►February 24, 2004 - Polio Vaccine Safe - Ladoja - This Day via www.thisdayonline.com

►February 24, 2004 - Mercury plan falls short, say activists - Coalition from Ohio, other states to tell EPA proposal may do harm - Akron Beacon Journal via www.ohio.com

►February 24, 2004 - New Health Dangers of Genetically Modified Food (and vaccines) Discovered - press release - Institute for Responsible Technology via Common Dreams Progressive Newswire - "Data from three groups of studies currently being conducted by the Norwegian Institute for Gene Ecology, in Tromsö, Norway, reveal potentially serious health dangers of genetically modified (GM) foods and vaccines...3. Genetically engineered pox viruses in cell cultures recombined with natural viruses to create new hybrid viruses with unpredictable and potentially dangerous characteristics."

►February 25, 2004 - Dual Approach to Bird Flu Vaccine - Nation (Thailand) via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►February 25, 2004 - Nigerian Polio Drive Halted Amid Vaccine Fears - Financial Times via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►February 25, 2004 - Panel May Suggest Universal Flu Shots - Atlanta Journal-Constitution  via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►February 25, 2004 - Spray Flu Vaccine Is Little Used, Even With Shots Scarce - New York Times via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►February 25, 2004 - U.S. Will Pay for Study to Seek Cause of Autism - USA Today via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►February 25, 2004 - Vaccine Campaign in Liberia Amid Fears of Yellow Fever Epidemic - Agence France Presse via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►February 24, 2004 - Alaska Vulnerable to World Health Woes - Anchorage Daily News via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►February 24, 2004 - CDC Study: Flu Shot Effective Up to 63 Percent for Adults 50-64 - AP via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►February 24, 2004 - Vaccine Plan Needs Many More Babies - New Zealand Herald via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►February 24, 2004 - Volunteers Attack Polio in Africa - Washington Times via  www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►February 13, 2004 - Nanotubules shuttle organelles - Cultured cells contain nanotubular structures capable of intercellular organelle transport - The Scientist via BioMed Central

►February 12, 2004 - Plague doesn't protect - Mice homozygous for CCR5 receptor deficiency are not protected against Yersinia pestis - The Scientist via BioMed Central

►February 13, 2004 - Fraud spurs Cell paper retraction - Postdoc fabricated data, leaving his career in tatters and embarrassing his boss - The Scientist via BioMed Central

►February 12, 2004 - Human embryos cloned - South Korean team demonstrates cloning efficiency for humans similar to pigs, cattle - The Scientist via BioMed Central

►December 19, 2003 - Generalized cost-effectiveness analysis for national-level priority-setting in the health sector - WHO via BioMed Central

►December 3, 2003 - The effects of different weaning modes on the endocrine stress response - journal article (Critical Care)

►The Meiotic Cell Cycle - Sexual reproduction is based on the fusion of haploid cells - from The Cell Cycle: Principles of Control - BioMed Central

►February 12, 2004 - The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene variant C677T influences susceptibility to migraine with aura - journal article (BMC Medicine)

►February 10, 2004 - Human glutaminyl cyclase and bacterial zinc aminopeptidase share a common fold and active site - journal article (BMC Biology)

►February 24, 2004 - More babies needed for meningitis vaccine trial - Hundreds more babies are needed to take part in a pilot meningococcal vaccine programme in Auckland. - www.stuff.co.nz

►February 23, 2004 - Fund-raisers hope to help Whitman girl - The Enterprise via www.southofboston.com - "Andie suffers from a severe seizure disorder that her doctors attribute to a reaction to the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine she received when she was a year old. Despite years of treatment at Boston hospitals, doctors have been unable to control the seizures...A severe seizure in the spring left Andie with autism-like problems. She has since lost the ability to speak and now has other developmental delays."

►February 23, 2004 - Michigan targets mercury Initiative aims to cut exposure to neurotoxin (requires registration) - Bay City Times via www.mlive.com

►February 23, 2004 - EPA to hold public hearings on mercury, air quality proposals - Waste News

►February 1, 2004 - Targeted Cationic Liposomes: Technologies and Developments - Pharmaceutical Technology Europe

►February 23, 2004 - SARS Forgotten But Not Gone - Wired News

►February 23, 2004 - Dutch virologist finds possible Sars medicine - Expatica News

►February 23, 2004 - VA Launches New Web Site on Hepatitis C - press release - U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs via PRNewswire via Yahoo!

►February 23, 2004 - Study Offers New Look Into Origins of MS - It finds the tissue that protects the nerves isn't the first to be destroyed. - HealthDay via www.healthcentral.com

►February 23, 2004 - New Data Challenge Theories Of Multiple Sclerosis - press release - The Annals of Neurology via American Neurological Association via www.sciencedaily.com

►February 23, 2004 - Flu Shots Don't Improve Kids' Asthma Flare-Ups - American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine via Reuters Health via Yahoo! 

►February 23, 2004 - Bird Flu in Texas Prompts Human-Health Monitoring - Reuters

►February 23, 2004 - U.S. Watches Texas Farmworkers for Bird Flu Symptoms - Reuters

►February 23, 2004 - Pilgrim's Pride Statement Regarding Avian Influenza in Texas - press release - Pilgrim's Pride Corporation via PRNewswire-FirstCall via Yahoo!

►February 23, 2004 - UN warns of bird flu's high cost - The spread of bird flu has been a disaster for Asia's livestock industries, the United Nations food agency has warned. - BBC

►February 24, 2004 - Virulent bird flu strain spreads to Houston - AP via The International Herald Tribune

►February 23, 2004 - Canadian bird flu did not spread to farm workers - Reuters via Forbes

►February 23, 2004 - Thousands Push Polio Vaccine in Africa - African Nations Launch Polio Immunization Campaign in Face of Ban in Parts of Nigeria - AP via ABC News

►February 23, 2004 - Polio boycott backfires on leader - The Telegraph, India

►February 23, 2004 - West Africa Gears Up to Eradicate Polio By End of 2004, Unicef Says - UN via www.allafrica.com

►February 23, 2004 - AAEP 2003: Immune Responses to Commercial Equine Vaccines - www.thehorse.com

►February 24, 2004 -UK vets warn on anthrax vaccine - AAP via Herald Sun

►February 24, 2004 - ADF Admits it Should  Have Done Better on Anthrax Vaccine - An Australian Defence Department report has conceded it must do a better job of keeping its personnel informed about the health risks of innoculations. - www.sbs.com.au

►February 24, 2004 - Anthrax: troops to be monitored - AAP via The Australian

►February 24, 2004 - Anthrax under control - Zimbabwe Herald Online

►February 23, 2004 - Possible Equine Anthrax Outbreak in India - www.thehorse.com

►February 24, 2004 - Council to provide new vaccine for students - Ararat Advertiser via www.yourguide.com.au

►February 23, 2004 - Controversy over accusation of research bias on MMR (requires subscription) - Times Online, UK

►February 24, 2004 - Parents back doctor's MMR findings - The Scotsman - "However, Ms Cooper, of Ayrshire, defended the research. She said: "This poor guy is doing nothing but trying to get justice for people who have been a victim...'The big thing in all this is saying that Wakefield had a conflict of interest, but these are the key words. If you are talking about conflict of interest, there are so many scientific and medical researchers who have a financial interest in companies manufacturing such products. All Wakefield’s interest was being 100 per cent behind the children and the parents who are the victims in all this.'"

►February 24, 2004 - Isolated surgeon sought out by parents takes PR cover - The Guardian, UK

►February 24, 2004 - Claim that MMR work mixed science and spin - The Guardian, UK - "Tony Blair yesterday weighed in to the MMR controversy by appealing once more for parents to give their children the all-in-one measles, mumps and rubella jab."

►February 23, 2004 - Link between vaccine and autism "entirely flawed" - Medical journal says it regrets publishing Wakefield's research on MMR. - Nature

►February 23, 2004 - Inside the world of medical journals - One of the world's most respected medical journals says it should never have published a controversial paper on MMR. - What steps do journals take to ensure studies are robust and trustworthy? - BBC - "The Lancet maintains it should have been told that Dr Wakefield was being paid to carry out another similar study...It says Dr Wakefield should have been aware of the potential conflict of interest after reading the journal's guidelines on the issue... In 1998, these stated: 'The conflict of interest test is a simple one. Is there anything...that would embarrass you if it were to emerge after publication that you had not declared it?'"

►February 23, 2004 - Pressure Grows on MMR Research Doctor - PA News via The Scotsman

►February 24, 2004 - Blair calls for end to MMR debate - Times Online, UK

►February 24, 2004 - Dispute over MMR jab 'must stop' - www.telegraph.co.uk

►February 23, 2004 - Autism study branded 'poor science' - Study linking MMR vaccine to disorder discredited - Reuters via MSNBC

►February 24, 2004 - The facts, claims, realities and the unanswered questions - The Independent, UK

►February 23, 2004 - MMR: Should we or shouldn't we? - The Independent, UK

►February 23, 2004 - MMR vaccine to get boost, says expert -  RTÉ News

►February 24, 2004 - Chickenpox Vaccine Found to Fade in a Year (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times - "Although no vaccine is ever 100 percent effective, some authorities see the findings as highlighting a potentially serious problem. If chickenpox becomes less prevalent, fewer unvaccinated children will contract it. That vulnerability follows them into adulthood, critics say, and it increases their chances of suffering severe complications if the disease does eventually strike...Adults whose childhood immunity has worn off will also be in trouble, said Barbara Loe Fisher, co-chairwoman of the National Vaccine Information Center...One solution, experts say, is to combine the chickenpox vaccine with the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, known as M.M.R., usually given around the same time. That would mean that children would receive a second, or booster, dose of varicella vaccine, because M.M.R. is administered twice."

Comment:  The problem re: vulnerability of adults is also relevant to other so-called "vaccine-preventable" diseases, including measles.  For more on this go to Scandals: Playing With Fire - It's Not EASY To Fool Mother Nature

►February 23, 2004 - Measles Wards Empty - New Vision via www.allafrica.com

►February 23, 2004 - Study confirms heart disease, oral health link - www.scienceblog.com

►February 23, 2004 - Pioneering AIDS researcher Robert Gallo to speak at UCSC on Thursday, March 4 - press release - UC Santa Cruz

►February 23, 2004 - Those at risk for kidney disease need early testing - Many aren't diagnosed until dialysis and transplantation are the only options - The Medical Posting

►February 23, 2004 - New Livestock Feed Test Guards Against Mad Cow Disease - UC Davis

►February 23, 2004 - Elk at Wind Cave National Park tests for chronic wasting disease - AP via www.aberdeennews.com

►February 23, 2004 - Tracking disease could save lives, money, UC study says - AP via The Sacramento Bee

►February 24, 2004 - The Sleaze Behind Our Science - The Conflicts of Interest Revealed by the MMR Story are Everywhere - www.dissidentvoice.org

►February 24, 2004 - Concern growing over youth piercings - AP via www.mlive.com

►February 24, 2004 - Countries with US poultry bans due to bird flu - Reuters AlertNet

►February 24, 2004 - Texas bird flu prompts more nations to ban imports - AP via Houston Chronicle

►February 24, 2004 - Scientists Test Potential of Bird Flu - AP Exclusive: Scientists Experiment With Bird Flu Virus to Test How Dangerous It Could Be - AP via ABC News

►February 25, 2004 - Killer virus waiting to hit - Times of India

►February 24, 2004 - Kano, Borno Shun Polio Immunisation - Daily Trust via www.allafrica.com

►February 24, 2004 - Nigeria: Two More Northern States Ban Polio Vaccination - UN Integrated Regional Information Networks via www.allafrica.com

►February 24, 2004 - Citing US plot, Nigerian Muslims ban polio vaccine - AP via The Jerusalem Post

►February 24, 2004 - NPI Commences Immunization Amid Criticisms - Daily Champion via www.allafrica.com

►February 24, 2004 - Confidence climbs slowly in Wales as MMR row simmers - The Western Mail via http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk

►February 24, 2004 - The MMR arguments - The Western Mail via http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk

►February 25, 2004 - Blair urged to reassure public on vaccine - The Advertiser

►February 24, 2004 - Vaccine woes sticking in craws - State's last-place rank in immunizing kids vexes health experts - AP via Rocky Mountain News

►February 24, 2004 - Disease Management Association of America (DMAA) Announces its 6th Annual Disease Management Leadership Forum - press release - Disease Management Association of America via PRNewswire via Yahoo!

►February 24, 2004 - NIDDK Appoints IBD Expert Director of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition - press release - National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases via National Institutes of Health

►February 24, 2004 - Domantis Raises US$33M For Program In Domain Antibodies - BioWorld Today

►February 24, 2004 - Vets warn of bovine virus threat to livestock - The Western Mail via http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk

►February 24, 2004 - Alice in Mercury-Land - commentary (requires registration) - The Orlando Sentinel

►February 24, 2004 - Mercury is toxin du jour, but don't bet on it staying that way - opinion - The News Journal via www.delawareonline.com

►February 25, 2004 - Chicken vaccine ‘a waste’ - The Nation

►February 24, 2004 - Vaccine trades needle for nasal spray - The Stanford Daily

►February 24, 2004 - Flu vaccines reduce death rates by 40% - European Respiratory Journal via Medical News Today

Comment:  Unless they compared people who were vaccinated against the flu vaccine to those who have not been vaccinated against the flu, including those who have never been vaccinated at all, they simply do not know what is going on.

►February 24, 2004 - AVANT Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2003 Financial Results; Provides 2004 Financial Guidance - AVANT Immunotherapeutics, Inc.via Business Wire

►February 24, 2004 - Booklet Launched to Help Doctors Spot Meningitis - PA News via The Scotsman

►February 24, 2004 - Bush officials face Congress over bird flu, mad cow - Reuters via Forbes

►February 24, 2004 - Golf tourney to benefit autism research - Gwinnett Daily Post

►February 25, 2004 - Defence had no anthrax safety data - The Australian - "THE Australian Defence Force admitted in confidential documents that it had "no available safety data" on its 5000 doses of anthrax vaccine less than six months before troops were deployed to Iraq."

►February 25, 2004 - Cosgrove defends anthrax vaccinations for ADF - radio transcript - The World Today via www.abc.net.au

►February 23, 2004 - Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza in British Columbia - Canadian Food Inspection Agency via Canada News Wire

►February 24, 2004 - Are Annual Rabies Vaccinations For Pets Really Necessary? - opinion - www.chattanoogan.com - "In March the Hamilton County Health Department will announce the dates and locations for its so-called “low-cost” rabies clinics for cat and dog owners. I have no problem with that. What I do have a problem with is the Health Department’s position that animals must have yearly rabies shots. The public is being shortchanged when it is not being informed about 3-year vaccines, which are now being routinely administered across the country."

►February 25, 2004 - Spray Flu Vaccine Is Little Used, Even With Shots Scarce (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times

►February 25, 2004 - CDC Vaccine Data Leads Scientists to Shocking Discovery - Yahoo! News via www.mercola.com - "The panel used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Vaccine Datalink, which concluded that children who are given three thimerosal-containing vaccines are 27 times more likely to develop autism than children who receive thimerosol-free vaccines."

Comment:  The panel did not use data from the CDC.  The Geiers presented data from the CDC's Vaccine Datalink to the panel.

►February 24, 2004 - Universal flu shots considered - USA Today

►February 25, 2004 - Flu Vaccines for Everyone?  If Uncle Sam made shots universal, a stabilized vaccine industry might be ready for the killer virus doctors have long feared  - Business Week

►March 2004 - Attenuation of Th1 Effector Cell Responses and Susceptibility to Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis in Histamine H2 Receptor Knockout Mice Is Due to Dysregulation of Cytokine Production by Antigen-Presenting Cells - journal article (American Journal of Pathology)

►February 24, 2004 - Avian Influenza A (H5N1) in 10 Patients in Vietnam - journal article (New England Journal of Medicine)

►February 24, 2004 - EPA Supplements Proposal to Reduce Power Plant Mercury Emissions - Environmental Protection Agency via U.S. Newswire

►Proleukin® Improves Responses to Autologous Melanoma Vaccine - Cancer News via Cancer Consultants

►March 2004 - "Pa, There's Pig Vaccine In My Corn Bread!" - Coastal Post Online

►February 25, 2004 - Liberia: Yellow Fever Immunization Scheme Begins - press release - UN via www.scoop.co.nz
 
►February 24, 2004 - Texas optimistic bird flu outbreak is contained - Reuters via Forbes

►February 24, 2004 - Coping With The Stigma Of Diabetes - www.cbsnewyork.com

►February 24, 2004 - Heart drug to be used for parasite disease - www.scienceblog.com

►February 24, 2004 - Poor awareness of travel health among Asians - The Straits Times

►Canada's Adverse Drug Reaction database - CBC

►February 17, 2004 - Faint Warning - Generation RX - CBC News Disclosure

►February 23, 2004 - Johns Hopkins Settles in Toddlers Death - AP via Yahoo!

►February 23, 2004 - MCOs shortchange minority Medicaid patients - Penn State via www.eurekalert.org

►February 23, 2004 - Television ads aimed at kids must change, psychologists say - USA Today

►February 24, 2004 - Childhood obesity accelerating, study finds - Clothing manufacturers adjust by offering baggier styles and elasticized waists - The Globe and Mail

►March 2004 - Differential Effect of Fetal, Neonatal and Treatment Variables on Neurodevelopment in Infants with Congenital Hypothyroidism - journal article (Hormone Research)

►Volume 4, 2003 - Encephalitis and Acute Renal Failure Associated with Mycoplasma pneumoniae: A Case Presentation (pdf) - journal article (International Pediatrics)

►February 22, 2004 - Health Highlights: - Journal Editor Apologizes for Autism-Vaccination Article - Mayors Urge Feds to Help on Canada Drug Imports - Drug Company Warns on Anti-Psychotic for Elderly - Experimental Lung Cancer Vaccine Shows Promise -Asian Bird Flu Confirmed in Domestic Cats -  ScoutNews, LLC via www.hon.ch

►February 22, 2004 - Fever pitch to employers - http://news.com.au

►February 22, 2004 - CDC advisory panel's experts to discuss shots - AP via Athens Banner-Herald

►February 21, 2004 - Preventive Medicine Gets More Aggressive - The Wall Street Journal via Heathly News

►February 21, 2004 - Groups call for closing elk feedgrounds - AP via Casper Star Tribune

►February 22, 2004 - TB patient arrested - AP via www.news-star.com

►February 20, 2004 - Health Crisis Rocks Ghana - Public Agenda (Accra) via www.allafrica.com

►February 22, 2004 - Deadly human diseases often arrive via animals - Global travel, conditions in food processing, exotic pets cited in new strains - The News Journal via The Detroit News

►February 22, 2004 - Researchers develop vaccine for animals with hay fever - Kyodo News via Japan Today

►February 22, 2004 - Livestock Farms Fogged To Fight Bird Flu - www.brudirect.com

►February 22, 2004 - Taking steps - Sun-Sentinel

►February 22, 2004 - Gene therapy may provide a solution for Rett syndrome, a devastating neurological disorder that robs girls of normal lives. - Sun-Sentinel

►February 21, 2004 - Finding Child Care for Special Needs Kids - http://new.wset.com

►February 22, 2004 - Member Exchange: Determined mother saves youngest child from dismal diagnosis - AP via www.ohio.com

►February 21, 2004 - Student with Asperger's Syndrome succeeding at Marshall - AP via The Charleston Gazette

►February 21, 2004 - Olympian was a hero to local coach - Arizona Daily Star

►February 24, 2004 - War veterans criticise anthrax vaccinations - radio transcipt - www.abc.net.au

►February 24, 2004 - MMR: Should we or shouldn't we? - The Independent, UK

►February 2004 - Care of Individuals With Alzheimer's Disease In the New Millennium - Medsurg Nursing via www.pharmacytimes.com

►February 24, 2004 - Discover the Wonders of Meditation - The New Straits Times via Healthy News

►February 24, 2004 - Wellness Starts with Detoxification - The New Straits Times via Healthy News

►February 20, 2004 - UA 71/04 Denial of medical care/health concern - Romania Patients at the Poiana Mare psychiatric hospital - http://web.amnesty.org

►February 24, 2004 - Drug Co-Payments Soar as Insurers, Employers Shift Costs to Consumers - The Baltimore Sun via www.pharmacytimes.com

►February 24, 2004 - HIV/AIDS vaccine developer urges continued work on preventative research - www.emorywheel.com

►February 24, 2004 - Synthetic Science - www.alternet.org - "Finally, two of the authors admitted under threat of perjury that they were paid consultants of implant manufacturers and one admitted under oath that he knew that Dow Corning had donated $7 million to Brigham & Women's Hospital, a participant in the study."

►February 24, 2004 - Nevada leukemia cluster baffles scientists - For three years, scientists prodded the dust, dirt and water in this rural community and tested the blood of dozens of its residents -- all in hopes of uncovering why children were developing leukemia. - AP via CNN - "Yet despite the work, scientists revealed Monday that they haven't been able to determine what caused the disease that has sickened 16 children and killed three since 1997."

►February 24, 2004 - Kanagawa acts on mad cow discovery - The Japan Times

►February 18, 2004 - Exposure To Low-Level Magnetic Fields Causes DNA Damage In Rat Brain Cells, Researchers Find - University of Washington via biocompare

►February 24, 2004 - Smoking outside may not protect those indoors - Parents who smoke outdoors still expose homes and kids to nicotine. - journal article (Nature)

►February 24, 2004 - Enzymes stitch together non-natural DNA - Guided evolution and HIV help create man-made stuff of life. - journal article (Nature)

►February 20, 2004 - Manatee 7th-graders lag state in shots - Bradenton Herald

►February 20, 2004 - Governor selects brucellosis task force - Casper Star Tribune

►February 19, 2004 - Indiana: The Day at the Statehouse - AP via www.aegis.org

►February 19, 2004 - It Looks Like Goodbye to Polio (Health-Egypt) - IPS

►February 19, 2004 - Polio Immunization Drive Set For Africa - AP via www.intelihealth.com

►February 19, 2004 - Idaho sets restrictions on cattle, ranch bison from Wyoming - AP via Billings Gazette

►February 20, 2004 - Vaccine for Kidney Cancer - Ivanhoe Newswire

►February 18, 2004 - Kids' food allergies alter family life - The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

►February 19, 2004 - Lots and lots of shots - Mail Tribune

►February 19, 2004 - Fewer hit immunization snag - The Register-Guard

►February 19, 2004 - Protein Design Labs Announces Publication of Research Showing Extended Half-Lives of Antibodies - PRNewswire-FirstCall via http://interestalert.com

►February 19, 2004 - Rare Disease Endemic In South America Is Model For Studying Autoimmunity - A group of men living amid the gold mines and disappearing jungles of northeastern Colombia, is giving a Medical College of Georgia scientist unprecedented access to study how the wrong combination of genetics and environment cause the body to turn on itself. - Medical College Of Georgia via www.sciendaily.com

►February 20, 2004 - New system helps predict disease spread, aids control efforts - www.vidyya.com

►February 19, 2004 - Improving the world's health - OneWorld Health, nation's only nonprofit drug company, attacks diseases in developing nations - AP via Cape Cod Times

►February 19, 2004 - Quarantined researcher showing no symptoms of Ebola - Scientist accidentally grazed hand with needle containing weakened form of deadly virus 8 days ago - AP via The Baltimore Sun

►February 19, 2004 - HemoCleanse wins grant to develop bioterror treatment - Journal and Courier via www.lafayettejc.com

►February 20, 2004 - Neuroscience group studies autism, behavioral disorders - The Emory Wheel

►February 18, 2004 - Think twice about ‘disorderly’ children (opinion) - York Daily Record - "I am the parent of a preschool-age autistic child, as well as a 'typical' toddler. I’m writing in the hopes that some of the residents of the county might read this and think twice the next time they see an “undisciplined” child in the grocery store, the park, or the mall."

►February 19, 2004 - Lead Story: “Autism” - www.canada.com

►February 19, 2004 - Pa.'s $30 million debt imperils school network - The Philadelphia Inquirer

►February 23, 2004 - Alchemia Eyes $3 Bln Anti-Clotting Market - Reuters via Yahoo! News 

►February 19, 2004 - Dolly's creator defends human cloning research - Reuters via ABC News Online

►February 24, 2004 - Mosquito Fighters Grapple With West Nile - AP via The Herald-Sun 

►February 24, 2004 - Panel Presents Report on Leukemia Cluster - AP via The Herald-Sun 

►February 24, 2004 - Mich. Hospital Trying to Eliminate Errors - AP via The Herald-Sun 

►February 24, 2004 - AP Poll: Prescription Costs a Burden - AP via The Herald-Sun 

►February 24, 2004 - Chemical PBDE Showing Up in Breast Milk - AP via The Herald-Sun

►February 24, 2004 - Low Carb Lowdown: Sorting out the truth and judging the tastes of products born of the latest diet craze - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 

►February 24, 2004 - Q&A: Everything you need to know about carbs - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 

►February 24, 2004 - Consumer Update: Try a 'me-too' drug to cut your prescription costs - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 

►February 24, 2004 - They Can Dance to It - One Small but (Alas) High-Priced Facility Is Taking New Steps in Alzheimer's Care (requires registration) - Washington Post 

►February 24, 2004 - Norovirus Outbreaks Reported Across N.Va. (requires registration) - Washington Post

►February 24, 2004 - Letters: Controversy over accusation of research bias on MMR (free for first week) - www.timesonline.co.uk -  "Sir, The hysterical reaction to the disclosure that Dr Andrew Wakefield was funded by the legal aid authorities to undertake research in relation to litigation by parents at the same time that he submitted his seminal paper on MMR to The Lancet (report, February 23) reveals a remarkable divergence between current legal and medical views of what constitutes bias."

►February 25, 2004 - Government's double standards over MMR - The Daily Mail via www.femail.co.uk - "But health chiefs were immediately accused of hypocrisy by parents and campaigners - who pointed out that many of the Government's top scientific advisers have links with drug firms that make or supply the vaccine...At least 19 experts have interests in firms involved in the measles, mumps and rubella triple vaccine, campaigners said...They sit on two key committees which declared the vaccine safe: the Committee on Safety of Medicines and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation."

Comment:  Excellent article.

►February 22, 2004 - China capable of detecting bird flu in human beings - Xinhuanet via China View

►February 22, 2004 - China still wary after lifting first bird flu-infected site's quarantine - Xinhuanet via China View

►February 21, 2004 - Bird flu virus kills cats, Thailand says - Captive tiger infected with deadly disease - AP via www.etaiwannews.com

►February 22, 2004 - Nigeria boycotting polio immunizations, calls shots 'U.S. plot to kill off Muslims' - AP via News 24 Houston

►February 22, 2004 - Islamic Nigerian state affirms immunization boycott as polio outbreak spreads - AP via The Houston Chronicle

►February 22, 2004 - Nigerian state shuns polio drive - The northern Nigerian state of Kano will not take part in a massive polio immunisation drive, due to start in 10 West African states on Monday. - BBC

►February 22, 2004 - UNICEF to Vaccinate 1.4 Million Children in Liberia for Measles - Voice of America

►February 22, 2004 - Over 25 million kids immunised against polio - PTI via The Hindu

►February 22, 2004 - Millions of kids given polio drops - ANI via www.webindia123.com

►February 22, 2004 - Kids feel the pulse of polio campaign - www.newstodaynet.com

►February 22, 2004 - Journal Editor Apologizes for Autism-Vaccination Article - ScoutNews, LLC via www.healthcentral.com

►February 22, 2004 - Parents told MMR vaccine not linked to autism - Ireland On-Line

►February 22, 2004 - Lancet Pans Scientist's Dual Role - The Washington Post via Newsday

►February 22, 2004 - Timeline of spread of avian flu at farm - The Vancouver Province via www.canada.com

►February 22, 2004 - Report: Anthrax shot sickened troops (requires registration) - The Chicago Tribune

►February 22, 2004 - In Oregon: New flu-like virus strikes in Medford - Statesman Journal

►February 22, 2004 - Thailand cleans up new bird flu outbreaks, China lifts quarantine - AFP via www.channelnewsasia.com

►February 22, 2004 - Singaporeans shun eggs due to bird flu scare - CNA via www.channelnewsasia.com

►February 22, 2004 - Lohman named exclusive source of Megan Egg vaccine - The Gainesville Times

►February 22, 2004 - Nasal Flu Vaccine At County Clinics - The Ledger

►February 22, 2004 - Polk's Raccoons to Get Rabies Vaccine - Bait containing medicine to be dispensed in area by air and land. - The Ledger

►February 22, 2004 - Teachers explore both sides of mission history - Sacramento Bee via www.contracostatimes.com

►February 22, 2004 - When death was all around: the flu of 1918 - History Offers Insight into Microbes to Come - Washington Post via The Mercury News

►February 1, 2004 - Healthy Traveler -Which shots to get - Need for immunizations depends on such factors as destination, the traveler's health and previous vaccines. (requires registration) - The Los Angeles Times - "Figuring out which immunizations one needs for a trip abroad isn't simple, travel medicine physicians note. It depends on several factors, including the traveler's health, previous vaccines, the destination and where the traveler plans to stay and visit."

Comment:  Note that according to one source, "The severity of side effects among all vaccine recipients was low, though Jelinek cautioned that people with autoimmune diseases like lupus and Graves’ disease should be careful, as stimulation of the immune system by vaccines can cause episodes of their diseases."

►February 22, 2004 - A Healer in Haiti - Dr. Paul Farmer believes people have the right to medical care no matter how rich or poor they are or where they live. The former Brooksville resident's methods are being copied around the world. - St. Petersburg Times

►February 22, 2004 - The Autism Quotient - A researcher wants to help you measure your AQ - The Boston Globe

►February 24, 2004 - Flu shots for all could become goal - Cox News Service via Longview News-Journal - "This is long overdue,' said Dr. Paul Offit, chief of infectious diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, who served on ACIP until last summer. 'Influenza is an infectious disease than can be prevented easily and safely, and it should be.'"

Comment:  First, it is important to bear in mind that Paul Offit is highly conflicted, counting among his various financial ties to the vaccine industry, being paid by them to tout their safety to doctors.  Second, while the claim is made that it can be prevented easily and safely, in truth, no one knows whether the benefits of flu vaccine outweighs its risks.  The benefits are assumed, and the risks either dismissed or ignored.  Let's see some long-term studies comparing the flu vaccinated to the never vaccinated and then we'll have some idea whether or not the benefits outweigh their risks.

►February 24, 2004 -U.S. will pay for study to seek cause of autism - USA Today - "A major U.S.-financed study designed to unearth the roots of autism will track 100,000 babies in Norway to identify biological and environmental factors that could combine to cause autism and other developmental disorders...Researchers will collect information on exposures to toxins, including mercury, which has been suspected as a factor in autism, as well as diet, vaccines, babies' birth weight and head circumference, and volumes of other data that can be analyzed to compare children who develop autism with those who do not."

►February 24, 2004 -Medical Malpractice Bill Fails To Clear Hurdle - Critics Say Bill Is Bailout For Insurance Companies - www.ksat.com - "Senate Republicans failed Tuesday in their latest effort to limit medical malpractice awards...They fell 12 votes short of the number needed to force the Senate to consider the bill, which would have capped malpractice awards against obstetricians and gynecologists...But Democrats say the bill is a bailout for insurance companies who have made bad investments and that a cap on damages doesn't lead to lower insurance premiums. They called the bill an election-year ploy, arguing that capping damages has no impact on insurance costs."

►February 24, 2004 - What do you think of setting limits on malpractice awards? - online poll - www.ksat.com

►February 24, 2004 - Blair will be to blame if there's a measles epidemic - opinion - The Telegraph, UK - "The Government seems to believe that it has won the argument over the MMR jab. Andrew Wakefield, the scientist who first suggested a possible link between the triple vaccine and autism, has been villified by the scientific establishment. Parents stand accused of over-reacting and of selfishly putting the health of the nation at risk. Vaccination rates have dropped below 60 per cent in some areas...But the scare over the triple vaccine is not the fault of over-anxious parents, who cannot be blamed for wanting to protect their children. Nor can all the blame lie with Dr Wakefield and his research paper published six years ago in the Lancet. Dr Wakefield has been "discredited" because he was taking money from the Legal Aid Board at the time of his report...The board was paying him to discover, on behalf of parents hoping to sue for damages, whether the jab was harmful to their children. But this does not necessarily mean his research was biased. He should have disclosed his interest; but many scientists are paid for research by drugs companies."

►March 2004 - You Should Worry About Vaccine Safety - Coastal Post Online - "But industry has the trump card. Marin County receives enough monies from the vaccination program that its officials wish only to 'Hear No Evil.'..Eventually the tide must turn. But at what cost? Across how many more coffins containing infant and toddler bodies must the shadow of vaccination fall?"

►February 24, 2004 - Lifting the Veils of Autism, One by One by One (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times