Donald J. Brooks

Infectious disease epidemiologist. Consultant @WHO - epidemic and pandemic management; Doctoral researcher @YaleSPH; CEO @InitiativeEau. Mainer 🌲

[Donald J. Brooks @brooksdonaldj]

This paper brings together several years of work on global COVID-19 vaccination monitoring that I was fortunate to lead during my time at WHO, alongside colleagues across headquarters, regional offices, and countries working to understand vaccination progress in real time.

[Donald J. Brooks @brooksdonaldj]

Our preprint, Global COVID-19 vaccination uptake across the emergency and early post-emergency periods, 2021-2024, is now on medRxiv.

We analyzed data submitted to @WHO to assess global #COVID19 vaccination coverage during 2021-2023 and uptake in 2024.

https://t.co/0Jgtw1T8ey

[Donald J. Brooks @brooksdonaldj]

Lower booster coverage and limited 2024 uptake show that reaching high-risk groups once is not the same as sustaining protection over time. This provides a baseline for understanding the transition from emergency rollout to sustained priority-group vaccination.

[UN News @UN_News_Centre]

"The epidemic is advancing rapidly but we must not lose hope."

As the Ebola outbreak continues in DR Congo, a @WHO team joined other partners to visit Mongbwalu, a town in Ituri province, which is the province most affected in this outbreak.

[Donald J. Brooks @brooksdonaldj]

This belongs in national debate, but it is relevant for Maine, too. We may live in a small state far from many outbreaks, but we remain connected through travel, commerce and migration.

Protecting Americans requires maintaining the systems that stop outbreaks before they spread.

[Donald J. Brooks @brooksdonaldj]

My latest Op-Ed in @PressHerald looks at #Ebola, #hantavirus, and the warning these outbreaks carry for America’s epidemic preparedness.

These are different viruses, but they point to the same lesson: epidemic prevention depends on layers of protection.

https://t.co/sW632UIYfW

[Donald J. Brooks @brooksdonaldj]

The danger now is that many of these layers are being weakened at once in the US.

@WHO withdrawal, the dismantling of @USAID, and scaled-back work at @CDCgov are often presented as separate debates. Together, they weaken the same epidemic prevention system.

[Chikwe Ihekweazu @Chikwe_I]

Proud to share our latest article by @mvankerkhove et al in @Nature Health on the future of coronavirus disease threat management

It outlines @WHO’s approach from stand-alone emergency responses to country- led integrated systems guided by science

🔗 https://t.co/8GDVHvXhDf

[Maria Van Kerkhove @mvankerkhove]

1/ #COVID19, #MERS and #SARS have shown why coronaviruses are one of the most consequential infectious disease threats of our present & future.

@WHO highlight's why sustained coronavirus disease threat management is a core global health security priority
https://t.co/6yu6CrusMm

[Donald J. Brooks @brooksdonaldj]

Grateful to my co-authors and to colleagues across @WHO headquarters, regional offices and country offices whose work has shaped and continues to advance this agenda.

@mvankerkhove @lsubissi

[Donald J. Brooks @brooksdonaldj]

Pleased to share that our article, “Learning from COVID-19, MERS and SARS to build sustainable coronavirus disease threat management,” has been published in @Nature Health.

https://t.co/4OiDezFaPh

[Donald J. Brooks @brooksdonaldj]

The article presents @WHO’s Strategic Plan for Coronavirus Disease Threat Management, released in Dec 2025. The plan supports countries to shift from coronavirus-specific emergency responses toward long-term management of risks posed by this viral family.

https://t.co/f1SYcqm2VX