December 16, 2003*
Vaccination News
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Vaccine-related
December 13, 2003 - Summit runs out of flu vaccine - The Akron Beacon Journal
December 12, 2003 - Polio Vaccine Controversy: Datti Ahmed Challenges Nigeria Medical Association On Competence - Daily Trust via www.allafrica.com - "The president of the Supreme Council on Sharia in Nigeria, DR Ibrahim Ahmed Datti has said that the recent threat by the President of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) to withdraw his licence to practice as medical doctor was very irresponsible and foolish because the NMA is not in charge of medical practice in Nigeria...Dr Datti who is one of the old members of the association received the threat recently following his call to stop the polio immunisation programme in Northern states as a result of suspected contamination of the vaccine with anti-fertility steroid."
December 15, 2003 - Panel reluctantly backed flu vaccine to FDA - Members of an advisory panel that backed this year's flu vaccine expressed doubts about its potential effectiveness before recommending it for the Food and Drug Administration's approval. - CNN
December 14, 2003 - Hospitals ration flu vaccine - Twin Ports: St. Luke's has some doses left; SMDC is trying to get more. - Duluth News Tribune
December 14, 2003 - As flu fear rises, supplies dwindle - Counties either low on or out of vaccine - Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune
December 13, 2003 - U.S. officials seek flu vaccine from U.K. - UPI via The Washington Times
December 14, 2003 - Flu vaccines in short supply, treatments vary - The Grand Island Independent
December 13, 2003 - State Health Department Asking Providers To Save Flu Vaccine - www.kirotv.com
December 2003 - Hepatitis B incidence among South Asian children in England and Wales: implications for immunisation policy - journal article (Archives of Diseases in Childhood)
December 11, 2003 - U.S. Buys More Flu Vaccine as Outbreak Widens - The modest increase of 250,000 doses won't make a dent in demand, since the virus has hit all states and is "widespread" in 24. - HealthDay via www.healthcentral.com
December 11, 2003 - Experts Say Flu Vaccine Shortage Just Part of Ailing System in U.S. - Knight Ridder via www.wtev.com - The U.S. flu vaccine shortage -- one of seven vaccine shortages in the past two years -- is just the latest symptom of an ailing national vaccination strategy, public health experts and two federal reports say...'Our vaccine system is broke in that we're having these shortages,' Frank Sloan, a Duke University health economics professor, said Wednesday as federal officials scrounged for more flu vaccine overseas in the midst of a serious influenza outbreak."
December 11, 2003 - Senator wants more done about flu - South Dakota's Johnson: Response plan needed for nation - American News via Sun Herald - "Many states, including South Dakota, have influenza plans. Now, the nation needs such a blueprint."
December 12, 2003 - In Hyping Cancer Vaccine, Geron Ignores Its Partner - (subscription required) - www.thestreet.com
December 11, 2003 - A shot in Chiron's arm - Emeryville biotech company may pick up flu vaccine slack - Oakland Tribune
December 12, 2003 - More accurate, speedy flu vaccine years from distribution - Denver Post via The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - "Top influenza researchers have developed a vaccine that they say can more accurately target any flu strain, even mutants like the Fujian bug that is sweeping mercilessly across the country...And scientists say drug companies could develop the vaccine much faster than the current flu shot by growing it in animal cells instead of eggs, where today's vaccine is born."
Comment: Given what we are learning about cross-species transfer of diseases and the difficulty in identifying and removing pathogens, is this really such a good idea?
December 13, 2003 - Nationwide,
Many Clamoring For Dwindling Flu Vaccine - The New York Times via The Tampa
Tribune
December 13, 2003 - Flu
vaccine available in nasal form - The Abilene Reporter-News
December 12, 2003 - As
flu's swath widens, vaccine is rationed - The Seattle Times
September 25, 2003 - Influenza
Vaccine Dosing Chart - CDC
December 14, 2003 - Vaccine for deadly flu scrapped - Experts alerted to dangerous Fujian strain, but found shot too risky - San Mateo County Times - "A leading national expert on infectious diseases told a Food and Drug Administration committee in February and again in March that it would be a mistake if this year's vaccine didn't guard against a potentially lethal strain of influenza that was beginning to emerge in the Southern Hemisphere... Dr. Peter Palese warned that the flu strain -- known as A-Fujian/411/2002 -- seemed likely to hit the United States and that drastic measures were required to protect public health. Creating a vaccine that offered only moderate safeguards against the new strain was a bad idea, he warned, according to official transcripts of FDA meetings earlier this year."
December 14, 2003 - Flu vaccine injects a dose of confusion - Questions are raised over its usefulness against the virus. - The Sacramento Bee - "'People who get vaccine have a much lower chance of dying,' said Dr. Roger Baxter, an infectious disease consultant with Kaiser Permanente. 'Vaccine is to prevent death, not to prevent flu.'"
Comment: Where on earth did he come up with that 'fact'? The only way of getting even close to knowing that would be to compare matched populations that did and did not get the flu vaccine. Although they clearly should be conducted, such studies simply are not being done.
Comment: And all of a sudden the vaccine is not to prevent the flu? What's that all about?
December 10, 2003 - Nasal Spray Vaccine - A Better Flu Vaccine? New Data Suggest Nasal Spray Vaccine May Give More Protection Against "Drifted' Strains. Such Strains Are Now Circulating, Says Saint Louis University Doctor Who Helped Develop the Vaccine - www.healthnewsdigest.com
December 11, 2003 - Aetna to Cover Flumist® During the 2003-2004 Flu Season - Actions Enable Healthy Individuals to be Vaccinated, While Allowing Health Workers to Redirect Limited Supplies of Injectable Influenza Vaccine to High-Risk Individuals - www.aetna.com
December 16, 2003 - Government To Purchase FluMist at A Discount -
Deal Could Give Boost To MedImmune Vaccine - The Washington Post - "The company that makes FluMist, the needle-free influenza vaccine, agreed to sell up to 3 million doses to public health officials at less than half the $46 wholesale price amid a shortage of flu vaccine, the federal government said yesterday, which may ultimately boost faltering sales of the drug."Comment: Agreed to sell at less than half price a drug that wasn't selling??? Every where you turn the vaccine manufacturers get breaks no other company gets. And they will continue to get them as long as the public is hysterical about disease. For more on the cozy deal the vaccine manufacturers have, the dream business plan at the public's expense, click here.
December 16, 2003 - New support for MMR doubts - www.femail.co.uk - "The safety of the MMR vaccine has again been called into question as a study appeared to back the British doctor who first linked it to autism and bowel disease...Dr Andrew Wakefield's findings have been dismissed as flawed by Government scientists and the Department of Health, who say they have not been replicated by other researchers...But experts at New York University School of Medicine have found independent support for his concerns over the measles, mumps and rubella jab."
December 12, 2003 - U.S. to Assist Emergency Workers Hurt by Smallpox Vaccine - Associated Press via www.immunizationinfo.org
December 13, 2003 - Prevent Liver Cancer Through Hepatitis Vaccine - Philippine Daily Inquirer via www.immunizationinfo.org
December 14, 2003 -
Many People Resist Flu Shots
-
Miami Herald via
www.immunizationinfo.org - "The CDC is
concerned about the lack of interest in a flu vaccine and is looking for ways to
understand patient apathy so that it might change the attitude in the future.
Doctors note that many patients believe that the flu shot can make them ill,
though the injected vaccine is not made with live virus and presents no risk of
causing sickness. Other reasons cited for avoiding the flu vaccine include
having gotten the shot in the past and feeling sick afterwards, general distrust
of vaccines in general, and being healthy."
December 15, 2003 -
FluMist to the Rescue
-
Washington Post via
www.immunizationinfo.org
December 15, 2003 -
Scientists Agonized Over Choosing Less-Than-Perfect Flu Vaccine
-
Associated Press via
www.immunizationinfo.org
December 13, 2003 - Mainland Encephalitis Vaccine to Be Tested - South China Morning Post via www.immunizationinfo.org
December 15, 2003 - A penny a month could bolster kids' immunization practices - Health Behavior News Service via www.eurekalert.org - "Researchers from the University of California at San Diego, writing in the January issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, calculate that $0.013 per child per month is needed to make recommended innovations such as patient education and feedback to doctors a regular part of immunization practice."
December 15, 2003 - All I want for Christmas is to avoid the flu bug - Newhouse News Service via Pioneer Press - "Don't kiss anyone. In fact, don't hug or even shake hands. And for crying out loud, toss those disgusting tissues...Flu infection rates are soaring. Vaccines are in short supply. So if you're sick, avoid others, and if you're well, protect yourself, doctors say."
January 2004 - Delivering the vaccination mail - journal article (Trends in Biotechnology) via BioMedNet - "The impact of preventative and therapeutic vaccines continues to expand in the fields of infectious disease and cancer, but their full potential is currently limited by drug-delivery challenges. Synthetic delivery systems that incorporate principles of biological design could improve vaccine efficacy significantly."
December 15, 2003 - Medics slam 'distorted' MMR drama - Leading child health experts have called a drama about the MMR vaccine "distorted" and "entirely unbalanced". - BBC
December 16, 2003 - 'Antibiotics link' to MMR and autism - www.femail.co.uk - "Antibiotics may be to blame for hundreds of children developing autism after having the controversial MMR jab, it has been claimed...More than two-thirds of youngsters with the condition received four or more antibiotics in their first year, a survey revealed."
December 15, 2003 -
MMR TV Drama
'Reckless and Misleading', Say Experts - The Scotsman
- "Top child health experts today criticised a TV drama about the controversial
measles, mumps and rubella vaccine as 'irresponsible, reckless and entirely
unbalanced'...Hear the Silence, due to be broadcast on Five tonight, tells the
story of a woman whose child has autism which she believes to be linked to the
triple jab...But in a open letter signed by 11 leaders in child health issue,
they accused the docu-drama of increasing the anxiety of parents whose children
were due to be given the jab."
December 16, 2003 - TV drama sparks MMR fear - This is London - "Health chiefs today feared a huge slump in MMR uptake after a television drama portrayed the triple vaccine as unsafe...Thousands of parents are expected to reject the controversial jab after the screening of Hear The Silence by Channel Five last night...The drama, seen by up to two million viewers, suggested a strong link between MMR and autism and bowel disease."
December 14, 2003 - E-News: MMR RIP? - The Sunday Times Magazine, UK via www.nvic.org - "NVIC Note: This is a long article to read but well worth the time to understand the controversy over MMR and autism and the battle of Andrew Wakefield."
December 12, 2003 - Acambis Files US Licence Application for ARILVAX Yellow Fever Vaccine - PRNewswire-First Call via BioExchange
December 12, 2003 - UK's Acambis in U.S. application for vaccine drug - Reuters via Forbes
December 12, 2003 - More flu shots on way for children - Most providers in Hall, Hamilton, Merrick counties out of vaccine - The Grand Island Independent
December 11, 2003 - Flu Spreading in U.S. But Not Scary Yet -Officials - Reuters via Yahoo! - "The flu is spreading across the United States and the government is concerned enough to buy up 250,000 available doses of vaccine to make sure it goes to those who need it most, officials said on Thursday...But the influenza season is not especially serious yet and has not reached the level of an epidemic, said Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (news - web sites)...Nonetheless, Gerberding and Health and Human Services (news - web sites) Secretary Tommy Thompson said they were happy with the media attention being given to the flu...'There has been a greatly increased interest in the flu this year. We hope that translates into more people, especially those at high risk, getting their flu shots early in future years,' Thompson told a news conference."
Comment: How is it that a "not especially serious (flu season) yet" got so hyped up that what resulted was a frenzied demand for flu vaccine?
December 12, 2003 - Mom Still Finds A Mean Vaccine Scene - New York Post via Yahoo! - "In this, you should be looking at a photo of my son Zeke getting his first flu shot, along with a list of places where parents can get their hands on the scarce vaccine...Unfortunately, I have neither."
December 12, 2003 - Flu Outbreak Spreads Fast; Vaccine On Way To States - AP via The Tampa Tribune
December 12, 2003 - Minorities often forgo flu shots - Detroit Free Press - "Elderly African Americans and Hispanics are far less likely than non-Hispanic whites to get flu shots, public health officials say. The disparity is even greater for shots against pneumococcal disease, a sometimes deadly lung bacterial infection that hits African Americans at high rates."
December 11, 2003 - Flu shots sought as bad news spreads - Press of Atlantic City
December 11, 2003 - A New Vaccine For Herpes - AP via http://cbsnewyork.com - Experts from the CDC estimate that 75 million Americans have herpes, a painful and debilitating S-T-D. Once you're infected, the virus stays in your body for life. Now as CBS 2’s Cindy Hsu reports a new vaccine may keep you protected from infection in the first place...Chemical engineering student Mishele Kieffer is making medical history, 'I just had my third vaccination today and it’s been six months.'She’s testing what could be the first vaccine ever to prevent the sexually transmitted disease herpes."
December 11, 2003 - Flu Clinic Cancelled As Vaccine Supplies Dwindle - www.wave3.com
December 11, 2003 - State scrambles to redistribute remaining vaccine - AP via The Boston Globe - "A proclamation that the state was not suffering widespread shortages of flu vaccine this week came as a surprise to frustrated parents who were unable to get shots for their children."
December 16, 2003 - My Conscience Is Clear, Says Doctor - The Bath Chronicle - "The controversial Bath doctor who first raised concern over the safety of the MMR vaccine last night said his conscience was entirely clear as the row over his claims intensified. As a TV drama reignited the debate over the triple inoculation system, gastroenterologist Dr Andrew Wakefield came under renewed fire over his suggestion of a link with autism."
December 16, 2003 - Mothers alarmed after TV MMR drama - The Guardian, UK - "Last night's television drama about the controversial theory linking the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism has made parents even more worried."
December 16, 2003 - MMR row fails to stir audiences - The Guardian - UK - "Despite all the controversy surrounding Channel Five's MMR drama Hear the Silence, the show starring Juliet Stevenson attracted little more than a million viewers last night."
Comment: A million is not chicken feed.
December 15, 2003 - A missed chance to jab the MMR doctor where it hurts - Times Online - "Here was a golden opportunity to put Wakefield on the spot in front of millions of viewers and for a specialist to point towards the mountain of evidence casting such a convincing shadow over his molehill. But, in a disgraceful pique of high- mindedness, the opportunity was squandered. Instead, the defence of the triple jab was left largely to people such as Dr Evan Harris, MP, and Dr Michael Fitzpatrick, who has a son with severe autism and remains fiercely pro-MMR."
December 16, 2003 - Trust me, I'm a doctor - The Guardian, UK - "Hear the Silence's power lay in its believability, one which no amount of out-of-hand dismissal will dispel."
The latest Rapid responses to Hear the Silence - by Elliman and Bedford (BMJ)
The latest Rapid responses to Hear the Silence - by Fitzpatrick (BMJ)
December 13, 2003 - An ounce of prevention - Shot now better than flu later - Knoxville News Sentinel
December 15, 2003 -
Parents Concerned About Vaccine Safety - Most Docs Surveyed Had Parents Who Refused Vaccinations for Their Kids - WebMDHealth - "'Parents are asking more questions about the safety of the vaccines their children are getting, and that is a good thing,' researcher Sarah J. Clark, MPH, tells WebMD. 'Our findings point to a need to get the safety message out there, and not let the alarmist [antivaccine] groups frame the debate.'"December 2003 -
Therapeutic vaccines against infectious diseases - journal article (Current Opinion in Microbiology) via BioMedNet - "Therapeutic vaccines against chronic infectious diseases aim at eliciting broad humoral and cellular immune responses against multiple target antigens. Importantly, the development of such vaccines will help to establish surrogate markers of protection in humans and thus will augment the subsequent development of efficient prophylactic vaccines."Autism-related, developmental/behavioral issues
December 12, 2003 - Cure
Autism Now Secures Inclusion of $2.2 Million Appropriation for National Autism
Awareness and Physician Education Program - Bill Will Provide $2.24 Million
for Centers for Disease Control to Develop And Execute Autism Awareness and
Physician Education Programs - PRNewswire via The Seattle Times
December 12, 2003 - Anonymous
donor gives schools $10,000 gift - The News-Times
December 12, 2003 - Parents
of N.S. baby with high heavy-metal levels want funding for treatment -
Canadian Press
December 13, 2003 - Autism
school may close - Tribune Chronicle
December 14, 2003 - Tri-state Families Sacrifice To Care For Special Needs Kids - www.wcpo.com - "Thousands of Tri-state families are being forced to make tough choices every day that ultimately affect whether their children live or die...Often these children are severely disabled and because of the cost of their medical bills, their parents sometimes have to choose between food and medicine."
December 14, 2003 - Let it flow, let it flow? - by Molly Ivins - Star-Telegram - "I can't tell whether this administration is flaunting its cynicism, its contempt for science or its conviction that, when in power, you help your contributors and fry your enemies -- although how millions of small children and unborn fetuses came to be enemies of George W. Bush & Co. is beyond my political or theological understanding...We are talking about the rollback announced last week in regulating mercury pollution. Except, of course, that it wasn't announced as a rollback -- it was announced as a great step forward."
"Vaccine-preventable" disease-related
December 13, 2003 - Seek medical care if flu symptoms emerge - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
December 13, 2003 - Every Day Must Be World AIDS Day - A wrenching new documentary about HIV/AIDS seeks to firmly connect the numbing statistics with the faces and names of people suffering from the disease, and the men and women fighting to get them treatment with few or no resources. - IPS
December 14, 2003 - Flu likely to hit worldwide - Experts say it's not whether we wind up grappling with pandemic, but when - AP via www.thestate.com
December 13, 2003 - Judge OKs rules for hepatitis claims - New regulations will allow chain to pay medical bills - AP via Charleston Daily Mail
December 12, 2003 - Northeastern Indiana high school has 2nd meningitis death this year - AP via The Indianapolis Star
December 13, 2003 - Scout dies before he can claim his Eagle - Meningococcal disease kills Manchester junior -www.fortwayne.com
December 11, 2003 - TB Outbreak Still Being Investigated in Washington - Reuters via Yahoo!
December 12, 2003 - Urgent Flu Dash - New York Post
December 13, 2003 - Nasal flu spray still available - LaCrosse Tribune
December 13, 2003 - Flu
spreads across country -AP via
www.ljworld.com
December 12, 2003 - Flu
spreads to all 50 states, CDC says - AP via Houston Chronicle
December 12, 2003 - Flu
cases creep into region - Daily Globe
December 12, 2003 - Some
N.C. hospitals impose flu restrictions - AP via
www.wcnc.com
December 12, 2003 - Health
experts: Firms should be ready for flu threat - The Advocate
December 12, 2003 - Over-The-Counter
Flu Remedies Big Sellers - AP via
www.wave3.com
December 13, 2003 - It's a good year for makers of flu drugs - AP via The Wichita Eagle
December 12, 2003 - Flu likely a factor in deaths of elderly - Rocky Mountain News - "Several hundred of Colorado's elderly likely have died of flu-related complications in the past 30 days, a Denver geriatrician said Thursday..."It's very much underreported, even by doctors," said Dr. Greg Gahm, who tracks influenza at Colorado nursing homes. "If they meticulously tracked every death in the last month, they'd find several hundred elderly deaths, maybe more," attributable in part to the flu."
Comment: If they haven't been tracking it meticulously, how do they know when there are more or less flu deaths among the elderly?
December 14, 2003 - Number of county whooping cough cases at 197 - Fond Du Lac Reporter
December 12, 2003 - If you're sniffling, don't visit - Daily Globe
December 11, 2003 - Influenza
summary update: Week ending December 6, 2003—Week 4 - www.vidyya.com
December 11, 2003 - CDC recommendations for
influenza prevention and update: Influenza activity 2003--04 season - CDC
December 14, 2003 - Hepatitis
link suspected - AP via The Topeka Capital-Journal
December 14, 2003 - Scientists warn of coming worldwide influenza outbreak - AP via News Tribune
December 14, 2003 - A host of new remedies for cold and flu - Sun-Sentinel
December 12, 2003 - 24 States Hit Hard By Flu Outbreak - Washington Post
December 12, 2003 - Doctors say flu outbreak not a cause for panic - The News-Times - "In the past, parents didn’t worry about their kids getting the flu. This year, for a variety of reasons — the deaths of 23 children nationwide, a shortage of vaccine, saturation coverage of the flu outbreak on cable news shows — they are...Dr. Jack Fong, chairman of pediatrics at Danbury Hospital, is trying to make sure unease about the disease doesn’t balloon into any real panic...Fong added that because of the communication revolution — cable TV, the Internet, all-news stations — people hear about any unusual illness much sooner than in the past."
Comment: First, there is only a shortage because of increased demand due to the creation of a panic atmosphere. And if there is, in fact, no need for panic, the following question should be asked: Is there anyone who serves to gain from a panic and increased demand for flu vaccine?
December 16, 2003 - Toddler Dies Of Flu Complications - www.whiotv.com "Doctors said Trevor Hamilton's missing pituitary gland and cleft pallet had an impact on his immune system. That put him at high risk for the flu."
December 16, 2003 -
Flu, staph infection deadly - Newhouse News Service via Bridgeton News via www.nj.comDecember 14, 2003 - Global Flu Outbreak Lurking and Unstoppable, Experts Say - Chicago Tribune via www.immunizationinfo.org
December 15, 2003 - Spotlight Shifts to Flu Drugs - Los Angeles Times via www.immunizationinfo.org
December 12, 2003 - Hepatitis chef triggers screenings - AAP via The Australian - "A Sydney RSL club will conduct mass screenings of its patrons for Hepatitis A after a chef was discovered to have the disease."
December 12, 2003 - Flu virus has now spread to all of state - The Wichita Eagle
December 11, 2003 - A holistic approach to flu treatment - Fresh fruit juices and herbal supplements can keep your immunity strong - www.wndu.com/news
December 11, 2003 - N.C. boy who died of flu had health problems, but stayed active - AP via StarNewsOnline.com
December 12, 2003 - HealthBeat: Flu Fix Hard to Find - www.keloland.com
December 11, 2003 - HealthBeat: Following the Flu - www.keloland.com
December 12, 2003 - Severity of flu in state is rising - Some health agencies getting more vaccine - Detroit Free Press
December 15, 2003 - Homeopathy: Fighting flu before it gets a grip - Provided by Newsquest (Brighton & Hove) Ltd via www.healthy.net
Other diseases/conditions (some already in the vaccine pipeline)
December 14, 2003 - Ministry: More AIDS cases reported - IPOH via http://thestar.com.my/
December 13, 2003 - Doctor: Gates' dedication boosts global health effort - Seattle Post-Intelligencer via Houston Chronicle
December 13, 2003 - New epidemic monitoring rules adopted in China - China's Health Ministry has adopted new regulations to enforce surveillance and reporting of contagious diseases and possible public health threats. - People's Daily, China - "The regulations require that diseases like cholera, the plague, SARS, AIDS, lung anthrax and poliomyelitis should be reported to the relevant departments within two hours of discovery in cities, and six hours in rural areas, according to a circular released by the ministry here Friday...Diseases including typhoid, dysentery, syphilis, hepatitis B, diphtheria and malaria should be reported within six hours of discovery in cities, and 12 hours in rural areas...The regulations also require that possible public health threats like mass food poisoning, should be reported to local health authorities within two hours after discovery."
December 2003 - The effect of HIV infection on paediatric bacterial meningitis in Blantyre, Malawi - journal article (Archives of Diseases in Childhood)
December 11, 2003 - Scientists discover connection between obesity and diabetes - Eleanor Roosevelt Institute and The Bawmann Group via www.eurekalert.org
December 12, 2003 - Vitamins theory unproven solution for HIV/Aids - www.malaysiakini.com
December 12, 2003 - Scientists report progress in treating deadly Ebola virus - AP via www.azcentral.com
December 14, 2003 - Scientists take a closer look at disease - AP via www.dailycamera.com - "The first high-resolution images of the West Nile virus reveal a tiny microorganism that looks something like a bumpy gum ball...The three-dimensional images obtained by Purdue University researchers give scientists their most detailed look yet of the virus and could help them design drugs to disarm it."
December 11, 2003 - Scientists report encouraging progress in treating deadly Ebola virus - AP via The San Diego Union-Tribune
December 11, 2203 - Deal Paves Way for Generic HIV Drugs - Drug Companies to allow sales in sub-Saharan Africa - The Boston Globe
December 11, 2003 - Epidemic Threat of Minor Bugs - Bacteria and viruses that appear to pose little threat to humans may be on the verge of causing major epidemics, say researchers. - BBC - "Experts from the US and France have calculated that some bugs are gaining enough of a foothold in humans to pose a significant threat...Even those thought to be virtually eradicated by vaccines may be only one genetic twist away from returning...In the journal Nature they predict epidemics are 'waiting to happen'."
December 11, 2003 - 2003 Begins With SARS, Ends With Flu - AP Via StarNewsOnline.com
December 13, 2003 - Cot deaths not affected by sleeping position - www.medilexicon.com - "Making babies sleep on their backs may not prevent cot deaths, a specialist claims today...The fall in cot deaths seen around the world over the last two decades may instead be the result of the natural variation witnessed in all diseases, a review of research indicates."
Big pharma, research conduct, conflict of interest, ethics, FDA, oversight, approval process, warnings
December 13, 2003 - Taking your medicine - Gary Hughes and Liz Minchin follow the big pharmaceutical money trail to reveal who is really behind the health advice we are getting. - The Age - "Many of us with chronic health problems rely on advocacy groups and peak medical bodies for independent advice and support. But just how independent is that advice and are we being given the full picture?...The Age has found that many advocacy groups are becoming hooked on sponsorship dollars from drug companies and these international corporations are in turn using them to promote their products in Australia's booming $5 billion drug market."
December 13, 2003 - Drug giant Merck chooses North Carolina for new plant - AP via Newsday
December 12, 2003 - Big Pharma's influence on the rise - www.malaysiakini.com/
December 15, 2003 - Not-So-Public Relations - How the drug industry is branding itself with bioethics - http://slate.msn.com - "
To promote the drug, Lilly has hired a public relations agency; the PR campaign they've created is called 'The Ethics, the Urgency and the Potential,' and its premise is that it is 'unethical not to use the drug.'...It is a brilliant strategy. There is no better way to enlist bioethicists in the cause of consumer capitalism than to convince them they are working for social justice."Mandatory vaccines, parental/health rights, legal
December 12, 2003 - The cost of the legal system - www.townhall.com - "In its Dec. 15 issue, Newsweek details some of the ways in which lawsuits for personal injuries, medical malpractice and other things have reduced the quality of life in America...Of course, legitimate personal injuries deserve compensation. But, less and less of each dollar awarded in tort suits actually compensates for injury. According to the Tillighast study, only 22 cents on the dollar compensate for actual economic loss. The rest went to lawyers or involved punitive damages or those for "pain and suffering" that went far beyond compensating actual loss...Because juries are now willing to award absurd sums, the court system has become like a lottery, encouraging sleazy lawyers and greedy plaintiffs to take advantage of it."
Miscellaneous
December 12, 2003 - UNMC receives grant to conduct breast cancer research - Daily Nebraskan
December 12, 2003 - State ranks high for bioterror readiness - AP via Jackson Sun
December 12, 2003 - Study findings question COX-2 drug cost effectiveness - Express Scripts via www.eurekalert.org
December 11, 2003 - Antidepressant Danger? - Worried About Your Child Taking Drugs for Depression? - ABC News
December 11, 2003 - Bioterrorism Preparedness Is Criticized - AP via Las Vegas Sun
December 12, 2003 - Who's prepared? Money crisis harms public health - www.ishn.com
December 13, 2003 - Towson, Md., Doctor Solicits Patients for Donations to Offset Rising Costs - (subscription required) - www.zawya.com
December 12, 2003 - Mother may know best in delivery room - New York Times via Houston Chronicle
December 12, 2003 - Official: Consumers insulated from actual health-care costs - The Daily Sentinel - "Over-utilization of the health-care system by consumers, the growing number of uninsured people who delay treatment of serious conditions until they warrant an expensive trip to the emergency room and the failure of state and federal governments to adequately reimburse doctors and hospitals for treatment of Medicare and Medicaid patients are among the factors driving health-insurance costs upward, panelists said."
December 13, 2003 - UK's record on sickness is not what Reid ordered - Independent, UK - "Sustaining the National Health Service over the next 20 years will be made harder by the poor state of the British population, an interim report by Derek Wanless shows."
December 14, 2003 - Medical Decisions Too Complicated - Medical Decisions Too Complex: Doctor's Orders No Longer Enough Neurosurgeon, cancer survivor and local author offers 6-step program to avoid disastrous decisions (book review) - www.healthnewsdigest.com
December 12, 2003 - Fighting Back With Synthetic Antibodies - Financial Times via www.immunizationinfo.org
December 12, 2003 - HHS to Fund Early Warning Disease Surveillance System Along the U.S.-Mexico Border - HHS News Release via www.immunizationinfo.org
December 2003 -
New technologies in therapeutic antibody development - journal article (Current Opinion in Pharmacology) via BioMedNetRedflagsdaily.com - www.redflagsweekly.com
Breaking News Archives - from December 1, 2003 (check here for breaking news you might have missed and breaking news that didn't ever hit the "front page")
More News - all the news most recently posted on this website
All the News - a running tab of everything posted on this website since October 29, 2003
Top Stories Archives - daily breaking and other important news stories
Daily News Archives - all the news posted on this website each day (from April 2001)
*Note: Starting December 10, 2003 news will be posted in the "daily news" pages based on when it was posted on this website, not by publication date.
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DISCLAIMER: All information, data, and material contained, presented, or provided here is for general information purposes only and is not to be construed as reflecting the knowledge or opinions of the publisher, and is not to be construed or intended as providing medical or legal advice. The decision whether or not to vaccinate is an important and complex issue and should be made by you, and you alone, in consultation with your health care provider.