Posted March 3, 2004:

►March 4, 2004 - Researchers retract autism link - AP via The Australian

►March 3, 2004 - Scientists Retract Vaccine-Autism Link - AP via www.wtopnews.com

►March 3, 2004 - Boost for autism sufferers - http://icscotland.icnetwork.co.uk - "Autism sufferers in Glasgow and Lothian are to benefit following a £2m funding boost for improving services...The cash will be spread over three years to develop "one-stop shops" for adults with autism, and for families struggling to cope with the disorder...The Greater Glasgow and Lothian health boards will receive £750,000 each in funding, the Scottish Executive said."

►March 3, 2004 - Polio Immunisation: Debating Against Life - This Day via www.allafrica.com

►March 3, 2004 - Vaccines Offer Long-Term Protection - Sola Adu - Vanguard via www.allafrica.com

►March 3, 2004 - Vaccine for respiratory virus - letter - The Modesto Bee

►March 3, 2004 - Immunisation of Children is Moral And Spiritual Duty of Muslims - Maulvi Adam - Ghanaian Chronicle via www.allafrica.com

►March 3, 2004 - Genesis Bioventures announces USDA approval - press release - Genesis Bioventures, Inc. via PRNewswire-FirstCall via Yahoo!

►March 2, 2004 - US Media Heighten Focus On Global HIV/Aids Epidemic - press release - Kaiser Family Foundation via www.allafrica.com

►March 3, 2004 - Dept Quells Meningitis Outbreak Reports - BuaNews via www.allafrica.com

►March 3, 2004 - Tell EPA to cut mercury pollution - opinion - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

►March 3, 2004 - URGENT: Japan finds new bird flu case - Xinhuanet via China View

►March 3, 2004 - EU confirms US poultry import ban over bird flu - AFP via EU Business

►2004 - Work with autism gets £750,000 boost - Evening Times, UK

►March 3, 2004 - Legal aid verdict for parents in MMR fight - http://iccoventry.icnetwork.co.uk - "Parents who believe the MMR vaccine caused their son's autism will find out next week if they will have to abandon legal action against a drugs company...Roy and Sue Pargetter are appealing against a decision made last September which resulted in their legal aid being withdrawn."

►March 3, 2004 - Avian influenza A(H5N1)- update 31 - WHO via Medical News Today

►March 3, 2004 - Autism debate goes on - Liverpool Echo via http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk - "Today scientists and parents called for more research into the causes of autism, which has been overshadowed by the debate over MMR...They now want a broad range of issues connected to autism to be examined...Ms Tierney, 37, said: "I welcome anything that looks into autism - and the sooner the better...'And it should be done by a research team that has no ties whatsoever and is totally independent.'"

►March 3, 2004 - Jacksonville Parents File Claim in Vaccine Court (includes video) - First Coast News - "'The cover-up from all this just drives me crazy.'...It's a massive cover-up, says Jacksonville mother Cindy Hartman. She's referring to the potentially damaging effects of a preservative once commonly used in childhood vaccinations. That preservative, thimerosal, is 49.6 percent mercury, one of the most toxic substances on the planet."

►March 4, 2004 - Abandoned HRT study in US is no cause for alarm, local experts say - www.smh.com.au - "Adverse health outcomes might have shut down a major study of hormone replacement therapy this week but Australian experts say the good news relating to the treatment outweighs the bad."

►March 3, 2004 - Health network launched - The Chronicle, Duke University

►March 3, 2004 - `Flu' an informative, precise look at the 1918 pandemic - http://metromix.chicagotribune.com - "In recent American history, the experience with flu is mostly one of minor inconvenience and, perhaps, major discomfort...But epidemiologists, insurance companies and an increasing number of citizens understand that the influenza virus, in one form or another, has the potential to do much worse in the not-too-distant future...In 1918, influenza caused the worst pandemic in the world's history, more lethal than the Black Death, killing more people in months than World War I had in four years."

►March 3, 2004 - Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario 121 autism related complaints - Medical News Today - "The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, Canada, is receiving a record 121 autism-related complaints by Ontario’s Human Rights Commission...The average number of complaints the commission refers to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario is around 90, and that includes all types of complaints, not just one type...The complaints say the province is cutting funding for the treatment of autism for children over six years of age. People say this is discriminatory."

►October 12, 1999 - Anthrax Vaccine: Safety and Efficacy Issues (Testimony, 10/12/1999, GAO/T-NSIAD-00-48). - U.S. GAO via www.gpoaccess.gov

►October 11, 2000 - Anthrax Vaccine: Preliminary Results of GAO's Survey of Guard/Reserve Pilots and Aircrew Members (Testimony, 10/11/2000, GAO/GAO-01-92T). - U.S. GAO via www.gpoaccess.gov

►September 20, 2004 - Anthrax Vaccine: GAO's Survey of Guard and Reserve Pilots and Aircrew (20-SEP-02, GAO-02-445). - U.S. GAO via www.gpoaccess.gov

►October 22, 1999 - Medical Readiness: DOD Faces Challenges in Implementing Its Anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program (Letter Report, 10/22/1999, GAO/NSIAD-00-36). - U.S. GAO via www.gpoaccess.gov

►July 21, 1999 - Medical Readiness: Issues Concerning the Anthrax Vaccine (Testimony, 07/21/1999, GAO/T-NSIAD-99-226). - U.S. GAO via www.gpoaccess.gov

►February 5, 1998 - Gulf War Illnesses: Research, Clinical Monitoring, and Medical Surveillance (Testimony, 02/05/98, GAO/T-NSIAD-98-88). - U.S. GAO via www.gpoaccess.gov

►April 14, 2000 - Contract Management: DOD's Anthrax Vaccine Manufacturer Will Continue to Need Financial Assistance (Testimony, 04/14/2000, GAO/T-NSIAD-00-140). - U.S. GAO via www.gpoaccess.gov

►December 1, 2003 - Smallpox Vaccination: Review of the Implementation of the Military Program (01-DEC-03, GAO-04-215R). - U.S. GAO via www.gpoaccess.gov

►April 30, 2003 - Smallpox Vaccination: Implementation of National Program Faces Challenges (30-APR-03, GAO-03-578). - U.S. GAO via www.gpoaccess.gov

►June 30, 1999 - Contract Management: Observations on DOD's Financial Relationship With the Anthrax Vaccine Manufacturer (Testimony, 06/30/99, GAO/T-NSIAD-99-214). - U.S. GAO via www.gpoaccess.gov

►April 29, 1999 - Medical Readiness: Safety and Efficacy of the Anthrax Vaccine (Testimony, 04/29/99, GAO/T-NSIAD-99-148). - U.S. GAO via www.gpoaccess.gov

►March 29, 1999 - Gulf War Illnesses: Questions About the Presence of Squalene Antibodies in Veterans Can Be Resolved (Letter Report, 03/29/99, GAO/NSIAD-99-5). - U.S. GAO via www.gpoaccess.gov

►March 2, 2004 - VaxGen reports Phase I clinical trial results of anthrax vaccine candidate - VaxGen, Inc. via www.eurekalert.org 

►March 2, 2004 - Final rule - Cattle From Mexico - USDA 

►March 2, 2004 - Final rule - Brucellosis in Cattle; State and Area Classifications; Missouri - USDA 

►March 2, 2004 - Study suggests better use of web could improve infectious disease reporting - Penn State via www.eurekalert.org 

►March 2, 2004 - New Meat Testing Cuts Food-Borne Diseases - US - Reuters via Yahoo! News 

►March 3, 2004 - USDA Says Bird Flu in Texas Appears Contained - Reuters via Yahoo! News 

►March 1, 2004 - Toxin combo common in fish appears capable of impairing motor skills - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign via www.eurekalert.org 

►March 2, 2004 - World's first gene therapeutic medicine approved for market in China - Chinese State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) approved on Jan. 20 the recombined human p53 adenovirus injection for production, marking it China's and also the world's first gene therapeutic medicine approved for entering into the market. - People's Daily Online 

►March 2, 2004 - Roche says Pegasys can be tailored to gene type - Reuters via Forbes 

►March 2, 2004 - Study examines whether giving good bacteria reduces infections - Medical College of Georgia via www.eurekalert.org 

►March 3, 2004 - Groups Urging No Antibiotics for Earaches - AP via The Herald-Sun - "Parents of cranky children with ear infections be warned: Antibiotics may no longer be what the doctor orders. Two leading medical groups are expected to recommend this spring that doctors stop treating most ear infections in children with antibiotics, federal health officials said Tuesday...The move contradicts years of pediatric practice and is expected to disappoint weary parents of whimpering, infected toddlers...About half of all antibiotics prescribed to preschool children are for treating ear infections. Health officials believe if they can reduce child antibiotic use for such infections, they can stop the rise of antibiotic-resistant germs created by overuse of the drugs...'It will mark a dramatic change in appropriate antibiotic use,' said Dr. Richard Besser, acting chief of the meningitis and special pathogens branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention." 

►March 3, 2004 - Feds halt estrogen replacment therapy trial - Therapy did not prevent heart disease, increased stroke risk - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 

►March 3, 2004 - NIH: Few Stem Cell Colonies Likely Available for Research - Of Approved Lines, Many Are Failing (requires registration) - Washington Post  

►Success in Autism: Filling in the Gaps - This conference is designed to educate both parents and professionals in breaking through plateaus and helping individuals with autism reach their optimal potential by "filling in the gaps." Consistency is promoted between the school and the home environments. Valuable information is for individuals at all levels, and information given is functional. - Autism Resources - conference alert - March 20-21, 2004 in Rutgers University, New Brunswick NJ 

►February 27,  2004 - Microbiology. We get by with a little help from our (little) friends - journal article (Science) abstract 

►July 2001 - Whole-Cell but Not Acellular Pertussis Vaccines Induce Convulsive Activity in Mice: Evidence of a Role for Toxin-Induced Interleukin-1 in a New Murine Model for Analysis of Neuronal Side Effects of Vaccination - journal article (Infection and Immunity) - "Our findings provide the first direct evidence of an immunological basis for pertussis vaccine reactogenicity and suggest that active bacterial toxins are responsible for the neurologic disturbances observed in children immunized with Pw." 

►March 2, 2004 - How sweet it isn't - San Francisco Chronicle via The Miami Herald

►March 3, 2004 - MMR researchers issue retraction - Ten doctors who co-authored the study which sparked health fears over the MMR jab have said there was insufficient evidence to draw that conclusion. - BBC   - "In a statement, to be published in The Lancet, the doctors say: 'We wish to make it clear that in this paper no causal link was established between MMR vaccine and autism as the data were insufficient...However, the possibility of such a link was raised and consequent events have had major implications for public health...In view of this, we consider now is the appropriate time that we should together formally retract the interpretation placed upon these findings in the paper.'"

Comment:  To read the always fair-minded and insightful Nicholas Regush on this and other breaking news stories,  go to www.redflagsdaily.com

►March 3, 2004 - CDC reviewing Chiron's hepatitis C agreement - The Advocate

►March 3, 2004 - MEDC targeting obesity - Study finds that Michiganians are overweight, drive up health care - The News-Herald

►March 2, 2004 - City to crack down on mercury - Burlington will begin testing its wastewater - Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via www.jsonline.com

►March 3, 2004 - Baby saved as meningitis kills mother - The Scotsman

►March 3, 2004 - China to promote cooperation with ASEAN against bird flu - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Tuesday, March 2, that as a responsible government, the Chinese government has attached great importance to the prevention of birdflu, and taken resolute and effective measures to control its spread. - People's Daily

►March 3, 2004 - ICGEB’s Malaria Vaccine Ready For Human Clinical Trials - The Financial Express

►March 2, 2004 - Doctors told to limit pneumonia vaccine - UPI via The Washington Times

►March 2, 2004 - Thimerosal Concerns for Pets (includes video) - First Coast News - "Lamoureux wants pet owners to know there is a risk out there when getting pets vaccinated. She is not advocating the refusal of vaccinations, she says she just wants pet owners to become educated about their choices...Veterinarian "Dr. Skip Hightman says he's seen cases of animals having bad reactions to vaccines. 'As far as anaphylactic reaction, cellulitis, sarcomas and many other problems and sometimes even death.' Dr. Hightman's own cat died of cancer shortly after receiving a rabies vaccination. He says there is one company that's responded to concerns from veterinarians and taken Thimerosal out of its vaccine."

►March 2, 2004 - Abbott Laboratories and Corixa Enter into Agreement for Chagas' Disease Blood Screening Technology - Abbott Laboratories and Corixa Corporation via Business Wire

►March 2, 2004 - Scientists: Device rids air of anthrax, other biological dangers - AP via Newsday

►March 3, 2004 - Global bird flu threat real - virologist - The Press via www.stuff.co.nz

►March 3, 2004 - Expert warns over slaughter scheme - The Standard

►March 2, 2004 - Police learn about people who have autism - Prince George - A U.S marshal is crusading to make more law enforcement personnel conscious of autism, just in case they confront a person with the autism spectrum disorder. Nick E. Proffitt of Chesapeake, a deputy U.S. marshal and a criminal investigator, has a son who has autism, a disorder which is incurable but can be treated. -  The Progress-Index via www.zwire.com

►March 3, 2004 - New therapy for Autism - www.wfsb.com - "You can't get a sense of how incredible sensory learning is until you see a before and after example of it."

►March 3, 2004 - Listeriosis vaccine on the horizon (requires subscription) - www.health24.co.za

►Polio vaccines and the origin of AIDS: some key writings - www.uow.edu.au

►February 11, 1999 - Duke Scientists Engineer "Stealth Virus" to Deliver Genes - news release - Duke University Medical News via http://dukemednews.duke.edu

►"Recent Advances in the Biology of Autism" - Bassett Healthcare / National Autism Association Teaching Day - conference alert - May 1, 2004 at Clark Medical Education Auditorium in Cooperstown, NY

►March 2004 - HIV vaccine design and the neutralizing antibody problem - journal article (Nature Immunology)

►March 2004 - Influenza and asthma: adding to the respiratory burden - journal article (Nature Immunology)

►March 2004 - Notch regulation of lymphocyte development and function - journal article (Nature Immunology) 

►March 2004 - Viral-induced T helper type 1 responses enhance allergic disease by effects on lung dendritic cells - journal article (Nature Immunology) 

►March 2004 - Regulatory T cells mediate maternal tolerance to the fetus - journal article (Nature Immunology) 

►March 2, 2004 - MedImmune Looks to Boost FluMist Sales - Company Hopes New Version Will Fix Problems Faced by Nasal Vaccine in Its Debut (requires registration) - The Washington Post

►March 2, 2004 - Crackdown on Prescription Abuse - U.S. Officials Want Better Monitoring, Control of Painkillers (requires registration) - The Washington Post

February 27, 2004 - E-prescriptions required; IL doctors question fees - St. Louis Business Journal via www.bizjournals.com

►March 2, 2004 - Bills alter child health plan - Republicans make fast-track changes to KidCare, the state program that offers subsidized health insurance for children, but Democrats say the measures will leave some kids uninsured. - The Miami Herald

►March 1, 2004 - Three bills challenge Medicare drug benefit (requires registration) - The Kansas City Star

►March 2, 2004 - MMR research poser - letters - The Scotsman

►March 3, 2004 - Estrogen Linked to Stroke, Dementia Risk (requries registration or subscription) - AP via The New York Times

►March 2, 2004 - Second Thoughts on a Chemical: In Water, How Much Is Too Much? (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times

►March 2, 2004 - Researchers Rewrite First Chapter for the History of Medicine (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times

►March 2, 2004 - Nutrition: For Babies, Going With the Grain (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times

►March 3, 2004 - Immunisation level falls below target - The Jamaica Gleaner

►March 2, 2004 - UNICEF emergency airlift set to land in Haiti Wednesday - news advisory - UNICEF Canada via Canada News Wire

►March 3, 2004 - Shortage of Meningitis Drug Continues (requires registration) - The Washington Post

►March 3, 2004 - MMR has always been safe - Doctors - 'OUR policy has been that MMR is and has always been safe.' - Isle of Man Online - "'In other words Dr Wakefield had been paid by the Legal Aid Board to investigate if there was a case linking MMR and autism and he did not disclose this to the editors of the journal, as is required,' said Dr Kishore...'It is hoped that this new revelation will help to dispel any lingering doubts which members of the public have about the safety of MMR and that parents would ensure that their children are vaccinated with MMR. It is also worth recalling that in the past there had been serious problems resulting from use of single vaccines.'"

Comment:  The failure to disclose the possible conflict of interest does not in and of itself mean that there was anything wrong with Wakefield's research.  The research may or may not have been influenced by the alleged conflict.  If there was as much attention being paid to those with clear conflict of interest re: the vaccine manufacturers as re: someone investigating the issue for a legal aid board, the furor over this might seem fair and reasonable.  As it is, the furor appears to be more political than anything.

►March 3, 2004 - Changes in immune system cause diseases: expert - The Navhind Times - "The former vice-chancellor of Manipal University and noted cardiologist, Prof B M Hegde, delivering the third Dr Emidio Afonso memorial lecture, said that diseases are created by changing the immune system of a living body and only human mind can prove to be the most powerful immune-booster...Prof Hegde, speaking before a gathering on the topic ‘Human immune system (A new look)’, at a special function organised by Dr Emidio Afonso Memorial Trust, in the city today, said that fruits, vegetables, proteins, hyperimmune sera, vaccinations, Ayurveda, exercise and social support can also supplement the human mind as the immune-boosters. “The trace minerals can also play a vital role in immune system,” he maintained...Any medicine, any tablet can provide relief to a person for a restricted time-span; however the same turns out to be a poison after its constant and uninterrupted use, he observed."

►March 2, 2004 - Study examines whether giving good bacteria reduces infections - Medical College of Georgia via www.eurekalert.org - "Whether giving good bacteria that normally helps keep the intestinal tract and immune system healthy can reduce infections in intensive-care patients is the focus of a new clinical study at the Medical College of Georgia...'When people are admitted to intensive care on broad-spectrum antibiotics, we know that 25 to 40 percent of them will get an infection with a resistant bacteria during their stay,' says Dr. Robert G. Martindale, gastrointestinal surgeon, nutritionist and principal investigator on the new study...As the name indicates, these antibiotics are designed to protect patients from infection by a broad range of agents. However, they also can wipe out the natural bacterial flora in the intestinal tract, a disruption with widespread consequences including making the intestinal lining more susceptible to bacterial invasion, impacting the health of colon cells and disarming the immune system."

Comment:  And if it is true that antibiotics also impair the immune system, this could well be a recipe of disaster.  (See Overuse: More Harm Than Good - Antibiotics May Lower Immune System.)

►March 2, 2004 - AVANIR Awarded NIH Grant - The T Sector

►March 2, 2004 - CancerVax Corporation Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2003 Financial Results - CancerVax Corporation via Business Wire

►March 2, 2004 - Oregon Senator Grieves Over Son's Suicide (requires registration) - AP via The Kansas City Star

►March 2, 2004 - Childhood meningitis drug is in short supply - AP via The Miami Herald

►March 2, 2004 - CDC urges meningitis vaccine be conserved - The Atlanta Journal Constitution

►March 2, 2004 - Shortage of vaccine for infants is prompting dosage cutbacks - USA Today

►March 2, 2004 - Pneumococcal Vaccine in Short Supply - Prevnar Shortage Prompts Change in Vaccination Recommendations - WebMD

►March 2, 2004 - VaxGen reports Phase I clinical trial results of anthrax vaccine candidate - VaxGen, Inc. via www.eurekalert.org

►March 2, 2004 - USDA says bird flu in Texas appears contained - Reuters AlertNet

►March 2, 2004 - Avian Flu: Body and Health - Body & Health via www.canada.com

►March 2, 2004 - Breast Cancer Vaccine Promising in Mice - Reverses lesion progression, but it may not work in humans - HealthDay via ScoutNews, LLC via Dr. Koop

►March 2, 2004 - Vaccine hope for tumours - Times Online, UK

►March 2, 2004 - HHS offers free clinical PDA app - Government Computer News

►March 3, 2004 - A Shortage of Meningitis Vaccine (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times - "Because of a severe shortage of a new vaccine to prevent meningitis and ear infections in young children, doctors should postpone giving the last two doses in a four-dose regimen, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Tuesday...The shortage was caused by production problems at Wyeth Vaccines, the world's sole manufacturer of the vaccine, known as Prevnar, the disease centers said. The agency said the problems were not expected to be corrected until fall at the earliest...But Douglas Petkus, a spokesman for Wyeth, said he expected supply levels to return to normal by the summer, adding that the shortfall was a result of the company's efforts to keep up with the demand."

Comment:  Should the vaccine be used for ear infections?  Not if you believe "whistle blower" Dr. Erdem Cantekin.  (Also see, News 8 Investigates: Prevnar-Part 1 and News 8 Investigates: Vaccine Safety Part 2.)

►March 3, 2004 - Estrogen Study Stopped Early Because of Slight Stroke Risk (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times - "A large federal study of estrogen therapy in postmenopausal women has been stopped a year ahead of schedule because the estrogen increased the risk of stroke and offered no protection against heart disease, the government announced yesterday...The study included only women taking estrogen alone, not those who take combined hormones. An earlier study, halted abruptly in 2002 after the researchers found an increased risk of breast cancer, involved only women taking the combined hormones estrogen and progestin...But health officials also noted that the increased risk was small, estimated at about eight extra strokes per year for every 10,000 women taking estrogen."

Comment:  Contrast this situation with what is happening re: vaccine-associated adverse reactions. Why, given the far greater number of vaccine-associated deaths and injuries, hasn't vaccination been halted?  There have been over 125,000, probably representing between 1 and 12 million, adverse vaccine-associated reactions.  When it comes to vaccinations, enough never seems to be enough.  For more on this go to Scandals: Infant Vaccine Deaths - But Who's Counting? (No news is NOT good news.),  Scandals: Vaccine-related infant deaths - When is enough, enough?, and Scandals: Avoidance Of Vaccine Truth But Not Consequences -  Are We "Knee Deep in the Big Muddy"?

►March 2, 2004 - Bacteria Run Wild, Defying Antibiotics (requires registration or subscription) - "A new chapter in the continuing story of antibiotic resistance is being written in doctors' offices across the country, as a group of common bacteria rapidly becomes resistant to the antibiotics that have been used to treat them for decades...The bacteria are called Staphylococcus aureus, or staph for short. Staph are the most common cause of skin infections like boils and can also cause lung infections, bloodstream infections and abscesses in the body's internal organs...In hospitalized patients, infections caused by antibiotic-resistant staph have been common for years. Among healthy people, though, antibiotic resistance in staph has not been a big problem. Since the 1970's, doctors have routinely, and successfully, treated staph infections in healthy patients with penicillin-like drugs...Not anymore. Office doctors who follow this practice now may find their patients getting sicker instead of better."

Comment:  It's not easy to fool Mother Nature.  Are we creating the same problem with overuse of vaccines that we have with overuse of antibiotics?  For more on this, click here.

►March 3, 2004 - Bird flu remains a threat despite decrease in cases - The Jakarta Post

►March 3, 2004 - Hyogo poultry firm sorry over tardy bird flu report - Yomiuri Shimbun

►March 2, 2004 - Farm operator may faces charges over bird flu cover-up - Mainichi Shimbun

►March 2, 2004 - U.S. flu season is over - UPI via The Washington Times

►March 2, 2004 - Children and Families Commission of Orange County Announces Expansion of School Nursing Program - Additional School-Based Nurses Throughout County Will Assist in Identification and Treatment of Early Health Problems - Children and Families Commission via Business Wire

►March 3, 2004 - Cell protein gives monkeys innate immunity to HIV - NY Times News Service via www.abs-cbnnews.com

►March 2, 2004 - Linezolid is superior treatment for drug-resistant pneumonia - Washington University School of Medicine via www.eurekalert.org

►March 2, 2004 - Multiple sclerosis: Catherine's crusade - UPI - "Stunned by a report ranking MS as the most disabling -- by a complex measure incorporating the age of those affected and degree of impairment -- yet least funded of 11 diseases studied, Akay gave up her flourishing psychotherapy practice in 1999 to try to even those financial odds...She began by founding a non-profit research fund whose name dictates its sole aim: Cure MS Now!"

►March 2, 2004 - Targeted Antiviral Prophylaxis Of Flu Case Contacts Could Successfully Contain Pandemic Influenza - Emory University Health Sciences Center via Science Daily - "In a future outbreak of pandemic influenza, such as the three pandemics that sickened millions and killed hundreds of thousands of people during the 20th century, supplies of flu vaccine might not be available quickly enough to contain the spread of disease. However, according to research by biostatisticians in Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health, many thousands of deaths could be prevented if antiviral agents were given to the close contacts of those with suspected cases of flu until adequate supplies of vaccine could be manufactured and distributed."

►March 2, 2004 - New int'l fund fights regional health crises - China Daily

►March 2, 2004 - China-ASEAN conference against bird flu issues joint press statement - Xinhuanet via China View

►March 2, 2004 - Lawmaker Launches Polio Campaign - This Day via www.allafrica.com

►March 2, 2004 - Viet Nam contains bird flu - Vietnam News Agency

►March 3, 2004 - Iraq war veterans blame vaccine for infant deaths - www.smh.com.au

►March 2, 2004 - Soldiers demand anthrax vaccine inquiry - www.abc.net.au

►March 2, 2004 - Azeri Scientist Resumes Foot-and-Mouth Vaccine Study - Zaman Daily Newspaper

►March 2, 2004 - Avian Influenza - A 'moving target' for diagnosticians - Ag News, Texas A&M University Agriculture Program

►March 2, 2004 - Last ditch fight to end polio - Focus turns to post-polio era as eradication leader plans a final assault on the virus - The Scientist via www.biomedcentral.com

►March 2, 2004 - New Acambis CEO Announces Four-Fold Increase in Profits - press release - Acambis plc via PRNewswire-FirstCall via Yahoo! - "In developing new vaccines against infectious diseases, Acambis is aiming to maximise the value of its products by retaining rights to those vaccines for as long as possible. This means not only developing, clinically testing and licensing the vaccines but also, where possible, manufacturing, selling and distributing the product ourselves...The first of these primarily involves the development of our two key franchises: the smallpox vaccine franchise; and the travel vaccines franchise."

►March 2, 2004 - 2 drugs open a new front in cancer war - Avastin, Erbitux herald revolution that targets cells (requires registration) - The Chicago Tribune

►March 2, 2004 - EPA's mercury proposal raises ire in Mainers - Portland Press Herald

►March 2, 2004 - Senate Passes 2 New Bills On Vaccinations - Colleges Could Be Required To Give Info On Meningitis - www.theiowachannel.com

►March 2, 2004 - FBI hits wall in anthrax investigation - Suspect profile is only clue agency has after 2 years (requires registration) - The Chicago Tribune

►March 3, 2004 - Moment of truth nears on bird flu - Asia Times

►March 2, 2004 - Vietnam's Government Says It Has Contained Bird Flu (Update1) - www.bloomberg.com

►March 2, 2004 - Vietnam Says It's `Basically Contained' Bird Flu (Update2) - www.bloomberg.com

►March 2, 2004 - Two more flu type A infections, suspects detected in Vietnam - Xinhuanet via China View

►March 2, 2004 - Vietnam's National Assembly Standing Committee told bird flu contained - Xinhuanet via China View

►March 2, 2004 - Officials see big threat from avian influenza - USA Today via The Desert Sun

►March 2, 2004 - Hepatitis spreading in quake-hit Russia region - ITAR-TASS News Agency

►March 2, 2004 - Y's Therapeutics and Abmaxis Announce Antibody Collaboration - Therapeutic Focus on Tumors - press release - Y's Therapeutics Co., Ltd.; Abmaxis, Inc. via PRNewswire via Yahoo!

►March 2, 2004 - Women found twice as susceptible to lung cancer - www.newsday.com

►March 2, 2004 - People with chronic eye diseases not getting recommended eye exams - American Academy of Ophthalmology via www.tulsaworld.com

►March 2, 2004 - Mercury: Enough! - White House shouldn't delay controls on toxic pollutant (requires registration) - The Charlotte Observer

►March 2, 2004 - Health experts laud the old-fashioned quarantine (requires registration) - Knight Ridder via The Charlotte Observer - "The best hope for stopping epidemics of infectious diseases, public health experts said Monday, may be a long-neglected tool: quarantining people...When modern medicine couldn't come up with antibiotics, vaccines and effective treatments against the contagious respiratory disease SARS last year, Canada and Asia dusted off quarantine laws and isolated more than 200,000 people. That stopped the disease."

►March 2, 2004 - Sarasota does immunization follow-ups - letters - Sarasota Herald-Tribune

►March 2, 2004 - Researchers examine brucellosis DNA test - Billings Gazette

►March 2, 2004 - Liver recipient would welcome tax break - Bill gives donor a $10,000 credit - Poughkeepsie Journal

►January 2004 - The Relation of Childrens Everyday Nonsocial Peer Play Behavior to Their Emotionality, Regulation, and Social Functioning - journal article (Developmental Psychology)

►March 15, 2004 - Clinical Manifestations and Molecular Epidemiology of Necrotizing Pneumonia and Empyema Caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in Children in Taiwan - journal article (Clinical Infectious Diseases)

►March 15, 2004 - Rickettsia parkeri: A Newly Recognized Cause of Spotted Fever Rickettsiosis in the United States - journal article (Clinical Infectious Diseases)

►March 15, 2004 - Looking Back at Smallpox - journal article (Clinical Infectious Diseases) - "Examination of clinical variants suggests that severity of illness was usually determined by host responses during the incubation period. Control of viral replication was aided by early postexposure vaccination and might be strengthened by additional immunological interventions.^"

►January/February 2003 - Case Report: Headache, fever and back pain in a 16-year-old boy - journal article (Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases)

►February 2004 - Strengthening health services to control epidemics: empirical evidence from Guinea on its cost-effectiveness - journal article (Tropical Medicine & International Health)

►February 29, 2004 - CDC Says Ads Getting Kids to Play Outside - AP via Yahoo!

►February 29, 2004 - Too Much Weight Tugs at Kids Hearts - HealthDay via Yahoo!

►February 28, 2004 - Human cloning is justified in preventing genetic disease - journal article (BMJ)

►February 27, 2004 - UW study: Baby's face lights up emotional center of new mom's brain - University of Wisconsin-Madison via www.eurekalert.org

►February 29, 2004 - Parents make home drug tests big business online - USA Today

►February 28, 2004 - Anthem merger on a roll - Justice Department OKs firm's plan to join forces with WellPoint - Indianapolis Star

►February 26, 2004 - Law leaves state in Medicare lurch - Big jump in HMO funds doesn't reach Wisconsin - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

►February 27, 2004 - Medicare HMOs cut prices - Last year's changes in Medicare law are putting more money into Medicare HMO payments, lowering costs for insurers and patients - The News & Observer

►February 27, 2004 - Minn. Governor Acts on Pfizer's Supply Cut - AP via Yahoo!

►February 27, 2004 - Wishard Hospital to get additional $20 million - State negotiates deal with Washington for extra funding in effort to attract more doctors. - Indianapolis Star  

►February 27, 2004 - Former hospital exec to enter guilty plea - One-time CFO at North Baldwin will cop to fraud charge in South Carolina - Mobile Register via http://www.al.com

►February 26, 2004 - GE Medical Systems unit wins two top awards - IT division honored for manufacturing successes - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

►February 28, 2004 - Pfizer Ad Stirs Talk of Entry Into Rivals' Fight (requires registration or subscription) - New York Times

►February 28, 2004 - Action Urged on Diseases With Dangers for Women - New York Times via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►February 28, 2004 - Confidence in MMR Vaccine Grows After Research Row - London Independent via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►February 28, 2004 - Kids to Get Early Booster in TB Scare - Glasgow Evening Times via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►February 27, 2004 - Alliance Sets Goal to Increase Child Vaccinations - Reuters via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►February 18, 2004 - Effectiveness Over Time of Varicella Vaccine - Journal of the American Medical Association via  www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►February 29, 2004 - East Bay doctor wins state award - Honor recognizes those who improve access to care for poor children - Oakland Tribune

►February 2004 - ^sup 99m^Tc-Stannous Colloid White Cell Scintigraphy in Childhood Inflammatory Bowel Disease - The Journal of Nuclear Medicine via www.pharmacytimes.com

►February 28, 2004 - Creatures queue up to be sequenced - Researchers set sights on opossum genome. - journal article (Nature)

►February 28, 2004 - Rampant virus caused 2002 stomach bug - New norovirus variant to blame for outbreak. - journal article (Nature)

►February 27, 2004 - Diabetes may be linked to early hearing loss - Studies point to danger of deafness and mental decline in old age - journal article (Nature)

►February 26, 2004 - Geologists cleared in Bangladeshi poisoning case - Court finds British team not negligent for failing to spot arsenic. - journal article (Nature)

►February 26, 2004 - Vitamin B2 may help treat sepsis - Vitamin's anti-bacterial effect fights blood poisoning in mice - journal article (Nature)

►February 25, 2004 - 55 Nations Vow To Halt HIV/AIDS Epidemic - AP via www.intelihealth.com

►February 24, 2004 - Mosquito Fighters Grapple With West Nile - AP via www.intelihealth.com

►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)

►March 8, 2004 - Coverage squeezed for elder-care physicians: Tort crisis hits nursing homes - Physicians are calling for tort reform for nursing facilities. Changes in elder abuse laws are also urged. - www.ama-assn.org

►March 8, 2004 - Upcoming Match spotlights visa woes facing residency programs - Late arrivals and no-shows bring fresh anxiety to this year's Match. - www.ama-assn.org

►March 8, 2004 - Consumer-driven health care: Bush, GOP back HSA expansion - Insurers and employers are increasingly moving toward plans that put patients in the driver's seat. - www.ama-assn.org

►March 8, 2004 - Tort reform for obstetricians fails in the Senate - A similar bill targeting help to emergency physicians is likely to be offered next. - www.ama-assn.org

►March 8, 2004 - Doctors protest 400% price hike in HIV medication - An AIDS group has filed a lawsuit alleging antitrust violations. Two state attorneys general are investigating, but Abbott says all complaints are without merit. - www.ama-assn.org

►March 8, 2004 - Bush nominates FDA chief for top CMS slot - The White House seeks quick approval so that Mark McClellan, MD, PhD, can get started on Medicare reform work. - www.ama-assn.org

►March 8, 2004 - Medicare relief coming soon with drug discount cards - Doctors support the effort but worry about the formularies. - www.ama-assn.org

►March 8, 2004 - Beat the clock: The new challenges to residents - Residency programs now must adhere to an 80-hour workweek. How do residents do it and still learn all they need? - www.ama-assn.org

►March 8, 2004 - North Carolina board claims boost in doctor discipline - The medical board has been criticized in the past for doing a poor job. - www.ama-assn.org

►March 8, 2004 - Out of residency and into practice -- at 84 - The former internist finished his fellowship in addiction medicine and psychiatry and returns to practicing medicine full time. - www.ama-assn.org

►March 8, 2004 - Performance measures may be part of recertification - Older doctors still might resist periodic retesting, but younger ones recognize it as a "necessary evil." - www.ama-assn.org

►March 8, 2004 - Education, progress focus of patient safety week - The event gathers momentum as more hospitals get involved in the effort to showcase their advancements. - www.ama-assn.org

►March 8, 2004 - New Jersey squelches lawsuit for advertising fraud - In the Courts -  www.ama-assn.org

►March 8, 2004 - Hospitals hang on to money-losing medical practices - Many hospitals and systems derive benefits, such as referrals and stable physician networks, that outweigh practice losses. - www.ama-assn.org

►March 8, 2004 - Study reports bargaining between health plans and hospitals is easier - A power shift has allowed hospitals to negotiate more favorable contracts. - www.ama-assn.org

►March 8, 2004 - Minnesota considers tighter restrictions on surgery centers - Physicians in the state are opposed to the proposed bill, calling it a certificate-of-need proposal that is anti-competitive. - www.ama-assn.org

►March 8, 2004 - IBM joins medical groups in getting into record-mining business - The computer giant and a medical group society go after a so-called information-based medicine market that IBM says will be at $8 billion in a few years. - www.ama-assn.org

►March 8, 2004 - Big health plans mark a profitable year - www.ama-assn.org

►March 8, 2004 - Safety reporting now in Senate's hands (opinion) - Congress should finish what it started and pass medical error reporting legislation this year. - www.ama-assn.org

►March 8, 2004 - Letters to the Editor (opinion) - Many younger physicians less willing to get out of bed at 2 a.m. - Superhero-style dedication not the only way to practice good medicine - Work force planning requires looking at both the number and distribution of physicians - Primary care doctors need to ask patients about restless leg syndrome - www.ama-assn.org

►March 8, 2004 - Alzheimer's deaths on rise - Mortality related to this disease increased more than for any other of the top 10 killers, prompting concern about the ever-increasing burden on caregivers. - www.ama-assn.org

►March 8, 2004 - Physician looks at what keeps people slim - With a grant to study thin people, an endocrinologist seeks an answer to why most Americans are overweight. - www.ama-assn.org

►March 8, 2004 - FDA boosts efforts to find fake drugs - Electronic "track and trace" methods are examined as a way to halt the growing problem of counterfeit pharmaceuticals. - www.ama-assn.org

►March 8, 2004 - Trials focus on hormonal birth control for men - While the potential for a male pill has long been recognized, biological factors add to the challenge of making it happen. - www.ama-assn.org

►November 2003 - Video Now Available - Autism & The Environment: Exploring a Connection - Video captures highlights from an educational forum hosted by The Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, a Massachusetts' coalition working for a safer environment - www.autismandenvironmentvideo.org  

►American Academy of Neurology 56th Annual Meeting - www.aan.com - meeting alert - April 24 to May 1, 2004 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, CA.  

February 18, 2004 - A murine model for neuropsychiatric disorders associated with group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection. - journal article (Journal of Neuroscience) Abstract