Possible News About Approval of COVID Boosters

I never liked Marty Makary when he was on the news commenting about COVID; to me he seemed like he preferred quack medicine to the real thing.   Now that he's head of the FDA, I dislike him even more.

Just because we're in a COVID lull right now, it doesn't mean we'll still be in a lull in the Fall. I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop.  Why would you take chances and not approve boosters for next winter? Not all Americans are antivaxxers, and some of us actually get every COVID booster that's been made available. We'd rather not go without.

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From CBS News 4/29/25:

FDA chief says they're looking at whether to approve COVID shots for next winter 

"The head of the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that the agency is now looking at whether it will still approve COVID-19 vaccines for next winter, citing a lack of data on booster shots.

"We're taking a look. I can't comment on any particular application. As you know, we have a bunch of applications for those booster shots," FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary told CBS News chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett.

"Makary said many health care workers did not get the last round of COVID-19 vaccine booster shots, calling it "a bit of a public trust problem."

"I think there's a void of data. And I think rather than allow that void to be filled with opinions, I'd like to see some good data," Makary said.

"His answer marks a change from during the Biden administration, when FDA officials backed plans to routinely update the COVID-19 vaccines each year."

"Violin of Hope"

Attention, Jew-haters. You should read this and learn from it. Unlike you, who wants destruction and death, the Jews bound for the gas chambers still believed in hope and decency, even under the most hellish of circumstances.

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Secret note found hidden in Jewish prisoner’s violin at Dachau concentration camp

A violin from a Nazi concentration camp nearly went unnoticed for over eight decades, then a secret note changed everything.

By Lucy Hicks Beach  4/28/28, Classic FM

"In 1941, while imprisoned at Nazi concentration camp at Dachau, a Jewish violin maker built an instrument that would go on to be known as the ‘violin of hope’ In it, he left a note that would not be discovered for over 80 years.

"When Hungarian arts dealers, Szandra Katona and Tamás Tálosi came across the violin, they were initially intending to donate it. Then, when their friend looked in the violin’s F-hole, they found a note left by its creator that changed everything they understood about the instrument.

“Trial instrument, made under difficult conditions with no tools and materials,” the worn note on the inside of the violin read. “Dachau. Anno 1941, Franciszek Kempa.”

"The violin had been stored among a set of purchased furniture for years, and when the art dealers sent it out for repairs, its history came to light. The professional repairing it was puzzled by what they saw: although the craftsmanship suggested it was built by a skilled maker, the wood was of poor quality.

“If you look at its proportions and structure, you can see that it’s a master violin, made by a man who was proficient in his craft,” said Szandra Katona, one of the art dealers who discovered the violin’s origins, “But the choice of wood was completely incomprehensible.”

"The repairer, in a bid to understand its origins, disassembled the violin, revealing Kempa’s hidden note.

"Dachau, located near Munich, was the first concentration camp established by the Nazis in March 1933. It initially housed political prisoners but later became a model for other camps, imprisoning Jews, Roma and others targeted by the Nazi regime. At least 40,000 people are believed to have died there due to starvation, disease, execution, or mistreatment before its liberation on 29 April 1945.

"Musical instruments were present in concentration camps during World War II, and Nazi leaders often encouraged the formation of musician groups within the camps as a mode of propaganda to mislead the outside world about life within them.

"A wide range of musical activities took place in Dachau, both forced and voluntary. Testimonies from prisoners include descriptions of orchestral concerts, cabaret performances, communal singing, choirs, church music and forced singing.

"All known instruments that survived Dachau are believed to have been brought in by prisoners. Kempa’s ‘violin of hope’ as it has been named, is the only known instrument actually built inside the camp.

"Kempa’s note, then, has been deemed a kind of explanation or apology. Although it is unknown exactly why he built the violin, this master violin maker was forced to work within unimaginable conditions and made something that he felt was inadequate.

"Kempa survived the war and returned to his native Poland to continue making instruments before dying in 1953. He was known to the Nazis as an instrument maker, and Tálosi suggested this is how he survived.

“We named it the ‘violin of hope’ because if someone ends up in a difficult situation, having a task or a challenge helps them get through a lot of things,” Tálosi said. “You focus not on the problem, but on the task itself, and I think this helped the maker of this instrument to survive the concentration camp.”

Your Local Epidemiologist - The Dose, 4/29/25

Here's the latest edition of Dr.Katelyn Jetelina's The Dose newsletter for 4/29/25:

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Novavax confusion, food dyes, measles, dengue, and a new backup plan for vaccines
The Dose (April 29)  

"Measles cases are still rising fast, dengue season is heating up early, and food dyes may be on their way out. Plus, a lot of confusion around Novavax Covid-19 vaccine approval and a new backup plan for vaccine policy.

"Here’s the much-needed context and what it may mean to you.

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Infectious disease alerts

"Measles: We’re now at 923 cases nationwide. It’s hard to determine whether we’re at the beginning or middle of these outbreaks, given significant underreporting, but we’re quickly approaching the highest number of cases recorded in the past 25 years.

Figure by Your Local Epidemiologist

"For the big Texas outbreak, I’m keeping a close eye on:

• El Paso: 29 cases in just 18 days.

• Chihuahua, Mexico: Outbreak is surging, with 605 cases reported.

• New Mexico: Signs of slowing, with fewer new cases each week.

"A new KFF poll shows a stark divide in public concern: 76% of Democrats say they’re worried about the measles outbreak, compared to just 28% of Republicans.

"For a deeper dive, check out the SITREP report:

Ysph Vmoc Special Report Measles Outbreak Southwest Us 4 26 2025[43] Read Only

2.01MB ∙ PDF file

Download

"Dengue (also known as breakbone fever), traditionally considered a neglected tropical disease, is creeping northward due to a warming Earth, resulting in more locally acquired cases and an increase in cases from international travel. Last year, Puerto Rico declared a state of emergency. Most infections are asymptomatic, but 1 in 4 infections cause flu-like symptoms and can occasionally (1 in 20 infections) cause more severe disease like hemorrhagic fever.

"This year, CDC has reported 1,568 cases—mostly from international travel and mostly in Puerto Rico. But Hawaii made news last week as they already reported 7 travel-related cases—higher than expected for this time of year:

• 2024: 14 total cases

• Previous years: 4 cases on average

"We will likely see more cases in the U.S., but for now, it remains a rare occurrence.

"What does this mean to you? Risk is very low and not uniform across the States. TX, CA, FL, and PR typically see the most locally acquired cases. Prevention is simple: EPA-recommended insect repellents, especially those with DEET. They really do work. Here is a YLE deep dive on mosquito-borne illnesses in the U.S. if you’re looking for more context.

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FDA moves to phase out all petroleum-based food dyes

"Red dye #3 is already out the door, and the new HHS administration is trying to phase out the rest. Last Tuesday, HHS announced the initiative.

"What actually happened:

• Only two rarely-used colors—Citrus Red 2 and Orange B—were officially revoked.

• For the remaining six, which are more widely used, it will be entirely up to the food industry under a voluntary “understanding”—not a formal ban. Response from industry members so far has been mixed; some have pledged support, while others are maintaining their safety.

"Some key context:

• Contrary to popular belief, five of these six colors are allowed in Europe whose regulatory body follows a more cautionary hazard-based approach to food safety. They just use different names on their food labels. Dr. Andrea Love created a great table (see below).

• Possible tradeoffs: Natural colors are generally less vibrant and may help reduce the appeal of unhealthy foods to kids. It will be interesting to see the impact on consumers. But natural colors are also more expensive to make, less consistent (affected by pH, cooking and processing) and less shelf-stable—which means higher food costs and potentially more food waste. Some natural colors may also pose a risk to individuals with food allergies, making transparency in ingredient labeling critical.

"What does this mean for you? It’s unclear at this point. The impact on you as a consumer will depend on how—and whether—the industry chooses to shift. But again, let’s not lose the forest for the trees. For real progress to make America healthier, we need a number of systematic changes that tackle root causes.

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What’s happening with Novavax? This is a good question.

"Unlike Pfizer and Moderna’s mRNA Covid-19 vaccines, Novavax uses a more traditional protein-based platform. It has been available under emergency use authorization while working toward full FDA approval—the gold standard for maintaining market access. Manufacturing delays have slowed that process. But a lot has changed in just the past month.

"Here’s what I know:

• Full approval was originally scheduled for April 1, but that decision was paused—eerily, just after Dr. Peter Marks was forced to resign—sparking speculation of political interference.

• Last week, Novavax announced it’s back on track for full approval.

• Then, over the weekend, the FDA said that it is requiring a clinical trial to reevaluate the effectiveness of Novavax.

• And now, more recent comments suggest that the same bar might be applied to Moderna and Pfizer vaccines as well.

"This is… not normal. A new clinical trial could cost millions of dollars—which isn’t my main concern, given the financial position of these companies—but it would also take time, and that is a concern. Fall is around the corner, and designing, recruiting, conducting trials, and manufacturing doses typically take years—unless we’re in a declared emergency.

"Since the original Covid-19 vaccine trials, we have shifted to a model similar to flu vaccines: anticipate the virus mutating quickly and test a small number of people’s blood to confirm an immune response. The strain changes in the vaccine formula are minor—more like tweaking a few letters in a Word doc than changing the document’s content, length, or format. Meanwhile, real-world data from CDC continues to show that updated Covid vaccines offer additional protection, especially for those over 65.

"Here’s what I don’t know: Are these just FDA talking points to the media, or will this actually become policy for fall approval? What kind of trial is being required—tens of thousands of participants? And why are Covid-19 vaccines now being treated so differently than flu?

"There’s a lot we still don’t know. And until we get clarity, it’s unclear whether updated Covid vaccines will be available this fall—or if they’ll be delayed by shifting expectations and new rules.

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The Vaccine Integrity Project: a new backup plan?

"There are concerns that Secretary Kennedy will politically influence or change ACIP—the external committee for vaccine policy in the United States—which means the possibility of changing eligibility or access to vaccines. If this happens, it will be a mess. States will be on their own, insurance companies will be looking for third-party validation, and there would be a whole lot of confusion.

"So, a shadow group was stood up University of Minnesota (called the Vaccine Integrity Project) backed by a philanthropic gift. This will be an eight-member committee to advise on vaccine protection, effectiveness, and recommendations outside of government.

"What does it mean for you? The Vaccine Integrity Project won’t have formal authority. However, if ACIP’s role becomes politicized, it could serve as an important alternative. It’s another sign that public health groups are mobilizing to stay ahead of potential disruptions.

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Bottom line

"You’re all caught up! Have a great week.

"Love, the YLE Team"

Dr Ruth's COVID & Health News, 4/27/25

Here is Dr Ruth Ann Crystal's latest newsletter, COVID & Health News, 4/27/25:

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"This week, the CDC reports LOW overall levels of respiratory illness with COVID, RSV, and influenza hospitalizations are trending downward nationally. Influenza B remains more prevalent than Influenza A especially in the Northeast, but levels are decreasing.

Regional wastewater levels from: https://data.wastewaterscan.org/

COVID
"Wastewater monitoring from the CDC through 4/19/25 showed that most of the country was at low SARS-CoV-2 levels. As of 4/27/25, WastewaterSCAN shows LOW levels of SARS-CoV-2 across most of the U.S., though MEDIUM levels persist in the Midwest and HIGH levels in the Northeast. Fewer sites are high in the Northeast as compared to last week. Nationally, COVID transmission is declining but remains slightly higher than some past spring lows due to the muted winter surge, per JP Weiland.

"According to Michael Hoerger, about 1 in 196 people in the U.S. are actively infectious with COVID. The South has higher transmission (1 in 118) and Louisiana cases are high (1 in 63). In contrast, the West has lower levels (1 in 240). Emergency department visits and deaths from COVID remain low, and weekly deaths are nearing record lows this spring.

"In California, most regions report LOW wastewater levels for COVID, though Novato is still HIGH per WastewaterSCAN. CDPH's wastewater data have not been updated since 4/10/25.

Variants

"LP.8.1 represents 69% of COVID cases now and XEC is down to 10%.

Acute COVID infections, General COVID info

"This week, the White House deleted health information about COVID testing, treatment, and vaccination, as well as information on Long COVID from the COVID.gov website, replacing it with a lab leak theory featuring a photo of Donald Trump.

Pediatrics

"Children who tested positive for COVID face significantly higher long-term risks for chronic kidney disease, gastrointestinal disorders, and cardiovascular issues compared to peers who tested negative. The study, led by the University of Pennsylvania and part of the NIH’s RECOVER initiative, found kidney disease risks increased up to 35%, GI symptoms by up to 28%, and cardiovascular conditions like heart inflammation or arrhythmias by 63%. Racial differences also emerged with Asian American Pacific Islander children showing slightly higher Long COVID risk.

“While most public attention has focused on the acute phase of COVID-19, our findings reveal children face significant long-term health risks that clinicians need to monitor,” said senior author Yong Chen, PhD.

"Another study from the University of Pennsylvania found that unvaccinated children and adolescents were up to 20 times more likely to develop Long COVID than those who were vaccinated. The vaccine’s protection against Long COVID comes mostly from preventing infection rather than reducing risk after infection.

"A nationwide study in Israel tracked 101,626 five-year-old kindergarteners over a decade and found that myopia (nearsightedness) prevalence nearly tripled from 3.7% to 12.6% following COVID lockdowns. Researchers linked this increase to less outdoor time and more screen use which are known risk factors for myopia.

"Using mass spectrometry and a machine learning technique called support vector machine (SVM) to find protein patterns in blood samples, a group from Rutgers found protein signatures that can distinguish children with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) from those with acute COVID infection, pneumonia, or Kawasaki disease. In MIS-C, proteins related to inflammation and clotting increased, while those tied to lipid metabolism decreased. A three-protein model (ORM1, AZGP1, SERPINA3) distinguished MIS-C from mild COVID-19 with high accuracy (up to 93.5% AUC), and another three-protein signature (VWF, SERPINA3, FCGBP) successfully separated MIS-C from other febrile illnesses like pneumonia and Kawasaki disease.

Share

Vaccines

"Amid rising measles cases, vaccine misinformation, and public health funding cuts, CIDRAP has launched the Vaccine Integrity Project to promote evidence-based vaccine use in the United States. Funded by a $240,000 gift from the Alumbra Foundation, the project will evaluate how non-governmental groups can help ensure vaccine safety and effectiveness remain grounded in science.

“This project acknowledges the unfortunate reality that the system that we've relied on to make vaccine recommendations and to review safety and effectiveness data faces threats.” Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH

"The FDA has requested that Novavax complete a new randomized clinical trial for its COVID vaccine creating costly hurdles that could delay U.S. approval. Novavax has already shown 90% efficacy and is approved abroad. This move, influenced by officials under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has raised concerns about political interference in vaccine approvals.

"This week, there was a review in Nature on vaccination in pregnancy as an important way to protect newborns from infections. Since newborns have immature immune systems and limited vaccine options, maternal antibodies passed through the placenta offer crucial early protection. The article highlights successful examples like vaccines for tetanus, pertussis, influenza, and COVID-19, and notes recent approvals for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines and upcoming vaccines for Group B Streptococcus.

From: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41577-025-01162-5

Antiviral treatments

"A group from Istanbul tested drugs that are already FDA-approved for other indications to see which could inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease. Lumacaftor, candesartan, nelfinavir and other drugs showed strong antiviral activity against COVID replication in vitro. Clinical trials will be needed to see if these drugs could be repurposed to treat COVID.

"A large U.S. EMR-based study found that taking Paxlovid within 5 days of a mild-to-moderate COVID-19 diagnosis significantly lowered the risk of stroke and death 90+ days later. Among nearly 182,000 matched patient pairs, those who took Paxlovid had a 15% lower risk of stroke and a 32% lower risk of death. The benefit was consistent across all age groups, sexes, health conditions, and vaccination statuses, with particularly strong protection seen in older adults and those with obesity or metabolic diseases.

Long COVID

"A new study using specimens from the UCSF LIINC biobank found that people who had COVID, and especially those with Long COVID, showed signs of persistent immune dysfunction and metabolic imbalances up to four months after infection. Those with Long COVID had immature, inflamed immune cells, high oxidative stress, low tryptophan levels, and markers of immune cell exhaustion and senescence especially in CD8 T-cells. The researchers also identified changes in gene methylation linked to disrupted metabolism and potential cancer risk, suggesting that Long COVID may result from long-lasting damage to immune and metabolic systems. Other viruses like Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) are known to cause cancers, and SARS-CoV-2 may have oncogenic potential as well.

"Another study showed that mild or asymptomatic COVID infections can cause long lasting changes to DNA methylation patterns seven months after infection. Two specific DNA sites on AFAP1L2 and PC genes which are linked to immune responses and how cells use energy, were consistently altered. Changes resembled patterns seen in autoimmune or inflammatory diseases suggesting long-term epigenetic remodeling even after mild COVID infection.

"Long COVID affects over 400 million people worldwide, yet there is little guidance or formal training for healthcare professionals. This week, two different groups put out amazing articles on the diagnosis and treatment of Long COVID with helpful tables. The first paper was published by a multidisciplinary group associated with the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R) Multidisciplinary PASC Collaborative and the other paper was written by 179 global Long COVID experts, both using a Delphi approach.

"The AAPM&R Multidisciplinary PASC Collaborative wrote an extensive compendium on the differential diagnosis, testing, management and treatment of Long COVID broken down by symptom. I found this article to be extremely helpful and very detailed.

From: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/pmrj.13397

"The second paper entitled “Long COVID clinical evaluation, research and impact on society” was written by 179 international experts on Long COVID who used a 3-round Delphi method to build consensus on key recommendations for definition, diagnosis, treatment, research, and societal issues relating to Long COVID.

"Table 3 Recommended diagnostic tests available to clinicians for evaluation of patients with Long COVID based on clinical history and examination

From: https://ann-clinmicrob.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12941-025-00793-9/tables/3

"Western University in Canada and the Schmidt Initiative for Long COVID (SILC) have launched a global clinical trial to evaluate two repurposed anti-inflammatory drugs upadacitinib and pirfenidone as potential treatments for Long COVID. The trial will enroll 348 participants across seven sites on four continents, using an adaptive trial platform to focus on the most severe symptoms in each patient, including fatigue, brain fog, breathing issues, and muscle aches. The two drugs were selected using artificial intelligence (AI) from over 5,400 proteins linked to Long COVID, offering a promising shortcut to treatment by targeting 13 shared biological pathways.

"A new preprint validated earlier findings that genetic factors strongly influence who develops Long COVID, using data from both U.S. (All of Us) and U.K. (Sano GOLD) cohorts with diverse ancestries. Over 90% of genes identified in the original study were also associated with Long COVID in the U.S. population including in Black and Hispanic groups. These results confirm that combinatorial genetic analysis can uncover more risk genes than traditional Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and support the continued exploration of drug repurposing candidates for Long COVID treatment.

"A study in BMJ Global Health of 6528 adult patients with symptomatic COVID from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates found that 25% of COVID patients reported Long COVID symptoms with higher rates in less wealthy countries and among people of Arab or North African ethnicity.

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Lyme Disease

"New research from Northwestern University suggests that lingering symptoms after Lyme disease treatment may be driven by immune responses to leftover bacterial cell wall fragments called peptidoglycans and not active infection. Scientists found that B. burgdorferi peptidoglycan persists in the liver and joints long after the bacteria are killed. These remnants appear to trigger prolonged inflammation in some patients, much like viral fragment persistence may trigger inflammation in Long COVID. This may explain why anti-inflammatory drugs can sometimes help Lyme disease symptoms when antibiotics do not. The group also showed that B. burgdorferi peptidoglycan alters energy metabolism in immune cells and triggers protein changes similar to those seen in chronic illness after infection.

"Researchers from Virginia Tech screened 500 antibiotics and identified that piperacillin may be a potentially safer alternative to doxycycline for treating Lyme disease. These findings could lead to better treatments and more targeted therapies for the roughly 1,200 people diagnosed with Lyme disease each day in the United States.

ME/CFS

"Researchers used deep learning techniques to analyze genetic data from individuals with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). HEAL2, a novel deep learning framework, identified 115 ME/CFS risk genes that show mutations in the central nervous system (CNS) and immune cells. Further analysis of these ME/CFS genes shows a “genetic correlation between ME/CFS and other complex diseases and traits, including depression and Long COVID.”

H5N1

"A group from SUNY Buffalo developed a nanoparticle vaccine candidate that displays recombinant H5 and N1 proteins from the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b on liposomes. In mice, this vaccine triggered strong immune responses and protected against lethal infection showing promise for future pandemic preparedness. The vaccine will be developed for potential use in both animals and humans.

Graphical Abstract

From: https://www.cell.com/cell-biomaterials/fulltext/S3050-5623(25)00061-3

Measles

"As of 4/24/25, the CDC reports 884 reported US measles cases in 2025 with 11% hospitalization for pneumonia and other complications and 3 reported deaths. Measles have been reported in 29 states now.

4/25/25 From https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/health/measles-outbreak-map.html

"A new simulation study from Stanford warns that declining childhood vaccination rates in the United States could lead to a resurgence of previously eliminated diseases like measles, rubella, polio, and diphtheria. Even if we stay at current vaccination rates, measles could become endemic again within 21 years, underscoring the urgent need for high vaccine coverage to prevent major public health setbacks.

"As measles cases surge to the highest levels since 2019, about half of adults and parents are worried, with concern higher among Black, Hispanic, and Democratic respondents per a new KFF poll. Many adults have encountered false claims about measles and MMR vaccines, but overall 83% still express confidence in vaccine safety. Partisan divides strongly influence both awareness of the measles outbreak and belief in vaccine misinformation.

From: https://www.kff.org/health-information-and-trust/poll-finding/kff-tracking-poll-on-health-information-and-trust-the-publics-views-on-measles-outbreaks-and-misinformation/

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Other news

Multiple Sclerosis and Gut Microbiota

"Taking gut bacteria from an identical twin with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and putting it in the gut of germ-free mice triggered MS-like disease in the mice, suggesting a causal role for specific microbes. Implicated bacteria include Eisenbergiella tayi and Lachnoclostridium.

From: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2419689122

"Metformin may prevent a form of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in people at high risk of the disease. A common mutation in the DNMT3A (R882) gene increases the risk of this leukemia. The mutated cells rely heavily on mitochondrial energy production (OXPHOS). Using mouse models and human data, a study showed that targeting this energy pathway with Metformin can suppress the expansion of leukemia cells like AML.

"A Danish twin study found that tattoo ink exposure is linked to a higher risk of skin cancer and lymphoma, especially with large tattoos. Individual-level analyses showed hazard ratios up to 3.91 for skin cancer and 2.73 for lymphoma, with tattoos larger than the palm of a hand carrying the greatest risk. The studies were small and larger studies over a longer period of time will be important to clarify health impacts of tattoo ink.

From ChatGPT

"For the first time, microplastics have been detected in human ovarian follicular fluid raising concerns about potential impacts on female fertility. The study found microplastics in 14 out of 18 women undergoing fertility treatments suggesting widespread exposure. Researchers call for further investigation into how these particles affect reproductive health.

"The FDA has suspended milk quality testing due to layoffs of FDA inspectors. Layoffs included FDA staffers responsible for responding to the ongoing bird flu outbreaks as well.

"The Trump administration ended federal funding for the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), a landmark study tracking the health of over 160,000 women since the 1990s. Thankfully, a day later, the administration restored funding to the WHI.

"When Serendipity Books in Michigan needed to move to a nearby larger store, owner Michelle Tuplin enlisted 350 local people who made two human chains and passed each book down the line to the new store's bookshelves. The entire store was moved within 2 hours and people had a great time discussing which of the books they enjoyed.

People help move books for Serendipity Books. Photo by Burrill Strong from https://buff.ly/aUgRSBc

"Have a good week,

"Ruth Ann Crystal MD"

Charging the Victims of Jew-Hatred

Why am I not at all surprised to hear this? After all, the targets of the riots since the massacre of October 7 are the victims of that massacre. Supporters of the Hamas Death Cult got off scot-free.

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After 300 Arrests at Campus Hamas Riots, LA Will Charge Only 2 Jews; Hamas supporters get a pass. Jewish community members get charged.

Front Page News, April 27, 2025 by Daniel Greenfield

"During the UCLA Hamas riots, it was routine for the terrorist supporters to mace and assault Jewish community members and students. And for campus security to refuse to intervene, take down evidence or call the police.

"The media covered up the situation.

"And even those who were actually arrested after weeks of this are getting a pass.

"The City Attorney’s Office received over 300 referrals from arrests made during the mass protests on the campuses of UCLA and USC in April and May, 2024, and declined to file criminal charges on most of the referrals.

"Three others will be referred to informal prosecutorial proceedings."

"2 out of over 300. Not 300 arrests, but 300 referrals from arrests. And even those arrests are only the tip of the iceberg.

"But it gets better. The only two people charged are the Jewish targets of the pro-Hamas mobs.

"The vast majority of pro-Hamas perpetrators have their cases dropped.

"CAIR is cheering the move which should tell you everything."

Wanted: Professional Who Won't Write Misleading Headlines

Here we go again. Please fire this headline writer immediately, and lock up the car ASAP.

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Newser, April 27, 2025:  

SUV Kills 9 at Festival Before Crowd Grabs Suspect; Canadian officials say they don't suspect terrorism 

So a car deliberately drove itself into a crowd, killed 9 people, and then the crowd grabbed the car, since it's the car that's the suspect. Also, notice how quickly officials shrugged off any notion of terrorism. Yet:

• The driver "just slammed the pedal down and rammed into hundreds of people," said Kris Pangilinan. "It was like seeing a bowling ball hit—all the bowling pins and all the pins flying up in the air."

Well, that sure sounds deliberate to me. 

"Acting Police Chief Steve Rai described the person arrested as a 'lone male' in his thirties." Did they ever think this could be a lone wolf attack, the definition of which is "often spontaneous and difficult to predict, making them challenging to prevent"?

If Canada is anything like America, I'm sure we'll be hearing all sorts of excuses for this "SUV attack", and if it is terrorism, we'll be hearing less about it.

The Consequences of Falling Vaccination Rates

This is very alarming. If people don't think twice about injecting themselves with weight-loss drugs, then they shouldn't mind getting vaccinated in order to protect themselves and others from acquiring preventable diseases!

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Measles may be making a comeback in the U.S., Stanford Medicine-led research finds; Diseases such as measles, rubella and polio could become endemic to the U.S. again if vaccine rates decline, according to modeling run by researchers at Stanford Medicine and their colleagues.

By Katia Savchuk

"Childhood vaccination rates have been falling in the United States, especially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lower levels of immunity have resulted in a resurgence of measles cases, including a recent outbreak in western Texas that infected more than 620 people, leading to 64 hospitalizations and the deaths of two children.

"If immunization rates drop further over a prolonged period of time, measles and even other wiped-out diseases — such as rubella and polio — could one day make a comeback in the United States, according to a new study by researchers at Stanford Medicine and other universities.

"The study, which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on April 24, used large-scale epidemiological modeling to simulate the spread of infectious diseases in the United States at various childhood vaccination levels. Even at current immunization rates, researchers predict that measles may become endemic again — circulating in the U.S. — within two decades; with small declines in vaccination, this could happen more quickly. However,  small increases in vaccine coverage would prevent this.

"Lead author Mathew Kiang, ScD, assistant professor of epidemiology and population health, and senior author Nathan Lo, MD, PhD, assistant professor of infectious diseases, hope the study will provide useful data for decision makers setting vaccine policy.

"We spoke with Kiang and Lo to learn more. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Why did you think this research was important?

"Nathan Lo: We’ve seen a worrisome pattern of decreasing routine childhood vaccinations. There was a disruption to health care services during the pandemic, but declines preceded this period and have accelerated since then for many reasons. People look around and say, “We don’t see these diseases. Why should we vaccinate against them?” There’s a general fatigue with vaccines. And there’s distrust and misinformation about vaccine effectiveness and safety.

"Mathew Kiang: As vaccinations decline, the effect won’t be immediate. We wanted to know: When will we see the impact of decisions being debated and made now?

"Lo: Specifically, we wanted to look at some key diseases that have been eliminated from the U.S. through vaccination, which means they’re not spreading within the country on an ongoing basis. These include measles, polio, rubella and diphtheria, which can have awful complications, like lifelong paralysis, birth defects and death.

How did you model what would happen?

"Lo: We used a large-scale epidemiological model to simulate all individuals living in the U.S. and assigned them an age, vaccination status, immunity, state of residence, etc. We then simulated how infections would spread under different vaccine conditions. The model assumes that diseases are introduced by someone who travels abroad and brings them back, most commonly a U.S. citizen who isn’t vaccinated. Right now, so many people are immune through vaccination that diseases don’t spread far. But if vaccinations decline over a longer period, you start to see outbreaks increase in size and frequency. Eventually you see sustained, ongoing transmission, meaning these diseases become endemic — they become household names once again.

What is likely to happen with these diseases if vaccinations stay at current levels?

"Kiang: For current rates, we took a conservative approach by using average vaccination levels between 2004 and 2023. With measles, we found that we’re already on the precipice of disaster. If vaccination rates remain the same, the model predicts that measles may become endemic within about 20 years. That means an estimated 851,300 cases over 25 years, leading to 170,200 hospitalizations and 2,550 deaths. The other diseases are not likely to become endemic under the status quo.

Why is measles likely to become endemic and not the others?

"Lo: Measles is one of the most infectious diseases that exists, so the number of people who have to be immune to prevent it from spreading is extremely high. Polio, diphtheria and rubella are still far more infectious than COVID-19, for example, but measles is in a different ballpark, with one person infecting up to 20 others (though our model took a conservative estimate of 12) in a fully susceptible population. Also, the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine has become particularly controversial, partly due to a history of fraudulent medical research that raised safety concerns; it has been conclusively shown that there is no link with autism. Measles is also more common around the world, so travelers are more likely to bring it back.

"Kiang: Travelers importing a disease are like matches, and U.S. under-vaccination is the tinder. With measles, you’re throwing a lot of matches in, and eventually something is going to happen.

What do you predict will happen if fewer people get their kids vaccinated?

"Kiang: If vaccination were to fall by even 10% today, measles cases would skyrocket to 11.1 million over the next 25 years. If vaccination rates were cut in half, we’d expect 51.2 million cases of measles, 9.9 million cases of rubella, 4.3 million cases of polio and 200 cases of diphtheria over 25 years. This would lead to 10.3 million hospitalizations and 159,200 deaths, plus an estimated 51,200 children with post-measles neurological complications, 10,700 cases of birth defects due to rubella and 5,400 people paralyzed from polio. Measles would become endemic in less than five years, and rubella would become endemic in less than 20. Under these conditions, polio became endemic in about half of simulations in around 20 years.

What differences did you find at the state level?

"Kiang: Massachusetts has high vaccination rates and was consistently low risk. Both California and Texas were higher risk, even after accounting for larger population size, because vaccination rates in both have dropped and there’s a lot of travel to those states. Our model assumed there was no spillover of infections across state lines, so the numbers could be an underestimate.

If these diseases become more widespread, who is in danger?

"Lo: Folks who are unvaccinated are most at risk of infection and the awful complications. That includes babies, especially those between the ages of 6 and 12 months, who have waning antibodies from their mothers but are not yet eligible for their first dose of an MMR vaccine. Others are also at risk. People who are immunocompromised, which is a sizable segment of the U.S. population, can also be at risk. While the effects of declining vaccination won’t be immediate, we could eventually see the return of awful complications from diseases that most clinicians today have not encountered thanks to decades of successful immunization.

Which of your scenarios is most likely to play out?

"Lo: One that’s conceivable is that vaccine coverage continues to drop, measles outbreaks become larger and more frequent, and eventually measles becomes endemic again. Hopefully, some fraction of the unvaccinated population seeks vaccination as a result, and state and local public health departments continue to do their vital work in outbreak response, allowing us to reestablish elimination. We might get into that kind of pattern. If we start to see major changes to the childhood vaccination schedule and policy and coverage really drops, you get into a world where you worry about diseases like polio and rubella, but that would likely take well over a decade or more. If that were to happen, you can’t just flip a switch — once these diseases get unleashed, it would take time eliminate them again.

What should parents, providers and others do based on these results?

"Lo: I would encourage parents who aren’t sure about vaccination to discuss this with their pediatrician and believe in our health care providers. We hope our research also provides the data for federal and state officials, vaccine guideline committees, and others to understand what will happen if decisions are made that lead to declines in vaccination.

"With measles, we’re right on the cusp. Increasing vaccination levels by just 5% brings the number of measles cases down, safely away from returning to endemic levels. These are the kinds of small percentages that can really be a tipping point. It’s empowering that a small segment of the population can make a difference here.

"Kiang: It’s worth emphasizing that there really shouldn’t be any cases at this point, because these diseases are preventable. Anything above zero is tragic. When you’re talking about potentially thousands or millions, that’s unfathomable."

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Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine, Rice University, and Texas A&M University contributed to the study.

A grant from the National Institutes of Health (T32AI007502) supported the research.

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