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Philippa Matthews

@pippa-matt.bsky.social
2.3K followers 2.4K following 332 posts

Infectious Diseases Prof working across continents & disciplines. #HBV #hepatitis research @Crick.ac.uk @UCL.ac.uk @uclh.bsky.social www.crick.ac.uk/research/labs/phili… 🦠🧬🧪🩺🌍🇿🇦🇰🇪🇺🇬🇪🇺 #globalhealth #NHS #IDSky #MedSky #HepSky #European

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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Great to join #UK clinical #vaccine network meeting in #Oxford; a beautiful blend of #immunology, #microbiology, #virology, #epidemiology, #clinicaltrials, #publichealth, #socialsciences & #publicengagement. Lots to be optimistic about despite so many challenges. @ukcvn.bsky.social @ovg.ox.ac.uk 🧪
Photo of Oxford High Street with early morning sunshine Photo of a slide from the meeting: globally a successful 100 days mission in response to COVID-19 could have averted 8.3 million deaths, 1.4 billion infections, 26.7 million hospitalisations
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Our work with the #Mongolian community in #London 'MoLo' set out to raise awareness, develop pathways to care, collect data, and support lab research 🧪 #MedSky #LiverSky #PublicHealth #HBV #HIV #InclusionHealth @crick.ac.uk @uclh.bsky.social @uclhresearch.bsky.social www.crick.ac.uk/news/2026-09...
crick.ac.uk
Would anyone come? Investigating liver health among Mongolians living in the UK
Through pop-up clinics held at a London school, Crick scientists are investigating the growing overlap of hepatitis B and metabolic liver disease.
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Hepatitis B Companion talk the best way to open UK #HBV meeting… tackling #stigma, providing #PeerSupport, developing #education, improving retention in care & #treatment access. www.hepbcompanion.org 🧪 #LiverSky #HepSky @worldhepalliance.bsky.social @hepctrust.bsky.social Supa Chantschool
5 moments that could define everything 
Experience from Hep B companion. Hep B companion slide
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Congratulations to Motswedi Anderson & team from @ahri-news.bsky.social, @crick.ac.uk, @uclnews.bsky.social for a prize at the #COLDA meeting (Conference on Liver Disease in #Africa) - we studied the interplay between #HBV, #HIV, #Alcohol & #Metabolic factors ( #MASLD) in #LiverDisease. 🧪 #MedSky
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Conference on #LiverDisease in #Africa ( #COLDA) meeting in #AddisAbaba, #Ethiopia. Inspiring enthusiasm from researchers & clinicians to drive advances for #elimination of viral #hepatitis and liver disease in Africa. @sdgactioncampaign.org @whowpro.bsky.social @crick.ac.uk #AfricaCDC #HBV #IDSky 🧪
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
#COLDA declaration: "Africa doesn't lack #vaccines, #diagnostics, #medicine, guidelines or expertise to tackle #hepatitis & #liver disease. The gap is #implementation. Call to #CDC to turn the #HBV tookit into a roadmap, service packages & national support." 🧪 @who.int @worldhepalliance.bsky.social
Sign for COLDA: 9th conference on liver disease in Africa, September 2026, Addis Ababa
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Reflecting on 5 years of progress, with data from multiple countries across #Africa being meticulously collated to represent people living with #HBV to understand and improve clinical management, outcomes, policy and funding. #HEPSANET #COLDA #hepatitis www.hepsanet.org 🧪
Slide presentation ‘HEPSANET: what, how and why?’Screenshot of HEPSANET website ‘Hepatitis B is a neglected public health emergency in African countries’
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
“Let’s protect the next generation” 5 priorities for tackling viral #hepatitis as an epidemic in #Africa. Prevention 💉 Diagnosis 🩸 Funding 💰 Systems ⚙️ Partnerships 🤝 (all underpinned by advocacy 💪) @africanunion.bsky.social @who.int #COLDA 🧪
African Union priorities for tackling viral hepatitis: prevention, diagnosis and money.African Union priorities for tackling viral hepatitis: systems and partnership
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
"No-one can be treated for a condition they do not know they have..." It's essential to scale up #hepatitis #diagnosis alongside #prevention if we are going to reach #elimination targets set for 2030. @sdgactioncampaign.org 🧪
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
#Hepatitis emergency 🔉 @africanunion.bsky.social @who.int 65m. people living w #HBV & 8m. w #HCV in #Africa; 2-3% treated. 20 member states not providing birth dose HBV #vaccine. 18 states have a national #hepatitis plan – but only 3 have funded it. Viral hep deaths ⬆️ 31% since 2000. #COLDA 🧪
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Conference on #Liver Disease in #Africa is opening in Addis Ababa, #Ethiopia this morning. Liver #cancer & #metabolic liver disease being headlined as #PublicHealth & economic threats to the continent, overlapping with endemic viral #hepatitis B. #COLDA #diabetes #MASLD #HBV #MedSky #LiverSky 🇪🇹🧪
Screenshot of COLDA program 9th conference on liver disease in AfricaSlide photograph: 'convergence of persistent viral hepatitis, rising incidence of metabolic dysfunction and alcohol related liver injury, all occuring within contexts of social and structural inequities'. Image from talk by Prof Wendy Spearman from the University of Cape Town.
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
#VaccinesWork Not only to prevent #infection, but then to prevent #cancer. #HPV is a stunning success story. We can follow suit for #HBV. #MedSky #PublicHealth 🧪
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
📣 '2030 #hepatitis #elimination targets might be missed in #Europe'. Important headline from @thelancet.com #Oncology. And the other side of the coin...act now, & we could meet some of targets. 🧪 @whowpro.bsky.social @ecdc.europa.eu @crick.ac.uk @uclnews.bsky.social www.thelancet.com/action/showP...
thelancet.com
2030 hepatitis elimination targets might be missed in Europe
Europe is set to miss the WHO target to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030 despite progress in screening because of gaps in vaccination and reaching key populations, according...
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Very happy that the protocol for our #HBV study #EVOLVE, is in the public domain. We incorporate #CommunityEngagement, #SocialScience, #Epidemiology, #LaboratoryScience, #Implementation & #PublicHealth to inform pathways to #elimination. 🧪 @ahri-news.bsky.social @crick.ac.uk doi.org/10.1177/2755...
Graphic to show the flow of a study of hepatitis B in South Africa, starting with public engagement, epidemiology, then inviting participants to attend clinical trials unit review, collection of clinical data, laboratory studies (including biomarkers and whole genome HBV sequencing), leading to evidence that can inform better pathways to clinical care. The study is being conducted in rural KwaZulu Natal, as a partnership between the Africa Health Research Institute and the Francis Crick Institute. Study t-shirt: Hepatitis B - take action, get testedTeam members photographed at the AHRI site in Somkhele, South AfricaPhoto of a study nurse collecting blood samples from a research participant.
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
#Eclipse in #Oxford. No faffing with pinholes, colanders, foil, cardboard boxes or fancy expensive glasses, it just projected itself perfectly onto our wall. 🌅🌒🧪
Photo of the solar eclipse seen as a crescent of the sun shining on a stone wallLots of mini eclipses projected onto a stone wall
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
#England on track for #elimination of #HCV in line with global targets… a huge achievement but requires sustained effort & investment so no one is left behind. Meanwhile we urgently need to scale up for #HBV. 🧪 #MedSky #hepatitis @whowpro.bsky.social @ukhsa.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
England set to eliminate hepatitis C
England is on track to become one of the first countries in the world to eliminate hepatitis C, a dangerous virus that attacks the liver, figures show.
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Crucial to recognise the immediate - but also long term - impact of reducing #funding for #HIV programmes. Combined with other crises of #stigma, #security & #climate we risk losing decades of progress and opportunities of new #treatment and #prevention strategies. 🧪💔
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Crucial to recognise the immediate - but also long term - impact of reducing #funding for #HIV programmes. Combined with other crises of #stigma, #security & #climate we risk losing decades of progress and opportunities of new #treatment and #prevention strategies. 🧪💔
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Our ‘EVOLVE’ #hepatitis #HBV project is a partnership between @crick.ac.uk & @ahri-news.bsky.social including public engagement, social sciences, clinical data collection & lab science to inform pathways to care… & delivery of #elimination targets. #MedSky #LiverSky #SouthAfrica #PublicHealth 🧪
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
On #WorldHepatitisDay we celebrate many advances created through partnership between science & healthcare across continents… while continuing to advocate for urgent action, resources & data. @whowpro.bsky.social @crick.ac.uk @worldhepalliance.bsky.social @ahri-news.bsky.social #MedSky #LiverSky 🧪
Collage of photos showing teams in South Africa and the UK, and data presented by the World Hepatitis Alliance highlighting the case of need for viral hepatitis Slogan for World Hepatitis Day ‘let’s break it down’
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Solidarity for #France right now. Devastating impact of #fire as a terrifying impact of #ClimateChange affecting so many lives in so many ways. 💔🫶🏽🇫🇷 @girondemeteo.bsky.social @departementgironde.bsky.social
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Beautiful! 🦋
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
#WorldHepatitisDay @crick.ac.uk raising awareness by unifying #PublicHealth, #Clinical care, #DataScience, #Implementation & #LivedExperience. Aiming for #elimination. 🧪💪 #IDSky #HBV #NHS @ukhsa.bsky.social @cnwl.nhs.uk @nhsengland.bsky.social @worldhepalliance.bsky.social @ahri-news.bsky.social
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Our team enjoyed a thought-provoking retreat to the #MuseumOfHomelessness in #London today. Their "Criminal" #exhibition draws together threads on #history, #law, #health & the influences of discrimination, racism & marginalisation on people experiencing #homelessness. @ourmoh.bsky.social 🧪🤍👏
Image of the Criminal exhibition guide at the Museum of Homelessness"Poor people have been divided by race because unity is a threat" quotation from the exhibition Display of flags to show imposition of legal threats against people experiencing homelessnessBeautiful gardens planted in Finsbury Park around the Museum of Homelessness
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
A Question of #Science last night focused on the health (or disease) of our #oceans. This is a topic for us all, as the seas belong to us all, and our survival depends on whether we step up to protect this amazing constellation of #marine #ecosystems. @crick.ac.uk #BBC #PodCast #ClimateChange 🧪🐙
Screenshot of ticket for a Question of Science at the Francis Crick institute, hosted by Prof Brian CoxPhoto of the auditorium at the Francis Crick Institute, before recording of the Podcast
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
I need to be able to react to this without pressing a heart emoji, unless it's a broken heart 💔 #USAID
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Keeping this readerless thread going as self-therapy: last night >90 min delays on packed #trains with no customer announcements. People running between trains, guessing which one might move. Today: we're a carriage short and there's no power: advice is to hold tight. @chilternrailway.bsky.social
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Ahh the delights of @chilternrailway.bsky.social… it’s >30c & we have 10 adults, a bike, several very large luggage bags, a baby in a buggy all crammed into the tiny carriage entrance space. There might be room for a partridge in a pear tree. Safety? Forget it. #London #PublicTransport #Commuting
Crowded carriage chaos thanks to Chiltern railway 🚃 🫪
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
A day of sunshine & hospitality at the #Nadaam festival at #WimbledonCommon #London today, talking about #hepatitis & #LiverHealth with the #Mongolian community, with art, food & music inspiring connections. ‘Liver screening changed my life’. #PublicEngagement #HBV @crick.ac.uk @uclh.bsky.social 🧪
Mongolian community flying flags to open the day’s celebrations at Nadaam. 
Artistic creations inspired by liver cells made by children (and non-children) 

Art activities and refreshments
in the shade of a gazebo Team gazebo for the ‘MoLo’ project with posters, leaflets, refreshments and creative activities
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Thrilled that our international team is funded by @wellcometrust.bsky.social for a 5 year project to develop insights into treatment delivery & outcomes tackling #HepatitisB #Elimination in #Africa. #CapeTown #AddisAbaba #Vestfold #HBV @crick.ac.uk @suhealthsci.bsky.social @bristoluni.bsky.social 🧪
B-ZERO project logo showing Africa map - the aim of the project is to better understand outcomes of antiviral therapy as a route to HBV eliminationPhotos of some of the co-investigator team at Wellcome for a funding interview.
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Can you explain the frog? 🐸 he keeps appearing in my feed (which I’m quite enjoying but maybe even better if I understood whatever nuance I’m missing!) 💊
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Great question! Yes indeed boys absolutely should (and do) get vaccinated for the very reasons you highlight… this particular study just focuses on cervical cancer in women, but some of this success is because we offer vaccines to all (& we all benefit from protection against a range of cancers) 💉💪🌟
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Concerning rise in non-acceptance of interventions at birth. #VitaminK and #HBV #vaccine are both safe and well evidenced, with short and long term benefits to health. In this study #female infants at higher risk of not being protected. 🧪 #MedSky #PedSky #IDSky
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Fabulous news: #Cervical #cancer #mortality trends following #HPV #vaccination in England, 2001–24. Vaccines are a powerful way to prevent devastating cancers that kill young adults. We know this for #HBV too… let’s follow suit. 💪💉🧪 @thelancet.com @qmul.bsky.social www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
thelancet.com
Cervical cancer mortality trends following HPV vaccination in England, 2001–24: an analysis of population-based mortality data
Our findings provide the first robust national-level evidence, albeit observational, that high HPV vaccination coverage is associated with a substantial reduction in cervical cancer deaths. This is sh...
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Reposted by Philippa Matthews
Kai Kupferschmidt @kakape.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
New Ebola situation report is out (there was none yesterday) and numbers are still rising shockingly fast: 782 confirmed cases now (+72 in the last 24 hours) That includes 181 confirmed deaths. Follow-up of contacts is back down to 56,5%. Not good. insp.cd/sitrep-n30-m...
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
A changing #HIV #treatment landscape: What does #lenacapavir mean for people living with #HBV? @lancetgastrohep.bsky.social @crick.ac.uk @ahri-news.bsky.social @whowpro.bsky.social #IDSky #LiverSky #MedSky #Hepatitis #NoHep 🧪💊🦠🇿🇦 www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
thelancet.com
A changing HIV treatment landscape: what does lenacapavir mean for people living with HBV?
An exciting shift is underway in progress towards tackling HIV as a global public health threat, as we enter a new era of nucleotide and nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI)-free dual reg...
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Reposted by Philippa Matthews
Global Issues @globalissues.org · 09/06/2026
South Africa has world's largest HIV epidemic & helped prove lenacapavir works, yet Trump admin refuses funding & Gilead controls supply. Millions left without access to drug that could prevent 52k infections yearly #HIV #SouthAfrica #AccessToMedicine
globalissues.org
South Africa: Activists Call for Greater Access to Newly-Launched HIV Prevention Drug
BRATISLAVA, June 9 (IPS) - As South Africa officially launches the rollout of a groundbreaking HIV prevention drug, civic groups in the country have slammed the plan, saying it will not reach anywhere near enough people.
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Reposted by Philippa Matthews
Miriam Rabkin @miriam2024.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
A year after global #HIV funding was upended, CHAI finds: ⬇️ 42% fewer people started oral HIV prevention in 10 countries ⬇️ 5.8M fewer HIV tests run in 8 countries ⬇️ 39K fewer adults started on treatment in 8 countries ⬇️ 26K fewer children on treatment in 9 countries Details here: ow.ly/J2ig50Z8Rzt
devex.com
'We're not seeing a rebound': New data shows HIV services not recovering
New research from the Clinton Health Access Initiative shows declines in HIV testing and in people accessing oral prevention services.
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Going green at The Francis Crick Institute. Small steps by each person and group add up to the bigger picture of progress towards #CarbonNeutral. This is tough in #science #research which is very heavy on consumables, materials, energy, travel… but we’re making changes. 💚🧪🌱 @crick.ac.uk
Photo of gold leaf award for the Matthews lab at the Crick institute 
Photo of team member Lizzie holding our green award 🥇
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Great infographic to support this article about viral #hepatitis produced by @isglobal.bsky.social as part of a series by @thelancet.com - which also considers other threats including #alcohol and #MASLD. Well done to all contributors for highlighting the neglected world of #LiverHealth.
Infographic cartoon to describe models of care for chronic HBV and HCV (viral hepatitis infections) including decentralisation, equity, prevention, testing and early intervention, workforce capacity and health systems infrastructure. Yes, there's a lot to do!
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
From targets to real world impact: a review of models of care for #HBV & #HCV in #Europe. We have so many tools, but need to use them better. Fantastic team effort to review the evidence (& identify gaps!) @thelancet.com @who.int @crick.ac.uk #MedSky #LiverSky 🧪 www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
thelancet.com
From targets to real world impact: a review of models of care for chronic HBV and HCV in Europe
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) remain public health threats in the WHO European region, where an estimated 29 million people live with chronic infection and viral hepatitis-relate...
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
The real point is neither aligning the US with peers nor ‘immediate jabs’ to newborns… but using years of robust global data to make decisions to protect our populations. And more #vaccine doses in infancy reflects a broadening palate of protection (often all in one jab). Better health for all! 🧪💉
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
An ‘immediate jab’ is a phenomenally good intervention for high risk infants born to a mum living with #HBV (or unknown). Meanwhile for those not at immediate risk, a scheduled multidose #immunisation schedule between age 6-14 weeks offers lifelong protection.
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
Yes, risk of vertical #HBV transmission at birth is zero if mum is neg… but depends on all mothers getting a test, and exposure to infection isn’t just at birth. Babies grow into children, then teenagers and adults. Lots of lifetime opportunities for exposure given globally 240 million with HBV.
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
Crimes against humanity. 🧪 #MedSky
Screenshot that reads "Just three of the six immunizations the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it will no longer routinely recommend - against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and rotavirus - have prevented nearly 2 million hospitalizations and more than 90,000 deaths in the past 30 years, according to the CDC's own publications'.
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Good to see that Lady Mary Wortley Montagu is being credited on #WorldVaccineDay - she may be one of the first #vaccine pioneers for Europe, perhaps as part of her 'pursuit of achieving the impossible'. Sad how it seems to remain impossible - although now for different reasons. 🧪
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Our work on #MASLD & #HBV is a research highlight @crick.ac.uk 🎖️ If we cut through the acronym forest, what we're asking is how we can do better at diagnosing & understanding overlapping causes of #liver disease, to help provide better patient care 🩺. More to follow soon 👀 #LiverSky #MedSky 🧪
Screenshot of Crick research highlight 'better diagnosis or co-existing causes of liver disease' with a photo of our team training on use of a Fibroscanner in South Africa
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
What age we are living in when clinicians are figuring out how to give post-exposure #prophylaxis for #measles? The desperate result of a breakdown (indeed, deliberate dimantling) of pre-exposure prophylaxis through delivery of population #immunity using routine #MMR #vaccine. 🧪 #VaccinesWork #IDSky
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
“For people with chronic #disease, #displacement is not just a social crisis, it is a medical #emergency in slow motion.” Applies both to #infection and #NCDs. Continuity of care is not a luxury, it is essential. Presentation from #Iraq for #RCPGlobal @rcphysicians.bsky.social meeting. #MedSky 🧪
Dr Hilal Al Saffar FRCP presents online from Iraq
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Philippa Matthews @pippa-matt.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
How brilliant to find this good news story. Looking after the environment turns out to be good for people and economies too… let’s hope this news gets the *air space* it deserves. 💚🍀
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