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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH

@ralsadoon.bsky.social
2.3K followers 531 following 307 posts

PhD Candidate · Public Health Epidemiology Living between libraries, laptops, and lattes All opinions are mine

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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
In 2024, an estimated 95,000 people died from measles globally, most of them children under five. Vaccination has prevented nearly 59 million deaths since 2000. A child dying from a vaccine preventable disease is not an acceptable new normal. It is a public health failure.
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Summer has overstayed her welcome. Autumn, darling, the stage is ready for you.
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Surveillance → detection → lab confirmation → cluster ID → traceback → inspection → action. Weakening one layer may not cause an outbreak. Weaken enough, and you increase the time between the first infection and finding what is making people sick. This is why public health infrastructure matters.
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
At this point, epidemiologists aren’t tracking outbreaks. We’re collecting pathogens like Pokémon cards. Salmonella. Listeria. E. coli. Cyclospora. Gotta catch ’em all, apparently. 🦠🤮
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Reposted by Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH
Prof. Eliot Jacobson @climatecasino.net · 10/08/2026
The Nino 3.4 sea surface temperature (preliminary) is at 29.65°C, as of August 9th, the 72nd consecutive record daily high, on its way to crushing the previous record high of 29.82°C, set November 17th, 2015. The Nino 3.4 anomaly currently sits at 2.77°C above the 1991-2020 average.
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Angie Rasmussen @angierasmussen.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
FDA approved the Moderna mRNA flu vaccine, which is great news for everyone! In clinical trials it outperformed existing flu vaccine technology so well that not even Vinay Prasad could cancel it. I talked to Scott Tong at @npr.org @hereandnow.bsky.social about it www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2...
wbur.org
What to know about the new FDA-approved flu shot using mRNA technology
The flu shot uses the same technology as the COVID-19 vaccines.
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Reposted by Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH
Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
CDC Health Alert on cyclosporiasis: -1645 confirmed cases w/ 141 people hospitalized ->5100 potential cases awaiting confirmation -Cases in at least 4 states linked to the same source -At this time last year, there had been just 249 cases www.cdc.gov/han/php/noti...
cdc.gov
Domestically Acquired Cyclosporiasis Cases in Multiple U.S. States, 2026
Domestically-Acquired Cyclosporiasis Cases in Multiple U.S. States, 2026
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
The virus is not the disaster. The disaster is the 50 years of everything we didn't build. #Bundibugyo #Ebola #DRC #PublicHealth
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
In response to this administrations lack of response. The way to stop #Ebola from reaching the U.S. is not pretending borders are magic. It’s funding the response teams where the outbreak is happening. Pathogens do not care about slogans or borders. They care about system failure.
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
Today, response teams will work hard. International support will continue to move in because Ebola containment is global health security. But none of that erases the damage already done. Dismantling outbreak infrastructure does not make pathogens more cooperative. It gives them more room to move.
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
WHO country offices are already reporting operational disruptions linked to funding cuts. WHO itself has proposed internal budget reductions in response to collapsing donor support. These are the systems we are asking to contain Bundibugyo Ebola right now.
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
And structural voids do not stay empty during outbreaks. They show up as weaker surveillance, delayed detection, strained case management, fragmented coordination, and less trust when response teams arrive. That is exactly the environment Ebola exploits.
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
The US has historically been one of the largest funders of global health assistance. Withdrawing from WHO, dismantling USAID, and proposing deep cuts to global health programs did not create a minor administrative gap. It weakened the infrastructure outbreaks depend on.
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
The #Ebola outbreak in #DRC and #Uganda is not occurring in isolation. It is unfolding inside one of the largest disruptions to global health financing in recent memory. That context matters epidemiologically. Not politically. Epidemiologically.
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Reposted by Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH
Current Research in Microbial Sciences @microbesinfect.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
Maps: How #Ebola Has Spread in Central Africa www.nytimes.com/interactive/... #MicroSky #MedSky
nytimes.com
Maps: How Ebola Has Spread in Central Africa (Gift Article)
The virus circulated undetected for weeks. Heavy population movement in the area could make it spread farther.
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
You cannot gut global health trust, undercut international cooperation and then act surprised when another country does not want to become the holding room for a Ebola exposure problem.
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Ebola did not suddenly become urgent when the world started paying attention. The outbreak in DRC and Uganda was circulating for weeks before detection, with hundreds of suspected cases now reported. That is the real warning that we need to continue to look at.
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
336 suspected cases. 88 deaths. No vaccine. No treatment. The #Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak is a PHEIC & the virus was spreading WEEKS before detection. This is what happens when you gut global health funding & walk away from @WHO #EbolaOutbreak #GlobalHealth
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Reposted by Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH
Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 @helenbranswell.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Motivated by the devastation the Spanish flu inflicted on WW1 troops, the US military was key in the development of #flu vaccine. Keeping troops battle ready is critical, which makes Hegseth's decision to drop mandatory flu shots ill-advised, Paul Friedrichs writes. www.statnews.com/2026/04/23/m...
statnews.com
Dropping the flu vaccine requirement puts U.S. military readiness at risk
Since the 1918 pandemic, the military has acknowledged the threat of influenza. Now that’s changing.
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Reposted by Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH
Andrew Dessler @andrewdessler.com · 15/04/2026
On The Climate Brink: We’re scientists. We know the climate’s changing. And we know why. www.theclimatebrink.com/p/were-scien...
theclimatebrink.com
We're scientists. We know the climate's changing. And we know why.
It was reported in the New York Times (gift link) that U.S.
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Association is not explanation. GWAS tells us where to look, not how disease happens. Bridging that gap is what turns data into actual epi insight.
nature.com
Almost half of traded wildlife carries disease-causing pathogens
More than 40% of traded mammalian species share at least one pathogen with humans, compared with only 6% of non-traded mammals.
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Reposted by Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH
Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 @helenbranswell.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
It's not gone: #USDA reports 5 more dairy herds in Idaho have tested positive for #H5N1 #birdflu, the first in months. In the 2+ years since the virus was first detected in cows in the US, 1,093 herds in 19 states have tested positive for the virus. www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-po...
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
When something absolutely could’ve been a tweet… and somehow still managed to say nothing at all.
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 14/03/2026
To combat bird flu spread, other countries have authorized poultry vaccines. The U.S. hasn’t, amid political and economic pushback. Without a vaccine, experts say the virus poses an escalating threat: “The minute it transmits to humans, it’s done.” (Published Nov. 2025)
propublica.org
What the U.S. Government Is Dismissing That Could Seed a Bird Flu Pandemic
Egg producers suspect bird flu is traveling through the air. After a disastrous Midwestern outbreak early this year, we tested that theory and found that where the wind blew, the virus followed. Vacci...
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
Those fires were linked to widespread respiratory illness, environmental contamination, and years of health monitoring in affected populations. Large petroleum fires are not just environmental disasters. They create population-scale public health risk that can last long after the smoke clears.
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
We have seen the consequences of events like this before. The 1991 Kuwait oil fires released enormous amounts of particulate pollution and toxic combustion products, creating one of the largest atmospheric pollution events ever recorded.
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
Petroleum combustion also releases toxic gases and chemicals including carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds such as benzene. These compounds add another layer of respiratory and cardiovascular risk.
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
But PM2.5 is only part of the exposure. PM10 and ultrafine particles are also produced when petroleum burns. These irritate the upper airways, worsen asthma and bronchitis, and increase respiratory stress across the population.
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
The most discussed pollutant is PM2.5. These particles are small enough to penetrate deep into lung tissue and trigger systemic inflammation. During large fuel fires, concentrations can rise far above typical urban pollution levels.
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
People are focused on the blasts. I’m focused on the air and the environment. Burning petroleum in a mountain valley city of 10M people like we are watching in #Iran is a mass exposure event. And it’s not just one type of PM. It’s the full spectrum, each with its own damage pathway.
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
So apparently outlook is down and i has to switch to my desktop app which is the only thing keeping the fabric of reality together right now. If you’re trying to log in via browser, don’t. It’s a trap. 🚩🚩🚩
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
Pulling back on #biodefense weakens our ability to detect, model and respond to the next threat not just at the national level but globally as well. As climate change and urbanization reshape transmission patterns, preparedness isn’t optional. It’s foundational to public health.
nature.com
Exclusive: Key US infectious-diseases centre to drop pandemic preparation
Staff members have been instructed to scrub this topic and ‘biodefense’ from the agency’s website.
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Reposted by Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH
Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD DSc(hon) @peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
On March 26, I look forward to joining my friend and colleague @michaelemann.bsky.social @upenn.edu in beautiful Philadelphia for this important symposium on climate and disease discussing our book #ScienceUnderSiege web.sas.upenn.edu/pcssm/calend...
web.sas.upenn.edu
Rising Temperatures and Emerging Diseases: Science in a Changing Landscape
A Joint Symposium co-hosted by PCSSM and the Penn Center for Research on Emerging Viruses (PSOM) on Climate & Emerging Diseases Please join the Penn Center for Research on Emerging Viruses (PSOM),...
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Reposted by Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH
phy_papers @phypapers.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
Genomic-based biosurveillance for avian influenza: whole genome sequencing from wild mallards sampled during autumn migration in 2022-2023 reveals a high co-infection rate on migration stopover site in Georgia pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41684678
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Reposted by Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH
Assoc Prof Adam Kamradt-Scott @adamkams.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
I’ve lost count of the Americans that’ve asked me “After COVID are we better prepared?”. I tell them the truth “no” but offer hope by pointing to the scientific research underway. Meanwhile Bhattacharya is eviscerating US preparedness. This will come back to haunt www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Exclusive: Key US infectious-diseases centre to drop pandemic preparation
Staff members have been instructed to scrub this topic and ‘biodefense’ from the agency’s website.
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Reposted by Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH
Katharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · 09/02/2026
So much to unpack in it. Just on example:
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
Ok, that was one of my top favorite #Superbowl shows. Loved it and you could tell they were having so much fun!
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
Imposter syndrome hits hardest during a PhD program when you have to explain your work out loud. But that’s not proof you don’t belong. It’s proof you’re building command of something complex. Clarity comes with reps. You’re learning. You’re legit.
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Post-storm reality: empty shelves. The system needs time to recover now. With natural disaster risks rising, we must be ready for "anything." At least with Individual preparedness it buys you independence so you aren't waiting on a system that’s hitting reset button again & again to recover.
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 01/02/2026
Never mind the jobs you had, tell me five classes you took in college: Economics and Public Policy Law and Public Policy Global Economics Advanced Health Policy I-II Epidemiology (I have 5 classes just in this LOL)
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
Surveillance is how epidemiology works. We look for early signals, confirm w/ testing, contact tracing and update based on data and not rumors. More monitoring usually means the system is doing its job and catching any risk early. That's a good thing.
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
I’ve gotten a few messages about #NIPAH cases in India & COVID style airport protocols. Extra surveillance can feel scary, but it does not mean it is the next pandemic. It means public health is doing standard containment and monitoring so we can catch signals early and prevent any global spread.
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
South Carolina DPH just reported 89 new #measles cases since Friday. Upstate total: 789. We’re clearly in a sustained transmission. If you are in SC and you do not know your MMR status, check it and get protected.
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
Dr. Bill Foege was a giant who helped deliver smallpox eradication, one of public health’s greatest achievements. He changed the game by advancing surveillance containment, often called ring vaccination. His legacy lives on in each of us fighting for public health prevention in our communities.
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
#WinterStormFern We're still holding power. Although, it's going to be a frozen mess in the morning because the last part of the storm was mostly sleet. My proposal defense got canceled due to storm impacts. I am disappointed but also grateful we can reschedule. Back to the work.
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Reposted by Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH
Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 @helenbranswell.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
Bill Foege was a public health legend. His loss is profound, particularly at this time. That he died at the end of the week in which the US withdrew from #WHO & the chair of ACIP mused about whether polio & measles vaccination are still needed — no words. www.statnews.com/2026/01/25/w...
statnews.com
Public health giant William Foege, who helped eradicate smallpox, has died at 89
‘I wish we could have spared him from seeing that’: Friends of Bill Foege on his legacy, and his anger over anti-vaccination.
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
I’ve weathered hurricanes, tropical storms and pre and post disaster work. I went into this storm better prepared than I was for most events so I've felt solid but the anticipation for 1"+ ice is going to make it a long night and day tomorrow. It almost here, so now we wait #WinterStorm
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
Great example of what I was saying in my previous post.
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
This reveals the deeper issues we ignore. Real preparedness isn't just buying supplies, it demands structural adaptation. We have to stop just reacting to these events and finally fix the systemic gaps leaving communities exposed. With that, I hope what is already fragile holds during this storm.
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Robyn R. Sadoon, MPP, MPH @ralsadoon.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
But it’s not just random events, it’s environmental whiplash. Example, tomorrow’s ice storm proves that. We’re seeing extremes in places not built for deep freezes or flooding. The spectrum of risk is expanding on both ends, and the "safe" zones and infrastructure we relied on are disappearing.
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