Posted December 31, 2008

 

►February 2009 - Oseltamivir-Resistant Influenza Viruses A (H1N1), Norway, 2007–08 (pdf) - journal article (Emerging Infectious Diseases)

* ►January 15, 2009 - Using Surveillance to Evaluate Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness (free full text) - journal article (The Journal of Infectious Diseases)

* ►January 15, 2009 - Effectiveness of Inactivated Influenza Vaccines Varied Substantially with Antigenic Match from the 2004–2005 Season to the 2006–2007 Season (free full text) - journal article (The Journal of Infectious Diseases)

* ►January 15, 2009 - Component-Specific Effectiveness of Trivalent Influenza Vaccine as Monitored through a Sentinel Surveillance Network in Canada, 2006–2007 (free full text) - journal article (The Journal of Infectious Diseases) - "Of 166 participants immunized, 134 (81%) presented with ILI within 0–4 days after onset, 21 (13%) presented within 5–6 days, and 11 (7%) presented at 7 days, compared with 597 (88%) of 675 unvaccinated individuals who presented with ILI within 0–4 days after onset, 65 (10%) who presented within 5–6 days, and 13 (2%) who presented at 7 days. There was no significant difference in the timeliness of medical visit by age group or presence of chronic condition."

* ►January 15, 2009 - Antibody Persistence after 2-Dose Priming and Booster Response to a Third Dose of an Inactivated, Adjuvanted, Whole-Virion H5N1 Vaccine - journal article (The Journal of Infectious Diseases)

* ►January 15, 2009 - A Novel Neuraminidase Deletion Mutation Conferring Resistance to Oseltamivir in Clinical Influenza A/H3N2 Virus - journal article (The Journal of Infectious Diseases)

►January 15, 2009 - Phenotypic and Genotypic Characteristics of Persistent Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia In Vitro and in an Experimental Endocarditis Model - journal article (The Journal of Infectious Diseases)

►January 15, 2009 - Role of mgrA and sarA in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Autolysis and Resistance to Cell Wall–Active Antibiotics - journal article (The Journal of Infectious Diseases)

►January 15, 2009 - Impact of Short-Course Quinolone Therapy on Susceptible and Resistant Populations of Staphylococcus aureus - journal article (The Journal of Infectious Diseases)

►January 15, 2009 - Congenital Toxoplasmosis and Reinfection during Pregnancy: Case Report, Strain Characterization, Experimental Model of Reinfection, and Review - journal article (The Journal of Infectious Diseases)

►January 15, 2009 - Bacterial Colitis Increases Susceptibility to Oral Prion Disease - journal article (The Journal of Infectious Diseases)

* ►January 2, 2009 - Recommended Immunization Schedules for Persons Aged 0 Through 18 Years --- United States, 2009 - MMWR/CDC

►January 2, 2009 - Notifiable Diseases/Deaths in Selected Cities Weekly Information (51st week) - MMWR/CDC

►January 2, 2009 - Notifiable Diseases/Deaths in Selected Cities Weekly Information (52nd week) - MMWR/CDC

►January 2, 2009 - Reduced Hospitalizations for Acute Myocardial Infarction After Implementation of a Smoke-Free Ordinance --- City of Pueblo, Colorado, 2002--2006 - MMWR/CDC

►January 2, 2009 - Campylobacter jejuni Infection Associated with Unpasteurized Milk and Cheese --- Kansas, 2007 - MMWR/CDC

►January 2, 2009 - QuickStats: Mean Percentage Body Fat,* by Age Group and Sex --- National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, United States, 1999--2004 - MMWR/CDC

►January 1, 2009 - Polio: ‘Nigeria worst hit country in 2008’ - The Punch, Nigeria

* ►January 1, 2009 - Immune control of an SIV challenge by a T-cell-based vaccine in rhesus monkeys - journal article (Nature)

►January 1, 2009 - MIG (CXCL9) is a more sensitive measure than IFN-γ of vaccine induced T-cell responses in volunteers receiving investigated malaria vaccines - journal article (Journal of Immunological Methods)

►January 1, 2009 - Communicating Medical News — Pitfalls of Health Care Journalism (free full text) - journal article (NEJM)

►January 1, 2009 - Does the Trojan Horse Have an Achilles' Heel? - journal article (NEJM)

►January 1, 2009 - Pediatric Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (book review) - journal article (NEJM)

►January 1, 2009 - Saving Sickly Children: The Tuberculosis Preventorium in American Life, 1909–1970 (book review) - journal article (NEJM)

* ►January 2009 - Rotavirus Genotype Distribution after Vaccine Introduction, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - journal article (Emerging Infectious Diseases)

* ►January 2009 - Isolation of Bordetella avium and Novel Bordetella Strain from Patients with Respiratory Disease - journal article (Emerging Infectious Diseases)

* ►January 2009 - Imported Case of Poliomyelitis, Melbourne, Australia, 2007 - journal article (Emerging Infectious Diseases)

►January 2009 - Polyomaviruses KI and WU in Immunocompromised Patients with Respiratory Disease - journal article (Emerging Infectious Diseases)

* ►January 2009 - WU Polyomavirus in Fecal Specimens of Children with Acute Gastroenteritis, China - journal article (Emerging Infectious Diseases)

* ►January 2009 - School Closure to Reduce Influenza Transmission - journal article (Emerging Infectious Diseases)

►January 2009 - Human Infection with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus (H5N1) in Northern Vietnam, 2004–2005 - journal article (Emerging Infectious Diseases)

►January 2009 - Personal Protective Equipment and Risk for Avian Influenza (H7N3) - journal article (Emerging Infectious Diseases)

►January 2009 - Avian Influenza Virus (H5N1) in Human, Laos - journal article (Emerging Infectious Diseases)

►January 2009 - Predicting High Risk for Human Hantavirus Infections, Sweden - journal article (Emerging Infectious Diseases)

►January 2009 - G2 Strain of Rotavirus among Infants and Children, Bangladesh - journal article (Emerging Infectious Diseases)

►January 2009 - Serotype G12 Rotaviruses, Lilongwe, Malawi - journal article (Emerging Infectious Diseases)

* ►January 2009 - Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated With Streptococcus - journal article (Pediatrics)

* ►January 2009 - Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated With Streptococcus: In Reply - journal article (Pediatrics)

►January 2009 - Lactic acid is a potential virulence factor for group B Streptococcus - journal article (Microbial Pathogenesis)

►January 2009 - Clostridium difficile–related Hospitalizations among US Adults, 2006 - journal article (Emerging Infectious Diseases)

►January 2009 - Emerging Mycobacteria spp. in Cooling Towers - journal article (Emerging Infectious Diseases)

►January 2009 - Enhanced Hygiene Measures and Norovirus Transmission during an Outbreak - journal article (Emerging Infectious Diseases)

►January 2009 - Selection Tool for Foodborne Norovirus Outbreaks - journal article (Emerging Infectious Diseases)

►January 2009 - Professional Oversight of Physician Expert Witnesses: An Analysis of Complaints to the Professional Conduct Committee of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, 1992-2006. - journal article (Annals of Surgery)

►January 2009 - Targeting the MHC class II pathway of antigen presentation enhances immunogenicity and safety of allergen immunotherapy - journal article (Allergy)

►January 2009 - Utility of Lumbar Puncture for First Simple Febrile Seizure Among Children 6 to 18 Months of Age - journal article (Pediatrics)

►January 2009 - B-Cell Depletion for Autoimmune Thrombocytopenia and Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia in Pediatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (full text) - journal article (Pediatrics)

►January 2009 - Latent Tuberculosis Diagnosis in Children by Using the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube Test - journal article (Pediatrics)

►January 2009 - Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome–Associated Coronavirus Infection in Toronto Children: A Second Look - journal article (Pediatrics)

►January 2009 - Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: How Much Responsibility Are Pediatricians Taking? - journal article (Pediatrics)

►January 2009 - An Investment in Health: Anticipating the Cost of a Usual Source of Care for Children - journal article (Pediatrics)

►January 2009 - Comparison of T-SPOT.TB Assay and Tuberculin Skin Test for the Evaluation of Young Children at High Risk for Tuberculosis in a Community Setting - journal article (Pediatrics)

►January 2009 - Failure to Predict Hemolysis and Hyperbilirubinemia by IgG Subclass in Blood Group A or B Infants Born to Group O Mothers (full text) - journal article (Pediatrics)

►January 2009 - Evaluation and Management of the Infant Exposed to HIV-1 in the United States - journal article (Pediatrics)

* ►January 2009 - Planning for Health Care Transitions: Results From the 2005–2006 National Survey of Children With Special Health Care Needs (full text) - journal article (Pediatrics)

►January 2009 - Advances in the Treatment of Fragile X Syndrome - journal article (Pediatrics)

►January 2009 - Has Prenatal Screening Influenced the Prevalence of Comorbidities Associated With Down Syndrome and Subsequent Survival Rates? - journal article (Pediatrics)

►January 2009 - Models of Comprehensive Multidisciplinary Care for Individuals in the United States With Genetic Disorders - journal article (Pediatrics)

►January 2009 - Mucopolysaccharidosis I: Management and Treatment Guidelines - journal article (Pediatrics)

►January 2009 - Inhaled Corticosteroids and Asthma Control in Children: Assessing Impairment and Risk - journal article (Pediatrics)

►January 2009 - How Well Can Hospital Readmission Be Predicted in a Cohort of Hospitalized Children? A Retrospective, Multicenter Study - journal article (Pediatrics)

►January 2009 - An unusual cause of allergy: Case report of normal saline solution allergy - journal article (The American Journal of Emergency Medicine)

►January 2009 - Predicting Stuttering Onset by the Age of 3 Years: A Prospective, Community Cohort Study - journal article (Pediatrics)

►January 2009 - School Absenteeism, Health Status, and Health Care Utilization Among Children With Asthma: Associations With Parental Chronic Disease (full text) - journal article (Pediatrics)

►January 2009 - Juggling Work and Breastfeeding: Effects of Maternity Leave and Occupational Characteristics (full text) - journal article (Pediatrics)

►January 2009 - Data from three sources show HPV4 vaccine safe (requires subscription) - AAP News

►January 2009 - Tainted milk scandal • Melamine scare highlights need for thorough exams of all internationally adopted children (requires subscription) - AAP News

►January 2009 - Highlights of 2009 immunization schedules (requires subscription) - AAP News

►January 2009 - You paid how much? • Studies uncover wide variations in vaccine prices, reimbursement (requires subscription) - AAP News

►January 2009 - What’s wrong with the health care system for insured adolescents? (requires subscription) - AAP News

►January 2009 - Family Affair • Experts differ on whether benefits outweigh risks of providing influenza vaccine to parents (requires subscription) - AAP News

►January 2009 - AAP delegation works to strengthen AMA focus on child health issues (requires subscription) - AAP News

►January 2009 - Merck updates status of hepatitis A, MMR vaccines (requires subscription) - AAP News

►January 2009 - Recommended immunization schedule for persons aged 0 through 6 years (requires subscription) - AAP News

►January 2009 - Recommended immunization schedule for persons aged 7 through 18 years (requires subscription) - AAP News

►January 2009 - Catch-up immunization schedule for persons aged 4 months through 18 years who start late or who are more than 1 month behind (requires subscription) - AAP News

►January 2009 - Vaccination coverage among adolescents (requires subscription) - AAP News

►January 2009 - Obama’s first 100 days offer opportunity to promote AAP agenda (requires subscription) - AAP News

►January 2009 - Adhering to vaccine schedule is best way to protect children from disease (requires subscription) - AAP News

►January 2009 - Pharma councils bring together pediatricians, vaccine manufacturers (requires subscription) - AAP News

* ►December 31, 2008 - Age of Autism Awards 2008 Galileo Award: Dr. Andrew Wakefield - From the Roman to the Wakefield Inquisition By Mark Blaxill - Age of Autism

* ►December 31, 2008 - End era of mercury fillings - op-ed - The Times of Trenton via NJ.com

* ►December 31, 2008 - Merck Stops Producing Vaccines Without Cells From Babies Killed in Abortions - LifeNews.com - "'Merck's separate dose for rubella, Meruvax, uses aborted fetal cell lines and taints the entire MMR II vaccine,' Debi Vinnedge of the pro-life group Children of God for Life tells LifeNews.com. 'The separate doses of Attenuvax (measles) and Mumpsvax (mumps) use chick embryo. Without these separate doses for measles and mumps, there will be no moral alternative for parents,' Vinnedge says. Merck spokeswoman Amy Rose said the decision to eliminate the monovalent vaccines was made for both financial and health reasons. ... Vinnedge's group issued Merck a letter on Tuesday asking the company to reconsider its decision."

* ►December 31, 2008 - Sinovac Announces that Government Investigation Rules Out Healive's Role in Child's Death - Autopsy Results Show the Death was Caused by Myocarditis - press release - Sinovac Biotech Ltd. via PRNewswire-Asia

* ►December 31, 2008 - Harvard Psychiatrist Must Suspend Clinical Trials Over Conflicts - InjuryBoard.com - "Dr. Biederman will stop working on clinical trials paid for by industry for the time being, while Massachusetts General Hospital probes allegations, made by Sen. Charles Grassley, that Biederman didn’t adequately reporting more than $1.6 million in funding he received from the pharmaceutical industry, primarily Johnson & Johnson (J&J)and Eli Lilly."

* ►December 31, 2008 - Sun Sets on Drug-Company Pens in Doctors’ Offices - Wall Street Journal Health Blog - "While trinkets may be a thing of the past — memorialized on sites like Drug Rep Toys — the debate over their power isn’t over. Of course, the money spent on tchotchkes don’t come close to sums drugmakers pay doctors for research, consulting or to give speeches. But those who frown on them say even the nominal gifts items influence docs. Their patients also notice the trinkets — and the names of the drugs on them — as they sit in the waiting room or on the examining table."

* ►December 31, 2008 - FDA blocks Biopure trial (requires registration) - Boston Globe - "The Food and Drug Administration blocked the US Naval Medical Research Center from launching a clinical trial to see whether Biopure's product, Hemopure, could successfully be used to treat casualties when traditional blood transfusions are unavailable, Biopure said late Tuesday."

►December 31, 2008 - Pricing, Regulation Squeezed Drug Industry in 2008 (requires registration) - The New York Times

►December 31, 2008 - Dubious Drugs, Tainted Foods Top 2008's Health Stories (requires registration) - HealthDay via Washington Post

►December 31, 2008 - Drug maker pays Nebraska $2.6M in settlement - AP via Forbes - "Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning has announced drug maker Cephalon has paid more than $2.6 million to the state to settle allegations of off-label marketing of three pharmaceutical products."

* ►December 31, 2008 - GlaxoSmithKline spent nearly $2M lobbying in 3Q - AP via Forbes

* ►December 31, 2008 - Novartis spent almost $1.4 million lobbying in 3Q - AP via Forbes - "Novartis ... lobbied on bills designed to ensure the government has a sufficient stockpile of influenza vaccine in case of an outbreak, and that the government helps pay for vaccines for seniors, children and uninsured adults. The company makes flu vaccine, as well as vaccines against rabies, meningitis and several childhood illnesses."

* ►December 31, 2008 - Esophageal cancer linked to osteoporosis drugs - Reuters, UK

►December 31, 2008 - Wackosphere's To Do List: - Age of Autism

►December 31, 2008 - Celebrities Blog In The New Year For UNICEF - For the final 12 days of 2008, UNICEF’s celebrity ambassadors and supporters have been blogging on their site about the impact UNICEF Inspired Gifts are having on children around the world. - Look To The Stars

►December 31, 2008 - Year End Message From The NHF - The One Click Group

►December 31, 2008 - Flu level 'higher than expected' - Northern Ireland is experiencing a higher than expected level of flu cases, the deputy chief medical officer has said. - BBC

►December 31, 2008 - Study hints at pneumonia risk with resistant flu viruses - CIDRAP News

►December 31, 2008 - Shenzhen says no further bird flu infections after infant case - Xinhua via China View

* ►December 31, 2008 - You're Never Too Old for a Flu Shot - Death rates and complications plummet for immunized seniors, study found - HealthDay via U.S. News & World Report

* ►December 31, 2008 - A Shot in the Arm for Novartis' Pipeline - Vaccines may not be as sexy as cures for major diseases, but they're still big business for big pharma. - The Money Times - "Vaccines are unsung heroes of pharmaceutical companies. They contribute nicely to the revenue stream: Novartis' vaccines and diagnostic business posted a 20% year-over-year increase in revenue to $1.27 billion during the first nine months of the year, for instance. But, because they prevent diseases rather than cure them, vaccines aren't as sexy and don't garner as much attention as they probably should. It might be time for Foolish investors to take a second look."

* ►December 31, 2008 - State Notes Risk Of Sticks from Flu Vaccine Syringes - Safety.blr.com - "Cal/OSHA is making healthcare employers and employees aware of the sale of pre-filled syringes with fixed needles containing Fluvirin. Manufactured by Novartis, it is one of the 2008 seasonal flu vaccines. Cal/OSHA says the needles do not have engineered sharps-injury protections. The needles cannot be removed and replaced with products containing sheaths or shields."

* ►December 31, 2008 - Drug-Resistant Flu Linked With Pneumonia, Norwegian Doctors Say - Bloomberg

►December 31, 2008 - Merck settlement plays role in land preservation - Dec. 19, 2008 was the day that something good was born from something bad. Settlement on the Angus Tract - a 98-acre section of the 450-acre Erdenheim Farm in Whitemarsh Township, occurred on that day - and a third of the $13.5 million purchase was a penalty paid by Merck and Co. Inc. - Montgomery News

* ►December 31, 2008 - Disease Protection—From the Gut - A new study finds that gut microbes may help protect against the onset of type 1 diabetes. - Scienceline

* ►December 31, 2008 - Clinic reports lapses in disinfection - Patients are at minimal risk, health officials say - Las Vegas Sun - "The staff at Specialty Surgicare of Las Vegas, also known as Specialty Surgery Center, realized during a routine maintenance inspection on Dec. 18 that the disinfection cycle on the machine that cleaned the scopes used in colonoscopies and upper-endoscopy procedures was set at one minute instead of five, as the manufacturer recommends."

►December 31, 2008 - Johnson & Johnson recalls pain patches - Asbury Park Press

►December 31, 2008 - Hospitals plead poverty -- should we help them? - The Capital Times

►December 31, 2008 - S.F. to fight bias in health insurance costs - San Francisco Chronicle

►December 31, 2008 - Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada named one of 50 Best Employers in Canada for 2009 -  Company cited for wide range of benefits and a strong commitment to its employees - CNW Telbec

►December 31, 2008 - Lung Cancer Cells Activate Inflammation To Induce Metastasis - University of California - San Diego, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS via ScienceDaily

►December 31, 2008 - Scientists Make Strides Toward Defining Genetic Signature Of Alzheimer's Disease - Cell Press, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS via ScienceDaily

►December 31, 2008 - CDC: Heart attacks drop after smoking ban - United Press International

►December 31, 2008 - Anthrax case confirmed near Del Rio - Bandera County Courier

►December 31, 2008 - BLM: Birth control effective for wild horses - AP via Powell Tribune via LocalNews8.com - "Alan Shepherd, a BLM wild horse specialist in Cheyenne, says the drug lasts one to three years and is at least 80% effective. He says the method slows growth of the horse population from 20% a year before vaccination to around 10% a year after vaccination."

►December 30, 2008 - New Jersey extends vaccine deadline - Parents of pre-schoolers in New Jersey have a few extra weeks to get their kids vaccinated against the flu and pneumonia. - AP via ABC Local WPVI Philadelphia

* ►December 30, 2008 - Behavioral Directions, LLC, an autism consulting firm presents seminar on Reducing Challenging Behaviors in Children at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on January 8, 2009 - I-Newswire

►December 30, 2008 - Clustering of serotypes in a longitudinal study of Streptococcus pneumoniae carriage in three day care centres (pdf) - journal article (BMC Infectious Diseases)

►December 30, 2008 - The co-chaperone BAG3 regulates Herpes Simplex Virus replication - journal article (PNAS)

►December 30, 2008 - Future bright for K-State’s bioscience center - Ag Journal

►December 30, 2008 - Pa. hospitals go high-tech on infection tracking - AP via KOB New Mexico

►December 30, 2008 - FDA Approves First Nucleic Acid Test to Screen for Additional Types of HIV in Donated Blood and Tissue - FDA

►December 30, 2008 - Hot Docs: Coping With Rising Healthcare Costs, Combating Infectious Diseases - U.S. News & World Report

* ►December 30, 2008 - Incidence of Anaphylaxis in the General Population - The most common inciting agents were foods, insect stings, and medications. - journal article (Journal Watch General Medicine)

►December 30, 2008 - Exercise Is Healthy Option for Kids With Developmental Disabilities - Newswise via Interest!Alert

►December 30, 2008 - Melamine scare challenged DOH - Business Mirror

►December 30, 2008 - Listen up: 11 podcasts for health and nutrition - The lowdown on 11 podcasts featuring information about health, medicine and nutrition. - The Seattle Times

* ►December 30, 2008 - Drug Researcher Agrees to Curb Role (free preview) - Wall Street Journal - "Joseph Biederman, a top researcher on the use of psychiatric drugs in children, agreed to stop participating in several industry-funded drug trials and curb other activities pending the outcome of a Boston hospital's inquiry into his potential conflicts of interest and disclosure obligations."

►December 30, 2008 - New York Times Reports Death of Pharma Kotchkes - Age of Autism

►December 30, 2008 - Father says 'flu' killed 23-year-old son, East Gaston, recent Gardner-Webb graduate - Gaston Gazette

►December 29, 2008 - Notice: Assessment of Annual Needs for the List I Chemicals Ephedrine,Pseudoephedrine, and Phenylpropanolamine for 2009 - Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Justice via www.pharmcast.com

* ►December 29, 2008 - Notice: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Financial Disclosure by Clinical Investigators - Food and Drug Administration, HHS via www.pharmcast.com

* ►December 29, 2008 - Notice: Scientific Workshop To Inform EPA's Response to National Academy of Science Comments on the Health Effects of Dioxin in EPA's 2003 Dioxin Reassessment - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) via www.pharmcast.com

* ►December 29, 2008 - Notice: Solicitation of Nominations for Membership on the National Vaccine Advisory Committee - Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Secretary, Office of Public Health and Science via www.pharmcast.com

►December 29, 2008 - Highly resistant bacteria common in ER workers - Annals of Emergency Medicine via Reuters Health

►December 29, 2008 - Most families want doctors to be candid - American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine via Reuters Health

►December 29, 2008 - Risk Takers, Drug Abusers Driven By Decreased Ability to Process Dopamine - Vanderbilt University via Biocompare

►December 29, 2008 - Moderate drinking can reduce risks of Alzheimer's dementia and cognitive decline - Loyola University Health System via EurekAlert!

* ►December 24, 2008 - Caught in the Psychiatric Net: Meanings and Experiences of ADHD, Pediatric Bipolar Disorder and Mental Health Treatment Among a Diverse Group of Families in the United States - journal article (Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry)

* ►December 23, 2008 - Tier Clinic Study Uses New Type of Flu Vaccine - Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin (NY) via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►December 23, 2008 - Role of flagellin in Crohn's disease: Emblematic of the progress and enigmas in understanding inflammatory bowel disease - journal article (Inflammatory Bowel Diseases)

►December 23, 2008 - Associations between ABCB1/MDR1 gene polymorphisms and Crohn's disease: A gene-wide study in a pediatric population - journal article (Inflammatory Bowel Diseases)

►December 17, 2008 - The efficacy of probiotics in the therapy of irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review - journal article (Gut)

* ►December 16, 2008 - Title: Yeast-based vaccines as immunotherapy (patent) - GlobeImmune, Inc. (Louisville, CO) via www.pharmcast.com

* ►December 16, 2008 - Title: Multi plasmid system for the production of influenza virus (patent) - MedImmune, LLC (Gaithersburg, MD) via www.pharmcast.com

►December 16, 2008 - Title: Polynucleotides encoding recombinant respiratory syncytial viruses expressing immune modulatory molecules (patent) - The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services (Washington, DC) via www.pharmcast.com

* ►December 16, 2008 - Title: Compounds and methods for treatment and diagnosis of chlamydial infection (patent) - Corixa Corporation (Wilmington, DE) via www.pharmcast.com - "The invention also provides vaccines for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes comprising one or more of the disclosed polypeptides and an immunostimulant, as defined herein, together with vaccines comprising one or more polynucleotide sequences encoding such polypeptides and an immunostimulant."

►December 15, 2008 - Susceptibility to Guillain–Barré syndrome is not associated with CD1A and CD1E gene polymorphisms - journal article (Journal of Neuroimmunology)

►December 11, 2008 - AstraZeneca responds to FDA Joint Advisory Committees’ recommendation on SYMBICORT® - AstraZeneca

* ►December 2008 - Our children suffer because our leaders lack knowledge - Idaho Observer - "In the Fall of 2008, the group reformed under the banner of Montana Families for Health Freedom (MFHF). Duffel, a member of MFHF, set into motion a project to offer Dr. Tenpenny’s latest book and DVD combination to all Montana legislators. Tenpenny’s book, "Saying No to Vaccines - A Resource Guide for All Ages" contains a brief history of mandatory vaccination as well as eye opening information on the ineffective and harmful aspects of vaccinations. A letter was sent to all Montana legislators, 150 in all, offering the Resource Guide for free. Twelve legislators have accepted the books and by now have received their copies."

* ►December 2008 - Unmasking Anthrax and Smallpox (full text) - journal article (Emergency Medicine)

* ►December 2008 - Adolescent Vaccination: Coverage Achieved by Ages 13–15 Years, and Vaccinations Received as Recommended During Ages 11–12 Years, National Health Interview Survey 1997–2003 - journal article (Journal of Adolescent Health)

►December 2008 - ACIP recommends pneumococcal vaccine for adult smokers (requires registration) - www.infectiousdiseasenews.com

* ►December 2008 - How to Prevent Harmful Drug Interactions (full text) - journal article (Emergency Medicine)

►December 2008 - HIV may be growing more virulent - New findings indicate the average patient CD4 count at time diagnosis is declining. - www.infectiousdiseasenews.com

►December 2008 - Earlier treatment of patients with HIV may reduce mortality risk (requires registration) - Initiation of treatment at higher CD4 cell counts decreased mortality by 70%. - www.infectiousdiseasenews.com

►December 2008 - C. difficile infection rates may be increasing (requires registration) - www.infectiousdiseasenews.com

►December 2008 - The Top 10 stories of 2008 (requires registration) - www.infectiousdiseasenews.com

►December 2008 - Raltegravir-based regimen may be effective in treatment-naive patients (requires registration) - Raltegravir performed well in head-to-head comparison with efavirenz. - www.infectiousdiseasenews.com

►December 2008 - Bone marrow transplant may have cured AIDS in one patient (requires registration) - Virus has not been detected for more than 600 days in transplant recipient. - www.infectiousdiseasenews.com

►December 2008 - Tuberculosis in elephants: a reverse zoonosis (requires registration) - www.infectiousdiseasenews.com

►December 2008 - AIDS Compendium (requires registration) - Infectious Diseases News gives newsbytes about the rapidly changing world of HIV treatment. -  www.infectiousdiseasenews.com

►December 2008 - Axonal loss and gray matter pathology as a direct result of autoimmunity to neurofilaments - journal article (Neurobiology of Disease)

►December 2008 - Increased expression of T-bet in circulating B cells from a patient with multiple sclerosis and celiac disease - journal article (Human Immunology)

* ►November 25, 2008 - Neural tube defects and herbal medicines containing lead: A possible relationship - journal article (Medical Hypotheses)

 

Posted December 30, 2008

 

* ►January 15, 2008 - Rotarix: A Rotavirus Vaccine for the World - journal article (Clinical Infectious Diseases)

►January 15, 2008 - Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Outcomes of Patients with Isoniazid-Monoresistant Tuberculosis - journal article (Clinical Infectious Diseases)

►January 4, 2009 - Fanatics spread a canard on polio drops - Organiser

* ►January 2009 - Caregivers' Willingness to Pay to Reduce the Number of Vaccine Injections in Infants. - journal article (Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal)

* ►January 2009 - Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae as a Pathogen in Children. - journal article (Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal)

►January 2009 - Streptococcal emm Types in Hawaii: A Region With High Incidence of Acute Rheumatic Fever. - journal article (Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal)

►January 2009 - Continued early onset group B streptococcal infections in the era of intrapartum prophylaxis - journal article (Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal)

►January 2009 - Rhinoviruses Are a Major Cause of Wheezing and Hospitalization in Children Less Than 2 Years of Age. - journal article (Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal)

►January 2009 - Novel Species of Human Rhinoviruses in Acute Otitis Media. - journal article (Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal)

►January 2009 - Commentary: Understanding the Benefits of Pediatric Anti-Retroviral Treatment in Resource-Limited Settings. - journal article (Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal)

►January 2009 - Role of human milk in extremely low birth weight infants' risk of necrotizing enterocolitis or death - journal article (Journal of Perinatology)

►January 2009 - Mode of delivery modulates physiological and behavioral responses to neonatal pain - journal article (Journal of Perinatology)

►January 2009 - Development and Preliminary Evaluation of a Parent-Reported Outcome Instrument for Clinical Trials in Acute Otitis Media. - journal article (Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal)

►January 2009 - Kawasaki Disease in England: Ethnicity, Deprivation, and Respiratory Pathogens. - journal article (Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal)

►January 2009 - Common variants in the NLRP3 region contribute to Crohn's disease susceptibility - journal article (Nature Genetics)

►December 31, 2008 - Flu shots are the best protection from influenza - Atlanticville

* ►December 31, 2008 - Prevention is the best cure for health reform By Julie L. Gerberding - guest column (requires registration or subscription) - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

►December 31, 2008 - Review of thousands of food items leads companies to pull products from shelves (requires registration) - McClatchy / Tribune via Atlanta Journal-Constitution

►December 31, 2008 - HSE warns parents to be alert to signs of meningitis following death in Cork - Irish Times

►December 31, 2008 - Bird flu case revealed as chicken sales resume (requires subscription) - South China Morning Post

* ►December 30, 2008 - Two children die after vaccination in Bihar - IANS via The Hindu - "A 20-day-old boy died on Monday, a day after he was administered DPT and BCG vaccines in Kamrauli village of Darbhanga district, about 200 km from Patna. 'My child died a day after he was administered vaccines by health volunteers,' the boy's unconsolable mother Neetu Devi said. She said that she took the newborn for vaccination after being persuaded by an immunisation campaign, but it cost his life. A two-year-old boy in the same village also died after he was administered the vaccines."

* ►December 30, 2008 - Investigation begins on death of infants due to polio drops - Indopia - "Refuting allegations that the two infants died and many others fell ill after they were administered polio drops and vaccinated for BCG and DPT with a common syringe, Chief health officer Lakhindra Prasad said, 'The infants died due to cold and not due to polio drops.'"

* ►December 30, 2008 - Age of Autism Awards 2008 Journalist of the Year: David Kirby By Anne Dachel - Age of Autism

* ►December 30, 2008 - Deborah Kotz of US News on AAP and Dr. Paul Offit By Kim Stagliano - Age of Autism

* ►December 30, 2008 - Generation Rescue To Change.gov on Autism and Healthcare By Kelli Ann Davis - Age of Autism

* ►December 30, 2008 - Dr. Bob Sears: Smart Vaccine Decisions for Families with Autism By Dr. Bob Sears - Age of Autism

* ►December 30, 2008 - Pediatrician slams vaccine book - Booster Shots Blog via Los Angeles Times - "Sears issued a response in which he expresses surprise at the vitriol and says his position on childhood vaccination does not differ significantly from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Sears says he erred in the book by not distinguishing between good vaccine studies and poor ones but calls the Pediatrics paper 'riddled with selective, misleading, and inaccurate quotes.' The biggest point of contention between the two papers, which can be found on their respective websites, Pediatrics and TheVaccineBook, is whether it's reasonable for parents who are worried about their individual child's safety to postpone or skip some vaccines. Offit and Moser call this strategy an invitation to more community outbreaks of measles, pertussis and mumps. But Sears defends the idea."

* ►December 30, 2008 - Pediatricians Demand Annual Flu Shots for Infants as Vaccine-Pushing Doctors Descend into Extremist Quackery - NaturalNews.com

►December 30, 2008 - Ashland's Low Vaccination Rate Brings Federal Visit - OPB News

►December 30, 2008 - Alternative Vaccine Schedule Criticized - InjuryBoard.com

►December 30, 2008 - Reasons to not delay your child's vaccinations - WWAY NewsChannel 3

►December 30, 2008 - NJ health officials extend vaccine deadline - Newsday

►December 30, 2008 - New Guidelines for Brain Injury - ABC2 News - "'People with traumatic brain injuries may appear to be normal and their symptoms may be mild, but there can be hidden dangers,' said Richard Hunt, MD, Director of the Division of Injury Response at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 'TBI's can also lead to significant, life-long impairments that prevent a person's ability to function both physically and mentally.  These revised guidelines can help ensure that patients with even mild TBI's are identified early and receive the care they need.'"

* ►December 30, 2008 - UW looking for babies for autism study - KING5.com - "University of Washington researchers are looking for infants with an older sibling with autism for a study on the developmental disorder. ... The infants are needed for the $13.25 million Infant Brain Imaging Study of the developmental disorder that affects one in every 150 youngsters."

►December 30, 2008 - Documentary Depicts the End Result of Reversing Autism through Natural Methods - press release - Lynne M. George via Mass Media Distribution LLC

►December 30, 2008 - Treating Autism - 2nd International Biomedical Conference - The One Click Group

►December 30, 2008 - Drive to buy service dog for autistic girl - Maryville Daily Times

►December 30, 2008 - Confessions of an autism mother: I pretend I don’t know from where that tooth grinding is coming - Examiner.com

►December 30, 2008 - SMS teacher develops new, innovative method for teaching children with autism - Kings County Record

►December 30, 2008 - US Government Refuses To Help Gulf War Vets - The One Click Group

* ►December 30, 2008 - Cancer vaccine kicks up controversy in India - IANS via Times of India - "The 15-second commercials seen recently on Indian television urge parents to get their young girls inoculated with the vaccine Gardasil to protect against cervical cancer, the second commonest major cancer in women. What the ad hides, of course, is that the vaccine is mired in a controversy in the United States over its safety and the ethics of administering it to girls as young as nine."

►December 30, 2008 - Harney price talks restore hope for cervical cancer jab - Irish Independent

►December 30, 2008 - Good start to cancer jab campaign - Swindon Advertiser

►December 30, 2008 - Podcast: Cervical cancer vaccine (includes transcript) - MayoClinic.com

* ►December 30, 2008 - Gideon J. Sofer: The FDA Is Killing Crohn's Patients - Science didn't require that I get a placebo. - Wall Street Journal

* ►December 30, 2008 - No Mug? Drug Makers Cut Out Goodies for Doctors (requires registration) - The New York Times - "Starting Jan. 1, the pharmaceutical industry has agreed to a voluntary moratorium on the kind of branded goodies — Viagra pens, Zoloft soap dispensers, Lipitor mugs — that were meant to foster good will and, some would say, encourage doctors to prescribe more of the drugs."

* ►December 30, 2008 - FDA approves new HIV blood test - Screens for two strains of virus less common, yet recently detected in U.S. - AP via MSNBC

* ►December 30, 2008 - Alphavax, Novartis team on herpes vaccine - News & Observer - Triangle biotechnology company AlphaVax signed a $20 million partnership with Swiss drugmaker Novartis to continue developing an experimental vaccine for the cytomegalovirus, a type of herpes virus. ... Considering the target patients -- transplant recipients and teenage girls -- the market for a CMV vaccine could be significant, Huebscher said."

* ►December 30, 2008 - Kentucky settles with drug maker - Business First of Louisville - "Kentucky has received nearly $2.4 million in a settlement with Pennsylvania drug maker Cephalon Inc."

* ►December 30, 2008 - Cephalon will pay Kansas $1.1 million to settle drug-marketing claims - Wichita Business Journal

►December 30, 2008 - $1.2 million to state in drug settlement - Rocky Mountain News

►December 30, 2008 - Report: Anti-Wrinkle Treatment Linked to Serious Birth Defects - An anti-wrinkle treatment that is virtually identical to Botox has been linked to serious birth defects. - FOX News

►December 30, 2008 - Intercell faces delay for FDA decision on encephalitis vaccine - SmartBrief

►December 30, 2008 - GeneThera - 2009 a Year for Opportunity and Growth - an Update to Shareholders - Marketwire via CNNMoney

* ►December 30, 2008 - Revised estimates of influenza-associated excess mortality, United States, 1995 through 2005 (pdf) - journal article (Emerging Themes in Epidemiology) - "Annual estimates for influenza mortality were highly variable from year to year, but they were systematically lower than previously published estimates. The excellent fit of our model with the data suggest validity of our estimates."

* ►December 30, 2008 - Merck spent $1.1M lobbying government in 3Q - AP via MSN Money - "Merck also lobbied the U.S. Trade Representative on protecting drug patents internationally in the July-September period, according to a form filed Oct. 17 with the House clerk's office. Merck, one of the world's top vaccine makers, also lobbied for increased funding for the National Immunization Program, which provides free vaccines to poor children."

►December 30, 2008 - India-Foot-and-mouth vaccinations. - Farminguk.com

* ►December 30, 2008 - Drug manufacturers shouldn't be immune if products cause harm - Merely citing federal approval for some uses doesn't mean all possible ones are protected. - The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram via MaineToday.com

►December 30, 2008 - 1918 Flu Virus Offers Clues to Prevent Pandemics - Consumer Affairs

►December 30, 2008 - For some shingles sufferers, recovery is a long time coming - The Advocate

►December 30, 2008 - More children in need of transplants - The News Tribune

►December 30, 2008 - Wyeth employee wants race discrimination lawsuit to stand - The Journal News

►December 30, 2008 - UT Public Health Researchers Find Link To Severe Staph Infections - University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston via Medical News Today

►December 30, 2008 - Researcher Shows How Cancer Evades The Immune System - Injury Board Honolulu

►December 30, 2008 - Commentary: Your child might not have asthma (blog) - myCentralJersey.com

* ►December 30, 2008 - Hong Kong reports baby has H9N2 virus - CIDRAP News

►December 30, 2008 - Hong Kong-born baby girl contracts mild form of bird flu - AFP via Yahoo!

►December 30, 2008 - Plenty of pediatric flu shots available - The Coloradoan - "Pediatric flu vaccinations usually contain smaller doses and are Thimerosal-free."

►December 30, 2008 - Flu strain resists treatment - The Jamestown Sun

►December 30, 2008 - Natural remedies offer alternative when cold, flu strike - Northwest Herald

►December 30, 2008 - Baby dies, nine seriously ill with Cyprus virus - A baby died and nine other newborns were seriously ill on Tuesday after a suspected outbreak of the rare Legionnaires' disease at a hospital in Cyprus, medics said. - Daily Monitor, Uganda

►December 30, 2008 - Officials: Ebola virus outbreak kills 11 in Congo - AP via International Herald Tribune

►December 30, 2008 - Wyeth submits marketing authorization application for its 13-Valent vaccine - AMEinfo.com

►December 30, 2008 - Meningitis vigilance urged after death of Strabane teenager - Derry Journal

►December 30, 2008 - Nigeria: Measles DREF Operation No. MDRNG005 Final Report - International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) via ReliefWeb

►December 30, 2008 - Leeds parents urged to get their children immunised - Yorkshire Evening Post

►December 30, 2008 - Health unit targets post-secondary mumps in the New Year - LondonTopic.ca

►December 30, 2008 - Pertussis cases increase in Missouri - St. Joseph News-Press

►December 30, 2008 - Two cases of 'whooping cough' reported - KBCI CBS 2

►December 30, 2008 - Whooping cough making a comeback - El Dorado News-Times

►December 30, 2008 - Caring Ambassadors Program Releases "Hepatitis C Choices, 4th Edition" - Marketwire via International Business Times

►December 30, 2008 - Genotype Testing Is Crucial to Course of Therapy for Hepatitis C Patients - AIS Health

►December 30, 2008 - Manufacturing Antibodies Goes Sugar Free - Medgadget.com

►December 30, 2008 - International bright young things - The next generation of economists do their best work somewhere between the field clinic and the dissection room - The Economist - "In one study, Ms Duflo and her colleagues showed that mothers in the Indian state of Rajasthan are three times as likely to have their children vaccinated if they are rewarded with a kilogram of daal (lentils) at the immunisation camp. The result is useful to aid workers, but puzzling to economists: why should such a modest incentive (worth less than 50 cents) make such a big difference? Immunisation can save a child’s life; a bag of lentils should not sway the mother’s decision either way."

►December 30, 2008 - 50 Years On…And the same challenge of making a Revolution - Gamma.cu - "Today, healthcare is free of charge and Cuba has more than 70,000 doctors, providing coverage of one for every 194 inhabitants. Almost 30,000 of them are providing services in over 60 different countries. A national network of more than 700 hospitals and polyclinics has been created. Thanks to a widespread vaccination campaign (every child currently receives vaccines against 13 different illnesses) diseases such as polio, diphtheria, measles, whooping cough, tetanus, rubella, mumps and hepatitis B have been almost entirely eradicated. The infant mortality rate is 5.3 for every 1,000 live births and life expectancy exceeds 77 years."

►December 30, 2008 - Tests turn up toxic toys; Elmo continues to refer to self in third person - Wicked Local

►December 30, 2008 - FDA to conduct speedy review of Northfield's blood substitute (requires registration) - Chicago Tribune

►December 29, 2008 - Karnataka government withdraws cases against TV9 Kannada for polio story - Indiantelevision.com

* ►December 29, 2008 - Tainted Government - How did the Food and Drug Administration let melamine into the U.S. food supply? - Slate

►December 29, 2008 - FDA Approves Eyelash Thickening Drug; Because Thick Eyelashes Are a Top Health Priority in America - NaturalNews.com

►December 29, 2008 - Do you homeschool to avoid vaccines? - Examiner.com

►December 29, 2008 - Food Phosphates Might Spur Lung Cancer (requires registration) - HealthDay via Washington Post

►December 29, 2008 - Confessions of an autism mother: I pretend I don’t know from where that tooth grinding is coming - Examiner.com

►December 29, 2008 - Tickets still available for the Roady's Humanitarian Bowl - Boise police warn drivers of parking, driving issues - Idaho Statesman - "Air force Staff Sergeant Jeremy Kirk, 29, from Hillsboro, Oregon, got a special treat on Monday morning while being treated at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise. ... Colin Kaepernick and safety Uche Anyanwu. Kirk was to be deployed to Iraq a couple days ago with the 366th Civil Engineer Squadron from Mountain Home AFB but developed some complications when his body reacted to the immunizations he was getting."

* ►December 29, 2008 - Rockefeller vows fight on Gulf War syndrome - Charleston Daily Mail

►December 29, 2008 - Bird flu outbreak occurs in northern Vietnam - Xinhua via China View

►December 29, 2008 - Flu and winter bugs cause three-fold rise in visits to GPs - GPs are seeing a three fold increase in patients and are putting on extra surgeries to cope with the surge in flu and winter bugs. - The Telegraph, UK

►December 29, 2008 - Benin: Meningitis DREF Operation No. MDRBJ001 Final Report - International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) via ReliefWeb

►December 29, 2008 - Hard To Treat Diseases (HTDS) Corporate Update - PRNewswire-FirstCall via Reuters

►December 29, 2008 - NovaRx opens Phase III lung cancer vaccine trial in Serbia - NovaRx, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, has opened its pivotal Phase III clinical trial of Lucanix in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer in Serbia. - Pharmaceutical Business Review

►December 29, 2008 - Doctor, Wash Your Hands - editorial - Bangor Daily News

►December 29, 2008 - How politics spreads epidemics, ruins academics - book review - The Guardian, Nigeria - "What sort of book is Epidemics, Academics and Politics by Prof. Idris Mohammed? The author provides answer in his introduction emphasising that this is not an autobiography. Indeed, though it contains some historical accounts of his career even dating back to childhood - it is not designed as a comprehensive record of his life and times."

►December 29, 2008 - Tiny insects have big role in UA research - Professor studies fruit fly brains for genetic insights - Arizona Daily Star

►December 29, 2008 - UNH researcher nearing his goal after 20 years - Union Leader - "University of New Hampshire researcher Thomas Laue is preparing to put a device to market that screens drug candidate proteins to determine if they will work in the body or cause a deadly reaction."

►December 29, 2008 - Common childhood virus packs an increasingly potent punch - Star-Telegram - "Respiratory syncytial virus RSV is the most common cause of pneumonia and bronchiolitis in young children."

►December 29, 2008 - Malaria vaccine proving promising - Researchers are planning phase III trials. - www.ama-assn.org

►December 29, 2008 - Intercell sees U.S. JE vaccine approval early 09 - Reuters via CNBC

* ►December 29, 2008 - Allergic reaction: Food allergies increasing, especially among children - Treatment and management present a challenge for physicians. - www.ama-assn.org

* ►December 29, 2008 - Patient’s DNA May Be Signal to Tailor Medication (requires registration) - The New York Times

* ►December 29, 2008 - Grandparents feel financial pinch of raising special needs child - The Mississauga News

►December 29, 2008 - Running out of patches? Options for fixing the Medicare pay crisis - With a year to go before the next major cut in physician pay, some see signs that a more permanent solution might be in the works. But the challenges facing the process are daunting. - www.ama-assn.org

►December 29, 2008 - Montana court OKs doctor-assisted suicide - A judge ruled that the state's constitution gives mentally competent patients with terminal illnesses the right to seek physician aid in dying. - www.ama-assn.org

►December 29, 2008 - Model law banning silent PPOs could serve as draft for state legislatures - The legislation spells out how to bar unauthorized third-party network rental and allows physicians to deny discounts to insurers they have not contracted with. - www.ama-assn.org

* ►December 29, 2008 - Liability premium outlook improves as many physicians see lower rates - Insurers reported an average 4.3% decrease. Doctors say premiums are shrinking from very high levels. - www.ama-assn.org

►December 29, 2008 - Make children a priority - Star-Banner

►December 29, 2008 - Tech-savvy med students fear life without EMRs - Young doctors trained on technology say they feel less capable if they have to go into an environment that does not have it. - www.ama-assn.org

►December 29, 2008 - Health IT near top of Democrats' agenda for 2009 - Obama confirms Daschle as HHS nominee and places him in charge of White House health reform effort. - www.ama-assn.org

►December 29, 2008 - Defensive medicine widespread among Massachusetts doctors - The state medical society is calling for tort reforms to address costs, access and safety issues associated with medical liability fears. - www.ama-assn.org

►December 29, 2008 - Helping patients who are victims of abuse - What do you say when a patient tells you he or she has been abused? - www.ama-assn.org

►December 29, 2008 - Students whose behaviour causes concern: Ethical perspective - journal article (BMJ)

►December 29, 2008 - Put the tobacco settlement money in smoking cessation - States need to spend more of their tobacco settlement money on cessation and prevention programs. - www.ama-assn.org

►December 29, 2008 - AMA makes sharing prescribing data a matter of choice - A message to all physicians from Joseph M. Heyman, MD, chair of the AMA Board of Trustees. - www.ama-assn.org

►December 29, 2008 - Some 'Volunteer' Their Health to Keep You Healthy - Firstcoastnews.com

►December 29, 2008 - Clockwork That Drives Powerful Virus Nanomotor Discovered - National Science Foundation via ScienceDaily

►December 29, 2008 - All about the human immune system - Abilene Reporter-News

►December 29, 2008 - Antifungal pills could help treat asthma-study - Reuters

►December 29, 2008 - Screening, tobacco control drive cancer declines - Referrals for mammograms and colonoscopies from a patient's medical home are found to boost follow-through. - www.ama-assn.org

►December 29, 2008 - Letters to the Editor - Dr. Davis left us with an important lesson in rediscovering faith in God - Hard times spur sweeping changes - www.ama-assn.org

►December 29, 2008 - News in brief: Health & Science - Patients worry more when conditions are described in medical terms - Flu vaccine effective at half-dose for healthy people younger than 50 - www.ama-assn.org

►December 29, 2008 - News in brief: Government & Medicine - Cover Florida program begins - Budget cuts reducing state health coverage - www.ama-assn.org

►December 29, 2008 - News in brief: Professional Issues - Physicians to receive payments in Blues settlements - www.ama-assn.org

►December 29, 2008 - MRSA Cultures in the Emergency Department (requires registration) - Medscape

►December 29, 2008 - Single fund for African science aid - Cash pool could break power struggles between competing agencies on the continent. - news (Nature)

►December 29, 2008 - Good grades, but who gets the cash? - Britain's Research Assessment Exercise finds excellence more widespread than a focus on elite institutions would suggest. - news (Nature)

►December 29, 2008 - Top Psychiatry Stories of 2008 - We comment on the year's most important developments. - journal article (Journal Watch Psychiatry)

►December 28, 2008 - Rotary run raises revenue to eradicate polio - The Times-Standard

►December 28, 2008 - Flu blues: Docs urge people to vaccinate - Medical experts keep eye on respiratory virus in infants - Corpus Christi Caller-Times

* ►December 28, 2008 - Indiana: Still toxic after all these years - The Bloomington Alternative - "While researching a story for NUVO readers in Indianapolis on the connection between autism and toxic chemicals, I returned to territory familiar from my stint as an environmental writer at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) from 1996-2000. I spent hours analyzing Indiana's Toxic Release Inventory (TRI), a gauge for how polluted Indiana or any other state is."

►December 26, 2008 - State’s first culture-confirmed influenza case matches vaccine - Isanti County News

►December 26, 2008 - The great promise of personalized medicine - The Boston Globe

►December 24, 2008 - Rat embryonic stem cells created (requires registration) - Genetically engineered rats should follow soon, providing new models of human disease. - news (Nature)

►December 24, 2008 - Don’t Starve a Cold of Exercise (requires registration) - The New York Times

►December 24, 2008 - Toxic melamine is suspected in seafood from China - Industry experts and businesspeople in China say that the industrial chemical has been routinely added to fish and animal feed to artificially boost protein readings. (requires registration) - Los Angeles Times

* ►December 22, 2008 - German paediatricians want law changed to make it easier to report child abuse - journal article (BMJ)

* ►December 19, 2008 - USP prof: ‘I’ve never seen such a sea change’ in Pharma - Philadelphia Business Journal

►December 1, 2008 - FDA Discounts Danger From Melamine in U.S.-Made Infant Formula - MedPage Today

►December 2008 - Spectrum of non-inflammatory bowel disease and non-infectious colitis - journal article (World Journal of Gastroenterology)

►December 2008 - Gluten sensitive enteropathy in patients with iron deficiency anemia of unknown origin - journal article (World Journal of Gastroenterology)

►December 2008 - Prevalence of celiac disease in Iranian children with idiopathic short stature - journal article (World Journal of Gastroenterology)

►December 2008 - Diagnosis and management of microscopic colitis - journal article (World Journal of Gastroenterology)

►December 2008 - Disruption of colonic barrier function and induction of mediator release by strains of Campylobacter jejuni that invade epithelial cells - journal article (World Journal of Gastroenterology)

►First It’s Not Safe, and Then It Is! The FDA Position on Melamine May Give Us All a Case of Whiplash - American Association for Health Freedom

►Treating Autism 2nd International Biomedical Conference and Exhibition - Bournemouth International Centre March 12th to 14th 2009. - www.treatingautism.co.uk

 

Posted December 29, 2008

 

* ►Winter 2009 - Racial Differences in HPV Knowledge, HPV Vaccine Acceptability, and Related Beliefs Among Rural, Southern Women - journal article (The Journal of Rural Health)

* ►January 2009 - Oral polio vaccines and their role in polio eradication in India - journal article (Expert Review of Vaccines) - "Poor response to oral polio vaccine by some children from these two states could be due to genetic factors. Thus, for polio eradication in India, inactivated polio vaccine is needed."

* ►January 2009 - IMVAMUNE®: modified vaccinia Ankara strain as an attenuated smallpox vaccine - journal article (Expert Review of Vaccines)

►January 2009 - Use of humanized severe combined immunodeficient mice for human vaccine development - journal article (Expert Review of Vaccines)

►January 2009 - Recent approaches in hantavirus vaccine development - journal article (Expert Review of Vaccines)

►January 2009 - Peptide Nanoparticles as Novel Immunogens: Design and Analysis of a Prototypic Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Vaccine - journal article (Chemical Biology & Drug Design)

►January 2009 - Current progress with Moraxella catarrhalis antigens as vaccine candidates - journal article (Expert Review of Vaccines)

►January 2009 - Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine impact in resource-poor settings in Asia and Africa - journal article (Expert Review of Vaccines)

►January 2009 - Rational Design of a Stable, Freeze-Dried Virus-Like Particle-Based Vaccine Formulation - journal article (Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy)

►January 2009 - Dendritic cell-based human immunodeficiency virus vaccine - journal article (Journal of Internal Medicine)

►January 2009 - Developing an HIV cytotoxic T-lymphocyte vaccine: issues of CD8 T-cell quantity, quality and location - journal article (Journal of Internal Medicine)

►January 2009 - Elite control of HIV infection: implications for vaccine design - journal article (Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy)

►January 2009 - Safety and Immunogenicity of Adenovirus-Vectored Near-Consensus HIV Type 1 Clade B gag Vaccines in Healthy Adults - journal article (AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses)

* ►January 2009 - Cancer vaccines: will we ever learn? - journal article (Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy)

►January 2009 - Randomized clinical studies of anti-tumor vaccination: state of the art in 2008 - journal article (Expert Review of Vaccines)

►January 2009 - Recent Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy with an Emphasis on Vaccines - journal article (Expert Review of Vaccines)

►January 2009 - CD4+ T cells in antitumor immunity: utility of an Ii-Key HER2/neu hybrid peptide vaccine (AE37) - journal article (Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy)

►January 2009 - Future of idiotypic vaccination for B-cell lymphoma - journal article (Expert Review of Vaccines)

►January 2009 - CS-8958, a Prodrug of the New Neuraminidase Inhibitor R-125489, Shows Long-Acting Anti-Influenza Virus Activity - journal article (Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy)

►December 30, 2008 - Workers with chicken pox ok - They were diagnosed only after another worker fell sick and died - The Straits Times

►December 30, 2008 - Good news stories from 2008: Millennium Development Goals - Connect-World

* ►December 29, 2008 - Doctors Debate 'Delayed Vaccine' Schedule - Vaccine Fears Cause Some Parents to Delay Vaccination (includes video) - ABC News - "Sears said he believes many vaccine experts are misinterpreting his work as "anti-vaccine," while his intent in offering an alternative vaccine schedule was to show parents who might not otherwise vaccinate their children at all that they can immunize their children in ways with which they may feel more comfortable. "While Dr. Offit and I share the same opinion on the importance of vaccines, at the end of the day we will have to continue to agree to disagree on one major point: He believes that offering parents the option of an alternative vaccine schedule that spreads out the shots and allows worried parents to vaccinate their babies in a manner they are more comfortable with, will result in lower vaccination rates because it legitimizes these parents' fears about vaccines," Sears said. "I, on the other hand, believe that providing parents who otherwise would not vaccinate at all with a schedule of vaccines that they feel right about for their baby, will encourage such parents to vaccinate."

* ►December 29, 2008 - Flexible Approach to Vaccinations Comes Under Fire - On Medicine Blog via U.S. News & World Report - "The American Academy of Pediatrics rolled out its new immunization schedule for kids in its latest issue of the journal Pediatrics, released today. The big change for this year is a new recommendation for an annual flu vaccine for all kids ages 6 months to 18 years—which follows the new guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Along with this policy statement and numerous research papers, the journal contains a 'special article' that quite frankly shocked me for its one-sided treatment of a very important issue with regard to vaccinations. The article is an attack on doctors who take a flexible approach to vaccinations, working with parents who, say, don't want their 2-month-old to get vaccinated against eight different diseases at once, which is what's recommended on the AAP schedule."

* ►December 29, 2008 - Policy Statement - Recommended Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedules—United States, 2009 Committee on Infectious Diseases (free full text) - journal article (Pediatrics)

* ►December 29, 2008 - New Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Guidelines for Rotavirus Vaccine Allow More Children to Receive Vaccine (free full text) - journal article (Pediatrics)

* ►December 29, 2008 - The Problem With Dr Bob's Alternative Vaccine Schedule (free full text) - journal article (Pediatrics)

* ►December 29, 2008 - Alternative Vaccine Schedule Stirs Debate - Article in Journal Criticizes Popular Book on Timing of Kids' Vaccines - WebMD - "A popular book that presents an alternative vaccine schedule for infants and toddlers is flawed, misguided, and puts children at significant risk of preventable diseases, the journal Pediatrics reports in a harshly-worded article. The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child, by the widely-followed Robert Sears, MD, of Capistrano Beach, Calif., contains recommendations for vaccines that are at odds with those of the American Academy of Pediatrics and is dangerous, Paul Offit, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania's School of Medicine, tells WebMD."

* ►December 29, 2008 - The Vaccine Schedule Debate - On Parenting Blog via Washington Post

* ►December 29, 2008 - Childhood vaccine schedule newly updated (includes video) - NECN.com

►December 29, 2008 - Doctors debate 'delayed vaccine' schedule - Vaccine proponent blasts author of popular book calling for less frequent shots - WPVI ABC 6

* ►December 29, 2008 - Age of Autism Awards 2008 Couple of the Year: Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey By Kim Stagliano - Age of Autism

* ►December 29, 2008 - US to Ashland: Why so many kids without shots? - AP via The Ashland Daily Tidings via The Oregonian via OregonLive.com - "Federal health officials want to know why so many children in Ashland don't get the common vaccinations — more than a quarter of the kindergartners in the school district and about two-thirds of the pupils at two schools. So, Ashland will be among three U.S. cities where the Centers for Disease Control holds a community meeting as it gathers information for its vaccine safety studies."

* ►December 29, 2008 - GMC/Dr Andrew Wakefield MMR Vaccine Trial Resumes - The One Click Group - "Planned dates: 12 – 30 January 2009 This session is expected to last 12 days."

* ►December 29, 2008 - Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma Announces Autism Benefits - press release - Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma via PRNewswire-USNewswire

►December 29, 2008 - Autism and vaccines - #2 health story of the year - Autism Blog via http://autism.about.com

►December 29, 2008 - Autistic Children and The Military - The Cutting Edge News

►December 29, 2008 - Military Families Battle Autism - letters - U.S. News & World Report

* ►December 29, 2008 - Christine Maggiore, vocal skeptic of AIDS research, dies at 52 - Woman and her husband sued Los Angeles County for finding that daughter died of AIDS-related pneumonia. (requires registration) - Los Angeles Times

►December 29, 2008 - Christine Maggiore, prominent HIV skeptic, dead at 52 - L.A. Now Blog via Los Angeles Times

* ►December 29, 2008 - Memorial for the New Year By Cynthia A. Janak - Renew America - "Here are thirty reports of death. You will notice that some say undetermined or unknown in the report and others will say natural causes. This bothers me because if you read every single report completely you will notice that the majority of these girls and young women were healthy initially. This makes me wonder how many young girls and women have died suddenly and the connection to Gardasil was never made?"

* ►December 29, 2008 - Measure could save women's lives - Selma Times-Journal - "State Rep. James Gordon, D-Mobile, has pre-filed a measure in the Alabama House that would require the State Board of Health to provide each parent or guardian of a female student entering the sixth grade information about infection and the immunization against HPV. Further, the measure would require each school that enrolls a sixth grade female to have the parents or guardians furnish to the school by the 20th day of the new school year to provide a written statement to reflect the parent or guardians had received the information; the student has received or is receiving the immunization or the parent/guardian has decided not to have the student’s information handed over to the school."

* ►December 29, 2008 - Cervarix Vaccine Is Safe and Effective in Adolescent Boys - But more data is needed before vaccination recommendations can be made in males - HealthDay via Modern Medicine

►December 29, 2008 - Social Worker Kidnappers Hunt Mother And Child - The One Click Group

►December 29, 2008 - UK Councils Lose Confidential Information On Children - The One Click Group

* ►December 29, 2008 - The Evidence Gap - Genetic Tests Offer Promise of Personalized Medicine (requires registration) - The New York Times

* ►December 29, 2008 - Scientists Isolate Genes That Made 1918 Flu Lethal - University of Wisconsin-Madison via Newswise

* ►December 29, 2008 - US, Japanese Researchers Mix Samples of 1918 Flu Pandemic to Recreate Deadly Code --Compiled by Lori Price - www.legitgov.org

* ►December 29, 2008 - Fewer Human Deaths From Virus Even as It Spreads Among Poultry (requires registration) - The New York Times - "Although there have been no human deaths in India, poultry outbreaks appear to be increasing rapidly. In other countries in this situation, human cases have usually followed. India does not vaccinate poultry. China does, and mismatched vaccines may be to blame for new outbreaks, experts said. Some vaccines were made from H5N2 virus strains, and their ability to protect against H5N1 may have faded."

►December 29, 2008 - Current flu bug may resist Tamiflu medicine - Honolulu Advertiser

►December 29, 2008 - Study shows Type I Diabetes is genetic disease - Rocky Mountain News - "There has been a tremendous increase in Type I diabetes in Colorado and the nation -- a doubling in just the past 25 years, Eisenbarth said. 'It probably has to do with the environment -- something added or taken away over the last 70 years,' he said."

►December 29, 2008 - Largest ever, life saving campaign to reach 1.5 million Somali children - Child Health Days launched to deliver high-impact interventions for children at community level - UNICEF

►December 29, 2008 - Correction - Anthrax Vaccine -- posts by Meryl Nass, M.D.

* ►December 29, 2008 - Zimbabwe cholera deaths pass 1,500 - CNN

►December 29, 2008 - Fighting Cholera In Zimbabwe - Voice of America

►December 29, 2008 - Tainted honey from China tops FDA watch list - San Francisco Chronicle

►December 29, 2008 - China Begins Trials for 9 in Tainted Milk Scandal (requires registration) - The New York Times - "Lawyers in China say that some of the suspects could face long jail terms or even the death penalty. Last year, the head of China’s Food and Drug Administration was executed after being convicted of corruption and regulatory negligence."

►December 29, 2008 - HIV Therapy May Affect Human Papillomavirus - Highly active antiretroviral therapy enhances clearance in women with cervical disease - HealthDay via Modern Medicine

►December 29, 2008 - Dual HIV/TB infection common in S. African infants - Reuters UK

►December 29, 2008 - Ebola strikes Congo again - CIDRAP News

►December 29, 2008 - West Nile virus more active in Washington - Seattle Post-Intelligencer

►December 29, 2008 - Rabies vaccines to be air dropped across Texas - AP via Houston Chronicle

►December 29, 2008 - Viruses, Start Your Engines! - Researchers find what drives one of nature's powerful, nanoscale motors - National Science Foundation

* ►December 29, 2008 - Novartis licenses vaccine candidates from US group - Reuters via COMTEX via Trading Markets - "The deal includes vaccines to prevent Helicobacter pylori infections, a major cause of gastritis that can lead to gastric cancer, and another potential immunisation against neonatal sepsis and meningitis. Novartis will pay AlphaVax $20 million upfront for the investigational CMV programme and also has rights of first negotiation on a preclinical respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) programme."

►December 29, 2008 - Robbed of movement, the dance of life goes on - Struck down by polio in her 20s, June Middleton had to revise her plans, writes Michelle Hamer. - The Age, AU

* ►December 29, 2008 - Clinical Studies in the Crossfire - Proof of efficacy for drugs and its inherent limitations - The Epoch Times

* ►December 29, 2008 - Indecision and delay characterized Bush's OSHA - Houston Chronicle - "In early 2001, an epidemiologist at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration sought to publish a special bulletin warning dental technicians that they could be exposed to dangerous beryllium alloys while grinding fillings. Health studies showed that even a single day's exposure at the agency's permitted level could lead to incurable lung disease."

►December 29, 2008 - Mutations Common To Cancer And Developmental Disorder Examined In A Novel Disease Model - The Company of Biologists via Medical News Today

►December 29, 2008 - Drilling Holes Through Deadly Bacteria's Kevlar-like Hide - To protect themselves from human defenses, disease-causing bacteria have evolved a cell wall made from a nearly impenetrable tangle of tightly woven strands. That’s made it difficult for scientists to see what goes on inside these potentially deadly organisms. But that era is now over. Rockefeller University researchers have now figured out how to drill holes through the Kevlar-like hide of gram-positive bacteria without obliterating them, and in doing so, they’ve made it possible to study, from the inside out, most of the known bacteria on the planet. - Rockefeller University via ScienceDaily

►December 29, 2008 - Immune Cells Implicated In Parkinson's Disease - The Journal of Clinical Investigation via Medical News Today

►December 29, 2008 - Is Inflammation Causing Cancer, Arthritis and Alzheimer's? - We tend to think of inflammation as synonymous with arthritis. However, inflammation can strike anywhere in your body. Harvard-trained Vijay Nair, MD has researched inflammation and found that it can cause diseases no one wants to get, like cancer, arthritis, heart disease, digestive tract diseases, macular degeneration, Alzheimer's disease, and chronic fatigue syndrome. - PRWeb

►December 29, 2008 - Biomedical Researchers Create Artificial Human Bone Marrow In A Test Tube - University of Michigan via Medical News Today

►December 29, 2008 - Infection control important for high-risk patients - Lancet Infectious Diseases via Reuters Health

►December 29, 2008 - FDA Reverses Cephalosporin Ban - National Public Radio (NPR)

►December 29, 2008 - 10pct families in Korea suffer from environmental diseases - ANI via BigNews Network

►December 29, 2008 - Routine prenatal and postnatal care. - Michigan Quality Improvement Consortium via www.guideline.gov

►December 29, 2008 - Prevention and identification of childhood overweight. - Michigan Quality Improvement Consortium via www.guideline.gov

►December 29, 2008 - Treatment of childhood overweight and obesity. - Michigan Quality Improvement Consortium via www.guideline.gov

►December 29, 2008 - Are Merck's Dog Days Over? - Pharma's Market CNBC

►December 29, 2008 - Asthma Inhalers Go Green, But Are More Expensive - All Headline News

►December 29, 2008 - How to Beat Stress and Angst Through Meditation - U.S. News & World Report

►December 29, 2008 - Sniffly Americans skipping cold remedies - If echinacea and vitamin C don't help, how can you fight the common cold? - MSNBC

►December 29, 2008 - Mushrooms not just good, they're good for you - Daily Herald

* ►December 28, 2008 - Delay in phasing out DPT vaccine - The Times of India - "India needs around 25-30 million pentavalent vaccines shot per annum for its immunisation programme but the government is unable to procure enough volumes for the programme, the official added. "The shortage of pentavalent vaccines has become more severe as none of the public sector units are producing them and private players are mostly exporting these vaccines for WHO programmes," he added "

►December 28, 2008 - Rotary run raises revenue to eradicate polio - The Times-Standard

►December 28, 2008 - Man dies from flesh-eating disease - A rare flesh-eating disease has claimed the life of a man in Britain. The 60 year old man Tony Williamson died days after a flesh-eating disease spread through his body from a small cut on the inside of his right arm. - News-Medical.Net

►December 28, 2008 - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: The Basics - Health News

* ►December 28, 2008 - Any parents in Ashland OR, Birmingham AL or Indianapolis IN with Vaccine Safety Concerns? - Adventures in Autism

* ►December 26, 2008 - American Academy of Pediatrics Spokesman Misrepresents The Vaccine Book as “anti-vaccine” in Journal of Pediatrics - AskDrSears, The Vaccine Book - "The Vaccine Book is very pro-vaccine, and I believe that Dr. Offit has greatly misrepresented the book as anti-vaccine. He selectively quotes areas of the book that discuss some negative aspects of vaccines or some parental worries about shots, without revealing the pro-vaccine ideas I also share in such areas to give a BALANCED viewpoint from both sides. The vast majority of criticism I have received on the book has come from ANTI-vaccine activists who were hoping I'd come out against vaccines. That tells me I'm doing my job correctly. But because I present BOTH sides of every argument, Dr. Offit takes that as being anti-vaccine. I respectfully disagree."

►December 26, 2008 - Activists push AIDS funding - Feds urged to form 'catastrophic drug program' - Toronto Sun

►December 26, 2008 - Climate Change May Boost Contact With Pollutants - HealthDay News via The Washington Post

►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. - ABC 7 Chicago News

* ►December 24, 2008 - Vitamin D deficiency common in diabetic kids - Journal of Pediatrics via Reuters Health

►December 24, 2008 - Is serum procalcitonin a reliable diagnostic marker in children with acute respiratory tract infections? A retrospective analysis - journal article (European Journal of Pediatrics)

►December 24, 2008 - Avi BioPharma wins clearance for IND applications of anti-viral drugs - Datamonitor

►December 24, 2008 - Quantifying the risk of neurodegenerative disease in idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder - journal article (Neurology)

►December 24, 2008 - Trampoline-related injuries in childhood - journal article (European Journal of Pediatrics)

►December 24, 2008 - Elk meat recalled due to wasting disease - The Longmont Times-Call

►December 24, 2008 - Our unconscious brain makes the best decisions possible - New research shows human brain computers extremely well, given what it knows - University of Rochester via EurekAlert!

►December 24, 2008 - Video Games Sharpen Minds - Psychology & Aging via Ivanhoe

* ►December 22, 2008 - Multiple sclerosis incidence in the era of measles-mumps-rubella mass vaccinations - journal article (Acta Neurologica Scandinavica)

* ►December 13, 2008 - Measles virus vaccine live/rubella virus vaccine live: Anaphylaxis in infants: 3 case reports - journal article (Reactions)

►December 8, 2008 - Linking Clinical Practices and the Community for Health Promotion - Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality AHRQ

►December 4, 2008 - Demographic data, natural history, and prognostic factors of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in children: A multicentered study from Argentina - journal article (Pediatric Blood & Cancer)

* ►December 2008 - AS04-adjuvanted human papillomavirus-16/18 vaccination: recent advances in cervical cancer prevention - journal article (Expert Review of Vaccines) - "An integrated safety summary of Phase II/III trials has shown that GlaxoSmithKline's HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine is generally safe. Further studies will reveal the full duration and extent of the immune response and protection induced by Cervarix in broad populations and age ranges of women."

* ►December 2008 - Influenza vaccination of healthcare workers, oseltamivir resistance and prepandemic vaccination - journal article (Expert Review of Respiratory Medicine) - "The main topics discussed were the possible mandatory vaccination of healthcare workers against seasonal influenza, the oseltamivir resistance, the pandemic and prepandemic vaccination strategies and the mathematical modeling of a pandemic."

* ►December 2008 - Herd immunity: recent uses in vaccine assessment - journal article (Expert Review of Vaccines)

* ►December 2008 - RotaTeq™: a three-dose oral pentavalent reassortant rotavirus vaccine - journal article (Expert Review of Vaccines)

* ►December 2008 - Development of Vaccine Risk Communication Messages Using Risk Comparisons and Mathematical Modeling - journal article (Journal of Health Communication)

►December 2008 - Tuberculosis vaccines: present and future - journal article (Expert Review of Respiratory Medicine)

►December 2008 - African AIDS Vaccine Programme for a Coordinated and Collaborative Vaccine Development Effort on the Continent - journal article (PLoS Medicine)

►December 2008 - What Is the Future for Global Case Management Guidelines for Common Childhood Diseases? - journal article (PLoS Medicine)

►December 2008 - Model for product development of vaccines against neglected tropical diseases: a vaccine against human hookworm - journal article (Expert Review of Vaccines)

►December 2008 - Pertussis in Latin America: current situation and future vaccination challenges - journal article (Expert Review of Vaccines)

* ►December 2008 - Adverse-event-reporting practices by US hospitals: results of a national survey. - journal article (Quality & Safety in Health Care)

►December 2008 - Development of specific T-cell responses to Candida and tetanus antigens in partial DiGeorge syndrome - journal article (Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology)

►December 2008 - High Functional Diversity in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Driven by Genetic Drift and Human Demography - journal article (PLoS Biology)

►December 2008 - Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in a pediatric population: Analysis of soluble immune markers as risk factors for asthma - journal article (Human Immunology)

►December 2008 - Detection of the relevant type of locomotion in infancy: Crawlers versus walkers - journal article (Infant Behavior and Development)

►December 2008 - No to Negative Data (requires registration) - Why I believe findings that disprove a hypothesis are largely not worth publishing. - The Scientist

* ►December 2008 - What's in your milk? (requires registration) - The hypothesis: Hormones and growth factors in dairy increase cancer risk. - The Scientist

►December 2008 - Feature Battling Bad Behavior (requires registration) - How do you convince people to do what's in their best interest? - The Scientist

* ►December 2008 - Discrimination in Academia (requires registration) - A faculty member and administrator who resigned over conditions at MIT speaks out. - The Scientist

►December 2008 - The Communication Factor EDF and the Toxin–Antitoxin Module mazEF Determine the Mode of Action of Antibiotics - journal article (PLoS Biology)

►December 2008 - Selenium deficiency in celiac disease: risk of autoimmune thyroid diseases. - journal article (Minerva Medica)

►December 2008 - Feature The Longevity Dividend (requires registration) - What should we be doing to prepare for the unprecedented aging of humanity? - The Scientist

►December 2008 - Manna from hell (requires registration) - How a US-Croatian team confirmed that poisoned bread causes a kidney disease endemic to the Balkans - and verified that the same toxic ingredient was in herbal supplements used around the world. - The Scientist

►December 2008 - Animal Defenses against Infectious Agents: Is Damage Control More Important Than Pathogen Control - journal article (PLoS Biology)

►December 2008 - PKMζ Maintains Spatial, Instrumental, and Classically Conditioned Long-Term Memories - journal article (PLoS Biology)

►December 2008 - Diverting a Diet Drug (requires registration) - How did a controversial
 product become the first weight-loss drug to be available without a prescription? - The Scientist

►December 2008 - Effect of electronic prescribing with formulary decision support on medication use and cost. - journal article (Archives of Internal Medicine)

* ►December 2008 - Let’s end this ‘war on autism’ - How the quack industry harms autistic kids by Helene Guldberg - ‘Autistic children are now seen as a burden’ - Dr Michael Fitzpatrick, author of Defeating Autism, talks to Helene Guldberg about how raising a child with autism can be made infinitely harder – emotionally, financially and practically – by the charlatanic ‘war on autism’. - sp!ked review of books

* ►Volume 10 Number 1, 2008 - The immunogenicity and safety of a nicotine vaccine in smokers and nonsmokers: Results of a randomized, placebo-controlled phase 1/2 trial - journal article (Nicotine & Tobacco Research)

* ►July 30, 2008 - Erin Zeller and Benjamin S. Zeller, parents of Benjamin J. Zeller, a minor,  Petitioners, v. Published Secretary of Health and Human Services, Respondent. (pdf) - Office of Special Masters - U.S. Court of Federal Claims - "ENTITLEMENT RULING1 ABELL, Special Master: On 15 February 2006, the Petitioners filed a petition for compensation under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 (Vaccine Act or Act)2 alleging that, as a result of the MMR vaccination received on 17 November 2004, their child, Benjamin, suffered persistent, intractable seizures, encephalopathy, and developmental delay."

 

Posted December 28, 2008

 

* ►January 2009 - Harnessing invariant NKT cells in vaccination strategies - journal article (Nature Reviews Immunology)

►January 2009 - Targeted and armed oncolytic poxviruses: a novel multi-mechanistic therapeutic class for cancer - journal article (Nature Reviews Cancer) - "Approaches include non-replicating gene therapy vectors, cancer vaccines and oncolytic viruses, but the clinical efficacy of these approaches has been limited by multiple factors. However, a new therapeutic class of oncolytic poxviruses has recently been developed that combines targeted and armed approaches for treating cancer."

►January 2009 - The who, how and where of antigen presentation to B cells - journal article (Nature Reviews Immunology)

►January 2009 - Tuning the developing brain to social signals of emotions - journal article (Nature Reviews Neuroscience)

►January 2009 - The biology of Hodgkin's lymphoma - journal article (Nature Reviews Cancer) - "The pathogenetic role for Epstein–Barr virus infection has also been substantiated."

►January 2009 - Pathological and protective roles of glia in chronic pain - journal article (Nature Reviews Neuroscience)

►January 2009 - Brain banking: opportunities, challenges and meaning for the future - journal article (Nature Reviews Neuroscience)

►January 2009 - Newly discovered roles for basophils: a neglected minority gains new respect - journal article (Nature Reviews Immunology)

►January 2009 - The ageing immune system: is it ever too old to become young again? - journal article (Nature Reviews Immunology)

* ►December 29, 2008 - Charges For Vaccines Vary Widely, Study Finds - Morning Edition via NPR

* ►December 28, 2008 - Age of Autism Awards 2008 Mother of the Year: Katie Wright by Mary Webster - Age of Autism

* ►December 28, 2008 - Living with autism is family struggle - The Natchez Democrat - "Three years after Wesley was born the Heatherlys had another child, Carolyne. Since the root cause of autism — which is still unknown — has been rumored to be early childhood vaccinations, the Heatherlys handled Carolyne’s birth differently. She left the hospital — at the objection of her doctor — without all her shots. She later received them on a different schedule than most babies. Carolyne, now 6, is a happy, healthy little girl with no signs of autism and a fondness for the Fancy Nancy children’s books. Two years later, Byrne came along. The Heatherlys repeated the same vaccination schedule they had used with Carolyne. It didn’t work. Byrne’s autism is more severe than Wesley’s."

* ►December 28, 2008 - Autism cases on rise; cause still unknown - The Natchez Democrat - "Gamberi believes her son’s disorder was triggered by a vaccination. 'We’ve had genetic testing done at Tulane Medical Center, and they found nothing,' she said. 'He had the (measles, mumps and rubella) shot, and it was a couple of days later, when he was 18 months old, that he started going backward.' Before the vaccination, Tony was speaking, she said. 'I firmly believe that it has something to do with some of the vaccines.'"

* ►December 28, 2008 - Bosses responding to special needs (requires registration) - Boston Globe - "Slowly, the hidden work-life challenges that parents such as Ezell quietly face are moving onto corporate radar screens. It's partly because the issue is harder to ignore: Nearly 14 percent of kids up to age 17, or about 10.2 million children, have special healthcare needs. And with diagnoses of childhood diabetes, asthma, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other chronic conditions growing, more families are affected."

* ►December 28, 2008 - AstraZeneca's Financial Ties to the Nobel Prize Foundation Raise Suspicions - NaturalNews.com

* ►December 28, 2008 - R.B. Stuart: "Sister Soldier: A Chronicle of Life After Iraq" - Part I - The Huffington Post - "That March, Fran -- a 40 year-old Army Captain-Chaplain -- laid in the Oncology Ward 65. Her mind was stuck on her 14 years as a Chaplain. Within weeks her body felt like, as she described, 'an octopus inside of me wrapping its tentacles around every organ.' This was a rare Stage IV Dysgerminoma Cancer. ... I found it unusual, but as the days unfolded at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, it was far from unusual; for soldiers of all ages were being brought back daily from Iraq with rare forms of Cancer of the colon, lungs, testes and blood. This wasn't in her DNA, she was exposed to something very toxic, a carcinogen, something in the water, something in the vaccine, something in the munitions, something in the food, something in the soil, something in Iraq."

* ►December 28, 2008 - Cervical cancer might be eradicated, doctors say, by using new vaccine - HealthDay via Detroit Free Press - "Family physicians will prove key to resolving parents' worries in the future, says Debbie Saslow, director of breast and gynecologic cancers for the American Cancer Society. 'A doctor's recommendation is the most influential factor in whether a child gets vaccinated or not,' Saslow says. 'It's probably an easy sell for them, but what we've been hearing is that the doctors are making incorrect assumptions about the parents and what they'll accept. If they would put those assumptions aside and just stick to the recommended guideline, the parents will be more accepting.'"

* ►December 28, 2008 - Hib vaccine shortage at military clinics to continue until mid-2009 - Stars And Stripes - "In response to the prolonged shortage of Hib vaccine, Rodewald said, the bacterial meningitis group at the CDC will begin conducting studies next month to determine whether the disease is spreading among American children under 5 years old. ERMC has multiple monitoring and reporting resources in place to track any kind of Hib outbreak or if an Hib case is suspected, Davis said."

* ►December 28, 2008 - Celebrities are Smarter than "Skeptical Scientists" When it Comes to Health Literacy - NaturalNews.com

* ►December 28, 2008 - Unhealthy advice from celebrities - From Madonna's quest to "neutralise radiation" to Tom Cruise's dismissals of psychiatry, celebrities are seldom shy about expressing their views on health and science - even when they appear not to know what they are talking about. - The London Times via The Australian - "Both Barack 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 28, 2008 - 'Tis the season for the flu among friends, family - The Nashua Telegraph

►December 28, 2008 - Derailing diabetes - MCG study looks at genetic risk of disease - The Augusta Chronicle

►December 28, 2008 - Allergies in Adolescents - e-publishing.org.uk

►December 28, 2008 - Oxygen therapy is not totally without basis - Sunday Monitor, UG

►December 28, 2008 - "Marley and Me" showing for special needs families (requires registration) - Tuscon Citizen

►December 28, 2008 - Today is bird flu's birthday - Effect Measure via ScienceBlogs

►December 28, 2008 - Flu expected to worsen as deadly Australian strain hits Europe - Flu outbreaks are expected to intensify in the New Year as a deadly 'Australian' strain of the illness spreads across Britain, European experts have warned. - The Telegraph, UK

►December 28, 2008 - Area hospitals seeing pneumonia, not flu - Anderson Herald Bulletin

►December 28, 2008 -Winter weather stirs up Valley kids' coughs - East Valley Tribune

►December 28, 2008 - Cold, flu season in full swing - Jacksonville Daily News

►December 28, 2008 - Hispanics should consider flu shot - Arizona Republic

►December 28, 2008 - Virus forces Dix Hills assisted living residents to stay in rooms - Newsday

* ►December 28, 2008 - Asthma sufferers must go "green" on inhalers this week - With 2008 drawing close, people with asthma and other respiratory ailments only have a few days before the last of the inhalers that use ozone-depleting chemical disappear from pharmacy shelves and are replaced with new "green" devices. - St. Louis Post-Dispatch via Seattle Times

►December 28, 2008 - ‘HIV testing should be done more than once’ - Malaysia Star

►December 28, 2008 - Hundreds have HIV, many don't know it - Clarksville has 236 confirmed cases, number rising in silence each year - The Leaf-Chronicle

►December 28, 2008 - Woman turns diagnosis of death into fight for life - HIV sent her on journey through shame, education, renewal, now mission to help - The Leaf-Chronicle

►December 27, 2008 - Wisconsin team starts with skin, derives liver cells - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

* ►December 27, 2008 - Baxter Receives EMEA Positive Opinion For CELVAPAN, The First Cell Culture-Based Pandemic Flu Vaccine - Baxter via Medical News Today

►December 27, 2008 - Cases of scarlet fever and whooping cough soar - The Herald, UK

* ►December 27, 2008 - Scientific safety - The Emporia Gazette

►December 27, 2008 - Microbes In The Intestine: Friend Or Foe? - Micro-organisms in the intestine live in symbiosis with humans but can cause illness or even death. Together with an international team, Nicola Harris of ETH Zurich researched the factors that make a person immune to worm infections. The knowledge can now be used to develop vaccines. - Cell Host & Microbe via ETH Zurich via ScienceDaily

►December 27, 2008 - ALS patient to undergo stem cell transplant - Philadelphia Examiner

►December 27, 2008 - They want to be heard clearly - Kids who stutter don’t want to be defined by their speech - North Palm Beach County TC Palm

►December 27, 2008 - Which herb will treat your cold? - Trained pharmacist Margo Marrone founded The Organic Pharmacy in London, which specialises in herbal treatments. Its fans include Claudia Schiffer and Kylie Minogue. Here Margo offers practical knowledge and her organic secrets. - Daily Mail, UK

►December 26, 2008 - Somalia: UN Agencies Launch Campaign to Boost Child Survival - UN News via www.allafrica.com

►December 26, 2008 - FDA Issues Complete Response Letter to GlaxoSmithKline for Eurand's EUR-1048 - GlaxoSmithKline Responds to Complete Response Letter - Globe Newswire via MSNBC

* ►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 - Melamine and the Global Implications of Food Contamination (free full text) - journal article (NEJM)

* ►December 25, 2008 - Shared Genetic Risk Factors for Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease - journal article (NEJM) - "Why does a particular disease develop in some members of a given family, whereas other members fall victim to apparently unrelated conditions? A simple model is that exposure to environmental risk factors in a genetically susceptible host leads to disease."

►December 25, 2008 - Shared and Distinct Genetic Variants in Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease - journal article (NEJM)

* ►December 25, 2008 - Pediatric Anxiety — Underrecognized and Undertreated - journal article (NEJM)

* ►December 25, 2008 - Israeli scientists reverse brain birth defects using stem cells - Israel21c.org

►December 25, 2008 - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Sertraline, or a Combination in Childhood Anxiety - journal article (NEJM)

►December 25, 2008 - Concordance for Islet Autoimmunity among Monozygotic Twins - journal article (NEJM)

►December 25, 2008 - Patient, Heal Thyself: How the New Medicine Puts the Patient in Charge (book review) - journal article (NEJM)

►December 25, 2008 - Living Healthier and Longer: What Works, What Doesn't (book review) - journal article (NEJM)

►December 25, 2008 - Feinstein Institute lets patients try alternative treatments - Newsday

►December 24/31, 2008 - Use of Prescription and Over-the-counter Medications and Dietary Supplements Among Older Adults in the United States - journal article (JAMA)

►December 24/31, 2008 - Birth Weight and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes - journal article (JAMA)

* ►December 24/31, 2008 - US Health Care System Earns Poor Marks - journal article (JAMA)

* ►December 24/31, 2008 - FDA Offices in China - journal article (JAMA)

►December 24/31, 2008 - Child Anxiety - journal article (JAMA)

►December 24/31, 2008 - Physician Autonomy and Informed Decision Making - journal article (JAMA)

►December 24/31, 2008 - FDA: Epilepsy Drugs May Carry Skin Risks for Asians - journal article (JAMA)

* ►December 24/31, 2008 - The Physician as Public Health Professional in the 21st Century - journal article (JAMA)

►December 24/31, 2008 - Insurance Parity and the Use of Outpatient Mental Health Care Following a Psychiatric Hospitalization - journal article (JAMA)

►December 24/31, 2008 - Pharmacology - JAMA 100 years ago - journal article (JAMA)

►December 24/31, 2008 - Human Dignity and Bioethics: Essays Commissioned by the President’s Council on Bioethics (book review) - journal article (JAMA)

►December 24/31, 2008 - Medicine, Religion, and Health (book review) - journal article (JAMA)

►December 24/31, 2008 - Delirium - journal article (JAMA)

* ►December 24, 2008 - BCG vaccination in children Universal BCG in the UK again? - journal article (BMJ)

* ►December 24, 2008 - Commentary: The balance between marketing and safety - journal article (BMJ)

* ►December 24, 2008 - Pharmacist Convicted Over Conflicts Of Interest - Pharmalot

* ►December 24, 2008 - Massachusetts Biotech Chief Fined $10K Over Ethics - Pharmalot - "The state’s Ethics Commission imposed the fine on a former top economic development aide to Governor Deval Patrick for secretly pursuing the presidency of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council last year while using his state job to help develop tax breaks and other incentives that were crucial to the industry trade group, The Boston Globe reports."

►December 24, 2008 - The Pharma Deal Of The Year Is… - Pharmalot

►December 24, 2008 - News Alert — New Warnings on Asthma Drugs - An FDA advisory panel recently voted to ban use of Serevent (salmeterol) and Foradil (formoterol) for treatment of asthma in children and adults. - journal article (Journal Watch Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine)

* ►December 23, 2008 - Sign Me Up: Recession Attracts Clinical Trial Patients - Pharmalot - "After all, drugmakers are increasingly running overseas for clinical trials, in part, to save money. Yes, oversight still carries a price tag, but if more Americans are willing to line up, pharma may be able to reduce per-patient costs. Or maybe Americans are just too expensive… You can watch the report here."

* ►December 23, 2008 - Nemeroff Removed As Emory Psychiatry Chair - Pharmalot - "Emory will not submit any National Institutes of Health grant or other sponsored grant or contract requests in which Nemeroff is listed as an investigator or has any other role for a period of at least two years. However, Nemeroff will remain as a professor in the psychiatry department, focusing on clinical care and teaching. (For a full list, see this Emory letter to the NIH). In October, by the way, the NIH suspended a grant to Emory (see here)."

* ►December 23, 2008 - Fen-Phen Lawyer Convicted For Bilking Wyeth - Pharmalot

* ►December 23, 2008 - Pfizer Must Pay $38M For Stealing Trade Secrets - Pharmalot - "Jeffrey Frenster, the jury foreman, said there was a mountain of evidence that showed Pfizer improperly secured a treasure trove of medical research that had taken decades to develop. During three days of deliberations, Frenster said, jurors concluded Pfizer conspired with Hsu to use the data without paying tens of millions of dollars through a contract."

* ►December 23, 2008 - Edwards Lifesciences To Disclose Ties To Doctors - Pharmalot

* ►December 23, 2008 - Amgen To Pay Wisconsin $1.7M For Medicaid Fraud - Pharmalot

►December 23, 2008 - Bristol Pays $1.1M To Settle Anti-Trust Charges - Pharmalot

►December 23, 2008 - A Case of Childhood-onset Ankylosing Spondylitis: Diagnosis and Treatment CME (requires registration) - Medscape

►December 23, 2008 - GlaxoSmithKline working with Archemix - GlaxoSmithKline and Archemix in deal worth up to $1.4 bln for drugs for inflammatory diseases - GlaxoSmithKline and Archemix via AP via Yahoo!

►December 23, 2008 - FDA says ad for Abbott's Humira downplays risks - Reuters

►December 19, 2008 - “Reflections by a Guy Who is Headed Out of Town”: The Bush Legacy for Biopharma - We’ll leave historians to sort out the Iraq War and the economic crisis. But when it comes to the biopharma sector, the outgoing President already made history, thanks to two landmark pieces of legislation. Of course, he only wants to talk about one of them… - The RPM Report

►December 18, 2008 - FDA Drug Safety Official Seligman Set to Depart - Departure would leave a major vacancy in the drug safety function as FDA implements FDAAA postmarket provisions. - The RPM Report

* ►December 15, 2008 - The Lesser Of Two Evils? - When Steve Nissen is not qualified to serve on an advisory committee under FDA’s conflict of interest guidelines because of his affiliation with a world-renowned academic institution, why does that say about the future of the system? - The RPM Report

* ►December 12, 2008 - Immune Mechanisms Responsible for Vaccination against and Clearance of Mucosal and Lymphatic Norovirus Infection (full text) - journal article (PLoS Pathogens)

►December 12, 2008 - Surviving Mousepox Infection Requires the Complement System (full text) - journal article (PLoS Pathogens)

►December 12, 2008 - Reductive Evolution of the Mitochondrial Processing Peptidases of the Unicellular Parasites Trichomonas vaginalis and Giardia intestinalis (full text) - journal article (PLoS Pathogens)

►December 12, 2008 - Dynamic, Morphotype-Specific Candida albicans β-Glucan Exposure during Infection and Drug Treatment (full text) - journal article (PLoS Pathogens)

* ►December 10, 2008 - FDA Drug Safety Podcasts Suicidal Thoughts and Behavior: Antiepileptic Drugs Full Version - Transcript - FDA/CDER

* ►December 10, 2008 - Coca-Cola Company, Warning Letter - FDA

* ►December 2008 - Added Strains Give PCV13 Promising Results in Europe: Serotype 19A immunogenicity was high. - Pediatric News - "But there were some significant differences in local reactions between the PCV13 and PCV7 groups. Patients who received PCV13 compared with PCV7 reported significantly more induration (28% vs. 21%) but significantly less erythema (28% vs. 36%) after the first dose, and significantly less induration (27% vs. 35%) and erythema (34% vs. 47%) after the second dose. In addition, there was a significantly greater incidence of mild fever after the third dose in the PCV13 group, compared with the PCV7 group (46% vs. 37%) but there was a significantly lower incidence of sleepiness after the second dose in the PCV13 group, compared with the PCV7 group (54% vs. 67%)."

* ►December 2008 - MMRV Vaccine-Febrile Seizure Link Eyed - Pediatric News - "However, because the evidence is insufficient to conclude whether the risk is increased during days 13–30 following vaccination, the evidence also is insufficient to conclude whether the overall risk is increased within 30 days of vaccination, she said. The findings are based on the results of two unpublished postlicensure studies of dose 1 ProQuad, including final results on febrile seizures from a Merck-sponsored study, and preliminary findings of a Vaccine and Safety Datalink Project. The working group considered the biological plausibility of an increased risk with MMRV vaccination vs. MMR + V vaccination, as well as population-based risk. Next, the group plans to evaluate the clinical importance of febrile seizures. It also proposed an epidemiological study in the Vaccine Safety Datalink population to assess confirmed febrile seizure risk after dose 1 MMRV vaccine in periods other than those already studied—such as in the entire 0- to 30-day postvaccine period."

* ►December 2008 - 19A Linked to Necrotizing Pneumonia - Pediatric News - "The 19A strain is one of several that are not included in the current pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, PCV7. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that also were presented at the meeting showed an increase in invasive pneumococcal disease from nonvaccine serotypes in all age groups. The four children ranged in age from 3 to 4 years (mean age, 3.4 years). Of these, three were previously healthy and one had asthma. All four had been vaccinated with PCV7. S. pneumoniae was isolated from pleural fluid in three cases and from blood in three cases."

* ►December 2008 - ACIP Stands Pat on Lengths Of Needles for Vaccinations - Pediatric News - "The new data published this year by. William C. Lippert and Dr. Eric J. Wall suggest that the currently recommended needle lengths increase risk of overpenetration and striking of bone and periosteum (Pediatrics 2008;122:e556–63). In some cases, the CDC recommendations are nearly twice what the study authors recommended, based on their review of 250 diagnostic MRI and CT scans. For example, in boys weighing 140 kg or less and in girls weighing 115 kg or less, the authors recommended a 5/8-inch needle length, while the current CDC recommendations call for a 1-inch needle length in these groups, according to Dr. Andrew Kroger of the CDC and ACIP's General Recommendations Working Group, which proposed the revision at ACIP's fall meeting."..."several ACIP members argued against any change, saying that in years of practice they have not seen the types of complications noted in the study and arguing that the proposed change complicates matters for health care providers. “Overall, I think that any change is unworkable,” said Dr. Michael S. Marcy of the UCLA Center for Vaccine Research in Torrance, Calif."

►December 2008 - Embrace Short-Course Therapy for Strep - Pediatric News - "DR. PICHICHERO, a specialist in pediatric infectious diseases, practices in Rochester, N.Y. He is also a professor of microbiology, immunology, pediatrics, and medicine at the University of Rochester. Send comments and questions to Dr. Pichichero at our editorial offices (www.pediatricnews.com).

►December 2008 - Vital Signs: Uninsured Children With Insured Parents: 70% Come From Middle- and High-Income Families - Pediatric News

►December 2008 - Coronavirus Adds Respiratory Symptoms - Pediatric News

►December 2008 - Ample Tamiflu Supply Exists for 2008–2009 Season - Pediatric News

►December 2008 - Study Finds Cleaning Fails to Disinfect Pediatric Office Toys - Pediatric News

►December 2008 - Antimicrobials: Use With Care to Avoid Side Effects: The highest rate of ED visits for antimicrobial adverse effects is for children under 1 year of age. - Pediatric News

►December 2008 - They came from above (requires registration) - Opportunistic infections seem to pop up out of nowhere, but new strains are appearing in new places, striking otherwise healthy animals - including humans. A few microbiologists go hunting. - The Scientist

►December 2008 - Serial Celiac Screening Urged in Type 1 Diabetes - Pediatric News

►December 2008 - Analyze for GERD After an Apparent Life-Threatening Event - Pediatric News

►December 2008 - Behavioral Techniques Can Help Clear Sleep Hurdles - Pediatric News

►December 2008 - AAP Advises on Sports for Kids With Medical Issues: The updated policy statement on participation ‘is not meant to replace’ the physician's judgment. - Pediatric News

►December 2008 - Lighten Up in '09 - Environmental Working Group - "But all CFL bulbs aren't equal. Some have lower mercury content than others, and some last much longer. Unfortunately, you can't tell the best of the best by their labels - or the U.S. government Energy Star logo. Some Energy Star labelled bulbs could not be legally sold in Europe due to excessive mercury content."

* ►October 2008 - Prevention and treatment of influenza - journal article (La Revue Du Praticien) - "Neuraminidase inhibitors exhibit also a protective effect when administered as prophylaxis (post-exposure prophylaxis, seasonal prophylaxis, or prophylaxis during institution epidemic). For these reasons, neuraminidase inhibitors should not be considered as symptomatic treatment of influenza, but as specific antiviral drugs and play an important role (especially oseltamivir) in the French pandemic plan. Hygienic rules play also a fundamental role for prevention of transmission; neglected for many decades, they have been rehabilitated by the pandemic threat."

►influenza - avain influenza - what is influenza vaccine - ParisGalleryllc.com

►Stop Water Fluoridation - www.thepetitionsite.com