Thursday/Jeudi June/Juin 25, 2026
Health, Science
& The Truth
Thursday, June 25, 2026 · Jeudi 25 Juin 2026
From preventable outbreaks to mental health in sport, from Europe's heat crisis to the healing power of music and gaming — this is your weekly medicine desk, delivered with care and clarity.
What's up, everybody! It's Thursday, June 25, 2026 — Jeudi 25 Juin 2026 — and Medicine Thursday is here. Today is a big one. I published a brand-new #LongReads piece on measles and the vaccination crisis gripping America. Please read it, share it, and most importantly: take your sons and daughters to the Pediatrician. These doctors have spent years — sometimes decades — studying to keep your children safe. They know infinitely more than any talk-show host with a microphone and an agenda.
I also want to extend my personal applause to the leadership at our Air Force Bases who made the right call to resume flu vaccination programs for our service members. Our soldiers deserve to be protected. Thank you.
And my heart goes out to our friends and family in Europe — especially France — where a brutal heat wave (canicule) is underway. With limited air conditioning across much of the country, the danger is real. We lost approximately 40 people to drownings during this period. If you haven't learned to swim yet: please do so. It is a lifesaver. Literally.
More than 4,300 cases. Every single one preventable.
Since January 2025, over 4,300 confirmed measles cases have struck the United States — a country that had officially eliminated the disease in the year 2000. This is not a mystery. This is the predictable, documented consequence of vaccine hesitancy — amplified by misinformation, politicized health policy, and the dangerous myth that "natural immunity" is safer than science.
My new longread traces how we got here, what measles actually does to the body, and why the MMR vaccine remains one of the most important medical achievements in human history. Read it. Share it. Vaccinate.
Read the Full LongRead at zack.coffee/measles →Applauding the Decision to Protect Our Service Members
A very personal note: I want to publicly applaud the leadership at US Air Force and Space Force bases that have resumed flu vaccination programs for our service members. Our soldiers, airmen, and guardians put their lives on the line every day. The absolute least we can do is protect them from preventable illness with a proven, safe vaccine. This was the right decision — full stop. Thank you for putting the health and readiness of our people first.
Please Learn to Swim. It Is a Lifesaver.
Every summer, we see preventable tragedies in rivers, lakes, and seas across Europe. The canicule adds urgency: people seek relief from the heat in water they are not equipped to navigate safely. If you or your children have not yet learned to swim, please make it a priority this year. Swim lessons are available across France and Europe at your local piscine municipale. This is not an overreaction — it is basic survival literacy.
My thoughts are with the families of those lost. May the rest of this summer be safer for everyone. 🙏
EDS & HSD Community Invited to Shape a New Model of Care
For the many people living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS) or Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD), getting diagnosed is only the beginning. The next battle is being heard — by primary care physicians, by specialists, by systems not built with their complexity in mind.
The Ehlers-Danlos Society is launching structured virtual Listening Labs as part of developing a new, comprehensive Model of Care for EDS and HSD. These sessions are a direct invitation for the community to share their experiences — what isn't working, what needs to change, and what better care looks like. If you or someone you love lives with EDS or HSD, this is your chance to be part of shaping the future of care.
Learn More & Participate →The World Cup as a Mirror of Resilience
The FIFA World Cup 2026 has quietly become a backdrop for powerful conversations about mental health. For people living with bipolar disorder, matches like Japan vs. the Netherlands — where Japan came back after falling behind — carry a meaning that goes far beyond sport. The fighting spirit of an underdog, the refusal to quit, the ability to recalibrate mid-game: these qualities resonate deeply with anyone who manages a mental health condition on a daily basis.
Programs like Minds United in London use football as a therapeutic tool for men recovering from bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and other conditions — building friendship, purpose, and pathways back to social life. The World Cup, at its best, can do this at a global scale.
How World Cup Music Heals, Unites & Energizes
There is no official FIFA music therapy program — but the therapeutic effects of World Cup music are real and well-documented. Stadium chants synchronize breathing and heart rates across thousands of people simultaneously. Shared anthems like Shakira's work from past tournaments create emotional memory anchors that last for years. The Shakira × Burna Boy collaboration for 2026 and Ciara's ambassador role in Atlanta demonstrate how intentionally music is used to shape mood, identity, and collective well-being at the tournament.
At its core, World Cup music does what music therapy does: it reduces stress, builds belonging, provides emotional release, and creates shared joy. That is not a metaphor. That is science.
| Therapeutic Goal | World Cup Music Equivalent | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Emotional Regulation | Stadium chants & anthems | Safe outlet for joy, tension, catharsis |
| Social Bonding | Shared songs across billions | Reduces loneliness, builds collective identity |
| Stress Relief | Rhythm & movement in fan zones | Shifts attention, elevates mood |
| Empowerment | National anthems & chants | Strengthens group pride and resilience |
| Memory Anchoring | Iconic tournament songs | Creates lasting emotional landmarks |
Video Games, Cognitive Training & Mental Health Support
EA Sports FC 26 is not designed as a clinical therapy tool — but its structure aligns strongly with principles used in videogame-assisted therapy. The game's Archetypes system supports identity building and goal-setting. Its tactical Manager Career mode develops executive function — planning, prioritization, adaptive thinking. Multiplayer modes like Clubs and Ultimate Team foster communication, teamwork, and social connection.
For teens and young adults who struggle with traditional talk-based therapeutic approaches, a game like FC 26 offers something rare: a low-risk, highly engaging space where emotional regulation, cognitive training, and social bonding all happen naturally. Sports simulations are especially effective here because football is universally understood, mistakes are safe and reversible, and the sense of progression is built-in.
Gaming is not a replacement for professional mental health care. But when used thoughtfully, it can be a meaningful complement — and that deserves to be taken seriously.
Couture (dir. Alice Winocour) — A Personal & Profound Role for Jolie
The French drama Couture, directed by Alice Winocour, follows a fictional American filmmaker named Maxine Walker (played by Angelina Jolie) who travels to Paris for Fashion Week — and receives a life-changing breast cancer diagnosis in the middle of it all.
The role carries extraordinary personal weight for Jolie. She lost her mother to cancer, and in 2013 famously underwent a preventive double mastectomy after learning she carries the BRCA1 gene mutation. During filming, she reportedly wore a necklace containing her late mother's ashes to help access the vulnerability the role demanded. This is what it looks like when art and lived experience intersect authentically — and it matters for how we talk about cancer, genetics, and women's health in public culture.