Posted November 10, 2003:

November 9, 2003 -  FDA's Authority Tested Over Drug Imports - At Issue Is Whether Agency Will Lose Role in Assessing Safety of Medications - The Washington Post

November 8, 2003 -  Israel Orders Halt to Use of Soy Baby Food Product - Reuters via Yahoo!

November 10, 2003 -  Support for breastfeeding mothers: a systematic review - journal article

November 10, 2003 -  Intravenous immunoglobulin for the treatment of Kawasaki disease in children - journal article - Cochrane Review

November 10, 2003 -  Gene Variant Linked to Autism - Science (requires fee)
 

January 2003 -  Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS): An evolving hypothesis - www.purdeyenvironment.com via www.redflagsdaily.com
 

November 11, 2003 -  High Levels of Immune Protein in Infant Brain Linked to SIDS - www.innovations-report.de

November 10, 2003 -  Autism in a Needle - In These Times (how to purchase) - November 24, 2003 issue - may be available at Barnes and Noble Friday, November 14.

November 11, 2003 -  Database to fight brain disorders - http://australianit.news.com.au

November 17, 2003 -  State-owned lab has special niche in vaccine research - Vaccine shortages sometimes lead to thoughts of publicly owned manufacturers. Massachusetts has been there and still does that. - www.ama-assn.org - "A fortuitous legacy in Massachusetts' history has left the state with the only publicly owned, federally licensed manufacturer of vaccines and other biologic products in the nation -- long after other states abandoned similar facilities."

November 17, 2003 -  Doctors key to triggering FDA's warning signals - The agency's MedWatch program monitors the safety of drugs and medical devices and sounds the alarm when problems surface. - www.ama-assn.org - "'MedWatch is important, and we wish health professionals were more diligent in reporting adverse reactions," said Larry D. Sasich, PharmD, MPH, pharmacist and research analyst at Public Citizen. "But since MedWatch is a voluntary reporting system for physicians and others, you only get a small fraction of what actually occurs.'"  - There is apparently doctor resistance to reporting adverse vaccine reactions.  For more on the consequences of the failure to report 100%, click here.

November 17, 2003 -  Lawmakers seek more oversight of dietary supplement market - Hearings and legislation are launched as concerns rise about dangerous products and unsubstantiated claims. - www.ama-assn.org

November 7, 2003 -  Imaging on the Brain - BioMedNet (requires registration)

November 4, 2003 -  Images of Autism - BioMedNet (requires registration)

November 5, 2003 -  Antibody diversity singled out - BioMedNet (requires registration)

November 10, 2003 -  Is Obesity A Disease? Insurance, Drug Access May Hinge on Answer - The Washington Post - "The rising number of Americans who are seriously overweight has triggered intense debate among scientists, advocacy groups, federal agencies, insurance companies and drug makers about whether obesity should be declared a "disease," a move that could open up insurance coverage to millions who need treatment for weight problems and could speed the approval of new diet drugs." - Or vaccines?

November 8, 2003 -  Secretary of Health Issues Statement Regarding Hepatitis A Outbreak In Beaver County, Pennsylvania - PRNewswire via www.globeinvestor.com

November 6, 2003 -  Vaccination Against Hepatitis A: New Study Finds Universal Vaccination Against Hepatitis A Would Prevent Disease and Save Lives - www.healthnewsdigest.com

November 9, 2003 -  Experts now suggest flu shots for kids - Hartford Courant via www.sun-sentinel.com

November 9, 2003 -  Results of rabies vaccine test due back next spring - Portland Press Herald (fee required)

November 9, 2003 -  What to do against flu: Nasal mist new product in fight against the misery - The Anniston Star

November 10, 2003 -  Vaccine Safety: New Study Adds to Growing Evidence Supporting Vaccine Safety - Four Recent Studies Show No Link Between Vaccines Preservative and Autism - www.healthnewsdigest.com - To read Safe Minds' responses to some of the studies and issues raised, click here.

November 8, 2003 -  MPs Concerned By Cattle Disease - New Vision via www.allafrica.com

November 10, 2003 -  Brita can't help you here...Mercury in Massachusetts water - The Tufts Daily

November 10, 2003 -  2003 Worldwide Essay Contest Winners from Autism Arts Conference Connection - www.autismarts.com

Spring 2003 - "Good Doctor" Frist Doesn't Care About Women's Health - N.O.W. - "Case in point: While the homeland-security bill was being drawn up at the end of the session in 2002, someone in the Senate inserted a two-paragraph provision that would shield pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly from lawsuits brought by parents convinced that a preservative used in the company's vaccines caused autism in their children. Frist never owned up to adding the provision, but it was nearly identical to one he had authored earlier in the session."

Shaken Baby/Impact Syndrome: Flawed Concepts and Misdiagnoses - Dr. Buttram via Vaccination Liberation

November 10, 2003 -  3 Autoimmune Diseases Share a Genetic Defect, Scientists Find - The New York Times

Six Common Misconceptions about vaccination and how to respond to them - CDC - Notice that there are no references in this glibly reassuring document.  There are too many arguable points made in this article to address them all here, but for a different perspective on some of the points, go to these and other Scandals columns: Shoot First, Don't Ask Questions Later; More confusing disease stats; and  Infant Vaccine Deaths - But Who's Counting? (No news is NOT good news.)

S.1015 - A bill to authorize grants through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for mosquito control programs to prevent mosquito-borne diseases, and for other purposes.

H.R.1298 - A bill to provide assistance to foreign countries to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, and for other purposes.

November 9, 2003 -  District sues to keep autistic girl out of classroom - Contra Costa Times - "What happens in the case is significant given the increasing number of children being diagnosed with autism...."

November 9, 2003 -  Broadmoor knew risk in holding Asperger's patients - Telegraph, UK - "Britain's special hospitals for the criminally insane were warned seven years ago that they might be acting illegally by holding patients suffering from Asperger's syndrome...The report gave warning that the patients might suffer "unfortunate consequences" and suggested that a change in the law was needed to protect the patients' interests."

November 9, 2003 -  Hepatitis victim received new liver  - More than 7,500 people have received injections - www.post-gazette.com  - "'People don't normally die from [hepatitis A],'"

November 8, 2003 -  Islamic Countries Mobilise for Polio Eradication - This Day
 

November 8, 2003 -  November 9, 2003 -  Breast cancer vaccine 'breakthrough' - Telegraph, UK - "A vaccine designed to fight the deadliest form of breast cancer has been tested successfully in the United States, in a breakthrough that offers hope to thousands of victims."
 

November 8, 2003 -  Midwest research looks at cows to produce vaccines - Greenwich Time - "Research to help defend against diseases that could be spread by bioterrorists is being carried out in the pastures of northwest Iowa...Calves have been genetically engineered to produce human antibodies - their immune systems reacting to infection as a human's would - to defend against diseases such as smallpox, botulism and anthrax."

November 8, 2003 -  Health center gives vaccinations to emergency workers - Clinic volunteers needed for emergencies - Texarkana Gazette

November 10, 2003 -  Blood cell disease complex, can kill: Immune system under attack - My mutt Emily undergoing treatment - Akron Beacon Journal - "Vaccinations, drugs, toxins, parasites and infections have also been implicated, but none seem to apply in her case."

November 9, 2003 -  FG Assures on Potency of Polio Vaccines - This Day

November 9, 2003 -  Kwara Chides Employee Over Comments On Polio Vaccine - This Day via www.allafrica.com

November 10, 2003 -  The MMR vaccine - Measles or MMR: which worries you more? What are the dangers, and what are the solutions? - (requires subscription) - www.timesonline.co.uk - includes letters

November 10, 2003 -  Vaccine side effects hit children - China Daily - "The health bureau of the city of Fushun, in Northeast China's Liaoning Province, has issued orders stopping the using of a flu vaccine that may cause infants to suffer fever and even twitching after vaccination...The vaccines were part of a supply of more than 1,000 vials of domestically made flu vaccine that the bureau purchased through legal channels, said Zhou, who refused to reveal the name of the producer."

November 9, 2003 -  Boy’s medical bills get help from Jaycees - Tyler Gauvin-Shortell is a little boy with some big medical bills. - www.newbritainherald.com - "Tyler, 8, has suffered from a seizure disorder since he was 4 months old...Earlier this year, Shortell said that one possible cause of the seizures is a component of the diphtheria-petussis-tetanus (DPT) vaccine Tyler and his twin brother, Alex, received when they were 4 months old...The boys experienced their first seizures within 10 hours of receiving the vaccine, Shortell said. Alex died from the disorder before his second birthday."  But, surely, it must be a coincidence!
 

November 7, 2003 -  AP Newsbreak: Fourteen Iowans get rabies shots - AP via www.waterloocourier.com

November 8, 2003 -  Children and elderly at risk as killer flu strain reaches Britain - The Independent, UK - "A potentially deadly strain of the flu virus has entered Britain and may lead to a serious outbreak this winter, experts warned yesterday..."It is especially important for children over six months of age, who fall into the at-risk groups, to be vaccinated," Dr Watson said."  -  Why are they recommending the vaccine when there is apparently so much uncertainty concerning it's utility against this flu virus?

November 7, 2003 -  SARS Vaccine Not Expected for Several Years, Experts Say - Any winter outbreak to be met with current "control measures" - WHO via www.iwar.org.uk

November 10, 2003 -  Studies describe heart disease following smallpox vaccination - American Heart Association via www.eurekalert.org - "Heart-related complications can occur after the smallpox vaccine, but symptoms are usually mild, according to three studies presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2003...Public health officials expected some adverse reactions associated with the smallpox program, but didn't anticipate heart complications, he said...'The smallpox vaccine appears to be associated with myocarditis and pericarditis, but so far disease has been mild in civilians who received the vaccine,' Schieber said." - Has the disease really been mild, or have possible serious cases merely been summarily dismissed as being related to the vaccine?  And should it have been a surprise? (For more on this, go to: Scandals: Whose job is it, anyway?)

Posted November 9, 2003:

October 31, 2003 -  Virus-related muscle damage tied to chronic fatigue - Reuters Health via www.ivillagehealth.com

November 9, 2003 -  Progress Reported in SARS Vaccine Effort - The New York Times - But are they sure that they even know what SARS really is?

November 8, 2003 -  Developmental Factors in Infancy and Childhood - University of Tennessee, Martin research alert

Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids Adsorbed USP (For Pediatric Use) - package insert - Note that there are trace amounts of thimerosal in the single dose vials and 25µ in the multi-dose ones.

November 7, 2003 -  Human rabies cases soar in southern China - Canada Press via www.canada.com

November 8, 2003 -  Pet ownership makes rabies more dangerous than SARS in China - AFP via Khaleej Times

November 6, 2003 -  A Woman's Life Versus an Inept Press - The ACLU Supports a 'Constitutional' Death by Starvation - The Village Voice - "The letter to The New York Times signed by Max Lapertosa, staff counsel, Access Living in Chicago—told of '14 national disability organizations that filed a friend-of-the-court brief to support keeping Terri Schiavo alive.' Lapertosa objected to a Times editorial calling for Terri to go gently into that good night because, said the moral philosophers of the Times, 'true respect for life includes recognizing . . . when it ceases to be meaningful.'... Max Lapertosa reminded Gail Collins's board of oracles at the Time's editorial page that 'many would lump into this category [of meaningless lives] people with severe autism, multiple sclerosis or cerebral palsy who, like Mrs. Schiavo, are nonverbal and are often described as being "in their own world."'" - Have the supporters of Michael Schiavo's brazen efforts to end Terri's life no shame?
 

November 6, 2003 -  Flu season lurks in the shadows - Burlington Union on www.townonline.com - "A vaccination isn't guaranteed to prevent the flu, but most health care practitioners believe an individual is likely to have much milder symptoms about two weeks after getting a flu shot."

November 7, 2003 -  Students crowd for flu shots - Four cases ID'd this week; flu shots still available - The Daily Camera

November 7, 2003 -  CANADA: HIV, Hepatitis Testing Could Take Months - Canada Press via www.aegis.com

November 7, 2003 -  500 000 Children Face New Type of Malnutrition - Zimbabwe Independent via www.allafrica.com

November 7, 2003 -  FrontPage: Jailed for HIV/AIDS - www.monitor.co.zm

November 7, 2003 -  Medics' fears over Third World jabs - The Scotsman - Note that nowhere in the Scotsman article are vaccinations as a source of contamination mentioned.

November 7, 2003 -  Three Additional Human Deaths from West Nile Virus Reported - Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

November 7, 2003 -  Lawsuits begin to roll in following hepatitis A outbreak - AP via www.philly.com

November 7, 2003 -  NJ blood bank shipping plasma to Scotland amid mad cow worries - AP via Newsday
 

November 7, 2003 -  Brevard parents urged to protect kids from (viral) meningitis - Sun-Sentinel.com
 

November 8, 2003 -  Hepatitis Outbreak Claims One Life - AP via The Atlanta-Journal Constitution

November 7, 2003 -  Waiting for Wyeth - Motley Fool - "But yesterday, the drug maker announced a "temporary delay" in Prevnar shipments as it works to make some changes to its quality-control processes...In Wyeth's press release on the matter, the company sought to comfort investors with assurances that this will not result in a shortage, and that this development does not imply any questions about the safety or effectiveness of the vaccine...

However, the delay does make one wonder: Why is this upgrade happening now instead of prior to the manufacturing ramp-up months ago?"

November 7, 2003 -  W. Nile vaccine tested - Human trials being done in Kansas with 60 volunteers - Rocky Mountain News - For analysis of the various factors that might be responsible for West Nile Virus, go to Nicholas Regush's Second Opinion column: Virus or Environment?  Commentator Questions Blame Placed on West Nile Virus

Posted November 8, 2003:

November 7, 2003 -  Health officials concerned about measles outbreak - Independent Record - "Federal health officials are worried about a measles outbreak spreading to the United States, especially to places like Montana that have a lower vaccination rate for measles, mumps and rubella."

November 8, 2003 - Vaccine doubts for new flu virus - The Sunday Post - "Doctors bracing themselves for an outbreak of a deadly flu virus are still not certain whether it can be countered by the currently available vaccine...The Fujian strain of the bug, which has claimed the lives of at least four British children already this winter, is not present in the stocks being used for the vaccination programme."
 

July 7, 2003 -  Product Approval Information - GlaxoSmithKline - FDA - "The Supplement to your Biologics License Application for Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids and Acellular Pertussis Vaccine Adsorbed (Infanrix), to include in the indication a fifth dose at 4-6 years of age after 4 prior doses of Infanrix, has been approved."

November 3, 2003 -  Product Approval Information - Aventis Pasteur - FDA - For Tetanus and Diphtheria Toxoids Adsorbed, Adult Use

November 8, 2003 -  Innovative Administration Systems for Vaccines - DHHS - conference alert -  December 18-19, 2003, Rockville, MD

December 8, 2003 -  Communicating science to the public:  MMR vaccine and autism - journal article - Vaccine - "Many well-controlled studies performed subsequently found no evidence that MMR vaccine causes autism." - For another view on how "well-controlled" these studies are, go to: Scandals: Why We Won't Take No* For An Answer (*No relationship between MMR and autism)

December  8, 2003  -  Vaccine - Volume 22, Issue 1, Pages 1-144 (8 December 2003) - Table of Contents - Elsevier, Ltd.

December 12, 2003 -  Vaccine - Volume 22, Issue 2, Pages 145-292 (12 December 2003) - Table of Contents - Elsevier, Ltd.

November 6, 2003 -  Findings Published From Large U.K. Trial Of Marijuana Derivatives To Treat Symptoms Of Multiple Sclerosis - National Multiple Sclerosis Society (pdf)

November 7, 2003 -  Diphtheria exposed during comeback - Whole genome sequence identifies novel therapeutic targets and medical intervention routes - The Scientist

Posted November 7, 2003:

November 6, 2003 -  Labeling on Herbal Products Differs Widely: Study - Reuters Health via Medline

November 7, 2003 -  Cannabis study shows small MS benefit - Nature

October 31, 2003 -  Picky eating common in kids with bowel disease - Reuters Health via www.ivillagehealth.com

October 31, 2003 -  Measles Epidemic Attributed to Inadequate Vaccination Coverage --- Campania, Italy, 2002 - CDC via MMWR

November 7, 2003 -  Vaccinations for the Pediatric Traveler  - journal article

November 7, 2003 -  Response to Lamivudine Treatment in Children with Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection - journal article

November 5, 2003 -  Gel Implants a Concern for Advisory Panel - AP via FindLaw - "In a highly unusual move, the chairman of a government advisory panel that reluctantly backed resuming sales of silicone gel breast implants now is urging federal health officials and lawmakers to disregard that advice." - Highly unusual, indeed.  Well, good for Dr. Whalen.  Talk about a man with integrity.

November 7, 2003 -  Autism Update and Order - September 24, 2003 -  - www.uscfc.uscourts.gov (pdf) - "This update describes a number of recent developments in the Autism Omnibus proceeding that have occurred since June 27, 2003."

November 7, 2003 -  Docket of Omnibus Autism Proceeding (last update 10/17/03) - United States Court of Federal Claims

November 6, 2003 -  Part 3: Autism and Informed Inoculation - Detroit Now News - "There are a few things on which everyone agrees, like the dangerous toxicity of mercury. Yet, for years, it has been injected into children and adults, as an additive that preserves and sterilizes vaccines...Why?..So vaccine makers can save what we're told may be a dollar a dose by not having to produce the vaccines in sterile conditions, and to extend shelf life. Yet, this additive called Thimerosal could be leading to lasting harm."

November 5, 2003 -  Part 2: Autism and Informed Inoculation - Detroit Now News - "The mercury we're talking about inside this vial is so highly toxic we were warned not to even open it to show you the beige powder called Thimerosal. It's half mercury by weight. It has been added to vaccines as a preservative so they can be made in non-sterile environments since the early 30's. But as health officials have recommended more and more inoculations for children, it was discovered just a few years ago that the cumulative effect of all those shots resulted in children getting up to more than 100 times the amount of mercury the EPA considers safe."

Understanding Vaccine Safety - Immunization Remains Our Best Defense Against Deadly Disease - http://pediatrics.about.com

November 7, 2003 -  Therapeutic vaccines against infectious diseases - BioMedNet (requires registration)

November 7, 2003 -  Why is big Pharma getting out of antibacterial drug discovery? - BioMedNet (requires registration)

November 3, 2003 -  Prescription For Trouble: Approved medicine is being used for the wrong purpose - Detroit Free Press - "A six-month investigation by the Free Press Washington bureau has found that thousands of patients are harmed each year as doctors prescribe drugs in ways the FDA never certified as safe and effective...The practice, known as off-label prescribing, is driven by aggressive drug-company marketing, questionable research and a sometimes cavalier approach by doctors. The FDA has done little to discourage the practice and is considering whether to allow drug companies greater leeway in promoting unapproved treatments."

November 7, 2003 -  Review: Microorganisms as triggers of autoimmunity: making the barren field fertile? - Nature

November 6, 2003 -  New Vaccine Targets Common Disease - The Nation - http://allafrica.com

November 7, 2003 -  Schafer Autism Report - November 7, 2003

November 7, 2003 -  Mammograms Done At Clinic Could Be Flawed - The New York Times - "Thousands of women who had their most recent breast X-rays at a Manhattan mammography clinic have been urged by state health officials to immediately have new mammograms after a review of some of the clinic's work found what the officials called a high risk that signs of cancer might have been missed."

November 7, 2003 -  Virulent strain of flu kills five children - Times Online - "John Watson, a respiratory expert at the HPA, said: “Laboratory testing so far this year shows that the main strain circulating is a flu A (H3N2) Fujian-like strain...'This is slightly different to the A (H3N2) Panama-like virus, which has been circulating in the UK in recent years...The flu vaccine contains the Panama-like virus and is considered to offer some protection against the Fujian-like strain and good protection against other strains that may also circulate.'”

November 7, 2003 -  Grown-Ups Need Their Shots, Too - Wall Street Journal (payment required)

November 2003 - Bioethicist Joins the FDA to Help Oversee Pediatric Clinical Trials - ePediatric News (requires registration)

November 2003 - Demystifying FluMist Vaccine - ePediatric News (requires registration)
 

November 2003 - No Truth to Rumor About Contaminated Lot of Flu Vaccine - ePediatric News (requires registration)
 

November 2003 - New Guidelines on Vaccine Cold Storage - ePediatric News (requires registration)

November 2003 - Antibiotic-Resistant S. pneumoniae Peaks at 0-2 Years - ePediatric News (requires registration)
 

November 2003 - Pertussis Booster in Teens May Prevent Over 68,000 Cases - ePediatric News (requires registration)

November 2003 - Azithromycin Can Clear Pertussis Pathogen Quickly - ePediatric News (requires registration)

November 2003 - No Major Worries for Flu Vaccine, Despite Scant Data - ePediatric News (requires registration)  - Doesn't "scant data" almost guarantee "no major worries", whether or not there might actually BE reason to worry?

November 2003 -  ACIP's Approach to Prevnar Shortage Criticized - ePediatric News (requires registration)

November 2003 -  Yearly Outbreaks of West Nile Virus Appear Likely - ePediatric News (requires registration)

November 2003 -  Report Flu-Associated Encephalopathy in Children to CDC - ePediatric News (requires registration)

November 2003 -  New Immunization Policy Recommendations Issued - ePediatric News (requires registration)

November 2003 -  Flu Vaccine Finally Recommended - ePediatric News (requires registration)

November 8, 2003 -  WHO lacks teeth on international health issues, says professor - journal article - BMJ

November 8, 2003 - US food industry ensures that consumers are not told to eat less - journal article - BMJ

May 7,  2003 - Young Insomniacs Often Drugged to Sleep/ Study: Medication comes before doctors find underlying problem - HealthScoutNews via www.hon.ch

November 6, 2003 - Brain Hard-Wired for Empathy: Study - Reuters via Yahoo! - "The next step, according to Rizzolatti, will involve studies of schizophrenia and autism to see to what extent malfunctioning in the ability to mirror the emotions of others is to blame for difficulties in establishing meaningful relationships with other people."

Vaccines and Mystery Illness Investigations - UPI Series - "UPI has been investigating whether vaccines given to children could be linked to autism or other health problems, and whether the anthrax and smallpox vaccines have caused illnesses among U.S. troops. Related stories include the treatment of U.S. soldiers who were injured in Iraq."

November 6, 2003 - Alliance of MetroWest helps families of autistic children - Dover-Sherborn Press - "Ten years and lots of programs later, the Autism Alliance of MetroWest now has 345 on its mailing list, along with a newsletter, Web site and a resource center at the Morse Institute Library in Natick which includes books, journals, audio and videotape on autism. The Alliance serves several MetroWest communities, including Sherborn."

November 6, 2003 - Wyeth Halts Shipments of Prevnar Vaccine - Reuters - "Wyeth on Thursday said it has temporarily delayed shipping its blockbuster Prevnar vaccine against childhood pneumococcal infections because of the need to upgrade company quality-control processes...Wyeth spokesman Doug Petkus declined to give further details, but said the company decided on its own to upgrade its quality-control systems for Prevnar and had not been asked to do so by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration."

November 6, 2003 - Flu jabs urged for young and old as cases rise - The Scotsman - "Health experts were today urging people to get vaccinated after an early rise in flu cases...The call came after it emerged three children aged between two and eight have already died from flu in Scotland in the last two months." - Has something happened to our children's immune system to make them more vulnerable to the flu?

November 7, 2003 - Jabs in developing world 'unsafe' - Many injections given in the developing world are unsafe, a British Medical Journal study finds. - BBC

November 7, 2003 - Dirty needles major cause for spread of diseases in SEA - www.channelnewsasia.com - "The WHO has identified the seven countries which are at the bottom rung of safe needle practices as Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar and Nepal, and North Korea...A study showed that 75 percent of the injections in these countries had re-used needles from previous injections and had not been adequately sterilised...This is compared to 30 percent in other Asian and West Pacific nations, 17 and 19 percent in the two African regions, and 11 percent in Eastern Europe...Countries in the Middle East also scored a high rate of 70 percent, while Latin America was not considered due to lack of data."

November 7, 2003 - Hepatitis outbreak in Beaver County reaches 130 - One may need liver transplant; 2 or 3 others in intensive care  - Post-Gazette

November 7, 2003 - Unsafe injections common around world - NewScientist - "Forty per cent of all the health injections given globally in 2000 were performed with reused needles, according to a World Health Organization study. In some countries, three out of four injections were unsafe...The researchers say that reusing needles contributes to the spread of numerous blood borne infections, including hepatitis B and C, HIV, malaria, septicaemia and viral haemorrhagic fevers." -  How could this be allowed to happen?  For one perspective on this question, go to: Scandals: "But Faith, fanatic Faith, once wedded fast To some dear falsehood, hugs it to the last."

August 9, 2002 - "Deciding Who is Protected Against Smallpox," by Senator Bill Frist - New York Times op-ed via U.S. Department of State - "Should Americans be allowed to make an informed choice to receive the smallpox vaccine? I believe they should and that individual choice should become the central component of a new national policy aimed at protecting us from the possible use of smallpox as a weapon of mass destruction by terrorists."

November 8, 2003 - Use of injections in healthcare settings worldwide, 2000: literature review and regional estimates - journal article - BMJ - "Conclusions Overuse of injections and unsafe practices are still common in developing and transitional countries. An urgent need exists to use injections safely and appropriately, to prevent healthcare associated infections with HIV and other bloodborne pathogens.^"

November 7, 2003 - Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act: FDA Meeting Information Correction - Federal Register

November 6, 2003 - AIDS epidemic should be treated as a disaster - www.eurekalert.org

November 8, 2003 - Reframing HIV and AIDS - journal article - BMJ

November 6, 2003 - Acambis Commences First Human Clinical Trial of West Nile Vaccine - Acambis Press Release via Yahoo!

November 6, 2003 - New TB vaccine shows promise in HIV infection - www.eurekalert.og

November 7, 2003 - CDC To Grade States' Bioterror Plans - AP via www.intelihealth.com

November 8, 2003 - Researcher from study alleging link between MMR and autism warns of measles epidemic - journal article - BMJ

November 6, 2003 - Breast Cancer Vaccine Shows Promise - Early Results Show Vaccine May Help Prevent Breast Cancer Recurrence - WebMD

November 6, 2003 - ClinicalTrials.gov - website for searching clinical trials

Posted November 6, 2003:

November 6, 2003 - National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program; List of Petitions Received - Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration

August 15, 2002 - The fight against toxic mercury in the global environment - www.enn.com

November 4, 2003 - Increase in autism demands that we act now - Op/Ed - www.sunspot.net - "In 1993, there 260 students in Maryland's schools identified as autistic...In 2002, there were 3,488...It's a staggering increase."

November 6, 2003 - 'Major measles epidemics likely' due to MMR rates - www.doctorupdate.net

November 4, 2003 - Flu Hits Colorado Early-Coloradans Reminded of Importance of Receiving Flu Shots - Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

May 16, 2003 - School Screening for Asthma, Allergy in Works - HealthScoutNews via HON News - "In 2001, 6.3 million Americans under 18 reported having asthma, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. While it is the most common chronic disease among children, the frequency with which it is recognized varies, Dr. Raoul L. Wolf, director of the Chicago pilot project, writes in his report."

November 5, 2003 - Hospitals are braced for FluMist - Five times as costly as a flu shot but a lot less painful, the nasal treatment poses concerns with its potential for infecting vulnerable patients. - St. Petersburg Times Online

November 5, 2003 - GAMBIA: More children dying despite anti-malaria campaign - UN Integrated Regional Information Networks via http://allafrica.com

November 5, 2003 - BD Applauds Senate Action to Prevent Unsafe Medical Practices That Can Cause HIV/AIDS Spread in Africa - PRNewswire via Morningstar - "While the role of unsafe sex in the spread of HIV/AIDS is well documented, international health studies indicate that the reuse of medical devices in Africa and the developing world is also a contributing factor to the spread of HIV/AIDS and other blood-borne diseases...As pointed out on the Senate floor last week, reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that as many as 40 percent of all injections in the developing world are administered with reused, unsterile medical devices. In the year 2000 alone, WHO estimates indicate that 500,000 new HIV infections, two million hepatitis C and 21 million hepatitis B infections were the result of injections from reused devices." - What do you bet the solution to disease which has been spread by unsafe injections is more injections?  For more on this, see Scandals: "But Faith, fanatic Faith, once wedded fast To some dear falsehood, hugs it to the last."

November 5, 2003 - Hospital hygiene error subject of lawsuit - Canadian Press - "Some patients who are being monitored for possible infection after undergoing testing at a hospital in nearby Oshawa are planning a $70-million class-action lawsuit, a lawyer said Wednesday."

November 6, 2003 - A further dose of MMR - Letters to the Editor - The Guardian, UK - "The MMR debate (Epidemic fear, October 31) comes down to one thing: the medical establishment's ideological belief in the MMR jab in particular, and vaccines in general...The real debate needed is over the value of vaccines in dealing with the childhood diseases."

November 6, 2003 - Women to be offered MMR vaccine - New mothers and women hoping to become pregnant are to be offered the MMR jab because supplies of the single rubella vaccine have run out.  - BBC - "Immunising against rubella has meant virtually no babies are now born with the syndrome. " - For a different perspective on this, go to Scandals: "Does rubella vaccination prevent congenital rubella syndrome?"

November 5, 2003 - Whooping cough rise baffles experts - The Los Angeles Times via The Houston Chronicle - "Doctors and public health officials are stumped. Even though vaccination rates are at record highs for whooping cough, cases of the highly contagious respiratory illness have been on the rise nationwide for more than two decades."

November 6, 2003 - WHO hails Oman vaccination programme - Gulf News Online
 

November 4, 2003 - FDA oversight of 'off-label' drug use wanes (part 3 of 3) - Star-Telegram

November 6, 2003 - Drug Companies Settle 7 Suits for $1.6 Billion - The New York Times

November 6, 2003 - CBER Biological Product Shortages - FDA

November 5, 1999 - FDA Briefing Document for Wyeth-Lederle Vaccine and Pediatrics Seven Valent Pneumococal Conjugate Vaccine - Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee - www.fda.gov

November 6, 2003 - Schafer Autism Report - November 5 & 6, 2003 (Double Issue)

November 5, 2003 - Nasal Flu Vaccine Not As Popular As Expected - FluMist Sales Fall Short Of Projections - www.nbc4.com

November 5, 2003 - Hepatitis outbreak spreads to 26 more restaurant patrons - Shots urged for those who ate at Beaver County Chi-Chi's - www.post-gazette.com

November 5, 2003 - WHO Assails Wealthy Nations on Bioterror - The Washington Post via naccho

November 5, 2003 - WHO Says SARS Vaccine Will Take 2 Years - AP via www.intelihealth.com

November 3, 2003 - RFD Columnist, Dr. Meryl Nass, Says Smallpox Vaccine Safety Reports Issued By The U.S. Department Of Defense Are Misleading.  Here Is A Report Presented By The Alliance For Human Research Protection - AHRP via www.redflagsdaily.com

November 5, 2003 - A Canadian National Survey of Attitudes and Knowledge Regarding Preventive Vaccines - journal article

November 5, 2003 - A continuing high incidence of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) in the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea. - journal article - "The annual incidence of SSPE in EHP in these 2 years was 98 per million population under 20 years of age, the highest ever reported. This incidence was more than ten times higher than the highest incidence in the prevaccine era reported from elsewhere...Among the SSPE patients 19 had a documented history of measles vaccination. Eight of these 19 also had documentation of previous measles illness; of these, seven were vaccinated after the development of measles and one was vaccinated 20 days before measles illness...We found no evidence to implicate measles vaccination in the development of SSPE." - Let me get this straight.  The incidence is higher than prior to vaccination AND 19 of 55 had a documented history of measles vaccination, while among those 19 around half had both the vaccine and the measles.  Yet the conclusion is that there is no evidence to implicate the measles vaccination.  Shouldn't the conclusion be that at least insofar as the results of this study are concerned, measles vaccination cannot be ruled out as a possible (co)-factor in the development of SSPE?

November 5, 2003 - VOTELINE: Should single measles, mumps and rubella vaccines be available on the NHS? - Evening Times Online - Action Alert

November 5, 2003 - Whooping cough warning - Boorowa News
 

November 3, 2003 - Preventing prion disease progression - Depletion of neuronal prion proteins after scrapie prion infection prevents disease development - The Scientist

November 3, 2003 - Pyruvate kinase and malaria - Hemolytic anemia protects against malaria - The Scientist

November 4, 2003 - No AIDS cure in the near future - David Ho discusses promising vaccine approaches, improved therapies, and remaining obstacles - The Scientist

November 5, 2003 - Mending Misconduct - Young researcher's punishment seeks balance between discipline and salvaging a promising career - The Scientist

November 5, 2003 - Nobel Laureates declare support for Butler - As plague researcher's trial begins, leading US scientists condemn the case itself and its chilling effect - The Scientist

November 5, 2003 - Diagnostic testing and discharge coding for whooping cough in a children's hospital - journal article

November 5, 2003 - Safety and Efficacy of Influenza Vaccine in Children - journal article - Did any of the studies reviewed include never vaccinated children as controls?  My guess is that they did not.

November 6, 2003 - Autism, Diet, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease - Redflagsdaily.com Online Autism Conference

November 5, 2003 - US crackdown on bioterror is backfiring - NewScientist

October 30, 2003 - The Doctor Shrugged - FOX News - "In real life, one goes to a hospital if he or she is curious to have a near death experience. Medical treatment is the third leading cause of death in the United States, after heart disease and cancer, according to a 2000 Journal of the American Medical Association article by Dr. Barbara Starfield (search) of the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health."

November 6, 2003 - SARS vaccine trial could start in a few months – WHO - UN News Center - Are they sure that they even know what SARS really is?

November 6, 2003 - Handle with care - Scientists are rushing to defend a colleague charged with mishandling samples of the plague bacterium. But they must be careful not to send the message that microbiologists are blasé about the need to protect public health. (requires payment) - Nature
 

November 5, 2003 - Weldon, Major Autism, Speech Disorder Organizations Voice Concern Over CDC's Use of Vaccine Safety Datalink to Investigate Thimerosal -  Safe Minds/Capitol Strategies Press Release via U.S. Newswire - "The organizations signing the joint statement are: Apraxia Kids, Autism Research Institute, Autism Society of America, Cherab Foundation, Cure Autism Now, Safe Minds, Speechville Express, and Unlocking Autism."

November 5, 2003 - E-News: Maryland Elementary School Snorts The Flu Vaccine - NVIC - BL Fisher Note: "This study will apparently try to "judge effectiveness" of the live nasal FLUMIST vaccine in schoolchildren, but is anyone tracking how many of the children who didn't get the FLUMIST vaccine come down with flu symptoms because they got vaccine strain flu from their recently vaccinated fellow classmates? This live virus vaccine can produce flu symptoms in the vaccinated as well as transmit live vaccine strain flu virus to others and be especially dangerous for those who are immune compromised. Hopefully, there were no immune compromised children in the classes that participated in this study."

November 4, 2003 - Carroll pupils testing nasal flu vaccine - Needle-free inoculation seems favored; Study will judge effectiveness - www.sunspot.net

November 4, 2003 - HIV/Aids: Is Uganda unique? - Health24

November 4, 2003 - First HIV Vaccine Trials Begin in South Africa - BuaNews via http://allafrica.com

November 4, 2003 - Insurance Company Accommodates HIV Vaccine Trial Volunteers - BuaNews via http://allafrica.com

November 3, 2003 - Egypt's fight against polio gets a big boost - www.iol.co.za

November 5, 2003 - Rabies cases on the rise in parts of Big Country - Abilene Reporter News

November 5, 2003 - Walk-in flu shots cater to busy college students - The Daily Nebraskan Online

November 5, 2003 - South African vaccine trial to use harmless HIV gene - Taipei Times

November 4, 2003 - Ethiopian Street Children Vaccinated Against Measles - American Red Cross

November 3, 2003 - Government Launches Nationwide Anti-Polio Drive - UN Integrated Regional Information Networks via http://allafrica.com

November 5, 2003 - Sentences upheld for nurses who gave wrong shots - Taipei Times

November 4, 2003 - Health matters: Understanding 'Quirky Kids' - Daily News Transcript - "Their diagnoses are autism, Asperger's syndrome, sensory integration dysfunction or a combination of many other disorders...Boston-based pediatricians Perri Klass and Eileen Costello sum them all up with one simple term: They're 'quirky kids.'...'"It's not a negative term, it's not pejorative,' Klass said. 'It suggests eccentricity but it has positive overtones.'" - "QUIRKY KIDS"? For more on this click here.
 

November 4, 2003 -Cot death warning - BUPA - "Each week in the UK, seven babies die as a result of cot death. Despite much research and better understanding of the condition, it's still the leading cause of death in babies over one month old, accounting for more deaths than meningitis, leukaemia, cancer, household and traffic accidents combined. One of the factors known to be linked to an increased risk is overheating in babies, yet a recent survey found a worrying lack of knowledge about baby heat issues."

November 5, 2003 - catshots.com - website concerning post-vaccination sarcomas and feline vaccination

Posted November 5, 2003:

Sir Richard Sykes to retire as Chairman of GlaxoSmithKline at Annual General Meeting; Sir Christopher Hogg to become new Chairman - GlaxoSmithKline News Release - Sir Christopher Hogg is "non-executive chairman" of Reuters News Service

November 4, 2003 - Memory in autism: review and synthesis. - journal article

November 3, 2003 - Human HIV vaccine trial begins - AP via CNN

November 4, 2003 - E-News: Congressman Takes A Stand - NVIC - from Barbara Loe Fisher note: "If an investigation into what appears to be scientific fraud turns out to be true, then the government health officials involved should be required to resign their positions. The public cannot have trust in mass vaccination policies promoted by health officials who are not telling the truth about vaccine risks and are not doing everything in their power to reduce those risks. The time has come for accountability by those individuals who are responsible for insuring the safety of mandated childhood vaccines. The public deserves and should accept nothing less than total honesty on the part of those to whom we entrust our children's lives."

November 5, 2003 - Clinical Presentation of Pertussis in Unvaccinated and Vaccinated Children in the First Six Years of Life - journal article - Pediatrics - "Conclusions. Duration of cough can be greatly influenced by vaccination status. A positive culture for Bordetella pertussis is more frequently found in patients with long duration of cough, and antibiotic therapy may be a marker of severe disease. Gender may affect the clinical presentation of pertussis only after infancy. Pertussis in older children may be characterized by short duration of spasmodic cough. These results should be taken into account in the clinical evaluation of patients with suspected pertussis. Clinical case definitions for the purpose of surveillance based on the presence of 2 weeks of spasmodic cough may not be appropriate where pertussis vaccination uptake is high.^{" - Note: Unvaccinated means unvaccinated against pertussis, not unvaccinated period.}

November 5, 2003 - Adoption of Reminder and Recall Messages for Immunizations by Pediatricians and Public Health Clinics - journal article - Pediatrics - "Conclusions. Reminder and recall messages remain underused by both pediatricians and public health clinics. Promising strategies to promote adoption of these approaches in both the private and the public sectors include identifying and training champions to promote immunization delivery improvement efforts and helping practices develop methods to identify children at specific ages.^"

November 2003 - Insurance status a factor in whether children receive PCV7 -Physicians surveyed were less likely to recommend the vaccine if it was not covered by the patient’s insurance. (requires free registration) - Infectious Diseases in Children

November 4, 2003 - Add bowel disease to list of child problems - The Journal Times online - "European data shows that the rates of these diseases are soaring in children, Kugathasan said. "The incidence of Crohn's disease in children has tripled - from 1960 to 1980, tripled, from 1980 to now 2000, tripled again," he said...'There's no question about this increasing incidence of diabetes, obesity, asthma, and inflammatory bowel disease,' he said...Doctors speculate that all these are linked to problems with immune systems, he said, in particular what has become known as the hygiene hypothesis. This says that because we're living in such sanitary environments, our bodies' immune systems are not often challenged by germs and allergens."
 

November 2003 - Vaccine’s impact on AOM less than thought? - Past studies have found reduced AOM rates after receipt of influenza vaccine, but a study from Pittsburgh tells a different story. (requires free registration) - Infectious Diseases in Children - "The influenza vaccine may indeed lower hospitalization rates for young children this winter but vaccine providers may not want to rely on the claim that the vaccine can reduce the burden of acute otitis media (AOM) in young children."

November 2003 - ACIP recommends full influenza vaccination in 2004 - The recommendation takes effect next fall, and the encouragement will continue until then. (requires free registration) - Infectious Diseases in Children - "The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has voted to move from encouraging vaccine providers to give the influenza vaccine to healthy children 6 to 23 months of age and their close contacts — to a full recommendation beginning in October 2004."

November 4, 2003 - Parents of autistic students wonder what lies beyond Atlantic Technical - The Sun-Sentinel

November 3, 2003 - Drug companies' state lobby pays off - www.thejournalnews.com - "Pharmaceutical companies poured millions of dollars into lobbying and campaign contributions this year in a behind-the-scenes effort to stop the state from restricting what drugs would be covered by Medicaid."

November 3, 2003 - Scientist says influenza bigger risk than SARS - The Daily Yomiuri online

November 4, 2003 - Volunteers all set for Aids vaccine trials - www.iol.co.za

November 5, 2003 - Why the hatter was mad - Letters to the Editor, The Washington Times re: Mercury-laced vaccines a threat, child group says - "The hatter was mad because he made hat forms with mercury. Giving mercury to children is like falling into Wonderland and not being able to get out, ever."

November 4, 2003 - To kill germs, it's simple: Wash your hands - The Boston Globe online

November 2, 2003 - Infectious Diseases, How They Change! - The Anniston Star

November 3, 2003 - Benin Continues Anti-Polio Campaign As Nigeria Stumbles - African Church Information Service via http://allAfrica.com 

November 2, 2003 - New tests find West Nile in blood supply - USA Today

Posted November 4, 2003:

November 4, 2003 - Vaccination, Rubella and Congenital Rubella Syndrome - Redflagsdaily.com - "The health authorities have insisted that the monovalent vaccines against measles, mumps and rubella would not be made available in the United Kingdom. By doing so, they have effectively forced parents who had serious concerns about the MMR vaccine not to vaccinate their children altogether. As vaccination rates fell and the threat of measles outbreaks became real, the health authorities blamed Andrew Wakefield and his research. Obviously no one mentions the fact that Dr. Wakefield has always supported measles, mumps and rubella vaccination of toddlers and that he has only suggested that the monovalent vaccines be made available, alongside the MMR vaccine, just to give parents a choice."

November 4, 2003 - Investigation: Autism and Informed Inoculation - Detroit Now - "Put another way, a patient would have to weigh 284 pounds to safely ingest that much mercury and not exceed EPA safety guidelines. Little Will weighed only 11 pounds...'It is a policy that we make those vaccines, both the Thimerosal-containing and the Thimerosal-free, available to our patients,' Dr. Freed argues. He is the same doctor who earlier claimed that Thimerasol has been removed from childhood vaccines, but now admits you can avoid it if you know enough to ask."

November 4, 2003 - Meningitis shots to be offered - Vaccine to be given for $90 with ID - The Reveille Online

November 4, 2003 - Expert Review of Vaccines 2(5), 2003 - Future Drugs

November 4, 2003 - Irish Priest First Person in south Africa to participate in human trials of HIV vaccine - AP via www.intelihealth.com

November 4, 2003 - Unvaccinated Toddlers Pose Risk To Health - USA Today via www.intelihealth.com - "The unvaccinated tend to have white, well-educated and affluent parents who doubt vaccine safety. "These are intelligent, yuppie parents who chase the Internet and read all the misinformation that's there," Katz says."

November 4, 2003 - An Option for the Needle-Shy: Spray Flu Vaccine - The New York Times

November 3, 2003 - MMR Doctor Hits Back - The Bath Chronicle - "The Bath doctor added that he was saddened by the way politics seemed to be getting in the way of scientific research into the matter."
 

November 3, 2003 - "Shot" By Friendy Fire! - www.tomflocco.com

November 3, 2003 - Decrease in Hospital Admissions for Febrile Seizures and Reports of Hypotonic-Hyporesponsive Episodes Presenting to Hospital Emergency Departments Since Switching to Acellular Pertussis Vaccine in Canada: A Report From IMPACT - journal article - Pediatrics - "Conclusions. The risks of febrile seizures and HHEs after pertussis-containing vaccine declined significantly with the introduction of acellular pertussis vaccine in Canada. Active surveillance systems are important for detecting trends in uncommon adverse events after routine immunizations.^"

November 3, 2003 - Study Finds No Link Between Vaccines, Autism - Reuters via Yahoo!

November 3, 2003 - Whooping cough not shot down, but vaccinations up - Los Angeles Times via www.knoxnews.com

September 2003 - The Promise of Vaccines: The Science and the Controversy (pdf) - www.achs.org

The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars Scholarship Program for College Students with Disabilities - American Association of People with Disabilities

October 26, 2003 - Is partial reversal of autism possible? - Las Vegas Review-Journal

November 4, 2003 - Schafer Autism Report - November 4, 2003

November 3, 2003 - More Data Sought on Drug-Gene Interaction - AP via Monterey Herald.com

Posted November 3, 2003:

November 3, 2003 - U.S. Congressman Sends Strong Letter to CDC Director About Autism-Mercury Study (.pdf file)

October 31, 2003 -The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Vote to Recommend Influenza Vaccination for Children Aged 6 to 23 Months - CDC Media Relations Press Release

November 3, 2003 - E-News: Andrew Wakefield - Man of Courage - NVIC - BL Fisher Note: "It takes a man of great courage and integrity to stand up against overwhelming pressure from his scientific colleagues and refuse to say what is false when he knows what is true. Andrew Wakefield will not sell his soul to be protected from those government and drug company officials and doctors subservient to both government and industry who have tried to destroy him and prevent him from proving a scientific hypothesis."

November 3, 2003 - New study disputes vaccine, autism link - Critics say mercury in shots led to nervous-system problems - AP via CNN - "Government researchers say they found little evidence of a link between vaccinations and developmental problems in a study of more than 140,000 U.S. children...The report didn't satisfy vaccine critics, who claimed the study's initial results showed a stronger connection but were watered down. They also noted that the study's lead author now works for a vaccine maker...But Dr. Mark Geier, a geneticist who has worked as a consultant on parents' lawsuits against vaccine makers, said the researchers' own earlier analysis of the study results found strong links between vaccines and such problems -- and that the published results attempt to conceal those findings. He claimed the final analysis "is intentional fraud." " NOTE the different title given this story by Newsday: Study Clears Vaccines Containing Mercury - AP via Newsday.

October 31, 2003 - Andrew Wakefield vs Simon Murch on the MMR Vaccine - BBC Radio (Click on 0810)

November 3, 2003 - Flu shot gave you the flu? It's a myth - Too many people avoid the vaccine, experts say. And that little needle is a small price to pay for avoiding serious illness. - The Los Angeles Times

October 27, 2003 - Bus driver accused of striking autistic teen - www.capitalnews7.com

October 29, 2003 - Parents Say Their Autistic Child Beaten at School - ABC News

November 3, 2003 - Mercury-laced vaccines a threat, child group says - The Washington Times - NOTICE: Political Action Alert! WRITE THE WASHINGTON TIMES WITH YOUR STORIES! @ letters@washingtontimes.com

October 29, 2003 - Lethem creates 'Fortress' of childhood longing - Jonathan Lethem, the audaciously talented author whose latest work is the novel The Fortress of Solitude, suffers from what he calls a "particular form of autism." - USA Today

November 3, 2003 - My Turn: Reaching the ‘Point of No Return’ in Public - When ‘J’ has a fit, spectators assume poor parenting is to blame. They never suspect that he’s autistic - Newsweek via MSNBC

!!! November 3, 2003 - CDC Scandal Emerges—Study Attempts Cover Up of Autism-Mercury Link—Congressman Dave Weldon, M.D., Asks CDC for Investigation - Moms on a Mission for Autism Press Release

November 2, 2003 - Ash to champion the cause of polio-affected kids - The Times of India

October 31, 2003 - Japan supports Palestinian immunisation drive - UNICEF Press Release

November 3, 2003 - Doctor backs measles jab - The New Zealand Herald

October 30, 2003 - Did FDR Have Polio After All? - HealthDay via www.healthfinder.gov

November 3, 2003 - Reid makes MMR plea to parents - The Scotsman

November 3, 2003 - Vaccine scare could spark measles epidemic in Britain - Daily Times, Pakistan

November 2, 2003 - Aids expert predicts long wait for a vaccine - The first trials of Aids vaccines in Switzerland got underway at Lausanne University Hospital during the summer.- NZZ Online

October 17, 2003 - Abiding Smallpox Immunity Could Have Down Side - Reuters Health via Medline - "People who were vaccinated against smallpox before the scourge was eliminated are probably still protected against severe and fatal disease in the event of an accidental or intentional outbreak. That's the good news...The bad news is that vaccinated individuals who develop mild disease could unwittingly increase the spread of infection, according to an article in the American Journal of Epidemiology."

November 3, 2003 - Study Eyes Kids Problems, Mercury Link - Government Study Finds Little Evidence Linking Children's Problems to Mercury in Vaccines - ABC News

October 2003 - Vaccination Update: Feline Distemper Vaccine Implicated in Development of Chronic Renal Failure - Little Big Cat

November 10, 2003 - Flu season gets early start; public health pushes vaccine - A large outbreak hits Texas before many have the opportunity to get their shots - www.ama-assn.org

November 3, 2003 - Study Clears Vaccines Containing Mercury - AP via Newsday - "Government researchers say they found little evidence of a link between vaccinations and developmental problems in a study of more than 140,000 U.S. children...The report didn't satisfy vaccine critics, who claimed the study's initial results showed a stronger connection but were watered down. They also noted that the study's lead author now works for a vaccine maker."

October 31, 2003 - Matthew's Law would limit use of restraints - This is the second article in a two-part series on the rights of people with autism, the efforts of the Family Alliance to Stop Abuse and Neglect, and those who oppose these efforts. - Windsor-Hights Herald via www.zwire.com

October 31, 2003 - MMR scientists clash over autism link - TimesOnline - "But speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Dr Murch then appeared to soften his defence of MMR, saying it involved an "extremely small" but acceptable risk.

November 2, 2003 - Mercury under fire: Vaccine preservative concerns experts (requires free registration) - The Frederick News-Post - "A growing number of parents and health professionals are blaming a mercury compound found in vaccines for an explosion in neurological disorders in the United States...Parents who want to inoculate their young ones from scourges like whooping cough or tetanus may be unwittingly exposing their children to the dangerous chemical, some believe.

November 2, 2003 - Top doctor calls for single vaccinations as worried Highland parents boycott MMR jabs -  Health board official warns of outbreak - The Sunday Herald, UK

November 2, 2003 - FDR's paralysis not from polio, new theory says - Autoimmune illness possible cause - Newsday via The Houston Chronicle - "They base their case on several pieces of evidence. Roosevelt lost the ability to move his legs in the summer of 1921 during a polio epidemic. But he was 39, and most polio victims of that decade were infants and young children. Also, the way the weakness flowed upward -- from his feet to his face, with paralysis on both sides of his body -- more closely resembles Guillain-Barre than polio. Finally, his illness was accompanied by fever at the onset of his paralysis, and in poliomyelitis fever generally arrives days beforehand...Goldman also cited the duration of the progression of the paralysis, the numbness, extreme prolonged pain, bladder and bowel dysfunction, and the fact that the weakness in his arms and face disappeared, while his legs remained paralyzed. These are all arguments for Guillain-Barre syndrome, he said."

November 2, 2003 - Scientists: Laboratory Work Offers Hope for Smallpox Protection - www.voanews.com

November 2, 2003 - Focus: The truth about MMR - So is the vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella safe? Yes, says the Government, now backed by one of the scientists who first raised fears. No, say campaigners who link MMR with autism. Meanwhile, parents are more bewildered than ever. Paul Vallely evaluates the claims on both sides - and reveals the new evidence that is yet to come to court - The Independent, UK

November 2, 2003 - Pa. Man Dies Of Diphtheria - CBS via KYW-TV Philadelphia

November 2, 2003 - Mousepox 'Superbug' Test Riles - AP via CBS

November 2, 2003 - Row over new 'link' between MMR jab and autism - The Guardian, UK - "The row over the MMR vaccination deepened yesterday when the doctor at the centre of the controversy published fresh evidence of a possible link between the immunisation and autism...Dr Andrew Wakefield released the paper earlier than planned following a dispute with Dr Simon Murch, a co-author of the original research that triggered a nationwide scare about the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine in 1998."

Posted November 2 and earlier, 2003:

November 1, 2003 - Engineered Virus Related to Smallpox Evades Vaccine - The Washington Post - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - MMR vaccination: a no-brainer? (requires free registration) - journal article - The Lancet - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - Holistic Pet Care FAQ - Question: My pet's vaccinations are due soon, but I am concerned about any harm that may occur due to vaccination. Is there a holistic way to deal with this? - Veterinary Issues at iVillage - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - MMR: So Who Can You Trust? - This is Bristol - "The scientist at the centre of the MMR jab row was last night accused of putting the health of millions of children at risk in a bid to save his career. Dr Simon Murch caused a storm yesterday by speaking out to defend the controversial triple vaccine - five years after his research sparked a nationwide panic over its safety...He also warned of a measles epidemic this winter because parents had failed to have their children immunised...But last night his former colleague claimed he had become a pawn in an "orchestrated campaign" to restore public confidence in the MMR jab." - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - Trials of new vaccine begin on volunteers - Concerns over rights of 16,000 guinea pigs - Bangkok Post - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - Diploma course for autistic children - The Times of India - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - Autism charity proving a big success - icWales - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - U.K. measles outbreaks pose risk to U.S. - UPI - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - Experts hope MMR dispute has ended - The Independent, UK - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - MMR Chaos - New worry for parents as report docs clash over risks - The Daily Record, UK - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - Special plea for nursery nurse strike - The Scotsman - "UNION leaders were today urged to exempt special schools in the Capital from any further industrial action over pay for nursery nurses...The city council has pleaded with public sector union Unison to call off further action affecting youngsters with serious conditions such as autism." - posted November 2, 2003
 

November 1, 2003 - Melanoma Vaccine Developed At The University Of Virginia Shows Promise In Clinical Trial - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - Diphtheria diagnosed in Paris area hospital - AP via Merck Source - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - Missoula health officials issue flu advisory - Missoulian - "Officials haven't nailed down which strain has hit the county, but will assume for the time being it is H3N2, which has been confirmed in North Dakota and Utah recently...The county will know which strain it is by next week...H3N2 could be a concern, too, because some cases of it in Texas have shown an antigenic drift from the current vaccine for the H3N2 strain." - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - Scientists create a supervirus in order to destroy it - AP via www.newsobserver.com - "A research team backed by a federal grant has created a genetically engineered mousepox virus designed to evade vaccines, highlighting the deadly potential of biotechnology and bioterrorism." - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - Brit Parents Wary Of Vaccine - CBS News  - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - FG Re-Confirms Genuiness of Polio Vaccine - allAfrica.com  - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - Study of Measles in Campania, Italy - CDC via Aetna InteliHealth  - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - Big rise in whooping cough imminent - www.smh.com.au  - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - 500,000 Dollar for National Measles Campaign - allAfrica.com  - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - Expert warns MMR scare could spark measles epidemic in Britain - AFP via Yahoo!  - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - Local Doctors Test Herpes Vaccine - University Needs Test Volunteers - NBC4  - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - Public warned of potential whooping cough epidemic - ABCNews Online  - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - Doctors turn on each other as MMR debate rages again -  Architects of autism study embroiled in bitter dispute - The Guardian, UK  - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - (MMR) Facts and figures - The Guardian, UK  - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - Whooping cough breaks out in Old Believer communities - Anchorage Daily News  - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - Fraudulent CDC Study on Vaccine Safety Released Today, Original, 2000 Study Concludes Mercury-Autism Link - Press Release  - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - 50 Years Ago in The Journal of Pediatrics - Smallpox vaccination and pregnancy - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - IDSA: Unintended Immunisation of Individuals with HIV in the Military - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - New Study Questions Roosevelt's Polio - AP via The New York Times - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - Evaluation of the implementation of WHO ethical criteria (WHO - EC) for medicinal drug promotion in Indonesia - WHO - "The ethical criteria for drug promotion has been devised by the World Health Organization, to prevent the occurrences of inappropriate pharmaceutical promotion. The ethical criteria should ideally be adopted and implemented by member countries. However, evaluation of the implementation of this ethical criteria in developing countries is lacking. A multi-country study has been initiated to evaluate the ethical criteria in the Southeast Asian and Western Pacific regions. This study was to report the evaluation of the implementation in Indonesia."  - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - How does pharmaceutical company promotion affect prescribing? - WHO  - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - The Autism Calendar™ - November 2003 - Published by the Schafer Autism Report  - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - The 1st International Neonatal Vaccination Workshop - CDC - conference alert - March 2 - 4, 2004 at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner Hotel, McLean, VA  - posted November 2, 2003

November 1, 2003 - Hep B vaccine - BBC Radio 4  - "The government’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is now considering universal immunisation against Hepatitis B. Currently in the UK, only high-risk groups are routinely vaccinated against the blood-borne virus. These include doctors and nurses and other health workers. Drug addicts and prostitutes are also targeted...But, with the Committee due to report by the end of the year, File On 4 reveals growing concern over the possible side effects of the vaccine. A group of people who became ill after being given the vaccine at work are trying to bring the UK’s first legal action against the manufacturers. They are suffering a range of conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy and claim they were not warned of possible side effects." - posted November 2, 2003