Fletcher Chiu

🧡 Stand with U=U | Taiwan Pride It’s a wrap! Our immense gratitude to all amazing people and beautiful souls that walked with us. Our chanting and talks throughout the way definitely made people in the pride remember the message of U=U #HIVPrideAlliance see you next year 🏳️‍🌈🎉

My resignation letter from CDC. Dear Dr. Houry, I am writing to formally resign from my position as Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), effective August 28, 2025, close of business.   I am happy to stay on for two weeks to provide transition, if requested. This decision has not come easily, as I deeply value the work that the CDC does in safeguarding public health and am proud of my contributions to that critical mission. However, after much contemplation and reflection on recent developments and perspectives brought to light by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., I find that the views he and his staff have shared challenge my ability to continue in my current role at the agency and in the service of the health of the American people. Enough is enough. While I hold immense respect for the institution and my colleagues, I believe that it is imperative to align my professional responsibilities to my system of ethics and my understanding of the science of infectious disease, immunology, and my promise to serve the American people.  This step is necessary to ensure that I can contribute effectively in a capacity that allows me to remain true to my principles. I am unable to serve in an environment that treats CDC as a tool to generate policies and materials that do not reflect scientific reality and are designed to hurt rather than to improve the public’s health.  The recent change in the adult and children’s immunization schedule threaten the lives of the youngest Americans and pregnant people.   The data analyses that supported this decision have never been shared with CDC despite my respectful requests to HHS and other leadership.  This lack of meaningful engagement was further compounded by a “frequently asked questions” document written to support the Secretary’s directive that was circulated by HHS without input from CDC subject matter experts and that cited studies that did not support the conclusions that were attributed to these authors.  Having worked in local and national public health for years, I have never experienced such radical non-transparency, nor have I seen such unskilled manipulation of data to achieve a political end rather than the good of the American people. It is untenable to serve in an organization that is not afforded the opportunity to discuss decisions of scientific and public health importance released under the moniker of CDC.  The lack of communication by HHS and other CDC political leadership that culminates in social media posts announcing major policy changes without prior notice demonstrate a disregard of normal communication channels and common sense.  Having to retrofit analyses and policy actions to match inadequately thought-out announcements in poorly scripted videos or page long X posts should not be how organizations responsible for the health of people should function.  Some examples include the announcement of the change in the COVID-19 recommendations for children and pregnant people, the firing of scientists from ACIP by X post and an op-ed rather than direct communication with these valuable experts, the announcement of new ACIP members by X before onboarding and vetting have completed, and the release of term of reference for an ACIP workgroup that ignored all feedback from career staff at CDC. The recent term of reference for the COVID vaccine work group created by this ACIP puts people of dubious intent and more dubious scientific rigor in charge of recommending vaccine policy to a director hamstrung and sidelined by an authoritarian leader.   Their desire to please a political base will result in death and disability of vulnerable children and adults.  Their base should be the people they serve not a political voting bloc. I have always been first to challenge scientific and public health dogma in my career and was excited by the opportunity to do so again.  I was optimistic that there would be an opportunity to brief the Secretary about key topics such as measles, avian influenza, and the highly coordinated approach to the respiratory virus season.  Such briefings would allow exchange of ideas and a shared path to support the vision of “Making America Healthy Again.”  We are seven months into the new administration, and no CDC subject matter expert from my Center has ever briefed the Secretary.  I am not sure who the Secretary is listening to, but it is quite certainly not to us.  Unvetted and conflicted outside organizations seem to be the sources HHS use over the gold standard science of CDC and other reputable sources.  At a hearing, Secretary Kennedy said that Americans should not take medical advice from him.  To the contrary, an appropriately briefed and inquisitive Secretary should be a source of health information for the people he serves. As it stands now, I must agree with him, that he should not be considered a source of accurate information. The intentional eroding of trust in low-risk vaccines favoring natural infection and unproven remedies will bring us to a pre-vaccine era where only the strong will survive and many if not all will suffer.  I believe in nutrition and exercise.  I believe in making our food supply healthier, and I also believe in using vaccines to prevent death and disability.  Eugenics plays prominently in the rhetoric being generated and is derivative of a legacy that good medicine and science should continue to shun. The recent shooting at CDC is not why I am resigning.  My grandfather, who I am named after, stood up to fascist forces in Greece and lost his life doing so.  I am resigning to make him and his legacy proud.   I am resigning because of the cowardice of a leader that cannot admit that HIS and his minions’ words over decades created an environment where violence like this can occur.  I reject his and his colleagues’ thoughts and prayers, and advise they direct those to people that they have not actively harmed. For decades, I have been a trusted voice for the LGBTQ community when it comes to critical health topics.  I must also cite the recklessness of the administration in their efforts to erase transgender populations, cease critical domestic and international HIV programming, and terminate key research to support equity as part of my decision. Public health is not merely about the health of the individual, but it is about the health of the community, the nation, the world. The nation’s health security is at risk and is in the hands of people focusing on ideological self-interest. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the opportunities for growth, learning, and collaboration that I have been afforded during my time at the CDC. It has been a privilege to work alongside such dedicated professionals who are committed to improving the health and well-being of communities across the nation even when under attack from within both physically and psychologically. Thank you once again for the support and guidance I have received from you and previous CDC leadership throughout my tenure. I wish the CDC continued success in its vital mission and that HHS reverse its dangerous course to dismantle public health as a practice and as an institution.  If they continue the current path, they risk our personal well-being and the security of the United States. Sincerely, Demetre C. Daskalakis MD MPH (he/his/him)

This lady exposed the dark truth about recycling. She dropped an AirTag in her recycling bin to find out where it really went. Her experiment uncovered a sinister 250-ton secret... Here's the full story: 🧵

🇺🇸 HUGE Victory! The final barrier to people living w/HIV serving in the US military has been broken! Congratulations & tremendous gratitude to @LambdaLegal for another historic and groundbreaking win for people living with HIV! #UequalsU nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-ne…

TIME Magazine unveils new cover.

We are incredibly proud of the millions we've reached worldwide and the grassroots ingenuity and commitment of our team and partners. 🌍❤️ Today we announce some very sad news. Read the statement here👉aidsmap.com/news/jul-2024/…

2nd Southeast Asia Regional Workshop on HIV-related Stigma and Discrimination is in full swing. Representatives from communities, ministries, and (social) media from 🇰🇭🇮🇩🇱🇦🇵🇭🇹🇭🇻🇳 discuss strategies to #EndHIVstigma in justice settings and beyond.

I recently sat for an interview with @taiwanplusnews @taiwanplusshows for their documentary Taiwan in Transition. In it, I discuss our critical efforts for #Taiwan in the last eight years, including our response to the pandemic, receiving Nancy Pelosi on her visit, building a relationship of trust with TSMC founder Morris Chang 張忠謀, and securing passage of same-sex marriage legislation. The doc will air on multiple platforms through TaiwanPlus. Let me know in the replies what you think.

Delighted to see @66wind99 & fellow queens perform at the Presidential Office today. Nymphia, as the S16 winner of @RuPaulsDragRace, is now a queen for the world. We're all looking forward to you lighting up the stage with #Taiwanese pride at our pavilion at the Paris Olympics.

Excited to share Taiwan Tourism’s new look, designed in a collab by Dentsu & Bito, whose founder is a Presidential Innovation Award winner. We warmly invite visitors to #Taiwan to experience #WavesOfWonder in our dynamic landscape & culture, as we greet a new wave of tourism. More info: eng.taiwan.net.tw

Dr. Demetre shares three things about HIV that can change the course of your health: 1. Knowing your status 2. Using PrEP 3. Understanding that Undetectable = Untransmittable or U=U Watch now! #StopHIVTogether #UequalsU

Congratulations to you, Nymphia Wind @66wind99, for being so accomplished in the difficult art form of drag, and for being the first Taiwanese to take the stage and win on @RuPaulsDragRace. Right after being crowned queen, you said “Taiwan, this is for you.” Taiwan thanks you for living fearlessly.

The Queen of Wind! 🌬️ @66wind99 #TeamNymphia #DragRace

Spoilers ahead! ⚠️ You're a winner, baby! 💋 Condragulations to America's Next Drag Superstar! 👑 #DragRace

Nymphia just NAILED it!!!

We are thrilled to introduce Maximina Jokonya @maxminaj2 as the newly appointed Executive Director of Y+ Global. Please join us in welcoming Maxy and supporting her as she leads our efforts to advance global health equity & youth empowerment. For more 👉🏼 yplusglobal.org/news-bangkok-s…

.@UNAIDS launched the HIV Response Sustainability Primer in early 2024, a document that outlines the planning process at country level from January 2024 to June 2025. The planning process will be led by governments, aiming to develop a country-specific roadmap on HIV response sustainability. We have organised a webinar on understanding the HIV response sustainability planning process. Join us on April 11th, 2024 at 11:00 AM CET. Reserve your spot here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regist… #FutureWithCommunities #CommunitiesFirst

Disaster response is underway following this morning’s 7.2 earthquake and aftershocks. I’m deeply grateful for the messages of support we have received from around the world, and to our first responders for their life-saving work. My heart is with everyone affected. Please keep in touch with loved ones, and stay safe.