►February 1, 2004 - Baby Is Gulf War Syndrome Victim - Sunday Mirror, UK - "FIGHTING for breath with a mass of tubes keeping him alive, tiny Scott Bowen is Britain’s youngest victim of Gulf War Syndrome...Weighing just 2lb 4oz, the tragic tot was born two months prematurely after both his parents returned from serving in Iraq...Dad Justin, 27, and mum Vicky, 20, had multiple vaccinations before going to war last year and developed symptoms of the Syndrome...They are now sure the cocktail of jabs – especially the controversial anthrax shot – is behind their new-born’s desperate condition."

►February 2, 2004 - University of Maryland Oral Anthrax Vaccine - www.wjz.com   

►February 2, 2004 - More Hope for Designer Cancer Vaccine - Vaccine Could Be Tweaked to Target Specific Tumors - WebMD Medical News 

►January 30, 2004 - Probe into 'botched' bird flu jabs - The Age, Australia

►February 4, 2004 - DOH Kicks Off 10-Year Drive vs. Measles - Philippine Daily Inquirer via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►February 4, 2004 - Life-Saving Vaccine Runs Short - Mercury (AU) via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►February 4, 2004 - Stock in Firm Working on Ricin Vaccine Skyrockets - Miami Herald via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►February 3, 2004 - Liberia: Children Immunized Against Measles in Unsecured Rebel Stronghold - Africa News Service via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►February 3, 2004 - Longford Hits 95 Percent Immunization Rate - Irish Times via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►February 3, 2004 - Utah Smallpox Program Falls Short of Its Goals - Salt Lake Tribune via  www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►February 2, 2004 - Grant Allows Researchers to Develop Oral Anthrax Vaccine - AP via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►February 5, 2004 - Vaccines Containing Aluminum Appear Safe - Planet Ark - "To investigate the safety of aluminum-containing DTP vaccines, Dr. Tom Jefferson, from Cochrane Vaccines Field in Rome, and colleagues reviewed eight studies that recorded patient outcomes following vaccination and the amount of aluminum in the vaccine...'Despite a lack of good-quality evidence we do not recommend that any further research on this topic is undertaken," the authors conclude."

Comment:  That just about says it all.  (If the studies used for the review are the same kind of short-term, small sample, no genuine control group study normally used to vindicate vaccines, don't bet on them being meaningful or proving anything, other than that you can "prove" anything you want.)

►2004 - Prevnar - the ear infection vaccine? - http://pediatrics.about.com

►February 4, 2004 - DOR BioPharma, Inc. Provides Update on Ricin Vaccine Development Program - Business Wire

Comment:  How about developing an antidote for ricin, to only be used by those exposed (a highly unlikely event), rather than provide a vaccine for the masses?  Or is the cost thought to simply be too prohibitive, given the expected rarity of the event?  In which case, isn't any potential vaccine risk not worth taking?  (If the government wants to help the drug companies, how about helping them develop the antidote, rather than covering their vaccine liability?)

►February 3, 2004 - Rubella resurfaces in Cordova - Anchorage Daily News

►February 4, 2004 - U.N. Convenes Experts to Plan Bird-Flu Strategy - Wall Street Journal via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►February 3, 2004 - As Bird Flu Spreads, Global Health Weaknesses Are Exposed - New York Times via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►February 3, 2004 - Flu Researchers Partially Re-Create Killer Strain of 1918 - Wall Street Journal via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract) - "So far, health experts are not sure what makes one strain of flu more deadly than another, so rebuilding the 1918 flu and comparing it to less dangerous strains seems like a good way of figuring that out."

►February 4, 2004 - Parents demand meningitis probe - www.manchesteronline.co.uk - "A DOCTOR is at the centre of calls for an independent inquiry after it is claimed she failed to spot meningitis infections which left one child dead and another facing brain damage."

►February 3, 2004 - High levels of certain protein in blood associated with development of colon cancer - JAMA and Archives Journals Website via www.eurekalert.org 

►February 2, 2004 - Antidepressant Strengthened Warnings About Pediatric Suicidality Risk Needed Immediately, Cmte. Says - FDA - The committee heard from 65 speakers during the meeting's public hearing, many of whom were parents of children who had committed or attempted suicide or homicide after a short time on antidepressants. Many described severe behavioral changes in their children.

►February 2, 2004 - Improving Childbirth - The Durango Herald