve written about before, RFK Jr becoming Secretary of Health & Human Services is a threat to my health, and yours. It will endanger generations to come, and we will likely see a resurgence of diseases long since forgotten. And an upswell of pseudo-science measures aimed at preventing chronic diseases, like cancer, that will not work. We will delay the development of cancer vaccines and stall important research that is currently underway.

I’m not just upset. I’m fearful for your health and mine. And for all of the children.

We are already seeing the erasure of public health, even before President-elect Trump’s inauguration.

In September, the Surgeon General in Florida (who will likely get a high-ranking federal post), released a guidance document to healthcare providers in the state questioning the safety and effectiveness of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccines. The same vaccines that we have been monitoring, testing, and researching for the past four years. The same vaccines that have been shown time and time again to be safe and effective. The same vaccines that are saving lives. And yet, in Florida, all epidemiological and medical evidence is being ignored and healthcare providers are being told to not administer the vaccines.

Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert, told NBC News —

“The Florida surgeon general's guidance is unnecessarily alarming people about the Covid vaccines. It's just such a dangerous game he plays. You only have a roughly 1,000 times greater likelihood of dying [from Covid] if you're over 65 than if you're under 18. The mRNA vaccines are remarkably safe.”

And then in November, a regional health department in Idaho was banned from providing COVID vaccines to residents (the Board of Health voted to approve the ban). (We believe) This is the first time a governmental body (the Board of Health) blocked the distribution and administration of vaccines by a department of health. The decision has resulted in residents in six counties being unable to access vaccines from the public health department.

Yes, you read that right.

The health department has been blocked from administering vaccines.

While vaccines are still available at pharmacies, individuals without health insurance and those who are homeless or homebound, and are served by the department of health no longer have access to COVID vaccines.

The Telegraph summarized it best —

“The decision by the Idaho regional board will likely give ammunition to vaccine-sceptics and anti-vaxxers who pushed against the rollout of the vaccines in the US. It is likely that other public health boards could follow suit.”

And as if that were not enough, just this week the Louisana Department of Health issued a new policy — one that is not written but official nevertheless —

“Advertising or otherwise promoting the COVID, influenza or mpox vaccines… must stop.”

Yes, you read that correctly — health department employees in Louisana have been told that they cannot issue press releases, give interviews, hold vaccine events, give presentations, or create social media posts encouraging the public to get vaccinated. They are NOT allowed to put up signs in Department of Health clinics that vaccines are available on site.

According to NPR,

“Staff at Louisiana's health department fear the new policy undermines their efforts to protect the public, and violates the fundamental mission of public health: to prevent illness and disease by following the science.”

NPR further reports —

The policy is akin to "malpractice," especially given Louisiana's poor health outcomes, said Dr. Georges Benjamin, the executive director of the American Public Health Association (APHA).

The U.S. vaccination program represents "one of the most important public health interventions that we have," Benjamin added.

"It's reckless," said Lawrence Gostin, a professor of global health law at Georgetown University. "I think it's a sign of what is about to happen under the second Trump administration."

If U.S. senators confirm Kennedy to run HHS, he said, "we're going to see the fomenting of public distrust of vaccines so we lose precious herd immunity, and we're going to see major outbreaks of disease that are fully preventable over the next four years."

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For (nearly) four years, I have been writing updates here at Epi(demiology) Matters and while that will continue — I’ve made my commitments — I’m going to tap into my inner winter solstice…

As I begin my next year around the sun I am committed to —

And I am going to work hard and with sensitivity to preserve all that is good about public health and to push the field to be better (better at communicating, better at listening, better at responding, better at building community — to name a few things).

I want to be a source of knowledge and care in the unhealthy times that are to come.

I am also going to tap into the mischievous side of my winter solstice self — I am not going to shy away from difficult topics. Nor am I going to ignore when misinformation is shared or new policies are put into place that are going to harm you, your friends and families, and your communities.

While my public health colleagues in Idaho, Louisana, and Florida are unable to do their life-saving work — I am going to pick up the slack.

This new year is going to be one for the ages.

The work ahead of all of us is going to be challenging.

But our lives and the lives of our children and our children’s children depend on us working hard during these next few years.

This new year is the time to SHINE BRIGHT.

I will wrap up this birthday post with a poem that was shared yesterday at yoga and again on social media. It is inspiring me at this moment —

It happens in a moment—
this tiny, imperceptible turning
when all at once the night
ceases its imperial advance
and the next morning promises
to dawn just a sigh earlier
than the one before.

The world still goes on dying
around it, and trying to keep itself alive.
This is not yet the spring.

But huddled in their dens,
their nests, their thick forest groves,
the creatures of the world
put all their wordless faith in this
quiet shift, dreaming songs of hope
that maybe, even now,
it’s already happened.

By James A. Person

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May we all read, feel, and embody the quiet shifts and songs of hope.

Spring will come…

Hoping this post helps to educate and empower you
to be healthy and create healthy communities.

xoxo,
Becky, a winter solstice baby

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Epi(demiology) Matters is written by Dr. Becky Dawson, PhD MPH — an epidemiologist, teacher, mom, wife, and dedicated yogi. She is a tenured professor at Allegheny College, Research Director at a community hospital, and an exclusive contributor (all things health & medicine) at Erie News Now (NBC/CBS). Her goal is to create healthy communities for all. She writes Epi Matters — first & foremost because epidemiology does matter (to all of us) and she hopes that each post will help to educate and empower readers to be healthy and create healthy communities.

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