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* ►October 13, 2008 - Flu shots plentiful, doctors urged to get as well as give - Experts predict this year's vaccine formulation will be more protective than last season's. - www.ama-assn.org

* ►October 13, 2008 - Data from drug trials often not published - A federal law expands an existing clinical trial registry and would make additional information available online for researchers and clinicians. - www.ama-assn.org

* ►October 7, 2008 - Beijing has SARS virus in its arsenal: NSB chief - Biochemical Warfare: Tsai Chao-ming said Taiwan and the UN had information that China has turned the virus into a bioweapon - Taipei Times - "'We have information indicating that the SARS virus has become a biochemical warfare formula, and United Nations experts have the same intelligence as that obtained by the NSB,' he told the legislature’s Foreign and National Defense Committee."

* ►October 6, 2008 - High court: Atlanta couple can sue over vaccination - Marcelo and Carolyn Ferrari can take case to court over son’s disabilities (requires registration) - Atlanta Journal-Constitution - "When the Ferraris’ 18-month-old son, Stefan, received his vaccines, he was a healthy verbal boy. Now 10, Stefan has not spoken since, according to court records. A year after Stefan received his vaccines, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that thimerosal, a preservative used for multi-dose vaccine vials, be removed from childhood vaccines. The Ferraris filed suit, contending that the manufacturers should have made vaccines without the preservative before Stefan was vaccinated.

* ►October 6, 2008 - Court: Couple can sue vaccine company - AP via WTVM.com - "An Atlanta couple's lawsuit that claims a vaccine manufacturer's product caused neurological damage to their son can go forward. The Georgia Supreme Court's unanimous decision Monday concluded that a 1986 federal law that has blocked other complaints against vaccine companies does not bar the lawsuit from Marcelo and Carolyn Ferrari from going to trial. The decision upheld a ruling by the Georgia Court of Appeals, which became the first appellate court in the nation to hold that the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Compensation Act does not pre-empt state law."

* ►October 6, 2008 - Autism Recovery Story: Noah - Age of Autism

* ►October 6, 2008 - Parental doubts over childhood vaccines common - Reuters Health - "Roughly one in four parents express doubts about the risks and benefits of various vaccines for their children and, in many cases, they delay or forgo vaccination, new research shows. However, the findings also suggest that physicians can play an important role in encouraging vaccination."

* ►October 6, 2008 - DeLauro Raps FDA On Melamine Risk Guidelines - Congresswoman says agency condones contamination of food - Consumer Affairs - "By not insisting on a zero-tolerance policy with melamine, DeLauro said the FDA is failing to protect consumers, and is undercutting state officials in their efforts to keep melamine-tainted products out of stores."

* ►October 6, 2008 - Nobel winner pessimistic on AIDS vaccine - AP via International Herald Tribune

* ►October 6, 2008 - Dispute behind Nobel Prize for HIV research - French researchers win for virus discovery; controversial scientist shunned - commentary - MSNBC

* ►October 6, 2008 - Archive report: Science subverted in AIDS dispute - In Gallo case, truth termed a casualty - This story was first published in the Tribune on Jan. 1, 1995. (requires registration) - Chicago Tribune

* ►October 6, 2008 - The Trouble with Single-Dose Vaccines - Some Concerned Parents Split the MMR -- But It Can Lead to Unintended Double Doses - The Daily Green - "Here's the response I got from Nalini Saligram Merck's Director, Global Communications re whether or not they're discontinuing the single dose shots, thereby making it impossible for parents who want to split up the vaccines:...We also make very limited quantities of the monovalent vaccines available in the US.' As for the current rubella backlog, she says, 'Because quantities are limited, there may be supply interruptions / unavailability of individual products from time to time. We do provide M-M-R II vaccine to meet the needs for vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella.' This doesn't speak to exactly how limited the quantities are, or if they're more limited than they used to be. But apparently they have not been discontinued for now."

* ►October 6, 2008 - How effective is that vaccine? - Pneumonia kills 1.6 million people every year, of which over half are children less than five years old. - Deccan Herald - "However, the paper states that the vaccine covers 80 per cent of the strains occurring in the US, but covers less than 50 per cent of the strains in India and other developing nations. PCV 7 can cause asthma. Data from clinical trials in Colombia, Chile, Gambia, Brazil, South Africa, Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Philippines show that for every 3.6 cases of pneumonia which are prevented, 1.3 children will get asthma. Asthma is a lifelong condition unlike pneumonia."

* ►October 6, 2008 - Pneumococcal vaccine associated with 50 percent lower risk of heart attacks - Canadian Medical Association Journal via e! Science News

* ►October 6, 2008 - Safety of and Immune Response to Recombinant Live-Attenuated Influenza H6N1 Virus Vaccine Vaccine - Sponsors and Collaborators: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Center for Immunization Research via www.clinicaltrials.gov

* ►October 6, 2008 - Immunogenicity and Safety of GSK Biologicals' (Pre-) Pandemic Influenza Candidate Vaccine - Sponsored by:  GlaxoSmithKline via www.clinicaltrials.gov

* ►October 6, 2008 - Safety and Immunogenicity of Surface Antigen, Inactivated, Adjuvanted With MF59C.1 Influenza Vaccine, Formulation 2008-2009 - Sponsors and Collaborators:  Novartis Vaccines via www.clinicaltrials.gov

* ►October 6, 2008 - What Rules? Emory Fiddled While Nemeroff Earned - Pharmalot - "At issue is whether universities are adequately policing disclosures in an effort to maintain scientific integrity and objectivity."

* ►October 6, 2008 - Merck Caught Ghost Writing Medical Articles - HPV Vaccine Facts Fiction and Conflicts of Interest

* ►October 6, 2008 - NIH Launches New Web Site for Parents on Medical Research Studies for Children - PRNewswire-USNewswire via International Business Times

* ►October 6, 2008 - Flu Shots Have No Impact on Hospitalizations for Young Children - Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine via MedPage Today

* ►October 3, 2008 - Current vaccine R&D pipeline: is influenza being overdone? - VacZine Analytics via PharmiWeb - "The current vaccine pipeline now consists of around 115 projects with an approximate 15-20% increase in number since April 2008 (1). The increase in the pipeline size is mainly due to the entry into the clinic of new programs (Phase I) targeting influenza and global initiatives such as TB. Excluding programs associated with biodefense, line-extensions/reformulations and pandemic flu, GSK Biologicals still maintains the largest vaccine pipeline in the industry closely followed by rival Sanofi Pasteur which gained ACAM-FLU-Aand ACAM-C-DIFF programs from its completed acquisition of Acambis."

* ►October 3, 2008 - Scary Stats IV: Polio - Inside Vaccines

* ►September 30, 2008 - A leading American Scientist-Honored as "The Discoverer of AIDS" and "The Father of AIDS Research"- is shown to have falsely claimed that he had detected and isolated an AIDS-causing retrovirus. - press release (pdf) - GaryNull.com

* ►October 6, 2008 - ‘Life-saving’ vaccines turn killers - Health dept should come clean on what caused the deaths instead of trying to cover up negligence - Daily News & Analysis

* ►October 6, 2008 - Biotechs Race for New Vaccine (requires registration) - Washington Post - "PharmAthene of Annapolis and Emergent BioSolutions of Rockville have each spent millions of dollars to answer the government's latest call to develop and supply a better anthrax vaccine, a genetically modified version that produces robust immunity in fewer shots with lessened side effects."

* ►October 6, 2008 - Whistleblower legislation might have prevented listeriosis outbreak, say activists - Employees can prevent disasters by providing early warning. In Canada, we have had no lack of tragedies, but we don't seem to have learned this lesson. - The Hill Times

* ►October 5, 2008 - Warrior Son - Age of Autism

* ►October 5, 2008 - Influenza shots? No thank you! - OpEdNews

* ►October 4, 2008 - Influenza scientists, WHO face off in virus data row - The China Post - " Some foreign governments called for a boycott of the global body’s 55-year-old virus-sharing system, which had obliged them to freely hand over samples and data. The problem with that system, they say, is that developing countries give up intellectual property rights to their virus samples when they provide them to the WHO. The virus samples are then used by private pharmaceutical companies to make vaccines that are awarded patents — and sold at a profit at prices many poor nations can’t afford."

* ►October 4, 2008 - Use of prescription drugs for kids soars - The number of Victorian children being prescribed drugs to treat hyperactivity disorders is spiralling, with a staggering 67,000 prescriptions handed out by doctors last year. - Herald Sun, AU

* ►October 3, 2008 - Building a Baby from the Foundation Upwards: Neurological Issues Can Start From Conception If the Conditions Are Right - Exploring Vaccines - "Genetics, nutrition, environmental toxins, vaccines, and their combined impact on the immune system, can all play a role in Autism spectrum disorders."

* ►October 3, 2008 - $3.2 Billion Child Health Study To Begin In January - U.S. National Institutes of Health via redOrbit - "The comprehensive study will examine hereditary and environmental factors such as exposure to certain chemicals that affect health."

* ►October 3, 2008 - Emory’s Nervous Nemeroff Reacts To A Probe - Pharmalot - "Why were they so anxious? The Senate committee is, in fact, investigating Nemeroff, congressional sources tell us, over his alleged failure to tell Emory about $500,000 in payments from Glaxo while he was also the primary investigator for an NIH study of the Paxil antidepressant. We asked Emory’s Molter whether the university has been contacted by the committee about Nemeroff, but he has yet to return our call. Meanwhile, here are the e-mails…"

* ►October 3, 2008 - Why Grassley Is Investigating Emory’s Nemeroff - Pharmalot - "The reason - the psychiatry department chair at Emory University earned more than $2.8 million in consulting arrangements with various drugmakers between 2000 and 2007, but failed to report at least $1.2 million of this income to his university. This oversight violated federal research rules, a point that is central to a widening probe of some 30 academic researchers by the Senate Finance Committee."

* ►October 3, 2008 - Nemeroff Steps Down As Emory Psychiatry Chair - Pharmalot

* ►October 3, 2008 - Rescue Bill Contains A Gift For Drugmakers - Pharmalot - "This little chunk of legislative verbiage renews a federal tax credit for corporate R&D, which had expired last year. Now, though, the credit is revived, because it’s retroactive to this past January 1. Why does this matter? Well, had the credit been in place this year, corporate earnings would have benefited from lower tax rates. Of course, we are now in this year’s fourth quarter, so the retroactive credit can give drug and device makers a nice earnings boost. And they stand to get a lift next year as well, since the credit was extended through December 31, 2009."

* ►October 2008 - Pediatricians' Intention to Recommend Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccines to 11- to 12-Year-Old Girls Postlicensing - journal article (Journal of Adolescent Health)

* ►October 2008 - Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated With Streptococcal Infection: A Case-Control Study Among Privately Insured Children. - journal article (Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry)

* ►September 29, 2008 - In the United States Court of Federal Claims: In Re: Claims for Vaccine Injuries Resulting in Autism Spectrum Disorder or Similar Neurodevelopment Disorder (pdf) - USCFC.USCourts.com

* ►September 16, 2008 - Title: Vaccines against West Nile Virus (patent) - Crucell Holland B.V. (Leiden, NL) via www.pharmcast.com

* ►April 2, 2008 - Important link to Autism. My research and personal experience clearly shows a connection with Autism, G6PD and Vaccines. (pdf) - I. Deleon via Vaccination News

* ►October 4, 2008 - Attorney general turns up heat in seeking promotion for Guard officer - Journal Inquirer - "Attorney General Richard Blumenthal last week sent another letter to Gov. Jodi Rell asking her to posthumously promote former Air Force National Guard officer Russell Dingle of East Hartford. Blumenthal sent the letter Sept. 26, two days after a story in the Journal Inquirer cited evidence that Dingle was forced to resign from the National Guard in 1999 after he disputed the military’s policy concerning mandatory anthrax vaccinations."

* ►October 4, 2008 - Should the Validity of Vaccine Poisoning Be up for Debate? Dougie and I think NOT! By Gina LaVerde - Age of Autism

* ►October 3, 2008 - Avoid Flu Shots, Take Vitamin D Instead by Donald W. Miller, Jr., MD - LewRockwell.com - "Investigators have completed one double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial that shows vitamin D prevents colds and influenza significantly better (P <0.002) than a placebo pill (Epidemiol Infection 2007;135:1095–6). A large multi-center randomized trial conducted over multiple flu seasons comparing vitamin D to a flu shot can show conclusively which is better, and safer. But given the financial stakes underpinning flu shots, and unpatentable vitamin D, who will fund it?"

* ►October 3, 2008 - Top Psychiatrist Didn’t Report Drug Makers’ Pay (requires registration) - The New York Times - "One of the nation’s most influential psychiatrists earned more than $2.8 million in consulting arrangements with drug makers from 2000 to 2007, failed to report at least $1.2 million of that income to his university and violated federal research rules, according to documents provided to Congressional investigators."

* ►October 3, 2008 - Grassley Says Emory Psychiatrist Didn’t Report $500,000 in Payments - Wall Street Journal Health Blog

* ►November 1, 2008 - Large Outbreak of Measles in a Community with High Vaccination Coverage: Implications for the Vaccination Schedule - journal article (Clinical Infectious Diseases)

* ►October 3, 2008 - NIH's National Children's Study Enters Next Phase - Increase in Number of Centers Recruiting Volunteers, Collecting Data - press release - National Institutes of Health via PRNewswire-USNewswire

* ►October 3, 2008 - U.S. to start $3.2 bln child health study in January - Reuters - "The National Children's Study will examine factors behind autism, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, birth defects, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, asthma, heart disease, obesity and other conditions, the U.S. government's National Institutes of Health said."

* ►October 3, 2008 - Unvaccinated Siblings and Autism? - Age of Autism

* ►October 3, 2008 - Survey confirms parents' fears, confusion over autism - Poll results help explain growing number of measles infections - Florida Institute of Technology via EurekAlert!

* ►October 3, 2008 - CDC Launches Web Campaign To Encourage Parents To Vaccinate Children Against Influenza - WDTV Detroit - "The CDC also hosted a webinar for so-called 'mommy bloggers' to discuss basic information on seasonal flu and share research on key messages. The agency is urging these bloggers to 'spread the word, not the flu.'"

* ►October 3, 3008 - Crucell gets $70 million US contract for vaccines - AP via Forbes - "Dutch biotechnology company Crucell NV said Friday it received a contract worth up to $70 million from the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to develop a vaccine for both the Ebola and Marburg viruses."

* ►October 3, 2008 - Life sciences: positive signs in a down economy - MHT (The Journal of New England Technology) - "Swiss drug developer Novartis AG opened its much-anticipated 80,000 square-foot facility called the Novartis Research Center of Excellence in Virology at 45 Sidney St. in Cambridge. Once fully staffed, it is expected to house 150 new employees by late 2009. The center is designated a biosafety level 3 research facility."

* ►October 3, 2008 - Gov't refused immunity from FEMA trailer suits - AP via WXVT.com - "Friday's ruling by U.S. District Judge Kurt Engelhardt says there is evidence that the Federal Emergency Management Agency delayed its response to concerns about formaldehyde levels in its trailers due to liability concerns."

* ►October 2, 2008 - A Lifeline For Military Families - Mount Vernon Gazette - "The cost savings from autism treatment is clear, according to Moran and Miller. A Harvard School of Public Health report found that without effective intervention, approximately 90 percent of individuals with ASD require lifelong care costing an estimated $3.2 million over an individual child's lifetime. ABA therapy has been shown to be effective in reducing this cost to less than 50 percent and reducing the cost of lifelong care by two-thirds."

* ►October 2, 2008 - Emory’s Nemeroff Chafes At Funding Questions - Pharmalot - "You may recall that Chuck Grassley, the commitee’s ranking Republican, is probing pharma and NIH funding given academic researchers - particularly psychiatrists - and whether any conflicts are properly disclosed. So far, the committee has singled out Stanford University’s Alan Schatzberg, Harvard University’s Joe Biederman, Brown University’s Martin Keller, University of Texas’ Karen Wagner and John Rush, and Melissa DelBello at the University of Cincinnati. Charles Nemeroff, the well-known psychiatry chairman at Emory University, has not made the list, but the school appears, nonetheless, to be concerned about any ties between his department and pharma."

* ►October 2, 2008 - FDA Tackles Image Problem With Tainted PR Deal - Pharmalot - "How’s this for common sense? Seeking to hone its tarnished image after getting beaten up for tainted food and drug safety, the FDA decided to hire a contractor for a public relations campaign that would “create and foster a lasting positive public image of the agency for the American public,” according to The Washington Post."

* ►October 2, 2008 - One Paxil Lawsuit Settled, Two New Ones Pending - NewsInferno

* ►October 2, 2008 - Actress Salma Hayek in campaign to wipe out tetanus - Reuters South Africa - "She said that she was paid an undisclosed amount by Procter & Gamble, part of which she was contributing to UNICEF."

* ►October 2, 2008 - Jenny McCarthy Is A Mother Warrior (includes video) - MyFox Los Angeles

* ►October 1, 2008 - Parents With Doubts About Vaccines: Which Vaccines and Reasons Why - journal article (Pediatrics) - "The largest proportions of unsure and refused parents chose varicella vaccine as the vaccine prompting their concern, whereas delayed parents most often reported "not a specific vaccine" as the vaccine prompting their concern. Most parents who delayed vaccines for their child did so for reasons related to their child's illness, unlike the unsure and refused parents. The largest proportion of parents who changed their minds about delaying or not getting a vaccination for their child listed "information or assurances from health care provider" as the main reason."

* ►October 1, 2008 - Mercury Levels in Newborns and Infants After Receipt of Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines - journal article (Pediatrics)

* ►October 1, 2008 - Mercury Levels in Newborns and Infants After Receipt of Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines: In Reply - journal article (Pediatrics)

* ►October 3, 2008 - Banned mercury-based pesticide used on Tokyo University research farm - Mainichi Daily News - "Staff on a research farm attached to the University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences used banned mercury-based pesticides to treat crops for at least three years, it has been discovered, with the rice grown there sold on to local residents."

* ►October 3, 2008 - Notice to Readers: Get Smart About Antibiotics Week -- October 6 -- 10, 2008 - MMWR/CDC - "Adverse events related to antibiotics (usually allergies or drug intolerance) resulted in an estimated 142,500 emergency department visits annually in the United States during 2004 -- 2006 (1)"

* ►October 2, 2008 - Capitol Hill Update: "Weaknesses and Limitations" of the CDC's Vaccine Safety Database By David Kirby - Age of Autism

* ►October 2, 2008 - USA Autism Survey - Vaccines Damned - press release - Scott Center for Autism Treatment, Florida Institute of Technology via The One Click Group

* ►October 2, 2008 - FDA Contract: Prescription for a Big Headache - Wall Street Journal Blogs - "It’s unusual for a regulator and the industry it regulates to share the same public relations firm. But that’s just what’s happened with the Food and Drug Administration and the pharmaceutical industry’s lobbying arm."

* ►October 23, 2008 - Community perspectives on the ethical issues surrounding adolescent HIV vaccine trials in South Africa - journal article (Vaccine)

* ►October 16, 2008 - The ethics of mandatory vaccination against influenza for health care workers - journal article (Vaccine) - "The main justification stems from the duty of care givers not to harm one's patient when one knows there is a significant risk of harm and the intervention to reduce this chance has a favourable balance of benefit over burdens and risks."

* ►October 3, 2008 - Mandatory immunization: The point of view of the French general population and practitioners - journal article (Vaccine)

* ►October 1, 2008 - Gardasil Lawsuit Filed by Mid-South Firm - Some Vaccine Recipients Claiming Long-Term Side Effects - MyFox Memphis - "Merck also says Allergic reactions may include difficulty breathing, wheezing (bronchospasm), hives, and rash have been reported. Some of these reactions have been severe. Mid-South attorney Mike McLaren, with the Black McLaren law firm, has filed a lawsuit on behalf of some women who fall into that category."

* ►October 1, 2008 - Proceed with caution - letter - Calgary Herald via Canada.com - "We should salute Bishop Henry and the Catholic trustees for their wisdom and courage in making the HPV vaccine program unavailable to Grade 5 students. They realized that, in addition to a moral problem, there is a more important medical issue. Gardasil will not be fully tested until 2009. There are serious concerns about its safety and efficacy. Yet for unclear reasons, some physicians push it as a routine, safe vaccine and berate those who oppose Gardasil programs. Their comments reflect personal opinion. Only a small group of vaccine specialists and epidemiologists hold expertise in this vaccine. These scientists remain cautious and divided on the issue. Most advise further evaluation and the collection of more clinical data, particularly in minors, before the introduction of massive vaccination programs. One becomes concerned when physicians support an issue more for the purposes of political militancy, than because of proven science."

* ►October 1, 2008 - U.S. Govt. Mandates Gardasil - Judicial Watch Blog - "Ignoring its own Centers for Disease Control immunization expert, the government is forcing girls seeking U.S. residency to get a controversial cervical cancer vaccine that has been linked to 21 deaths and nearly 10,000 adverse reactions."

* ►October 1, 2008 - Gardasil Immigration Rule Proving Controversial - Newsinferno.com

* ►October 1, 2008 - Deirdre Imus: FDA: Another Government Regulatory Disaster -- II of III - The Huffington Post

* ►October 1, 2008 - Olmsted In Spectrum Magazine: Demon Barbers of Mercury Street - Age of Autism

* ►October 1, 2008 - McCarthy claims autism 'cure' - Autism activist Jenny McCarthy is on a mission to change vaccines for children she says trigger autism. - video - CNN

* ►October 1, 2008 - Inquiry blasts pathologist Smith and his overseers - Ontario told to overhaul system of investigating child deaths - CBC - "Among the other recommendations, Goudge said Ontario should:...Review 142 cases of infant deaths originally thought to be from shaken-baby syndrome, including subsequent criminal convictions, in light of new medical research.... Find a way to 'expeditiously and appropriately' compensate wrongfully convicted parents and caregivers."

* ►October 1, 2008 - News Media Coverage of Medication Research - Reporting Pharmaceutical Company Funding and Use of Generic Medication Names - journal article (JAMA) - "Of the 306 news articles about medication research identified,130 (42%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 37%-48%) did not report that the research had received company funding. Of the 277 of these articles reporting on medications with both generic and brand names, 186 (67%; 95% CI, 61%-73%) referred to the study medications by their brand names in at least half of the medication references."

* ►October 1, 2008 - Emergency Departments See High Rates of Adverse Events From Antibiotic Use - journal article (JAMA)

* ►September 30, 2008 - Media Doesn't Often Mention Pharma Funding on Research - This could skew views on the value of given medications, review says - HealthDay via U.S. News & World Report

* ►September 29, 2008 - Children sought for virus vaccine study - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - "Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and the Medical College of Wisconsin are seeking healthy children between the ages of 6 months and 2 years to participate in a clinical trial to test a vaccine for two viruses that cause respiratory infections, RSV and PIV3. The vaccine contains a live virus and will be delivered up the nose. The live viruses are known to stimulate an immune response in people. The vaccine has been tested in children and adults without any significant side effects."

* ►September 29, 2008 - Four Maharashtra officials suspended after infants' death - IANS via Mangalorean.com - "A hospital source had told IANS Saturday that the vaccine, kept in cold storage, could have got spoilt because of long hours of power outage or something might have gone wrong while mixing the vaccine, indicating that the problem could be localized, restricted to one vial."

* ►September 25, 2008 - Shire Warning Letter Adderall XR - FDA - "While Adderall XR has been shown to improve total scores on the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scale-IV (ADHD-RS-IV), which measures ADHD symptoms such as fidgeting, not listening, and talking excessively, this scale does not measure the impact of treatment on the outcomes listed above (i.e., impulsive sexual behavior, poor academic performance, contraction of sexually transmitted diseases, and motor vehicle accidents), and it does not necessarily follow that improvement in ADHD-RS-IV total scores is correlated with a positive effect on these outcomes."..."Failure to correct the violations discussed above may result in FDA regulatory action, including seizure or injunction, without further notice."

* ►September 17, 2008 - Deirdre Imus: Warning: This Agency's Recommendations May be Hazardous to Your Health -- The First in a Three-Part Series - The Huffington Post

* ►October 1, 2008 - Trialled: The C.diff vaccine that could 'handcuff' killer superbug - Daily Mail, UK - "Six hundred men and women will be given the vaccine  -  the first of its kind in the world  -  from next month. If the tests prove successful, the jab could be on the market within three years and used to treat severely ill patients or to mass vaccinate pensioners."

* ►September 30, 2008 - HHS calls for improved vaccine surveillance systems - Government Health IT - "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a new electronic reporting system is necessary to maintain the ability of federal health agencies to identify the adverse effects of vaccines. The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), co-managed by CDC and the Food and Drug Administration, is 80 percent paper-based, according to a draft background document on the CDC Immunization Safety Office’s Scientific Agenda. CDC is seeking to increase research into vaccine safety and plans to hold public hearings on the plan."

* ►September 30, 2008 - Obstetricians urge pregnant women to get flu shots - Reuters - "Some pregnant women may be concerned about the safety of the flu vaccine because some contain thimerosal -- a mercury-based vaccine preservative. But according to ACOG, there is no evidence that thimerosal is a danger to the health of the pregnant woman or her fetus. Thimerosal-free flu vaccines are available, but they tend to be more expensive."

* ►September 30, 2008 - Dr. Martin Wants Your Calls and E-Mails! By Kent Heckenlively, Esq. - Age of Autism

* ►September 30, 2008 - Mother has a different story - letter - Chilliwack Times via Canada.com - "If I could turn back the hands of time and not inject my children, I would. I beat myself up on a regular basis that I did not do my homework before I chose the immunization path, but now that we are on that path with autism as its result, we just keep moving forward and accept what we cannot change."

* ►September 30, 2008 - FBI won't release details on anthrax suspect - McClatchy Washington Bureau - "The FBI is declining to release at least 15,000 pages of documents related to the now deceased prime suspect in the 2001 anthrax attacks despite lingering suspicions that the bureau has accused the wrong man."

* ►September 29, 2008 - Solantic To Offer First-Ever Guaranteed Flu Vaccination - PRNewswire via COMTEX via MarketWatch - "Solantic, a leading provider of walk-in urgent care across Florida, is now offering the first-ever guaranteed flu vaccination. Whoever receives their flu shot (or the nasal vaccine FluMist) at Solantic -- and then contracts the flu -- will receive a free flu examination with a physician, including a flu test and treatment recommendation."

* ►September 29, 2008 - Who Will Develop The Best Anthrax Vaccine? - Huliq News - "The contracts are offered by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. Emergent received a $29.7 million contract to develop a recombinant version of BioThrax, which is supposed to be more effective and safe, but will still require refrigeration. PharmAthene received a $83.9 million contract to develop a genetically modified anthrax vaccine, which is supposed to be much faster and will not require refrigeration."

* ►September 29, 2008 - Breaking news event on the Gary Null Show - www.gnhealth.com - Allow me to share with you an extremely important announcement about a ground-breaking scientific press conference that I will be hosting this coming Wednesday, October 1st....Multi-award winning British journalist, Janine Roberts, will unveil new reports on the gross contamination of our children’s vaccines and the hidden agenda by so-called vaccine experts. Gary and Janine will discuss controversies surrounding our need to reassess vaccines and the meaning of viruses entirely. This program will challenge the entire basis of our vaccine program. A selection of alarming documents will be revealed including NIH official transcripts never before reported."

* ►September 28, 2008 - Superheroes help immunizations - Temple Daily Telegram - "Batman, Spiderman, Cinderella and Snow White roamed the Bell County Expo Center as anxious children waited to get free immunizations."

* ►September 27, 2008 - US kids more medicated than Europeans - Irish Health - "A team of researchers from the US, Germany and the Netherlands examined the prescription levels of psychotropic drugs in the three countries. Psychotropic drugs include antidepressants, sedatives and tranquillisers. “Antidepressant and stimulant prevalence were three or more times greater in the US than in the Netherlands and Germany, while antipsychotic (drug) prevalence was 1.5 to 2.2 times greater,” explained lead researcher, Julie Zito."

* ►September 24, 2008 - Efforts continue to posthumously promote EHartford man who opposed military vaccinations - Journal Inquirer - "Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is continuing months of efforts to press the state’s National Guard and Gov. M. Jodi Rell to posthumously promote Russell Dingle of East Hartford — one of the nationwide leaders of a successful effort to promote drug safety and licensing requirements for the military’s mandatory anthrax vaccine inoculations. 'Lieutenant Colonel Dingle, at great personal and professional sacrifice, not only persevered in challenging the legality of the vaccine, but also succeeded in forcing the (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) to correct the warning label on the vaccine — thereby avoiding birth defects and other serious health problems for many people,' Blumenthal said in a May letter to Rell."

* ►September 19, 2008 - CNS demyelination and quadrivalent HPV vaccination. - journal article (Multiple Sclerosis) - "We report five patients who presented with multifocal or atypical demyelinating syndromes within 21 days of immunization with the quadrivalent human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine, Gardasil((R)). Although the target population for vaccination, young females, has an inherently high risk for MS, the temporal association with demyelinating events in these cases may be explained by the potent immuno-stimulatory properties of HPV virus-like particles which comprise the vaccine."

* ►October 6, 2008 - The never-ending story: Flu vaccine season goes year-round - The process of developing and distributing vaccine is long and complicated, but efforts to speed it up are paying off. - www.ama-assn.org

* ►September 29, 2008 - Reminder - This is Your Chance to Influence Federal Autism Spending - Comments Due Tuesday By Jim Moody, Esq. - Age of Autism - "If you don’t like the way your tax dollars are being spent, or not spent, on autism research, this is your chance to speak up and take action."

* ►September 29, 2008 - Excerpt: "Mother Warriors" - Jenny McCarthy shares stories of hope on raising an autistic child (includes video) - Good Morning America via ABC News - "When we pulled up to the hospital there was a police officer standing outside. We opened the car door and started screaming 'Our baby's seizing!' The police officer took him, and we ran in. I shouted to them, 'I think he's having a reaction to the shots, to the vaccines. He got them today.' So they brought me over to the nurse and she asked me what the situation was and I said again, 'I think he's having a reaction to the vaccines. He got them today.' He had now been seizing 40 minutes....We were in the ICU for 2 or 3 days and when we finally left what I stated to the police officer, to the people registering, to the emergency room staff about the vaccine injury, never showed up in any paperwork. Nowhere was it noted that it was a vaccine reaction. When we went back to his pediatrician and told him that we believed it was because of the shots Elias received that same day he told us there was in no way a correlation at all between the seizures and his vaccines. He went on and on and told us not to worry and he did such a good job convincing us that we actually believed him. Then it happened again. We vaccinated and he seized and seized. He seized forty five times within this first year. It was during this time my husband stared researching on The University of Google."

* ►September 29, 2008 - Autism battlefront - Worcester mother a ‘warrior’- Worcester Telegram & Gazette - "Mrs. Tembenis is one of several parents featured in McCarthy’s book. 'Gina Tembenis is a Mother Warrior because of her ability to keep going and keep fighting for her son, even though he is not physically here,' said McCarthy in a phone interview. 'Right away I knew Elias’ story has to be told but I don’t know if I would be able to keep walking and talking if that happened to my son. She is without a doubt the number one warrior in my book.'"

* ►September 29, 2008 - NIH Announces Funding for New Epigenomics Initiative - National Institutes of Health - "Diet and exposure to environmental chemicals throughout all stages of human development, among other factors, can cause epigenetic changes that may turn on or turn off certain genes. Changes in the regulation of genes could make people more or less susceptible to developing a disease later in life. (See scientific illustration of how epigenetic mechanisms can affect health at http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/epigenomics/epigeneticmechanisms.asp.)"

* ►September 29, 2008 - A Mulligan for Vaccines? By Harry Hofherr - Age of Autism

* ►September 29, 2008 - On Media: The CDC Medicine Show By Anne Dachel - Age of Autism

* ►September 29, 2008 - Congress sends mercury export ban to president - AP via Google - "The Natural Resources Defense Council said in a statement that the measure 'puts an end to the cycle of poison where this dangerous neurotoxin is being phased out by industry and the government here in the United States, but then our surplus mercury is shipped overseas to developing countries.'"

* ►September 29, 2008 - Catholic school district’s HPV vaccine stance addresses all concerns, says Bishop of Calgary - Bishop Henry: “We’ve probably read much more than Mr. Liepert has.” - Catholic News Agency - "To the health minister’s contention that the non-vaccination policy was not formed in consultation with the medical community, Bishop Henry explained that 'for months we’ve been reading everything' from Health Canada, cancer societies, individual doctors, web sites, and other sources. 'We’ve probably read much more than Mr. Liepert has,' he suggested. According to Bishop Henry, their studies had suggested the HPV vaccine was 'not adequately tested' and could have 'problematic dimensions' and 'disastrous side-effects.' Adverse reactions, including some deaths, have been reportedly linked to the HPV vaccine. In Bishop Henry’s view, there is a danger of the vaccination program 'using young girls as guinea pigs.' 'Does this profit anybody other than the drug company?' he wondered. Because of these concerns, Bishop Henry explained, there was 'sufficient ambiguity' for the school district to refuse to participate in the voluntary vaccination."

* ►September 29, 2008 - Sparks fly over cancer vaccine - Program for schoolgirls divides bishop, health minister - Calgary Herald via Canada.com - "'Now (the health minister) paints a most extreme picture that we're exposing young people to cervical cancer,' Henry told the Herald. 'I'm saying, 'Liepert take a deep breath' . . . It's a gross act of irresponsibility when he talks to the media and slams us.'"

* ►September 29, 2008 - Should conflicts mean no NIH grant? (requires registration) - The Scientist - "If you've been following the news of NIH-funded researchers seemingly entangled in webs of unreported, underreported, or misreported financial ties to industry over the past year or so, you know that the buck often stops at the desk of Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA). You might have also noticed that many of the subjects of Grassley's recent inquiries are psychiatrists who are funded by NIH's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)."

* ►September 29, 2008 - Pandemic prep - 'Pre-priming' the body with one flu vaccine could help in an outbreak, research suggests - The Telegraph

* ►September 29, 2008 - Preemption, Wyeth & Bad Law: Zipursky Explains - On November 3, the US Supreme Court will review a case involving preemption, the legal notion that FDA approval supercedes state law claims challenging drug safety, efficacy, or labeling. Pharma and the FDA argue agency actions are the final word on safety and effectiveness. And so the court is being closely watched because its ruling will determine whether patients can sue a drugmaker through state law when a product has already been approved by the FDA. But in a recent column, Ben Zipursky, a Fordham Law School professor, wrote that Wyeth vs. Levine may not be a good case to decide preemption (back story). We asked him to explain… - Pharmalot

* ►Informed Consent in Vaccination - VaccineEthics.org - "Informed Consent in Vaccination - The American Medical Association defines informed consent as 'a process of communication between a patient and physician that results in the patient’s authorization or agreement to undergo a specific medical intervention.'1 The principle behind this process arises out of respect for patient autonomy and is particularly relevant to the administration of vaccines. The Declaration of Helsinki, the highly regarded international guidelines for research on human subjects, states that 'considerations related to the well-being of human subjects should take precedence over the interests of science and society.'2 While this was written with respect to biomedical research, it has been argued that a similar principle should be applied to vaccine policy. Many bioethicists, clinicians, and others argue that the decision to vaccinate should always be left to patients (or parents, in the case of children), despite years of evidence that mass immunization confers additional protection to the communities by reducing the spread of infectious disease, a phenomenon known as herd immunity. The principle of informed consent requires that a patient understand the risks and potential benefits of a particular vaccine before receiving it.'
 1 American Medical Association website:
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/4608.html  Accessed 20 July 2007.
2 World Medical Association. 1964, 2000. Declaration of Helsinki, as amended by the WMA 52nd General Assembly, Edinburgh, Scotland, October 2000."

Posted October 6, 2008

* ►October 13, 2008 - Flu shots plentiful, doctors urged to get as well as give - Experts predict this year's vaccine formulation will be more protective than last season's. - www.ama-assn.org

* ►October 13, 2008 - Data from drug trials often not published - A federal law expands an existing clinical trial registry and would make additional information available online for researchers and clinicians. - www.ama-assn.org

* ►October 13, 2008 - Court dismisses Arkansas specialty hospital's lawsuit - The doctor-owned facility is alleging that a community hospital competitor and an insurer conspired to keep away its business. - www.ama-assn.org

* ►October 7, 2008 - Beijing has SARS virus in its arsenal: NSB chief - Biochemical Warfare: Tsai Chao-ming said Taiwan and the UN had information that China has turned the virus into a bioweapon - Taipei Times - "'We have information indicating that the SARS virus has become a biochemical warfare formula, and United Nations experts have the same intelligence as that obtained by the NSB,' he told the legislature’s Foreign and National Defense Committee."

* ►October 7, 2008 - Swift jabs - Do governors have the right to ban pupil immunisations? - The Guardian, UK - "St Monica's governors wrote to parents with daughters aged 12 to 13 saying the vaccine only protects against 70% of cervical cancers and detailing possible side-effects. But were the governors legally able to make such a decision?"

* ►October 7, 2008 - IHC patient infects worker - An IHC organisation is being prosecuted after one of its workers suffered acute organ failure and needed a liver transplant after contracting hepatitis B from a patient. - The Dominion Post via Stuff.co.nz - "The patient was a known carrier of hepatitis B. The worker was aware of this, but believed she was immune because she had been vaccinated in 1999 at the company's expense. However, she had only one vaccination of the required three to ensure immunity. The worker claims she was never made aware three vaccinations were needed."

* ►October 7, 2008 - Deadly virus not airborne - Disease transmitted via bodily fluids - The Times, South Africa - "The deputy director of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases has assured the public that there is no need to panic, despite the fact that four people have been killed by an unknown, highly contagious virus."

* ►October 6, 2008 - High court: Atlanta couple can sue over vaccination - Marcelo and Carolyn Ferrari can take case to court over son’s disabilities (requires registration) - Atlanta Journal-Constitution - "When the Ferraris’ 18-month-old son, Stefan, received his vaccines, he was a healthy verbal boy. Now 10, Stefan has not spoken since, according to court records. A year after Stefan received his vaccines, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that thimerosal, a preservative used for multi-dose vaccine vials, be removed from childhood vaccines. The Ferraris filed suit, contending that the manufacturers should have made vaccines without the preservative before Stefan was vaccinated.

* ►October 6, 2008 - Court: Couple can sue vaccine company - AP via WTVM.com - "An Atlanta couple's lawsuit that claims a vaccine manufacturer's product caused neurological damage to their son can go forward. The Georgia Supreme Court's unanimous decision Monday concluded that a 1986 federal law that has blocked other complaints against vaccine companies does not bar the lawsuit from Marcelo and Carolyn Ferrari from going to trial. The decision upheld a ruling by the Georgia Court of Appeals, which became the first appellate court in the nation to hold that the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Compensation Act does not pre-empt state law."

* ►October 6, 2008 - Autism Recovery Story: Noah - Age of Autism

* ►October 6, 2008 - Alarming Increase in Autism Brings Together Parents, Researchers and Clinicians from Around the World to Discuss Current Treatment Options and Research - The Autism Research Institute states that many of those diagnosed with autism have underlying medical disorders that are amenable to treatment - press release - PRNewswire-USNewswire - "On October 24-26 hundreds of autism experts, parents and professionals from around the world will gather in San Diego to attend the Autism Research Institutes Defeat Autism Now! Conference. For more information or to register for the conference go to http://www.autism.com or http://www.defeatautismnow.com."

* ►October 6, 2008 - Paging Dr. Max Wiznitzer! High court: Atlanta Couple Can Sue Over Vaccination - Age of Autism

* ►October 6, 2008 - Parental doubts over childhood vaccines common - Reuters Health - "Roughly one in four parents express doubts about the risks and benefits of various vaccines for their children and, in many cases, they delay or forgo vaccination, new research shows. However, the findings also suggest that physicians can play an important role in encouraging vaccination."

* ►October 6, 2008 - Litigious Vaccinators - Absolutely Underdof

* ►October 6, 2008 - Mass vaccinations pose logistical problems - Los Angeles Times via Modesto Bee - "'We think the best place for kids to get vaccinations is with the primary care provider,' says Dr. Jonathan Fielding, director of Los Angeles County's Department of Public Health. 'This should not require specialized care.' The CDC, however, wants to make vaccination more accessible, and suggests that flu vaccination continue through the holidays instead of the typical October-through-November schedule."

* ►October 6, 2008 - Human tests of new medical treatments lag due to lack of volunteers - Scripps Howard News Service via The Herald-Mail

* ►October 6, 2008 - Study Says Drug Samples May Endanger Children (requires registration) - The New York Times - "Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen’s health research group and a fierce opponent of free drug samples, said the practice encouraged doctors 'to overuse dangerous drugs.'"

* ►October 6, 2008 - DeLauro Raps FDA On Melamine Risk Guidelines - Congresswoman says agency condones contamination of food - Consumer Affairs - "By not insisting on a zero-tolerance policy with melamine, DeLauro said the FDA is failing to protect consumers, and is undercutting state officials in their efforts to keep melamine-tainted products out of stores."

* ►October 6, 2008 - FDA Detects Melamine Contamination in Flavored Drink - FDA.gov

* ►October 6, 2008 - GM is Dangerous and Futile - We Need Organic Sustainable Food and Energy Systems Now - New genetics research invalidates the science underpinning the $73.5 billion global biotech industry and confirms why genetic modification is futile and dangerous; we must implement organic sustainable food and energy systems now - Dr. Mae-Wan Ho - Institute of Science in Society

* ►October 6, 2008 - Nobel winner pessimistic on AIDS vaccine - AP via International Herald Tribune

* ►October 6, 2008 - Research into HIV, cancer garners Nobel Prize - Three Europeans share 2008 award for work on viruses - AP via MSNBC

* ►October 6, 2008 - Dispute behind Nobel Prize for HIV research - French researchers win for virus discovery; controversial scientist shunned - commentary - MSNBC

* ►October 6, 2008 - Research Attributes Lack of HIV/AIDS Vaccine to Use of Chimpanzees - press release - Project R&R via PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX via MarketWatch - "Chimpanzees have proven to be a failed and dangerous model for humans in not only AIDS research but in areas such as heart and cancer research as well."

* ►October 6, 2008 - Archive report: Science subverted in AIDS dispute - In Gallo case, truth termed a casualty - This story was first published in the Tribune on Jan. 1, 1995. (requires registration) - Chicago Tribune

* ►October 6, 2008 - Federal Preemption Part III – Who are the players for you and for big business? - Des Moines InjuryBoard.com

* ►October 6, 2008 - Void in Vaccines? - www.kolotv.com - "Local pediatrician Dr. Pat Coletti says a decision by state health officials to cut funding for vaccines to insured children has left him in a real dilemma. His office he says can't afford the $90,000 to $100,000 lay out for all he vaccines needed for patients. He may not financially be able to cover such a cost."

* ►October 6, 2008 - Teens May Be Missing Out on Needed Vaccines - Not getting preventive care biggest reason for immunization shortfall, study finds - HealthDay via U.S. News & World Report

* ►October 6, 2008 - New vaccines may not reduce tuberculosis incidence - Despite the potential of new vaccines to prevent TB, new research shows that the removal of one strain of TB can allow a previously suppressed strain to succeed. Consequently, a vaccination program could result in the proliferation of strains more likely to be, or become, drug resistant, and could even result in an increased prevalence of the disease. - News-Medical.net

* ►October 6, 2008 - Campaign Promotes Childhood Vaccinations - Telluride Watch - "'People have lost faith,' says Telluride’s David Homer, M.D., a member of the advisory committee for the San Juan Health Council. 'They’ve lost faith in the pharmaceutical companies, in the government-funded research labs, and in the FDA… When it comes to vaccinating children, it’s ‘my way or the highway,’ and that raises people’s hackles.' Colorado is one of about 20 states that allow parents to opt out of vaccinating their children based on philosophical reasons."

* ►October 6, 2008 - The Trouble with Single-Dose Vaccines - Some Concerned Parents Split the MMR -- But It Can Lead to Unintended Double Doses - The Daily Green - "Here's the response I got from Nalini Saligram Merck's Director, Global Communications re whether or not they're discontinuing the single dose shots, thereby making it impossible for parents who want to split up the vaccines:...We also make very limited quantities of the monovalent vaccines available in the US.' As for the current rubella backlog, she says, 'Because quantities are limited, there may be supply interruptions / unavailability of individual products from time to time. We do provide M-M-R II vaccine to meet the needs for vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella.' This doesn't speak to exactly how limited the quantities are, or if they're more limited than they used to be. But apparently they have not been discontinued for now."

* ►October 6, 2008 - Ask a Doctor: Vaccines are safe, necessary - Wausau Daily Herald

* ►October 6, 2008 - Catholic school division in southern Alberta rescinds HPV vaccine decision - Canadian Press via Google - "The Holy Spirit Catholic School Division in Lethbridge has rescinded a motion that would have allowed the vaccine to be given to Grade 5 girls."

* ►October 6, 2008 - HPV vaccine will not be offered in STAR - Wetaskiwin Times Advertiser

* ►October 6, 2008 - How effective is that vaccine? - Pneumonia kills 1.6 million people every year, of which over half are children less than five years old. - Deccan Herald - "However, the paper states that the vaccine covers 80 per cent of the strains occurring in the US, but covers less than 50 per cent of the strains in India and other developing nations. PCV 7 can cause asthma. Data from clinical trials in Colombia, Chile, Gambia, Brazil, South Africa, Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Philippines show that for every 3.6 cases of pneumonia which are prevented, 1.3 children will get asthma. Asthma is a lifelong condition unlike pneumonia."

* ►October 6, 2008 - Pneumococcal vaccine associated with 50 percent lower risk of heart attacks - Canadian Medical Association Journal via e! Science News

* ►October 6, 2008 - Disabled man 'treated as animal' - A wheelchair user has claimed police treated him "worse than an animal" as he was arrested outside an officer's home, magistrates have been told. - BBC - "The court heard Mr James has hydrocephalus - water on the brain - due to smallpox vaccine damage he suffered when around six months old. His carer on the day, Simon Hatch, told the court he was 'disgusted' the way Mr James was treated before his arrest."

* ►October 6, 2008 - Safety of and Immune Response to Recombinant Live-Attenuated Influenza H6N1 Virus Vaccine Vaccine - Sponsors and Collaborators: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Center for Immunization Research via www.clinicaltrials.gov

* ►October 6, 2008 - Co-Administration of Meningococcal Vaccine GSK134612 and Pneumococcal Vaccine GSK1024850A vs Individual Administration - Sponsored by:  DynPort Vaccine Company LLC, A CSC Company via www.clinicaltrials.gov

* ►October 6, 2008 - Immunogenicity and Safety of GSK Biologicals' (Pre-) Pandemic Influenza Candidate Vaccine - Sponsored by:  GlaxoSmithKline via www.clinicaltrials.gov

* ►October 6, 2008 - Safety and Immunogenicity of Surface Antigen, Inactivated, Adjuvanted With MF59C.1 Influenza Vaccine, Formulation 2008-2009 - Sponsors and Collaborators:  Novartis Vaccines via www.clinicaltrials.gov

* ►October 6, 2008 - Introduction of an Oral Live Human Rotavirus (Rotarix) Vaccine in Matlab - Sponsors and Collaborators:  International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh Program for Appropriate Technology in Health via www.clinicaltrials.gov

* ►October 6, 2008 - Safety and Immunogenicity Study of the Recombinant Human Bovine Reassortant Rotavirus Vaccine in Healthy Indian Infants - Sponsors and Collaborators:  Shantha Biotechnics Limited Program for Appropriate Technology in Health via www.clinicaltrials.gov

* ►October 6, 2008 - Safety and Immunogenicity Study of ChimeriVax West Nile Vaccine in Healthy Adults (WinVax004) - Sponsors and Collaborators:  Acambis sanofi pasteur PharmaNet via www.clinicaltrials.gov

* ►October 6, 2008 - New TB vaccine offers hope for AIDS patients, German researchers say - DPA via The Earth Times

* ►October 6, 2008 - Double Blind, Safety and Immunogenicity Study of Recombinant Botulinum Vaccine A/B - Sponsored by:  DynPort Vaccine Company LLC, A CSC Company via www.clinicaltrials.gov

* ►October 6, 2008 - What Rules? Emory Fiddled While Nemeroff Earned - Pharmalot - "At issue is whether universities are adequately policing disclosures in an effort to maintain scientific integrity and objectivity."

* ►October 6, 2008 - Dendreon’s Provenge Reduced Prostate Cancer Risk - Pharmalot

* ►October 6, 2008 - University of Minnesota May Ban Pharma Gifts - Pharmalot

* ►October 6, 2008 - Merck Caught Ghost Writing Medical Articles - HPV Vaccine Facts Fiction and Conflicts of Interest

* ►October 6, 2008 - Surgeon changes study of brain tumors - San Francisco Chronicle - "Medical researchers have long known that CMV exists in a latent state for most people unless a person's immune system is compromised. While it's a common and unremarkable virus in some ways, CMV also causes persistent infection and is known to carry cancer-causing properties. It's also the most common cause of congenital brain infections in humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

* ►October 6, 2008 - NIH Launches New Web Site for Parents on Medical Research Studies for Children - PRNewswire-USNewswire via International Business Times

* ►October 6, 2008 - HPV, HIV researchers nab 2008 Nobel (requires registration) - The Scientist

* ►October 6, 2008 - Blood tests for children after TB cases at school - Gulf Times

* ►October 6, 2008 - Preventing Tragedy - Three new studies examine the mystery of SIDS—a condition that takes thousands of infant lives every year. - Newsweek

* ►October 6, 2008 - Flu vaccine not associated with reduced hospitalizations or outpatient visits among young children - JAMA and Archives Journals via EurekAlert!

* ►October 6, 2008 - Flu Shots Have No Impact on Hospitalizations for Young Children - Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine via MedPage Today

* ►October 6, 2008 - New Survey Shows Pregnant Women Unaware, Misinformed about Flu Shot Benefits During Pregnancy - Leading Health Organizations Launch "Flu-Free and A Mom-to-Be: Protect Yourself, Protect Your Baby -- Get a Flu Shot!" Educational Campaign - press release -  National Women's Health Resource Center via PRNewswire - "The campaign is being supported by an educational grant from CSL Biotherapies."

* ►October 6, 2008 - Poultry workers told to have jab - Jersey Evening Post - "Poultry workers are being urged to have a flu jab to reduce the risk of them developing both bird and human flu."

* ►October 6, 2008 - Bubonic plague found in Four Corners area - Salt Lake Tribune - "A northeast Arizona man has contracted bubonic plague and health agencies are urging Four Corners residents to help prevent the spread of the disease."

* ►October 6, 2008 - Report criticizes agency on post-storm trailers - Reuters - "The report noted 'a concerted and continuing effort by the agency's leadership to both mask their own involvement in the formaldehyde study, and to push the blame for their fumbling of this critical public health issue down the line to others.'"

* ►October 6, 2008 - Urgent call to farmers on cattle vaccination - Journal Live, UK - "Malcolm Corbett, North East livestock representative for the National Farmers’ Union, said rumours that the vaccine could create fertility issues for animals were wide of the mark. He said: 'We can definitely say that any rumours of health issues with the vaccine are just nonsense. We have had ample evidence from scientists that the vaccine is perfectly safe.'"

* ►October 5, 2008 - Partnerships touted for work with vaccines - Del.'s biotechnology industry showcased at conference - The News Journal via Delawareonline.com - "As researchers turn to plants, insects, stem cells and other building blocks to produce new vaccines, partnerships will be critical in pushing the technologies to market."

* ►October 5, 2008 - Measles epidemic warning after MMR vaccine uptake fall - Up to 100,000 children could be affected by the "very real" risk of a measles epidemic that could kill because more than 1 million children are not protected against the disease. - The Telegraph, UK - "For the first time in 15 years, there has been sustained transmission of measles for more than 12 months indicating that immunisation is no longer controlling the spread of the disease, Dr Mary Ramsay, consultant in immunisation at the Health Protection Agency, said."

* ►October 5, 2008 - Emergent Biosolutions wins $364M anthrax vaccine award - Anthrax Vaccine -- posts by Meryl Nass, M.D.

* ►October 5, 2008 - Anti-U.S. views fuel polio growth in Pakistan - San Francisco Chronicle - "Due to the security situation in these areas there is a lot of resentment against America," said Kahn. "The perception that this vaccine is a U.S. product holds strong in these areas, leading to refusals" to accept vaccinations. Khan also noted that Fazlullah's sermons have stressed that those who become crippled or die from polio are martyrs. The vaccine is considered haram, or that which is forbidden for Muslims."

* ►October 4, 2008 - Federal Preemption Part II: What issues raise questions of federal preemption? - Des Moines InjuryBoard.com

* ►October 3, 2008 - Current vaccine R&D pipeline: is influenza being overdone? - VacZine Analytics via PharmiWeb - "The current vaccine pipeline now consists of around 115 projects with an approximate 15-20% increase in number since April 2008 (1). The increase in the pipeline size is mainly due to the entry into the clinic of new programs (Phase I) targeting influenza and global initiatives such as TB. Excluding programs associated with biodefense, line-extensions/reformulations and pandemic flu, GSK Biologicals still maintains the largest vaccine pipeline in the industry closely followed by rival Sanofi Pasteur which gained ACAM-FLU-Aand ACAM-C-DIFF programs from its completed acquisition of Acambis."

* ►October 3, 2008 - Scary Stats IV: Polio - Inside Vaccines

* ►October 2, 2008 - Pakistan`s anti-polio campaign eats up funds, not virus - IANS via Zee News - "The health experts are of the opinion that the polio campaign in Pakistan has eaten up a major portion of the funds and attention meant for overall immunisation of newborns, which has resulted in the spread of other diseases. 'Continous support to polio rather than routine immunization has resulted in spread of deadly diseases in certain areas,' said Hassan. The health experts estimate that an average child born between 1994 and 2003 has received the oral polio drops 30 times. Doctors say it should be given only twice or thrice."

* ►October 2, 2008 - Knowledge is money for Children's - Entrepreneurs eager to help market hospital's research - Cincinnati Enquirer - "Last year, licensing revenue at Children's nearly tripled to $17.4 million, fueled by a payment from its licensing of the vaccine to treat rotavirus, the infection that is a leading cause of diarrhea in young children. Children's said the payment probably won't be repeated this year."

* ►October 1, 2008 - What is federal preemption and why should I take the time to care? - Des Moines InjuryBoard.com

* ►September 30, 2008 - A leading American Scientist-Honored as "The Discoverer of AIDS" and "The Father of AIDS Research"- is shown to have falsely claimed that he had detected and isolated an AIDS-causing retrovirus. - press release (pdf) - GaryNull.com