Rachael Harrison

ID doc in Anchorage, Alaska. Free advice: don't eat raw walrus, don't get bit by a seal and freeze your salmon before eating it raw.

[Jake Scott, MD @jakescottMD]

RFK Jr. claims vaccines given in the first six months of life have “never been tested for autism” and that the only study on DTP found a link that the CDC “threw out.”

None of this is true.

Infant vaccines have been studied for autism across massive populations. A Danish cohort followed over 650,000 children. Studies of cumulative antigen exposure in the first two years found identical levels between children with and without autism. Thimerosal-containing vaccines were compared head-to-head with thimerosal-free formulations. No difference. A 2025 WHO systematic review of over 30 studies across multiple countries reaffirmed no causal relationship.

The study claiming a link that he’s likely referencing relied on VAERS data, a passive reporting system incapable of establishing causation, and lacked a valid comparison group. The Institute of Medicine reviewed it and found it “seriously flawed” and “uninterpretable.” It wasn’t discarded arbitrarily. It failed basic methodological standards.

The framing of “the CDC threw it out” implies a cover-up. But the rejection of a vaccine-autism link isn’t a CDC position alone. It’s the consensus of independent researchers worldwide, the National Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the WHO.

Notice the rhetorical narrowing: by specifying “first six months,” RFK Jr. sidesteps the enormous body of MMR research (given at 12-15 months) while implying earlier vaccines are an unstudied blind spot. They aren’t.

The evidence base is enormous and consistent. Over 30 studies, millions of children, multiple countries, different methodologies, all pointing the same direction. Continuing to re-examine a question answered this thoroughly isn’t scientific rigor. It’s manufactured doubt. Resources spent relitigating resolved questions are resources not spent understanding what actually causes autism or improving the lives of autistic people.

The CDC, under RFK Jr.‘s influence, has called for re-examination of this question. The WHO, the AAP, and researchers worldwide have not followed suit. There’s a reason for that.

[Jake Scott, MD @jakescottMD]

The corrupted CDC website refers to a Danish study (Andersson et al) and "a statistically significant 67% increased risk of Asperger's syndrome per 1 mg increase in aluminum exposure among children born between 2007 and 2018 (Supplement Figure 4)." It's worth putting this into context.

Short 🧵https://t.co/LBvgM1wWYk

[Rachael Harrison @RachMD_ID]

@ABsteward If there was a "dislike" button on here I'd be pushing it.

[Jake Scott, MD @jakescottMD]

I welcome skepticism and all the questions. Another concern I hear a lot lately: "It's not the antigens, it's the aluminum adjuvant that worries me." Fair ask.

Let's walk through the 2025 US schedule and see exactly which newer shots use alum (based on FDA labels). 🧵

[Jake Scott, MD @jakescottMD]

It’s understandable to have questions about aluminum in vaccines. Here are the key facts:
🧵

[Jake Scott, MD @jakescottMD]

Worried about “injected aluminum”? Let’s zoom out 👇

Alum salts (Al hydroxide/phosphate) have powered vaccines since 1926 - billions of doses.

Depot effect ➡️ slow antigen release & stronger antibody/T-cell priming

Innate-pathway kick-start ➡️ better immune quality

Dose-sparing: lets us use LESS antigen per shot

Typical vaccine dose ~0.5 mg Al - <10 % of the aluminum we swallow in food every day

90 years of safety data: no signal for neuro or autoimmune disease; brief injection-site redness is the usual side-effect.

Evidence > fear.

[Antibiotic Steward Bassam Ghanem 🅱️C🆔🅿️🌟 @ABsteward]

Wow. It's published!
Our new article that will spark some good active discussion among ID people!
🆕️🔥 @CMIJournal by ID master @BradSpellberg &amp; 🌟s @DrToddLee @DrEmilyMcD
Revisiting Diagnostics: ESR and CRP:It's Time to Stop the Zombie Tests
https://t.co/W8Flt78I9L

[Rachael Harrison @RachMD_ID]

@dralicehan @sailorrooscout I never thought of it this way either. Interesting 🤯🤔

[Antibiotic Steward Bassam Ghanem 🅱️C🆔🅿️🌟 @ABsteward]

🆕️🔥🔥ICYMI 🔴 @CIDJournal
@VanceFowler5
The 2023 Duke-ISCVID Criteria for Infective Endocarditis: Updating the Modified Duke Criteria
Follow me+Like it +Retweet it +DM me &amp; I'll send you a link for full text✔️ #IDTwitter #IEwikiguidelines
https://t.co/Iffgxxa6BL

[FRSimonetti 🦋 @SimonettiFR]

Join our discussion on non-suppressible viremia! Hosted by @TAGHIVscience and @HIViBase.
Do you have 🔥burning🔥questions? Leave them in the comments and I will try to address them during the webinar!
@HopkinsCFAR @sebpoule @RachMD_ID @DAREtoCureHIV @PAVE_MDC @ACTGNetwork

[Rachael Harrison @RachMD_ID]

@SimonettiFR @serotavirus I would love to discuss the case. How do I reach you? I am somewhat new to the Twitter world... do I give you my email on this platform?

[Rachael Harrison @RachMD_ID]

1/ 50 yo bisexual M newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS. Pmh renal transplant on tacro and Cellcept - stable, neurosyphilis tx in the past RPR 1:2 from 1:32, and squamous cell skin CA. Cd4 of 4, VL 4,000,000s. Genotype w/o resistance. Biktarvy started.

[Rachael Harrison @RachMD_ID]

@sebpoule @serotavirus @vmarconi2 @SimonettiFR How interesting! 🤔 There may be a defective provirus in certain CD4 cells that is nonsuppressible...

I worry that my pt is at risk of developing IN resistance with such a high persistent viral load. Have you discovered what could be done about these proviruses?

[Rachael Harrison @RachMD_ID]

@serotavirus Hi! Thank you for you help. His CD4 percentage started at 1% and is now 10% at 1 year.

[Rachael Harrison @RachMD_ID]

3/ After 1 year of biktarvy pt remains with a high VL. I ordered an archive genosure just for thoroughness, but does anyone else have any ideas? #paulsaxmd #IDTwitter

[Rachael Harrison @RachMD_ID]

2/
2 months later: VL 11,500 and CD4 of 80.

6 months after this: VL 1500 and CD4 100. Fully compliant. Found taking vitamins... stopped these.

2 months later: VL 1100, CD4 101. Repeat genotype again w/o any resistance.

Pharmacy corroborated compliance.

[Rachael Harrison @RachMD_ID]

@Floralquinolone @PharmDFarmD @S_mariannescens @ABsteward This is great! I'm using it 👍🏻

[Rachael Harrison @RachMD_ID]

@Infected_Terran @JGPharmD @BradSpellberg @IdVilchez When I think the patient needs only 3 more days of therapy I have been known to give one dose of gent before discharge in those situations.

[Rachael Harrison @RachMD_ID]

@IdVilchez @BradSpellberg @medrants @ABsteward @DrToddLee @DrEmilyMcD I laughed so hard at the sloth comment I had tears! It's so true though 🤣

[Rachael Harrison @RachMD_ID]

@drsabina01 I've seen it a few times