Posted December 27, 2008

►December 29, 2008 - Deadly amoeba threatens warm-water spots - Caution is advised when soaking in natural hot springs or a lake. (requires registration) - Los Angeles Times - "The recent CDC research could not explain what caused the spike in Naegleria flowleri cases in 2007. And the group warned that, although the number of infections has been relatively low compared with the millions of swimmers who enter warm freshwater pools each year, scientists still don't know why certain people get infected and what concentration of amoeba in the water poses a significant risk."

►December 28, 2008 - Narita airport hatches plan to repel flu - Kyodo News via The Japan Times

►December 28, 2008 - Put HIV carriers in special wards, says MB - IPOH: Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin has clarified his earlier stand for HIV carriers to be quarantined by saying that special wards should be set up to treat them. - New Straits Times

►December 28, 2008 - Health care in Africa - commentary - Washington Times

►December 28, 2008 - ‘Promises but few results’ mark health in 2008 - The News International, Pakistan

* ►December 28, 2008 - Year ender: State takes firm steps to fulfill millennium of health for all - Times of India - "Vaccination catastrophe: The death of four infants who were administered measles vaccine in Tiruvallur district on April 23 turned the spotlight on the safety of the immunisation programme. The government revised the vaccination protocol and said shots would be administered only at PHCs."

* ►December 27, 2008 - Age of Autism Awards 2008 Child of the Year: Hannah Poling By Kim Stagliano - Age of Autism

* ►December 27, 2008 - Immunization concerns - Ashland Daily Tidings - "More than a quarter of Ashland parents choose not to vaccinate their children, and the government wants to know why. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is holding a community meeting Jan. 10 in Ashland to help its Immunization Safety Office prioritize vaccine safety studies beginning in the next five years. Ashland joins Indianapolis and Birmingham, Ala., as three U.S. cities the CDC is tapping to solicit the public's concerns about vaccines. ... National Vaccine Advisory Committee's Vaccine Safety Working Group convenes in Washington, D.C., Feb. 4 to hear the results. Ashland's meeting will take place Saturday, Jan. 10, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Ashland Middle School commons. Registration and a continental breakfast begin at 8 a.m. and lunch and refreshments will be provided. ... The CDC hopes for about 75 attendees, and people must register in advance by calling facilitator The Keystone Center at (800) 219-6670 or going online to www.keystone.org/registration/ashland. For more information, including a link to the draft scientific research agenda, go to www.hhs.gov/nvpo/nvac/publicengagement.html."

* ►December 27, 2008 - Selection of Tom Daschle to be New HHS Secretary May Signal Significant Changes at FDA - President Elect Obama's choice for HHS Secretary, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, is sending chills up the spines of drug industry executives who have enjoyed years of effective decisional control at the Food and Drug Administration. - NewsBlaze.com

►December 27, 2008 - NJ health officials delay cutoff for vaccinations - Cherry Hill Courier Post

►December 27, 2008 - Let's find one point of agreement among autism advocates - Autism Blog via http://autism.about.com

►December 27, 2008 - Autism in children - The Swazi Observer

►December 27, 2008 - Therapist hopes to open school for autistic children - Brownsville Herald

►December 27, 2008 - Autism sessions go online - Kamloops This Week

►December 27, 2008 - Obama & Celebs Reprimanded for Bad Science - LiveScience.com

►December 27, 2008 - Anti-cancer jab is safe: docs - Straits Times

* ►December 27, 2008 - Facts about immunization - letter - Sioux Falls Argus Leader

* ►December 27, 2008 - Queensland's rising stars - From film to fashion, modelling to music, meet the faces of tomorrow. These under-30 Queenslanders are already making their mark. - The Courier-Mail via www.news.com.au - "Melina Georgousakis, 26 - This young Brisbane scientist is closing in on a vaccine for a bacterium that kills half a million people around the world each year. Part of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research team, she is waging war on group A streptococcus. ... A potential world-first vaccine, designed by the Brisbane-based QIMR team, will enter clinical trials next month."

►December 27, 2008 - Get your free flu jab before it's too late - Fresh calls are being made for elderly people and those at risk to get their flu jab – before it is too late. - Portsmouth News, UK

►December 27, 2008 - Does flu shot prevent stomach flu? - Q. We got ''stomach flu'' but we both had flu shots. A neighbor said we were getting things mixed up. Please explain. H. G., North Miami Beach - MiamiHerald.com

►December 27, 2008 - Bird flu found in poultry in northern Vietnam - Reuters

►December 27, 2008 - Call to protect your children - Crewe and Nantwich Guardian - "Health bosses are urging parents in Crewe and Nantwich to have their children vaccinated as part of a mass project to halt an outbreak of measles."

►December 27, 2008 - Mumps vaccine urged for students - London Free Press - "'We're targeting students between 18 and 25 who may not have received two doses of the MMR vaccine and could be at risk to catch mumps,' Gordon said. "

* ►December 27, 2008 - Aluminum and neuro-degenerative illnesses - WeeksMD

►December 27, 2008 - 5 from Va. contract disease in El Salvador - Richmond Times-Dispatch - "Groups from Pennsylvania and Virginia affiliated with the mission traveled separately on three occasions to the Central American country to renovate a church. Public health investigators believe that while digging, sweeping and cleaning up they were exposed to fungal spores that cause the lung disease histoplasmosis."

►December 27, 2008 - Govt hints at going beyond oral vaccine - Express Buzz

►December 27, 2008 - This American Measles - Bad Astronomy via Discover Magazine

►December 27, 2008 - Shingles vaccine, in short supply, poses problems - The Republican via MassLive.com - "But even though the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended in May that everyone over age 60 should get the vaccine for it, the inoculation has been extremely difficult to obtain regionally and in much of the country. One reason is that the demand for the vaccine, Zostavax, made by Merck & Co., has far outstripped the supply, due to difficulties in making it."

* ►December 27, 2008 - Former governor backs antibiotic limits - Lawrence Journal-World - "Our report and recommendations were met with an enthusiastic reception by the public health and medical communities. In July, the FDA announced that it planned to ban the use — other than for strict, medically limited purposes — of cephalosporin drugs in food animals, effective December 1 of this year. Cephalosporin drugs are a powerful class of antibiotics used to fight infections in people, one of our newest and most effective lines of defense against harmful bacteria. But strangely, just five days before the ban was set to take effect, the FDA, with none of the fanfare that accompanied the original announcement, reversed itself. What changed in less than five months? Certainly the problem hasn’t gone away. It has only gotten worse. Newspapers are full of stories of Americans falling victim to serious infections that are resistant to traditional antibiotic treatments. Just one of them, methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), kills more people in the United States each year than AIDS."

►December 27, 2008 - Scientists Discover Atomic Structure Of Powerful "Molecular Motor" In Virus - MedIndia

►December 27, 2008 - Antibiotics, vaccines aid body's immune system - McClatchy-Tribune via Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

* ►December 27, 2008 - Nutrients can restore good health to HIV patients - www.newswithviews.com

►December 27, 2008 - Drug-injection facility still sparks debate in San Francisco - Oakland Tribune via Inside Bay Area

►December 27, 2008 - Curbing health bills brings different cost - High-deductible insurance cuts premiums, but some fear it leads consumers to skimp on care at their peril. - Minneapolis Star Tribune

►December 27, 2008 - Coca-Cola Rejects FDA Regulations - Health News

►December 27, 2008 - BPA Ruling Reconsidered - InjuryBoard Philadelphia

* ►December 26, 2008 - Brady: The Greatest Gift, One Year Later - Editor's note: One year ago today, we introduced readers to Brady Thompson, a Lindon teenager in hospice care. Brady suffers from a rare, incurable disorder that causes him to have hundreds to thousands of seizures a day -- sometimes grand mal. But he has a remarkable will, not only to live but to live well. In the past 12 months, many people have asked about Brady's condition. Here's an update on Brady, one year later. For those interested, Brady's original story can be found at http://www.heraldextra.com/brady. - Daily Herald via HeraldExtra.com - "Those familiar with Brady's story from a year ago know that his condition presents a huge roadblock to participation in activities common to other boys his age. He started suffering seizures before the age of 4 after receiving his first two sets of immunizations. That doesn't diminish his determination to try. While he can walk with an exaggerated stagger, his seizures -- which can come in many various forms and be as simple as a temporary blank stare -- make it extremely difficult and dangerous for him to move around by himself."

►December 26, 2008 - Guest Commentary: Fund-raiser birthday bash to aid local boy - Wicked Local Wellfleet - "Gov. Deval Patrick was forced to make significant cuts to department budgets across the state, in response to the economic downturn. One of the programs that suffered a great reduction was one jointly funded by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Department of Developmental Services. A family support program to help families who have chosen to keep their developmentally challenged children (under the age of 22) in home-based programming, it acts as “wrap-around” servicing to help the local school system and community from bearing the brunt of costly residential placement."

* ►December 26, 2008 - Activism provides solace for grieving parents - News Courier - "Frankie Milley founded meningitis Angels.org in memory of her son Ryan, who died of meningitis. ... 'Our goal is that all children get a meningitis shot,' said Michelle Elkins. 'We would like it mandatory for every child in Alabama. Our oldest daughter got the shot at 15 and Michelle was scheduled to get the shot at her annual checkup that would have been in March. Menactra and Menomune are two widely used vaccines against bacterial meningitis. 'We recommend that children get vaccinated at the age of 11,' said Michelle. 'We talked to drug representatives at the conference and they said it is not too soon to use as an infant booster.'"

* ►December 26, 2008 - Daiichi Sankyo forms alliance with The Kitasato Institute - Datamonitor via COMTEX via Trading Markets - "Daiichi Sankyo has shown interest in The Kitasato Institute and its next generation recombinant vaccine technology that uses the internationally-respected AIK-C strain measles vaccine as a vector."

►December 26, 2008 - Health unit calls for flu, mumps shots to stay healthy - The Post

►December 19, 2008 - 370: Ruining It for the Rest of Us - This American Life

►December 9, 2008 - Cancer to pass heart disease as No. 1 killer - Reuters

* ►December 2008 - FDA's Midnight Mischief Heightens Mercury Risk to Pregnant Women, Infants - Environmental Working Group

* ►November 25, 2008 - The National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) - Opportunities to Inform Recommendations of the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) Vaccine Safety Working Group - National Vaccine Program Office (NVPO) via HHS.gov - "Public Comment — an opportunity for everyone interested in vaccine safety to comment - Because not every interested individual or group will be able to participate at one of the planned meetings, there will be an opportunity to provide written comments to the NVAC Vaccine Safety Working Group. Planning is ongoing as to how this will be done and additional information will be posted when it is available. The comments that will be sought include people’s concerns about vaccine safety; their values — why some concerns may be more important than others; specific suggestions on the scientific agenda; and any other information, including personal stories. The website is under construction and we will share more information as soon as it is up and running. - NVAC Vaccine Safety Working Group — an open meeting - The NVAC Vaccine Safety Working Group will meet in Washington, DC, on February 4, 2009, to hear the results of the public and stakeholders meeting, and a summary of the written comments. This information will inform their deliberations and recommendations on the ISO scientific agenda. The meeting is open to the public and there will be some opportunity for public comment. Because space is limited, registration will be required. To register, please contact Ms. Kirsten Vannice at HHS’ National Vaccine Program Office (kirsten.vannice@hhs.gov)."

►March 2008 - Use of vitamin D in clinical practice - Alternative Medicine Review via BNET

* ►Brady Thompson -  The Greatest Gift (includes video) - HeraldExtra.com - "Brady received his second set of immunizations, which also produced shivers, on July 13, 1995. In the month and a half between those shots and Brady’s first grand mal, Darrell and Lori noticed an increased clumsiness in their son. He would fall down for no apparent reason, and an occasional bowl would fly off the table while he was eating. 'In retrospect, there were probably dozens if not hundreds of seizures between the immunization date and his first grand mal,' Darrell said. 'We just didn’t understand until after all the forms a seizure can show up as.'"

 

Posted December 26, 2008

 

►January 15, 2009 - Drug Companies & Doctors: A Story of Corruption - The New York Review of Books

* ►December 28, 2008 - Consumer advocates hope watchdog agencies get more bite - The Obama administration is expected to usher in a new era of protection. (requires registration) - Los Angeles Times

* ►December 27, 2008 - Days as widespread killer gone, but scarlet fever is coming back - The Herald, UK - "Scarlet fever was a feared disease in the 19th century, and caused devastating pandemics and high mortality. In the 1860s, the mortality rate from the disease was 972 per million of population. ... But by the beginning of the 20th century, huge strides had been made towards defeating infectious diseases. The swathe of Victorian health measures, providing better housing, cleaner water and effective sewerage systems, tamed most of the epidemics. Nowadays treatment of the disease - typfied by a scarlet rash, sore throat and swollen glands - is with antibiotics, and most people recover in five days."

* ►December 27, 2008 - Drug-resistant flu brings vaccine push - Omaha World-Herald

* ►December 27, 2008 - Don’t take health tips from celebs if you know what’s good for you - The Times, UK - "Both Mr Obama and his rival for the presidency, John McCain, responded to stories about vaccines by highlighting the rise in diagnoses in children of autism. Mr Obama told a campaign rally in April: 'We’ve seen a skyrocketing autism rate. Some people are suspicious that it’s connected to the vaccines. This person included. The science right now is inconclusive, but we have to research it.' In February Mr McCain had remarked on the rise in autism cases, saying that there was 'strong evidence that indicates it’s got to do with a preservative in vaccines'."

►December 27, 2008 - Vintage year for iffy studies and selective reporting - Comment is free via The Guardian, UK

►December 27, 2008 - Scientific illiteracy all the rage among the glitterati - The Independent, UK

►December 27, 2008 - Stars have habit of making nonsense of science - commentary - The Times, UK

►December 27, 2008 - Children at risk - opinion - The Herald, UK - "Today we can fight scarlet fever with antibiotics and the bacteria that causes it has lost some of its virulence. Nevertheless, it should concern us that the number of reported cases of scarlet fever in Scotland is on the rise."

►December 27, 2008 - Geetanjali Krishna: Nobility, with a rider - Business Standard, India - "Anganwadi workers, they said, got paid around Rs 700 per month and the Pulse Polio door-to-door drive gave them the opportunity to make Rs 75 a day over that. 'But you know, most colonies have multi-storeyed buildings and climbing so many stairs has been really hard!' they complained. Also, they said, they weren’t always well-received wherever they went…"

* ►December 26, 2008 - NJ extends deadline for kids' flu shots - Philadelphia Inquirer - "New Jersey parents are getting a holiday gift from the state Health Department: a little longer to get their preschoolers newly mandated flu shots. Instead of the previous deadline of Dec. 31, parents now have until Jan. 14 to get their children who attend licensed child-care centers vaccinated, said Health Department spokeswoman Marilyn Riley."

* ►December 26, 2008 - Age of Autism Awards 2008 Person of the Year: Dr. Bernadine Healy By Dan Olmsted - Age of Autism

* ►December 26, 2008 - Age of Autism Awards 2008 People of the Year Honorees By Dan Olmsted - Age of Autism

* ►December 26, 2008 - Psych Doctor Nemeroff Barred from Emory University Chairmanship after Revelation of Secret Financial Ties to Big Pharma - NaturalNews.com

►December 26, 2008 - Hard work pays off for teen with Asperger's - Two out of every 10,000 children are diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a spectrum of autism. People with Asperger have a lot of the same qualities as those with autism, but are usually higher functioning, which makes many of them unique. - WLS ABC 7 Chicago

►December 26, 2008 - Autism can carry a high cost on Treasure Coast - Many parents struggle to pay for therapy for their children - TCPalm

►December 26, 2008 - Mom posts video on autism awareness - Peterborough Examiner

►December 26, 2008 - When it comes to autism treatments, beware of Christmas "magic" - Autism Blog via http://autism.about.com

►December 26, 2008 - East Brunswick boy writes book on understanding autism for bar mitzvah - MyCentralJersey.com

►December 26, 2008 - Mother convicted of killing girl ordered to pay - AP via Peoria Star Journal via Wandtv.com

►December 26, 2008 - How are babies, infants and young children exposed to mercury poisoning? - InjuryBoard Des Moines

►December 26, 2008 - Autistic kids find focus, friendship - The Newark Advocate

►December 26, 2008 - Asthma cases continue to rise - Greencastle Banner-Graphic

►December 26, 2008 - Somalia: UN agencies launch campaign to boost child survival - UN News Centre - "The Child Health Days campaign, launched yesterday by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in Hargeisa, Somaliland, will include vaccinations against measles, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and polio. The package of preventive care will also include vitamin A supplements, nutritional assessments, de-worming, the distribution of oral rehydration salts and water purification tablets, the promotion of breastfeeding, and tetanus toxoid vaccination of girls and women aged 15 to 49."

* ►December 26, 2008 - The top health stories of 2008 - CNN - "Autism - Debate over the causes of autism continued to rage after a court decided to compensate a family whose daughter developed the disorder after receiving childhood vaccinations."

►December 26, 2008 - Dozens of virus cases reported - AP via Chickasha Express Star - "'RSV is the most common cause of hospitalization in infants under 1 year old,' said Dr. Casey Hester, a pediatrician at OU Medical Center."

►December 26, 2008 - We're winning war on disease - Sunderland Echo

►December 26, 2008 - Bird flu spreading to new areas in Assam - IANS via Economic Times, India
 
* ►December 26, 2008 - Researchers make headway on universal avian flu vaccine - DVM360

►December 26, 2008 - Centre to set up four new labs to test bird flu samples - PTI via The Hindu

►December 26, 2008 - Influenza vaccinations CE - SmartBrief

►December 26, 2008 - FluMist spray free from health department - Augusta Gazette

►December 26, 2008 - City promotes 'greener' Christmas - Fort Scott Tribune - "Redeveloping wildlife areas is not the only way to recycle a Christmas tree. In Toronto, Ontario, a pharmaceutical company is planning to make an influenza medicine by extracting the shikimic acid from the needles."

►December 26, 2008 - Flu-Mist available at no charge to Cass County Area residents - Atlantic News-Telegraph

►December 26, 2008 - Kaohsiung bird flu outbreak controlled - Taiwan Journal

►December 26, 2008 - Pharmacy Pricing Expert Who Predicted 2004 Flu Vaccine Shortage Builds Thriving Consulting Business - University of Mississippi via Newswise

►December 26, 2008 - Grieving dad's deadly virus warning - Shields Gazette - "A father today made an emotional plea to parents to be on their guard against meningitis. The deadly brain bug claimed the life of his 'strapping' 16-year-old son David, from South Shields, on Boxing Day in 2000."

►December 26, 2008 - Heartbreak at Christmas as brain disease kills teenager - The Scotsman

►December 26, 2008 - Scots student Sarah buried on Christmas Eve after dying from meningitis - Daily Record, UK

* ►December 26, 2008 - 58 kids suffer from acute paralysis - The Telegraph, India - "'It has been found out that the children are affected by acute flaccid paralysis and it is not due to polio. It is mandatory for us to check the samples of each and every children affected by paralysis in the region,' said R.K. Sehgal, the district reproductive and child health officer. He said apart from polio, there are several other reasons for being affected by acute flaccid in children. 'A child can fall prey to acute flaccid paralysis if he is administered any wrong medicine by a doctor. In some cases it has been found out that the child fell from a height and through the trauma he was affected by acute flaccid paralysis."

►December 26, 2008 - Child Health Days guard children against polio - UNICEF

►December 26, 2008 - Covariance Network Analysis Predicts Hepatitis Outcomes - Differences in network connections identify hepatitis C patients who respond to antiviral therapy - HealthDay via Modern Medicine

* ►December 26, 2008 - Whooping cough makes a comeback - Most whooping cough cases are diagnosed in teens and adults. - WTVD ABC 11 - "The 11-year-olds, Ileyna and Flori, caught whooping cough in July while away at summer camp. ... The girls had had all their childhood vaccines but had just turned 11 and had not yet had the booster. While they were convalescing at home, a notice arrived from the middle school the girls would attend in August, explaining that the Tdap booster was required before enrolling."

►December 26, 2008 - Health officials confirm cases of whooping cough - Columbus Telegram

►December 26, 2008 - New diseases threaten Australia - study - AAP via The Australian

►December 26, 2008 - Homeland Security Wants to Build Bio-Defense Lab in Kansas - Environment News Service

►December 26, 2008 - Zimbabwe Humanitarian Crisis Includes Hunger, Cholera, HIV/AIDS - Voice of America

►December 26, 2008 - 14th case of West Nile virus found in Pennsylvania - The Patriot-News via PennLive.com

►December 26, 2008 - Metapneumovirus infections seen widespread in adults - Archives of Internal Medicine via Reuters India

►December 26, 2008 - Children's Research Triangle helps kids exposed to drugs, alcohol in utero - Chicago-based agency also has clinic near St. Louis to target growing meth problem (requires registration) - Chicago Tribune

►December 26, 2008 - Lucanix: New Cancer Vaccine Being Tested In Phase 3 Trial At U.C. San Diego - InjuryBoard Honolulu

* ►December 26, 2008 - Michigan Researchers Develop Artificial Bone Marrow That Can Produce Real Blood - All Headline News

* ►December 26, 2008 - Palm Beach drug injury lawyer-Susan Ramsey-alerts FDA issues suicide warning - press release - Susan B. Ramsey via Justice News Flash

►December 26, 2008 - BioMS May Give Lilly $5 Billion Cure for Expiring Drug Patents - Bloomberg

►December 26, 2008 - FDA approves Allergan's drug for longer eyelashes - Reuters

►December 26, 2008 - Synthetic Chemicals in Baby Bottles - HealthNewsDigest.com

►December 26, 2008 - FDA Issues Complete Response Letter to GlaxoSmithKline for Eurand's EUR-1048 - GlaxoSmithKline Responds to Complete Response Letter - press release - Eurand N.V. via Globe Newswire

►December 26, 2008 - Viruses Reported in Philippines Pigs - World Organization for Animal Health via Pork Magazine

►December 26, 2008 - U.S. horse semen may carry disease - Canwest News Service via The Province via Canada.com

* ►December 25, 2008 - The oral polio vaccine is safe - editorial - The Hindu - "Ever since four infants died in Tamil Nadu’s Thiruvallur district after they were vaccinated against measles in April 2008, there has been some apprehension about the safety of vaccination. More recently, the death of three children in Tamil Nadu and one child in Karnataka following oral polio vaccination served as grist to the rumour mill. The outcome in Tamil Nadu, according to public health officials, was panic that led many parents to refuse to get their children vaccinated. What is clear is that the polio vaccination had nothing to do with the deaths, which were by other medical causes."

* ►December 25, 2008 - Best Christmas Ever - Adventures in Autism

* ►December 25, 2008 - Free Defeat Autism Now! Conference Lectures at Autism Research Institute - Age of Autism

►December 25, 2008 - GCCHD: Not too late for flu shot - Xenia Gazette

►December 25, 2008 - Expansion of Clinics Shapes Bush Legacy (requires registration) - The New York Times

►December 25, 2008 - Ministry of Public Health takes another  stride towards the reduction of infant mortality rate by introducing Heamophilus influenza type B (HIB) vaccine into the routine Expanded Program of Immunization (EPI) - GAVI and Islamic Republic of Afghanistan invest 16.9 million USD for introduction of HIB for next year - Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan via ReliefWeb

►December 25, 2008 - Weight Loss Pill Warnings Issued by FDA - The FDA warns consumers of possible dangers connected to using some diet pills primarily sold online. - press release - WiredPRNews.com

* ►December 25, 2008 - Bush Administration’s New Rule Curtails Women’s Health Options - TopNews - "Many experts say the new rule could mean that the hospital and clinic workers could refuse to provide birth control and other health services. New York Gov. David Paterson said that this could go beyond reproduction and include vaccinations and HIV/AIDS treatments."

►December 24, 2008 - Doctors issue flu outbreak warning - The biggest flu outbreak for eight years could be on its way, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) warned after a 73% rise in people seeing their doctor with flu-like symptoms. - This is London, UK

►December 23, 2008 - State's first culture-confirmed influenza case matches vaccine - Alexandria Echo Press

* ►December 23, 2008 - Under Grassley’s Glare, Emory’s Nemeroff Gives Up Psychiatry Chair - Wall Street Journal Health Blog - "Nemeroff, a prominent researcher in clinical depression, has been hit by a steady stream of criticism since Grassley (R., Iowa) alleged he failed to disclose hundreds of thousands in payments from GlaxoSmithKline. Emory’s investigation turned up more than $800,000 in income from Glaxo that Nemeroff didn’t report to the university, for more than 250 speaking engagements over six years."

* ►November 2008 - Current childhood vaccine programs: An overview with emphasis on the Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine and of its compromising of the mucosal immune system - Harold E. Buttram, MD - (full text pdf) journal article (Medical Veritas) via VIC Vaccine Injury Coalition

►Defeat Autism Now! Conference October 23-27, 2008 San Diego - Streaming Webcasts and Audio Files - Autism Research Institute via http://autism.com

►Together in Autism (T.I.A.) - website

 

Posted December 25, 2008

 

►December 25, 2008 - Disabled 7-year-old girl Chelsea Maldonado dies after fall from window - New York Daily News - "The wheelchair-bound little girl suffered from autism, was blind in one eye and was bound to a wheel chair."

►December 25, 2008 - BOE's opposition to autism bill 'disappointing'-Sablan - Saipan Tribune

►December 25, 2008 - Japan grants half-million birdflu antiviral Tamiflu pills to Thailand - Thai News Agency MCOT

►December 25, 2008 - It's not too late to get a flu shot - Journal and Courier 

►December 25, 2008 - Health services stretched by flu outbreak - Yourthanet, UK

►December 25, 2008 - Get immunized against influenza - letter - Post-Bulletin

►December 25, 2008 - Immunising Bhutan – with Japan’s help - Kuensel, Buhutan's National Newspaper

* ►December 25, 2008 - Congo government declares Ebola outbreak in south - Reuters South Africa

►December 25, 2008 - Diseases weigh down Uganda - The Independent

* ►December 25, 2008 - Spotlight: Tumor Vaccine Group, Advocates for Cancer Research - Health News

►December 25, 2008 - Black women in the U.S. appear to be shrinking - They're shorter on average than a generation ago, federal study says (requires registration) - Chicago Tribune

►December 25, 2008 - Consider Kids' Health on Tropical Trips - Make sure shots are up to date and avoid local dangers, expert advises - U.S. News & World Report

* ►December 24, 2008 - Risperdal Payments Result in Conviction for State Meds Official - BNET Pharma Blog - "A Pennsylvania official who took $12,000 in fees and honoraria from Pfizer and Janssen while he was in charge of putting antipsychotics such as Risperdal on the state’s dispensary lists for mental hospitals has been convicted of a “felony conflict of interest.” Steve Fiorello ... , the state’s former director of pharmacy for the Office of Mental Health, faces five years in prison and $10,000 in fines."

►December 24, 2008 - State pharmacist convicted of conflict of interest - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

►December 24, 2008 - AstraZeneca says FDA requests Seroquel information - Reuters

►December 24, 2008 - Guest Opinion: LAW Tort abuse keeping safe drugs from market - Tucson Citizen

* ►December 24, 2008 - Mike and The Cane Tree: An apple tree helps change a life - The Everett Herald via MSNBC - "On the drive to work one day Mike realized his left leg was so numb he couldn't feel it to work the clutch. He had to look down to lift it onto the pedal. At the doctor's office, he wondered if the numbness was an allergic reaction to a tetanus shot. No. It was multiple sclerosis. While MS is classified as an auto-immune disease, to Heather, it's really a disease of the unknown. Unknown cause. Unknown future. Unknown timeline."

►December 24, 2008 - After four House terms, Peterson ready to 'come home' - The Ohio House District 2 representative, who addressed school funding and autism while in office, will return to his roots as county treasurer. - Delaware News

►December 24, 2008 - Sanofi-Aventis and Novozymes collaborate to develop new antibiotic - France-based Sanofi-Aventis has signed a global licensing and collaboration agreement with Denmark-based biotechnology company Novozymes for the development and marketing of a potential new antibiotic. - Pharmaceutical Business Review

►December 24, 2008 - Whooping cough rates climb - Courier-Journal via Detroit Free Press - "Linda Horsman of Hikes Point, Ky., said her son David, 4, was fully immunized but still woke up on a recent night with what his doctor feared could be whooping cough."

►December 24, 2008 - Cases of whooping cough on the rise - Carroll County Comet

►December 24, 2008 - Mumps exposure suspected - Asheville Citizen-Times

►December 24, 2008 - Predicting pandemics: HealthMap.org tracks emerging hot spots in real time - PhysOrg.com

►December 24, 2008 - Elderly Ormskirk and Skelmersdale residents encouraged to have flu jab - Ormskirk Advertiser

* ►December 24, 2008 - Fears of flu crisis after poor take-up of free jab - London is facing a potential flu crisis over Christmas and New Year, figures show today. - This is London

* ►December 24, 2008 - Jaya indulges in false propaganda against DMK Govt: Minister - PTI via The Hindu - "Charging the State government with inefficeny, Jayalalithaa had yesterday demanded an assistance of Rs five lakh to the families of six children who died allegedly after being administered polio drops on December 21."

►December 24, 2008 - Polio rumours hit health workers - Express Buzz - "'Senior medical officer are now accompanying the health workers. They are also taking their children for demonstrations. All this aims to gain people’s confidence in the immunisation programme,' said Dr Sanjeev, a community health worker in Davangere district."

►December 24, 2008 - China donates 500,000 US dollars to Zimbabwe for cholera: report - AFP via Yahoo!

►December 24, 2008 - Equine owners urged to maintain health program - West Nile, strangles among diseases that can be avoided - Capital Press

►December 24, 2008 - Autism priorities for 2009: your opinions please - Autism Blog via http://autism.about.com

* ►December 23, 2008 - FDA Drug Warning: Anti-Seizure/ "Mood Stabilizers" Increase Risk of Suicide Attempts - Alliance for Human Research Protection

►December 23, 2008 - AVII: FDA Clearance of IND Applications for Marburg and Ebola Virus Products - Trading Markets

►December 23, 2008 - DMO clarifies Polio vaccine reports - Express News Service via Express Buzz

►December 23, 2008 - Polio still prevalent in Bihar - Merinews

►December 23, 2008 - Flu strain found can be treated with Tamiflu - The Star Herald

►December 22, 2008 - Flu outbreak: highest Christmas level for a decade - The Times, UK

* ►December 22, 2008 - Did the FDA Miss Signals on a Troubled Heart Drug? - Firm Says Recalled "Digitek" Not at Fault - The Center for Public Integrity

►December 22, 2008 - Big response to anti-cancer jab advice - Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News, UK - "Health experts say 93% of 12-13-year-old girls in Halton have received their first dose of vaccine against cervical cancer. And the second round of jabs is now under way, with 63% receiving the follow-up dose."

►December 22, 2008 - Fear of polio still haunting millions in Bihar - IANS via Thaindian.com

►December 22, 2008 - Surprising find could lead to better manufacturing options for cancer-fighting antibodies - MIT News

►December 22, 2008 - Top health predictions for 2009 - Tampa Wellness Examiner via Examiner.com

►December 21, 2008 - Cambodian Survives H5N1 Bird Flu Virus: Official - 19-Year-Old Man Weathers Virus That Has Killed Seven Cambodians Since 2005 - Reuters via ABC News

* ►January 18, 2004 - Cabinet Written Statement (doc) - Title: National Public Health Service Report Into An Adverse Reaction To A BCG Immunisation In Aberystwyth - http://wales.gov.uk - "A BCG vaccination session was held in Ysgol Penweddig on the morning of 16th November, 2004. 118 students were vaccinated, of whom one had an anaphylactic reaction, and 12 others had minor reactions.   The student who had an anaphylactic reaction required ventilatory support and was admitted to Intensive Care.   Ten other students were admitted to a general ward for observation - of whom 7 were discharged in the evening, and the other 3 were discharged the following morning."
Posted December 24, 2008
December 25, 2008 - DCGI checks clinical trial data on Wyeth’s pneumonia vaccine- Economic Times, India - "The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has scrutinised the clinical trial data of the advanced pneumonia vaccine developed by the US-based pharmaceutical firm Wyeth, that caused the death of an Indian infant during trials. ... Wyeth could be blacklisted if it was found to have flouted the norms while conducting the clinical trials. 'While we already suspended trials for the vaccine, negative audit results may cease approval for further clinical trials by the same investigator,' he added. 'We want to take very strict action. Our drug inspectors have done the audit of the centre where clinical trials were conducted for Wyeth’s 13-strain variant pneumococcal vaccine. Further action will be taken based upon the outcome of our investigation,' Dr Singh said."

* ►December 25, 2008 - Health dept to work harder on pulse - Times of India - "In April, when three children died after taking the measles shot, the health department had a tough task of revising the procedures and making vaccinations available only at primary health centres and stopping village health workers from administering shots without the presence of a doctor. Now, the health department is evolving strategies to overcome the adverse situation following rumours of children dying after swallowing two drops of the vaccine."

►December 25, 2008 - Independent audit of global child immunizations urged - The News International, Pakistan

* ►December 25, 2008 - Baxter International awaits results on flu vaccine trials - Seasonal flu study outcome expected in 2nd quarter (requires registration) - Chicago Tribune - "The Deerfield-based medical-products giant, which has been working for years to modernize the production of vaccines, said it will report final stage results of PreFluCel in the second quarter of 2009. Unlike the traditional decades-old, egg-based production used by other flu vaccine-makers, Baxter uses a cell-based technology that can produce vaccines quicker and in large quantities."

* ►December 25, 2008 - Autism can't tear twin brothers apart - St. Petersburg Times via Tampabay.com - "Anthony buckles his brother into the van and turns on a Sesame Street video. Ask him again why he's so devoted to Ryan and at first he doesn't want to talk about it. A moment passes while he looks out the window. Finally he says, 'I think about it all the time.' He hands his brother the sippy cup. 'I mean, we're twins. I could have been him.'"

* ►December 24, 2008 - Merck Focusing on Combination Vaccine - Manufacturer Stops Sales of Monovalents for Measles, Mumps, Rubella - AAFP News Now - "Merck spokeswoman Amy Rose said MMRII accounts for 98 percent of the company's volume for measles, mumps and rubella vaccines, compared to just 2 percent from monovalent vaccines Attenuvax (measles), Mumpsvax (mumps) and Meruvax (rubella). 'The combination vaccine is what's recommended, and it's such a significant portion of the orders we see,' said Rose. 'It's in the best interest of public health to make more of that rather than dedicate manufacturing capacity to monovalents.' ... Doug Campos-Outcalt, M.D., M.P.A., who serves as the AAFP's liaison to the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and is a former member of the AAFP Commission on Clinical Policies and Research, said Merck's decision was insignificant in terms of public health. He added, however, that some parents likely will be unhappy. 'The use of the single antigen is pretty limited,' he said. 'There's no harm if you need one in getting all three. There are some parents out there that want a delayed vaccine schedule. They want the vaccines spread out over a longer period of time and not so many at once. That's a lot of hooey. Alternative schedules have never been proven to be superior.'"

* ►December 24, 2008 - Man-made SARS virus spreads fear - The Canberra Times - "US scientists have created a synthetic SARS-like virus, sparking fears about the increasing ease with which bioweapons could be created in test tubes. The bat virus, engineered to infect mice, is the largest replicating synthetic organism ever made. The director of Australia's National Centre for Biosecurity, Professor Ian Ramshaw, said the move signalled a new wave of problems in biosecurity. 'They were allowed to create a new virus without absolutely knowing how dangerous it might be,' Professor Ramshaw said. 'It's getting very, very easy now to make these things in the test tube.'"

* ►December 24, 2008 - Polio rumour mongers to be booked - PTI via The Hindu - "Tamil Nadu Government has directed its health department officials to lodge complaints against those who spread rumours during the first phase of pulse polio immunisation programme in the state on Dec 21."

* ►December 24, 2008 - CTI Science Foundation Where Autism Treatment Meets Generosity - Age of Autism

* ►December 24, 2008 - Child Warriors: Luca, Jackson and Bennett - Age of Autism

►December 24, 2008 - Health Q&A: Autism, dairy not scientifically linked - Beaumont Enterprise

►December 24, 2008 - Out-of-control teens with autism may need emergency intervention - SmartBrief

►December 24, 2008 - Autism spectrum disorder in young children - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

* ►December 24, 2008 - New Regulations Allow Pharmacists to Administer Certain Immunizations - Healthcare Association of New York State

►December 24, 2008 - Bird Flu Outbreak Detected in Bangladesh - Voice of America

►December 24, 2008 - Bangladesh Culls Fowl After Bird Flu Outbreak, Reuters Reports - Bloomberg

* ►December 24, 2008 - Influenza Survey Shows 'Sobering' Results - Vast Majority of Adults Polled Forgoing Vaccination - AAFP News Now - "Continuing to offer immunizations throughout the winter also could help physicians avoid having leftover vaccine. The AAFP's 2008 immunization survey found that 44.1 percent of respondents had leftover vaccine after the 2007-08 influenza season. Of those, 62.3 percent said they had 1-10 percent of their supply remaining, and 18 percent had 11-20 percent of their supply left over."

►December 24, 2008 - Sixty doses of flu vaccine left - White County News-Telegraph

►December 24, 2008 - Christmas shoppers urged to stock up on flu drugs - Doctors are urging people to stock up with flu medication this afternoon, amid fears that winter bugs could overwhelm NHS services over the festive period. - The Telegraph, UK

►December 24, 2008 - Still time to get flu shots before peak season - Denver.YourHub.com

►December 24, 2008 - Flu jab reminder to high-risk patients - Malton & Pickering Mercury, UK

►December 24, 2008 - The flu hits North Carolina - How to protect yourself - Shelby Star

►December 24, 2008 - First Washoe flu case confirmed - Reno Gazette-Journal

►December 24, 2008 - Screening of passengers for flu called a success - The process aims to prevent the spread of infectious diseases - Honolulu Star-Bulletin

►December 24, 2008 - University of Michigan physician, official David Dickinson dies - obituary - The Ann Arbor News via MLive.com - "At a time when many people were scared of polio disease, Dr. David Dickinson of Ann Arbor didn't shy away from caring for polio patients."

►December 24, 2008 - Thanksgiving-Christmas 1951 as remembered by a five-year-old - Plainview Daily Herald - "In 1951 doctors knew very little about polio. Nobody knew how it spread, and the public was frightened by the mere mention of the word. Parents were afraid to send their kids to schools, public pools were closed, and movie theaters were empty. Our doctors knew little, but our nurses weren't afraid, so we received loving, if inadequate care."

►December 24, 2008 - Admiring Bill Gates - O'Reilly Radar

►December 24, 2008 - Chittenango boy thankful for blood donations (includes video) - NewsChannel 9 WSYR - "Juliann has a tough time talking about her son; two years ago she almost lost him to a rare disorder that attacks his immune system -- it's called Common Variable Immune Deficiency."

►December 24, 2008 - Vietnam Battles HIV Epidemic with US Aid - Wall Street Journal

►December 24, 2008 - Biologists Learn Structure, Mechanism of Powerful 'Molecular Motor' in Virus - AScribe Newswire

►December 24, 2008 - Paladin Labs Acquires ViRexx with Bankruptcy Financing - TMCNet.com - "The lead Chimigen hepatitis B vaccine has completed Phase I trials, and Paladin plans to advance a second-generation version through Phase I by 2010. Research on vaccines for hepatitis C also is underway within the program, and Goodman told BioWorld Today Paladin may seek partners to develop vaccines for additional applications such as avian flu."

►December 24, 2008 - Toddlers and vitamins: 'nutritional insurance' - Newsday

►December 24, 2008 - Diagnosis of food allergy in kids more common than a decade ago - The Virtual Medical Centre

►December 24, 2008 - Premature births are biggest risk for infant mortality - The Tennessean

►December 24, 2008 - Rate of Unnecessary C-Sections Far Lower Than Thought (requires registration) - HealthDay via Washington Post

►December 23, 2008 - Solihull girls well armed against cervical cancer - Solihull Care Trust

►December 23, 2008 - Many children still at risk of measles - Crewe Chronicle

►December 23, 2008 - Pandemic preparing - Woodbury Bulletin

►December 23, 2008 - Officials declare mild flu season; plenty of vaccines available - El Paso Times

►December 23, 2008 - Seattle biotech Kineta funds research step by step - Biotech startups are known for burning through huge piles of cash as they do expensive research in hopes of one day hitting the jackpot... - Seattle Times

►December 23, 2008 - Watching our kids in 2009 - Akron Beacon Journal via Ohio.com

►December 23, 2008 - Ebola-Reston virus detected in pigs in Philippines: UN - AFP via Yahoo!

►December 23, 2008 - Illegal blood banks sealed - The News International, Pakistan

►December 23, 2008 - For HIV Survivor, a Passion for Prevention (requires registration) - Washington Post

►December 23, 2008 - Open Your Eyes To Autism March Launched - London UK - The One Click Group - "AUTISM AWARENESS MARCH www.openyoureyestoautism.com LONDON Saturday 28th March 2009. 2pm"

►December 23, 2008 - Daily News: FDA Partners with WebMD - Nurse.com

* ►December 23, 2008 - Nobel official defends disputed China trips - Swedish prosecutor opens investigation into alleged bribery of jurors - AP via MSNBC

►December 22, 2008 - Ky. HPV researchers tackle similar manatee disease - Lexington Herald-Leader via Kentucky.com

►December 22, 2008 - Dr Richard Horton and the Wakefield MMR Vaccine Affair - The One Click Group

►December 22, 2008 - 604069 children administered polio drops in Shimla - PunjabNewsline.com

►December 22, 2008 - Andrea Sarvady: From the left - Top woman: Co-discoverer of HIV - Tucson Citizen

►December 22, 2008 - Department of Health (National) - High HPV vaccination coverage already achieved - News Distribution Service, Department of Health UK

►December 22, 2008 - Questions & Answers on the EU Mercury Strategy - 7thSpace Interactive

►Annual Influenza Vaccine Declination (MANDATORY) (pdf) - Scottsdale Healthcare via http://shc.org
Posted December 23, 2008
►December 24, 2008 - N.J. officials meet with vaccine choice group - Examiner via http://examiner.gmnews.com - "As a follow-up to the recent Vaccination Choice Rally in Trenton, a group of parents who believe their children have been injured by vaccines got a chance to meet with Heather Howard of the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS). ... Public pressure has been steadily mounting in support of the parental vaccination choice bill currently in the health committees of the Assembly and Senate. A260/S1071 would provide for a conscientious exemption to mandatory vaccinations. Over 10,000 people have signed a petition in support of this bill."

* ►December 24, 2008 - Polio vaccine vials found dumped outside Bihar hospital - IANS via Thaindian.com - "Early this year, it was reported that some children between eight and 10 years had been recruited to administer polio vaccine drops, but instead of using ice boxes, the children were using their own pockets to store the temperature-sensitive vaccines."

* ►December 24, 2008 - Scuttling vaccination, this politics poses a health hazard - Times of India - "At least 1.5 lakh children were left uncovered by the pulse polio programme on Sunday after a television channel flashed news' of children dropping dead after being administered the vaccine. Health officials and workers are finding it extremely difficult to cover these children in a mop-up operation, as political opponents of the ruling party tried to exploit the situation further. Police have arrested a few AIADMK activists for spreading the rumours."

►December 24, 2008 - Polio panic: 'Media should be responsible' - Times of India

►December 24, 2008 - Flu yet to hit area; still time for shots - Myrtle Beach Sun News

►December 24, 2008 - Editorial: A malaria vaccine? - Business Standard

►December 24, 2008 - When autism hit, Tampa Bay Lightning's Olie Kolzig answered - St. Petersburg Times via Tampabay.com

►December 24, 2008 - Tito breaks the silence - The Times of India - "Despite severe autism and being nearly non-verbal, Tito Rajarshi Mukhopadhyay inspires many through his prolific writing."

* ►December 23, 2008 - The cruel illness that means Josh Edwards can’t eat solid food - Southern Daily Echo, UK - "Josh Edwards, 16, has not eaten for more than two years and doctors doubt he ever will. Severe inflammatory bowel disease has left Josh – who also has autism – unable to tolerate solid food. He survives on a diet of nutrient-rich milk and, after countless hospital visits and years of failed treatments, the teenager’s weight has dropped to just five stone. His mum Heather – who is convinced her son’s problems were caused by the triple MMR vaccination he received as a baby – finds Christmas one of the hardest times of all. 'It breaks our hearts, as food is a major part of the celebrations,' she says."

* ►December 23, 2008 - Is Autism Speaks At War With Itself? By David Kirby - Age of Autism

* ►December 23, 2008 - I Officially Join the Mercury Militia By Kent Heckenlively - Age of Autism

* ►December 23, 2008 - Autism 911: Help for a family in chaos - CNN follows the Bilsons as they try to regain control of their autistic teenage daughter and restore some calm into their chaotic household. The three-part series will appear daily beginning December 24 on CNN's "American Morning," which airs from 6 to 9 a.m. ET. And watch for a followup story on CNNhealth.com on December 26. - CNN

►December 23, 2008 - Free tracking devices offered for mentally-disabled wanderers - Portsmouth Fire Department receives free trackers from NAA - EastBayRI.com - "NAA President Wendy Fournier said this equipment will bring peace of mind to families who care for a loved one with a cognitive disability."

►December 23, 2008 - Treating versus curing autism - two separate goals? - Autism Blog via http://autism.about.com

►December 23, 2008 - Building blocks build communication in autism - WPVI 6abc.com

* ►December 23, 2008 - Research shows why 1960s RSV shot sickened children - Nature Medicine via Reuters UK

* ►December 23, 2008 - Unbelievable Correspondence With CDC About Vaccine Safety - Mercola.com

* ►December 23, 2008 - Valley residents turn to clinical research in down economy - The E.W. Scripps Co. via ABC15.com - "The studies at Dedicated Clinical Research run anywhere from a week up to a year and pay patients as much as $5,000 dollars. 'It's a great way to supplement the income and help science,' added Dr. Engelman. There are drawbacks, however.  Because the drugs are experimental, patients could experience a variety of reactions or side effects."

* ►December 23, 2008 - Medicaid enrollment boosts NM vaccinations - AP via KWES NewsWest9

* ►December 23, 2008 - Is Seattle area a hotbed of anti-vaccine parents? - Seattle Post-Intelligencer Blog

►December 23, 2008 - Lehigh County poised to bring vaccine manufacturer to the region - The Morning Call - "Lehigh County is poised to bring vaccine manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur to the region if a 10-year state tax abatement program is expanded to accommodate them."

►December 23, 2008 - Sanofi plan hinges on tax-free status - Vaccine manufacturer looking to expand to Upper Saucon Twp. - The Morning Call

* ►December 23, 2008 - Did an angel save girl from dying in hospital? - Disabled teen recovered after glowing image appeared on monitor (includes video) - Today Show via MSNBC

►December 23, 2008 - No charges in 30-year ordeal of Anti-D victims - Irish Independent

* ►December 23, 2008 - Lawsuits will target Gardasil - Sioux Falls Argus Leader

►December 23, 2008 - Government to fast-track HPV vaccine programme - Catch up HPV vaccinations for girls aged 13-17 will begin next year, the Government has announced. - Pulse, UK

* ►December 23, 2008 - High HPV Vaccination Coverage Already Achieved In England - Medical News Today

* ►December 23, 2008 - Nabi Biopharmaceuticals Reaches Special Protocol Agreement With FDA for NicVAX(r) Phase 3 Trial Protocol - press release - Globe Newswire

* ►December 23, 2008 - Top 10 Health Stories and Medical Breakthroughs of 2008 - A man is cured of AIDS. A salmonella outbreak is hard to pinpoint, and a stem cell breakthrough that could lead to cures for some of the most confounding illnesses are just a few of the top health stories and medical breakthroughs of the past year. - FOX News

* ►December 23, 2008 - The Top 10 Unfounded Health Scares of 2008 - American Council on Science and Health - "8. Vaccines cause autism ... The Bottom Line: Not only are childhood vaccines safe, they are necessary to protect both individual children and the larger population from dangerous diseases. Despite the ever-present nature of this scare, parents should trust their children’s pediatricians and comply with the recommendation that every child be fully vaccinated by the age of two."

* ►December 23, 2008 - Feinstein, Boxer lead pollution inquiry - Both senators have directed staff to investigate Beachwood. - Merced Sun-Star - "Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein have both directed their staff to inquire into groundwater pollution by a subsidiary of pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. and its connection to the sickness of local residents."

►December 23, 2008 - First cases of flu reported in Burke - Morganton News Herald

►December 23, 2008 - Virus 'stretching hospital staff' - Visitors to Bath's Royal United Hospital (RUH) are being asked to stay away after an outbreak of norovirus. - BBC

* ►December 23, 2008 - Colds and flu remain mysterious - It is the time of year when coughs, colds and flu seem to spread like wildfire. - BBC - "Next year, Professor John Oxford, an expert in virology from Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry, in London, will lock volunteers in a hotel for a week, deliberately infect some with the flu virus, and wait to see what happens. 'To start with, we'll take 15 volunteers, with no immunity to the particular flu virus and infect five of them,' he said. 'Using CCTV, we'll keep an eye on them and look for patterns of transmission.'"

* ►December 23, 2008 - Glaxo Prepares Work Force For Worst-Case Flu Scenario - Dow Jones via EasyBourse.com - "Glaxo's plan includes providing antiviral drugs and pandemic-related vaccines to up to 435,000 people in 137 countries. That represents Glaxo's more than 100,000 workers, plus their families and key suppliers such as the farmers who provide eggs used to make vaccines."

* ►December 23, 2008 - Howard County offering free flu vaccine (requires registration) - Baltimore Sun - "Howard County health officials will be giving out 1,000 doses of the FluMist Intranasal Vaccine. ... The vaccine was donated by the National Association of County and City Health Officials and MedImmune."

►December 23, 2008 - Half of surveyed adults say they won't get flu shots - Newsday

►December 23, 2008 - DoD Releases Unified Command Plan 2008 - news release - US Department of Defense

►December 23, 2008 - Flu cases seen by GPs head for nine year high after 75 per cent rise in a week - Flu cases are heading towards the highest rate for nine years after increasing by more than 75 per cent in a week. - The Telegraph, UK

►December 23, 2008 - Flu jab advice for at-risk groups - People at risk of developing complications from influenza have been advised to get vaccinated against the infection. - BBC

►December 23, 2008 - Caution with cold and flu drugs - letter - Houma Courier

►December 23, 2008 - Innovative vaccines get EMEA panel approval - FierceVaccines

* ►December 23, 2008 - Influenza vaccination among healthcare workers in a multidisciplinary University hospital in Italy - BMC Public Health via 7thSpace - "Despite strong recommendations, influenza vaccination coverage seemed to be very low among HCWs of all specialties, with differences between areas and types of employment."

►December 23, 2008 - Vandals attack Suplico tarps in Northern Iloilo towns - News Today Online - "The free Hepa-B vaccination program has since been implemented smoothly in Northern Iloilo towns. The 'tarp-attack' happened at the height of the controversy generated by the over P23 million cash gift for Iloilo's volunteer barangay health workers."

* ►December 23, 2008 - Chaos rules in Bangalore after polio vaccine rumour - India Today

* ►December 23, 2008 - Doctor opposes polio vaccination - The Statesman - "The father of the child is a homeopath surgeon in Ichhapur locality of Kendrapara town. The man argues that his child was being administered homeopathic drugs to counter polio virus which is totally unnessary."

►December 23, 2008 - Call to vaccinate children against measles - Chester Chronicle

►December 23, 2008 - Whooping cough increase spurs call to update shots - Spring Hope Enterprise

* ►December 23, 2008 - A bloody and awful saga - editorial - Irish Independent - "The true depth of suffering of the women infected with hepatitis C through a contaminated blood product may never be fully understood. Among the many health misadventures of recent years, this stands out as the worst of all. Hard to believe that the awful saga is now more than 30 years old. It has robbed more than 40 women of their lives and has overshadowed the lives of hundreds of others. About 1,000 women were infected with hepatitis C in maternity hospitals. They had been given a blood product to prevent them having blue babies."

►December 23, 2008 - 16 year-old dies from meningitis - Derry Today

►December 23, 2008 - Meningitis case reported in Umatilla County - Walla Walla Union-Bulletin

* ►December 23, 2008 - Child with meningitis slowly getting better - Tampa Bay Newspapers, Largo Leader - "Tina said her daughter had vaccinations but the strain of bacterial meningitis virus is a type the medical team had never seen before."

►December 23, 2008 - Tragic death of Oundle School pupil - An upper-sixth pupil from Oundle School has died from Meningococcal Septicaemia whilst on a school trip in Russia. - Northants ET, UK - "Thomasin Purbrook (known as Thommy), an upper-sixth form boarding pupil at Oundle School, was admitted to the Botkinskaya Hospital in St Petersburg on 18 December with a meningococcal disease which has now been diagnosed as meningococcal group B."

►December 23, 2008 - A-level student dies after contracting meningitis on school trip to Russia - An "exceptional" A-level student has died in a Russian hospital after contracting meningitis on a school trip, it emerged yesterday. - The Telegraph, UK

►December 23, 2008 - Teenager fronts meningitis campaign after losing mum - The Scotsman

►December 23, 2008 - Joy for parents as meningitis boy takes first steps on new legs - Daily Mail, UK

►December 23, 2008 - Family to launch meningitis drive - PA News via Channel 4 News - "A family told of their heartache after meningitis killed their daughter 'like a bolt out of the blue'. Lisa Richardson died from the devastating brain bug five years ago when she was just 19."

►December 23, 2008 - California Must Extend Medi-Cal to HIV-Positive Poor - Bloomberg

* ►December 23, 2008 - Where Things Stand: Formaldehyde Problems Remain Unresolved - ProPublica

►December 23, 2008 - Reduction in antibody gene rearrangement in B cells related to type 1 diabetes, lupus - University of Pennsylvania via PhysOrg.com

►December 23, 2008 - New details from the genomic forensic analysis - Anthrax Vaccine -- posts by Meryl Nass, M.D.

►December 23, 2008 - Disaster drill measures emergency response - Dahlonega Nugget

►December 23, 2008 - FDA approves sBLA for BioThrax - FierceVaccines

►December 23, 2008 - Paladin completes acquisition of ViRexx (requires registration or subscription) - Toronto Star - "Paladin said its goal is to seek partners for the future development of the ViRexx AIT and T-ACT technology platforms for developing cancer treatments, while concentrating its own efforts on the Chimigen platform for Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C vaccines."

►December 23, 2008 - The lights of my life - Mail & Guardian - "Anyway, as the Christmas lights blinked away, my wife Michelle and I took baby Tadana to a local clinic, about 3km from where we live. We were shocked to find that were no nurses except for an old lady at the front desk. She informed us that the clinic had no stock of vaccines, and that we had to make our own plan to get baby Tadana vaccinated."

►December 23, 2008 - Edwards Lifesciences To Start Disclosing Payments To Doctors - Dow Jones via CNNMoney.com

►December 23, 2008 - FDA Warns Abbott Over Ad For Psoriasis Drug Humira - Dow Jones via CNN Money

►December 23, 2008 - Gene variation may boost Plavix risk - FiercePharma

►December 23, 2008 - FDA Calls Diet Coke Plus 'Misbranded' - FDA's Letter to Coca-Cola Isn't About Any Health Risks; Coca-Cola Stands By Its Label - WebMD

►December 23, 2008 - Free Vitamin A Capsules For 200,000 Babies - Peace FM online

* ►December 23, 2008 - Important Cod Liver Oil Update - Mercola.com

* ►December 23, 2008 - FDA to Reconsider Plastic Bottle Risk (requires registration) - The New York Times

►December 23, 2008 - So Is Fish Safe to Eat or Not? - editorial (requires registration) - The New York Times

►December 23, 2008 - FDA Warns About Weight Loss Products - Agency says more than 2 dozen contain dangerous ingredients not listed on label. - HealthDay via ABC News

►December 23, 2008 - U.S. FDA warns Haemonetics over quality control - Reuters

►December 23, 2008 - Some egg donors report symptoms - United Press International

►December 23, 2008 - Center for Disease Control Weighs in on Used Tissue Sales on eBay - AuctionBytes.com

►December 23, 2008 - Chickens rule the roost in Newton - Newton TAB

►December 22, 2008 - Mass hysteria grips Karnataka - Express News Service via Express Buzz

►December 22, 2008 - FDA approves shortened anthrax-vaccine course - CIDRAP News

►December 22, 2008 - New research lights up chronic bacterial infection inside bone - Scientists use live animal imaging to study chronic Listeria infection harbored in bone marrow - The Company of Biologists via Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News

►December 22, 2008 - Meningitis case confirmed in Pendleton - EastOregonian.info - "Genni Lehnert, Umatilla County Health Department administrator, said meningococcal meningitis is a serious, but rare, disease that can cause permanent health problems or death. 'It is important to know that 90-95 percent of the people it infects recover with antibiotic therapy,' Lehnert said."

►December 22, 2008 - Confessions of an autism mother: I envy John and Robin Kirton and their six children on the spectrum - Examiner.com

►December 22, 2008 - There's No Shortage Of Vaccine This Flu Season - Tampa Tribune

►December 22, 2008 - Researchers find chink in the armor of viral 'tummy bug' - Research Australia via EurekAlert!

►December 22, 2008 - Health Worker Densities and Immunization Coverage in Turkey: a panel data analysis - Human Resources for Health via 7thSpace

* ►December 22, 2008 - Many of family's possessions lost to mercury - The Press-Enterprise - "The mercury contamination was discovered after her son, Jerry, 14, took about six ounces of it to King Middle School to show his friends. By the end of the day, the school was quarantined. All 950 students were checked for contamination and found to be safe. Hepler, her husband and seven children were taken to a hospital to be checked for poisoning."

►December 22, 2008 - Hester Launches Vaccine For Chicken - RTTNews

* ►Review of Priorities in the National Vaccine Plan - SAVE THE DATE Third National Stakeholder Meeting, February 2, 2009 National Academies of Science Keck Center 500 5th Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 - Institute of Medicine - "The 2008 Draft Strategic National Vaccine Plan is now available on the Department of Health and Human Services  National Vaccine Program Office website (click here to view--by clicking this link you are leaving the IOM website and will be directed to the HHS website).  To submit comments about setting priorities in the National Vaccine Plan, please send an email to vaccineplan@nas.edu."