Can I Ask You a Question?
Three Things Thursday
Three Things Thursday highlights three things I am paying attention to as an epidemiologist each week. Over the past seven days, the number of (diagnosed) measles cases has risen to 1,544, a record high since the United States eliminated the disease in 2000. There are currently outbreaks of measles in Minnesota and Chicago. There is real fear that measles could once again reestablish itself in the US, becoming endemic (aka consistently present).
In the midst of health chaos at the federal level, here in Pennsylvania, there is (some) good news. Yesterday, Governor Shapiro signed an executive order that will create state-based vaccine programs, guidance, and regulatory rules for vaccines.
According to Governor Shapiro —
“I want trained professionals who know science to be empowered to guide you. I do not want you to be guided by someone like RFK Jr., who I believe is wholly unqualified to give medical advice and who is restricting our freedoms here in Pennsylvania and across the country.”
Governor Shapiro is charting a new path. He is a public health hero and will end up saving thousands of lives.
This week’s three things are the answers to questions I’ve been asked. People continue to ask questions about Tylenol, vaccine safety, and how the government shutdown will affect health.
Hoping this post helps to educate and empower you
to be healthy and create healthy communities.
Can I Give My Child Tylenol?
Last week, President Trump told mothers that they are to blame for their children’s autism. While —
Questions are now being asked about the safety of Tylenol for children, teens, and (nonpregnant) adults.
Is Tylenol safe?
Decades of research have found that acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol (and many other products), is safe for children when administered as recommended. Misleading claims that Tylenol is not safe or is linked to increased rates of autism send a dangerous message to parents and expectant parents.
Ian Paul, chief of pediatrics at Penn State Health, states —
“There is no medication in pediatrics that has probably been given more times and in more doses in my 25-plus-year career than acetaminophen. There have been very well-done scientific studies that have looked at the safety and efficacy of that medication, and it has proven over and over and over again in recommended doses to be both safe and effective as a pain reliever and as a fever reducer.”
Does the COVID Vaccine Cause Cancer?
Over the weekend, Wafik El-Deiry, MD, PhD, of Brown University, who is a member of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) workgroup on COVID vaccines, shared a post on X that highlighted a study from South Korea that claimed the COVID vaccine causes cancer.
The study has several flaws, including not controlling for confounders such as healthy user bias. It provides zero evidence of causation.
There is NO evidence showing that the COVID vaccine causes cancer.
MedPageToday published a comprehensive critique of the study.1
In the MedPage article, I stated a —
“Red flag in the study is that it didn’t measure confounders typically assessed in a cancer study, such as family and screening history. In addition, there was “only 1 year of follow-up for a cancer study, which is bonkers.’
Nothing in this study leads you to believe the vaccine causes cancer to occur. We’re in a global moment right now. For people to be careless with their words and their research, it feels like we are working against ourselves.”
There is no cancer risk associated with the COVID vaccine.
How Will the Government Shutdown Impact Health?
Yesterday, the federal government shut down.
Many people are asking how the shutdown will impact health.
The short answer is that medical services (aside from telehealth) will not be impacted by the shutdown. Medicaid, Medicare, and Affordable Care Act health insurance coverage will continue. In a statement on its website, CMS said it “will have sufficient funding for Medicaid to fund the first quarter of FY [fiscal year] 2026.”
Unfortunately, the Medicare telehealth program has already ended for many (due to budget cuts), along with discretionary programs, such as Community Health Centers (CHCs).
Many public health practitioners have been furloughed, and there is growing suspicion that many will be RIF-ed (reduction in force) — aka fired — even after the government reopens. This means even more cuts to the public health workforce.
Additionally, with the government shutdown, public health surveillance data will be delayed or unavailable. As we head into respiratory virus season, we may not know how many cases, hospitalizations, and deaths from flu, COVID, or RSV there. Additionally, our national case count for measles may not be updated with so many people furloughed. Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the US Department of Health and Human Services, said in an email Wednesday —
“State and local health partners, along with the public, should expect delays in CDC’s ability to identify and respond to outbreaks. Specifically, CDC will maintain minimal capacity to respond to an urgent disease threat or other critical need in areas including food safety, healthcare quality and patient safety, vector-borne disease, and high consequence pathogens.
The shutdown will also interfere with data collection and reporting to and from states, hospitals, and other facilities – data that allow State and federal partners to track, prevent, and treat respiratory virus diseases. Our critical partners, especially public health departments, may not receive guidance or up-to-date technical information for frontline programs, and CDC may not be able to support disease prevention activities.”
If the shutdown lasts for too long, state and local health departments may not receive funds they were expecting from the federal government. This could impact local services and the health of communities…
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It has been a rough week. And inspired by the words of Taylor Swift —
“…the story of [public health] looks a lot like a tragedy now.”
But I am continuing to double down on my mission and will work hard and more collaboratively to CREATE HEALTHY COMMUNITIES FOR ALL.
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And stay in touch — What questions do you have? What information do you need? Are concerns keeping you awake? Let me know, and we can discuss them together.
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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I highly recommend reading the full article