Public Health
March 30, 2026
Confused About Alcohol Safety? I’ll Try to Help. Say, “Moderate.”
Moderate consumption of alcohol by adults is low-risk but fundamentally safe. I provide a review of the supporting research as well as detailed behavioral guidance.
January 20, 2026
Caution Still Warranted for Influenza
Influenza A is at moderate to high levels in the Commonwealth. Avoiding small closed indoor spaces is prudent. Flu shots help, but influenza can be a severe disease leading to hospitalization and death.
December 28, 2025
Birth Vaccines Beat Hepatitis B — RFKJr Changes Will Bring It Back in Children
All newborns have been protected from Hepatitis B for 35 years by a vaccine given at birth. RFKJr has led the CDC to discontinue that highly successful practice. We can reliably expect thousands more cases of Hepatitis B each year.
December 4, 2025
Vaccine Availability at Risk From RFK Jr. Actions
RFK Jr is narrowing the CDC recommendations for Covid-19 vaccines and has announced his intentions to do the same with many other childhood vaccines. This likely will result in sharply reduced insurance coverage for the vaccines and much higher cost, as well as resurgence of those diseases.
July 17, 2025
Defunding Science — What’s Trump’s Goal?
The Trump administration is revoking billions of dollars of NIH grants and drastically reducing funding at CDC, FDA, and EPA. American scientific leadership and world health are being gravely harmed. What's the goal?
February 28, 2025
Unionizing Doctors Might Save Primary Care
Primary care physicians at Mass General Brigham facilities moved to unionize last fall. I totally support this. Unionization may allow for a revival of primary care, which has barely been functional for the past two decades.
February 28, 2025
Keep an Eye on Bird Flu and MPox
Bird flu has spread to cows and infected some humans. Fear of human-to-human transmission is real, though has not yet occurred. With drastically reduced funding for CDC, NIH and related agencies, our risk of an epidemic is much greater. Pay attention.
December 23, 2024
Where Does Health Care Money Go? Look at DME!
Durable medical equipment prices paid by Medicare may be 3-4 times that for same device online.
November 29, 2024
Influenza and Covid-19 Vaccine Risk and Benefit in 2024
Influenza and Covid-19 remain substantial infectious diseases which will cause serious disease and death this fall. We have effective and safe vaccines that sharply reduce the risk of serious outcomes. It is clearly a better choice to get these vaccines than not and to protect yourself and your family.
October 20, 2024
Steward Greed, Bankruptcy — Madoff-Style Clawbacks, Anyone?
Massachusetts taxpayers are paying for Ralph de la Torre's yachts and bloated legal fees that result from the Steward bankruptcy. We should not be.
September 18, 2024
Liverwurst, Hubris and Greed
Boar's Head liverwurst was contaminated with listeria because of unsanitary manufacturing practices. Customers died. The company brand is tarnished. Other companies have violated the trust of their customers. Why? Hubris or greed or incompetence?
September 18, 2024
Influenza and Covid-19 Shots
Fall is here. Get your Covid-19 vaccine promptly and the influenza vaccine by early November. Both illnesses can be quite substantial and are mitigated or warded off by the vaccines.