TWiV 1272: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin

Nov 22, 2025

Dr. Daniel Griffin, a clinical virologist, dives into critical updates on infectious diseases. He discusses alarming CDC changes regarding vaccines and autism, the detection of wild poliovirus in Germany, and the first human case of H5N5 in the U.S. The Marburg outbreak in Ethiopia raises concerns about its impact, while avian flu devastates elephant seal populations. Griffin also highlights rising measles cases in North America and offers insights into RSV vaccination strategies, long COVID treatments, and the importance of continued vaccinations.

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ANECDOTE

Bow Ties As Clinic Conversation Starters

Daniel often wears themed bow ties that patients notice and ask about during clinic visits.
He uses bow ties as a friendly conversation starter and occasional clinical-themed humor.

INSIGHT

CDC Page Change Fuels Vaccine Doubt

The CDC removed the headline "Vaccines do not cause autism" citing the Data Quality Act and said the claim isn’t evidence-based.
Daniel Griffin and Vincent Racaniello warn this change fuels vaccine hesitancy and undermines CDC credibility.

INSIGHT

Polio Detected In German Sewage

Wild poliovirus type 1 was detected in German sewage, the first such detection in Europe since 2010.
Vincent notes Germany’s surveillance likely caught an import from endemic regions and high inactivated vaccine coverage limits outbreaks.

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In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin and Vincent Racaniello are dismayed by the changes on CDC vaccine website positively stating the link between autism and vaccination, the finding of wild type poliovirus 1 in Germany, Marburg virus in Ethiopia, decimation of the elephant breeding colony by H5N1 and the first human case of H5N5 influenza virus infection before Dr. Griffin deep dives into recent statistics on the measles epidemic, RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections, the Wasterwater Scan dashboard, Johns Hopkins measles tracker, antibody escape by seasonal flu viruses, where to find PEMGARDA, how to access and pay for Paxlovid, long COVID treatment center, where to go for answers to your long COVID questions, if resistance exercise aids in recovery from long COVID and contacting your federal government representative to stop the assault on science and biomedical research.

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Links for this episode

Autism and Vaccines (CDC: Vaccine Safety)
A new road to eradication- WPV 1 in Germany from Afghanistan (Reuters)
Ethiopia confirms first outbreak of Marburg virus disease (WHO: Ethiopia)
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Viruses (HPAIV) Associated with Major Southern Elephant Seal Decline at South Georgia (Communications Biology)
Avian flu has decimated world’s largest breeding colony of southern elephant seals (CIDRAP)
Washington resident is infected with a different type of bird flu (AP News)
Pelagic Seabirds (OceanAminals)
That sounds far away: Multiple transatlantic incursions of highly pathogenic avian influenza clade 2.3.4.4b A(H5N5) virus into North America and spillover to mammals (Cell Reports)
Regional voices, different choices: Parents’ and caregivers’ HPV vaccine attitudes in the northeast and Southeast United States (Vaccine)
Wastewater for measles (WasterWater Scan)
Measles cases and outbreaks (CDC Rubeola)
Tracking Measles Cases in the U.S. (Johns Hopkins)
Measles vaccine recommendations from NYP (jpg)
Weekly measles and rubella monitoring (Government of Canada)
Measles (WHO)
Get the FACTS about measles (NY State Department of Health)
Measles (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
Measles vaccine (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
Presumptive evidence of measles immunity (CDC)
Contraindications and precautions to measles vaccination (CDC)
Measles (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
Adverse events associated with childhood vaccines: evidence bearing on causality (NLM)
Measles Vaccination: Know the Facts (ISDA: Infectious Diseases Society of America)
Deaths following vaccination: what does the evidence show (Vaccine)
Influenza: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
Respiratory virus activity levels (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
Weekly surveillance report: cliff notes (CDC FluView)
ACIP Recommendations Summary (CDC: Influenza)
Emergence of seasonal influenza A(H3N2) variants with immune escape potential warrants enhanced molecular and epidemiological surveillance for the 2025–2026 season (University of Toronto Press)
Types of Influenza Viruses (CDC: Influenza (flu))
With an absent CDC and mismatched ‘subclade K’ flu strain, experts face upcoming season with uncertainty (CIDRAP)
Influenza Vaccine Composition for the 2025-2026 U.S. Influenza Season(FDA)
RSV: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
Respiratory Diseases (Yale School of Public Health)
US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
RSV-Network (CDC Respiratory Syncytial virus Infection)
Long-term impact of nirsevimab on prevention of respiratory syncytial virus infection using a real-word global database (Journal of Infection)
Vaccines for Adults (CDC: Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV))
Economic Analysis of Protein Subunit and mRNA RSV Vaccination in Adults aged 50-59 Years (CDC: ACIP)
Estimating Risk of Guillain-Barré Syndrome in US Medicare-Enrolled Older Adults Following Medically Attended Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease (CID)
FDA Requires Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) Warning in the Prescribing Information for RSV Vaccines Abrysvo and Arexvy: FDA Safety Communication (FDA)
Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
COVID-19 deaths (CDC)
Respiratory Illnesses Data Channel (CDC: Respiratory Illnesses)
COVID-19 national and regional trends (CDC)
COVID-19 variant tracker (CDC)
SARS-CoV-2 genomes galore (Nextstrain)
Antigenic and Virological Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 Variant BA.3.2, XFG, and NB.1.8.1 (bioRxiV)
COVID-19 vaccination is associated with reduced complications in pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis (Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology)
Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda)
EUA for the pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 (INVIYD)
Infusion center (Prime Fusions)
Risk mitigation of shared room ventilation and filtration on SARS-CoV-2 transmission: a multicenter test-negative study (Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology)
CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC)
NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH)
Drug interaction checker (University of Liverpool)
Help your eligible patients access PAXLOVID with the PAXCESS Patient Support Program (Pfizer Pro)
Understanding Coverage Options (PAXCESS)
Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (ID Society)
Molnupiravir safety and efficacy (JMV)
Convalescent plasma recommendation for immunocompromised (ID Society)
What to do when sick with a respiratory virus (CDC)
Managing healthcare staffing shortages (CDC)
Anticoagulation guidelines (hematology.org)
Daniel Griffin’s evidence based medical practices for long COVID (OFID)
Long COVID hotline (Columbia : Columbia University Irving Medical Center)
The answers: Long COVID
Resistance Exercise Therapy After COVID-19 Infection(JAMA Open Network)
Reaching out to US house representative
Letters read on TWiV 1272
Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf)
Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.