Lena Sun

@lenasun.bsky.social

National health reporter, The Washington Post [email protected]; Reach me securely on Signal: LenaSun.04

@lenasun.bsky.social

NEW: The CDC is excluding two deaths reported by Pennsylvania from the agency’s weekly update on measles dashboard, a decision that came from new CDC director Erica Schwartz, per sources. Me and @Rachelroubein.bsky.social
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...

washingtonpost.comNew CDC director delays adding Pennsylvania deaths to measles dataThe deaths have been at the heart of a bitter political dispute between RFK Jr. and Gov. Josh Shapiro (D).
@ddiamond.bsky.socialReposted by @lenasun.bsky.social

The White House struggled to find an FDA commissioner, but they have a pick — HEIDI OVERTON, who's been serving as one of Trump's domestic policy advisers. Many outside candidates turned them down. More TK with @rachelroubein.bsky.social

washingtonpost.comTrump expected to pick White House aide to lead FDAHeidi Overton works on the White House's Domestic Policy Council. She would replace Marty Makary, who resigned in May after months of turmoil at the agency.
@lenasun.bsky.social

NEW: Our latest story about the cyclospora outbreak also details the scope of recalled product: 3.1 million pounds of recalled lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico. Roughly the weight of 25 Boeing 737s.
W @rachelroubein.bsky.social @Caitlingilbert.bsky.social

Rachel Roubein@rachelroubein.bsky.social

FDA investigators are now in Mexico nearly a month after federal officials linked Taylor Farms’ lettuce to the nation’s largest cyclospora outbreak. Inspecting the processing plant now, fields next. w/ @lenasun.bsky.social @caitlingilbert.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...

washingtonpost.comFDA in Mexico a month after linking Taylor Farms to cyclospora outbreakSenior FDA official confirms that inspectors were on-site at the Taylor Farms processing facility and plan to be in the fields next.
@fenitn.bsky.socialReposted by @lenasun.bsky.social

How did a false allegation lead to Pete Buttigieg's separation from his kids?

Our exclusive reporting shows how authorities did not take steps to vet the caller who left her contact. We found the caller who said she wanted to thwart his White House ambitions.

Gift link: wapo.st/45ok5XP

washingtonpost.comSource of false Buttigieg allegation appeared ‘mentally unstable,’ records showThe Michigan attorney general’s office is investigating how the accusation that prompted the ex-Cabinet secretary's separation from his 4-year-old twins was handled.
@lenasun.bsky.social

UPDATE TAYLOR FARMS: Hours after company says it is voluntarily pulling lettuce from Mexico, Taylor Farms tells FDA it will initiate a recall. No additional details on what products. Our story updated 👇

Lena Sun@lenasun.bsky.social

BREAKING: Taylor Farms pulls all iceberg lettuce sourced in central Mexico from U.S. market in cyclosporiasis investigation. AND Sysco, a huge food supplier, has stopped distributing Taylor Farms processed iceberg lettuce products frm Mexico. Our story. 1/2 www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...

washingtonpost.comTaylor Farms pulls all iceberg lettuce sourced in central Mexico from U.S. marketThe CDC and FDA advised consumers to avoid eating shredded iceburg lettuce from Taco Bell as it investigates a parasitic outbreak that has sickened thousands.
@lenasun.bsky.social

With the terrible, horrible very bad air in so much of the US, here is a video I made showing how you can make your own air filter for cleaner air. At home. With just a few items. (I made it during pandemic but it works for any time you want cleaner air.)
www.washingtonpost.com/video/scienc...

washingtonpost.comHow to make an air cleaner to get better indoor air qualityAn air cleaner can help remove indoor pollutants and reduce the spread of pathogens such as the coronavirus. Washington Post reporter Lena Sun demonstrates how to make a Corsi-Rosenthal box using MERV...
@lenasun.bsky.social

Sysco’s products reach restaurants, hospitals, schools and other food-service providers across the country. Freshpoint, its premium produce distributor, claims several major restaurant, chains and hotels as customers, along with providers to convention centers, retirement, homes, and colleges. 2/2

@lenasun.bsky.social

BREAKING: Taylor Farms pulls all iceberg lettuce sourced in central Mexico from U.S. market in cyclosporiasis investigation. AND Sysco, a huge food supplier, has stopped distributing Taylor Farms processed iceberg lettuce products frm Mexico. Our story. 1/2
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...

washingtonpost.comTaylor Farms pulls all iceberg lettuce sourced in central Mexico from U.S. marketThe CDC and FDA advised consumers to avoid eating shredded iceburg lettuce from Taco Bell as it investigates a parasitic outbreak that has sickened thousands.
@lenasun.bsky.social

SCOOP: Federal and state health officials are investigating whether Taco Bell restaurants played role in one of the largest US outbreaks of cyclosporiasis, per my sources. Meanwhile Michigan says lettuce or salad greens are potential outbreak source. My story.
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...

washingtonpost.comAuthorities investigate Taco Bell and lettuce in multistate cyclosporiasis outbreakAuthorities have not yet identified a produce grower or supplier responsible for the outbreak that has hospitalized more than 80 people.
@lenasun.bsky.social

In a sign of how seriously physicians view the threat, 15 medical groups —the Measles Collaborative— launched an unusual effort to help prepare docs/hospitals for a disease many practicing physicians have rarely — or never — encountered but may now need to manage as part of everyday practice. 3/3

@lenasun.bsky.social

“Maybe we’ll get it under control here in Utah, but other states will go through what we just experienced, and then it will come back here,” said Utah state epidemiologist, Leisha Nolen. Utah is now home to the largest active outbreak. “I have concerns that this could be the future for a while.” 2/3

@lenasun.bsky.social

NEW: The US is now on track to surpass last year’s total measles cases. In roughly half the time, setting a new record. Why? And what does this mean for parents and doctors? My story. 1/3
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...

washingtonpost.comWhy U.S. measles outbreaks have grown harder to extinguishThe nation is already nearing last year’s record case total, and experts say the virus is forcing doctors to relearn a disease many thought had been consigned to history.
@andrewpaviamd.bsky.socialReposted by @lenasun.bsky.social

As @lenasun.bsky.social reports, this article used well-accepted methods and stood up to peer review. Acting CDC Director Bhattacharya said he had concerns about the methodology but never explained them. He is an economist, not trained in epidemiology. wapo.st/4aMg6rc

wapo.stCDC’s chief blocked a covid vaccine study. Now it’s in a top medical journal.The study found that the vaccine reduced the risk of emergency department visits and hospitalizations among healthy adults by about half last winter.
@lenasun.bsky.social

NEW: CDC’s chief blocked a covid vaccine study.
Now it’s in a top medical journal.
The study in JAMA Network Open used the same methodology that CDC’s Jay Bhattacharya criticized when the paper was not allowed to be published in CDC’s MMWR. My story.
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...

washingtonpost.comCDC’s chief blocked a covid vaccine study. Now it’s in a top medical journal.The study found that the vaccine reduced the risk of emergency department visits and hospitalizations among healthy adults by about half last winter.
@lenasun.bsky.social

Summer solstice still life. Feeeze wiped out entire crop of sour cherries in our area (along with local peaches and nectarines). Some farms in Pennsylvania survived. These Montmarency aren’t as good as the Jubileum cherries one local farm has. Still, nothing says summer like tart cherries.

@elizabethjacobs.bsky.socialReposted by @lenasun.bsky.social

As we approach America250, I wish to point out that if not for woke George Washington mandating that his troops be inoculated against smallpox, we probably wouldn’t have made it to America001.

@lizszabo.bsky.socialReposted by @lenasun.bsky.social

Important story from @lenasun.bsky.social and @rachelroubein.bsky.social:

Inside the push to keep RFK Jr.’s vaccine agenda alive
The public effort to revamp U.S. vaccine policy has quieted. Behind the scenes is a different story.

www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...

washingtonpost.comInside the push to keep RFK Jr.’s vaccine agenda aliveThe public effort to revamp U.S. vaccine policy has quieted. Behind the scenes is a different story.
@lenasun.bsky.social

“The changes being made across the vaccine ecosystem — from [vaccine development] research not being conducted to efforts intended to question vaccine safety— are likely to have a long tail and impact both future vaccine development and use,” said Bruce Gellin, longtime vaccine expert. 2/2

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