* ►October 19, 2008 - Dr. Know - The Times, UK - "Q My wife has developed asthma, which appears to have started at the same time as pneumococcal pneumonia and the routine annual flu injections that she has had. Is there any evidence that this is significant or is it coincidental?....A This is a coincidence."

* ►October 19, 2008 - Parents get $6m for son’s disability - The West Australian - "Nicola and Peter Netherway sued the hospital and Dr Anita Cvitanovich after their son Jeremy was misdiagnosed in 2000 with a virus when he had the potentially deadly bacterial infection pneumococcal meningitis."

* ►October 19, 2008 - Life after death - Pneumonia is the biggest killer of children under five in Nicaragua but those days may be over the country starts a nationwide vaccination campaign. - Sydney Morning Herald - "Gonzalez's son died from pneumonia, the biggest killer of children under five in Nicaragua and much of the developing world. Pan American Health Organisation figures show last year pneumonia killed more than one in 10 Nicaraguan babies before they reached their first birthday. 'We estimate 54 per cent of cases of disease and death in children under five will be stopped if we vaccinate against pneumonia,' says the organisation's immunisation consultant Cristina Pedreira."

►October 19, 2008 - New avian virus found in Thailand - An avian virus that is new to Thailand has been found in chicken farms in the central, western and eastern regions, raising serious concerns about its impact on the country’s poultry industry, according to reports from Bangkok Post Saturday. - VietNamNet Bridge - "The discovery of the virus, Avian Adenovirus Group 1, was revealed on Friday by a team of veterinarians from a university’s veterinary medicine’s diagnostic unit in Nakhon Pathom province."

►October 19, 2008 - Residents can track flu - In the past, the phrase “the flu is going around” was strictly based on anecdotal evidence. - Carroll County Times

►October 19, 2008 - After setbacks, hunt for AIDS vaccine pushes on - Africasia

►October 19, 2008 - Mumps 'making a comeback' - AAP via Sydney Morning Herald

►October 19, 2008 - Giving autistic people a chance to communicate - Sunday Times, Sri Lanka

* ►October 18, 2008 - Congressional Research Service Legal Report on PREPA - Anthrax Vaccine -- posts by Meryl Nass, M.D. - "The Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act, also known as Division C of P.L. 109-148 (2005) limits liability with respect to pandemic flu and other public health countermeasures. A Congressional Research Service Report for Congress by Henry Cohen, Legislative Attorney notes the following: 1. The ONLY circumstance in which a shielded person could be held liable for a death or serious injury requires that the action was done 'intentionally to achieve wrongful purpose' and 'knowingly' --disregarding a high probability of harm."

* ►October 18, 2008 - Anthrax Mass Deadly Vaccine Prospect - Liability Vanishes - Alliance for Human Research Protection/Dr. Meryl Nass via The One Click Group

* ►October 18, 2008 - Emergent Biosolutions Hits New 52-Week High On Positive Outlook - Anthrax Vaccine -- posts by Meryl Nass, M.D.

►October 18, 2008 - Emergency declarations smooth way for vaccine makers - Kansas City Star via Anthrax Vaccine -- posts by Meryl Nass, M.D.

* ►October 18, 2008 - Childhood vaccines should be mandatory - editorial - Courier-Post

* ►October 18, 2008 - Mark Blaxill Takes on Denis Leary on Fox 25 Boston - Age of Autism

* ►October 18, 2008 - Every Child By Two Wants to Get onto Oprah By Kim Stagliano - Age of Autism

* ►October 18, 2008 - Aging mom seeks family to love her son - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - "Carole Eagleman is trying to be realistic. Her health is failing, and she worries she won’t be able to care for her 37-year-old autistic son, Jessie. So she’s trying to find a home for him."

►October 18, 2008 - Autistic child’s mom shares (requires registration) - Atlanta Journal-Constitution - "Now, Dula tries to provide answers, information and direction to families facing similar challenges through her organization, Myles-a-Part. The 2-year-old foundation will receive proceeds raised from Fashion for a Cure, a gala tonight in Atlanta sponsored by the North Suburban Chapter of Jack & Jill of America."

►October 18, 2008 - Autism As a Fruit Salad - American Chronicle - "Pam Lane is from the Dallas chapter of Autism Society of America for whom I´m presenting this November 2008."

►October 18, 2008 - Nationwide Autism Protest Against Dennis Leary By NYC Group - NewsBlaze

►October 18, 2008 - US Presidential Debate: Obama and McCain talk about Autism - Blogger News Network

►October 18, 2008 - Child Warriors: Becca - Age of Autism

►October 18, 2008 - JAMA Editor Hoodwinked Again - Alliance for Human Research Protection (AHRP) via The One Click Group

►October 18, 2008 - 12% of children never get any immunisation - Express News Service via Express Buzz

►October 18, 2008 - Adverse Reaction - The APRIL Conference, London UK - The One Click Group

►October 18, 2008 - Dear Dr Moulden - Hilary's Desk via Beyond Conformity

* ►October 18, 2008 - Two more boards decline HPV vaccine - Lakeland and Elk Island Catholic schools give thumbs-down to school-administered shots - The Edmonton Journal - "Alberta Health is now asking health regions to make plans on how best to get the vaccines to the Catholic girls affected. But the department promises the vaccinations will be free and available for all who are eligible."

►October 18, 2008 - Nobel winner to give free lecture at Mac - The Hamilton Spectator - "German cancer researcher Harald zur Hausen -- whose research was critical to developing a vaccine against cervical cancer -- will speak at noon Tuesday."

►October 18, 2008 - Murrieta woman on a mission to educate others after diagnosis of human papillomavirus - The Press-Enterprise

►October 18, 2008 - Pandemic Flu Drill in Bucks County - http://wfmz.com

►October 18, 2008 - Marshfield Clinic to conduct study about effectiveness, safety of flu vaccines in older people - Wausau Daily Herald

►October 18, 2008 - More kids getting flu shots - More children getting vaccinated against the flu - Connecticut Post

* ►October 18, 2008 - Flu Season Under Way: 7 States Report Outbreaks - With Flu Season Upon Us, Experts Explain How to Stay Flu-Free - ABC News

►October 18, 2008 - 'Everyone' at risk from 'flu pandemic - This is Lincolnshire, UK

►October 18, 2008 - No shortage of vaccines for flu season - News Sun via suburbanchicagonews.com

* ►October 18, 2008 - Flu shots for children may be hard to get - Philadelphia Inquirer - "'Our problem's not getting enough flu vaccine,' said Curt Parnes, a doctor with Abington Pediatric Associates, a practice with about 17,000 patients at two locations. He already has ordered extra vaccine more than once. 'Our problem is getting enough staff to give it to everybody,' he said. Parnes said the new recommendation was "scientifically smart and worthwhile" but added: "We'll never be able to get all our kids. We would never physically be able to do it ourselves.'"

►October 18, 2008 - IDNR to participate in avian influenza study - Canton Daily Ledger

* ►October 18, 2008 - Vaccine call for 'silent killer' - When little Nayeem Hossain became sick at his home in a village in Bangladesh, his family were desperately worried. - BBC

►October 18, 2008 - Official: Afghanistan on the verge of polio free - Xinhua via China View

►October 18, 2008 - SPEAK OUT: Public breast-feeding: Nursing vice president could dry up opposition - The Patriot Ledger - "As one of three states that do not uphold the right to publicly breast-feed, Massachusetts doesn’t ensure workplace accommodations for nursing mothers."

►October 18, 2008 - HIV twist to jigger menace - Daily Nation

►October 18, 2008 - China drug firm recalls ginseng injections after deaths - AFP via Google

►October 18, 2008 - Discovered: How do germs fight immunity - IANS via The Hindu

►October 17, 2008 - Protesting vaccinations - Parents gather in Trenton to oppose mandatory shots for children - Gannet State Bureau via Asbury Park Press

* ►October 17, 2008 - Protest in NJ over flu vaccine requirement - VaccineEthics.org

* ►October 17, 2008 - 'Scientific misconduct' pervasive in drug industry: study (requires registration or subscription) - The Globe and Mail - "Dr. Sim's team compared the FDA-released data with what was eventually published in medical journals - which are often the main sources of drug information for doctors. Over all, the researchers found that 909 clinical trials were submitted as evidence to back up the approval of the 90 new drugs, but only 43 per cent of these trials were later published - and they tended to be the positive ones."

►October 17, 2008 - Reference to autism puzzling, disturbing - letter (requires registration) - The Boston Globe

* ►October 17, 2008 - McCain on vaccines, epidemics - Inside Autism Blog via Orange County Register

* ►October 17, 2008 - Obama on vaccines, epidemics - Inside Autism Blog via Orange County Register

* ►October 17, 2008 - Gardasil is safe says Health Ministry - The Health Ministry reassures parents and all parties concerned, that the vaccine Gardasil is safe. - Radio Fiji - "Regarding concerns raised by parents and school officials on the lack of information, Dr Samuela says this may have been due to a breakdown in communication on the part of health officials. In an emotional pleading Dr Samuela  urges the general public to trust the Health Ministry as they only have the health of all the nation in mind."

* ►October 17, 2008 - Cancer Society Concerned Over With-holding Information - FijiVillage.com - "Cancer Society representative and breast cancer survivor Mereoni Taginadavui is concerned that the ministry is saying the vaccine, Gardasil, which is being used, is safe although its long term side effects are not known at this stage."

* ►October 17, 2008 - HPV Vaccine won't be offered at St. Mike's - Pincher Creek Echo

►October 17, 2008 - Chester school pupils taking part in HPV vaccination programme - Chester Chronicle

►October 17, 2008 - HPV vaccine worthwhile, says educator - Some Ball State students find the vaccine expensive and unnecessary. - The Star Press

►October 17, 2008 - Cancer conqueror snares science prize - The Age

►October 17, 2008 - Emergent Biosolutions Hits New 52-Week High On Positive Outlook - iStockAnalyst - "Shares of Emergent Biosolutions Inc (NYSE: EBS) topped 52-week mark after the bell on Friday as investors gained confidence in the company after the Rockville-based biotech's profitable anthrax treatments won emergency protection."

►October 17, 2008 - Aids vaccine research 'needs political will' - Independent Online

►October 17, 2008 - Coventry pensioners hit with parking fines waiting for flu jab - Coventry Telegraph, UK

►October 17, 2008 - Influenza third leading cause of NYC death - United Press International

►October 17, 2008 - Economy: Threat of 'Major Global Recession' Tied to Bird Flu - A severe outbreak of flu could kill tens of millions of people and spur a "major global recession", the World Bank is warning world leaders preoccupied with financial, food, and fuel crises. - IPSNews.net

►October 17, 2008 - ACS completes Institute for Influenza Viral Research - Midwest Real Estate News Reports - "The University of Wisconsin - Madison recently received approval from Centers for Disease Control and US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services to begin influenza research in this facility."

►October 17, 2008 - PharmAthene Announces $1.6 Million Congressional Appropriation for Continued Development of Protexia(R) - Your Defence News

►October 17, 2008 - Meningitis- A Serious Threat To Hajj Pilgrims - Senior Doctors Warn - Association of Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK via Medical News Today

►October 17, 2008 - Mozambique: Health Ministry Regards National Child Health Week As Successful - Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo) via AllAfrica.com

►October 17, 2008 - SF meetings to discuss Lyme disease - San Francisco Chronicle

►October 17, 2008 - Immunizations only hurt for a little while (requires registration) - Grand Forks Herald - "The Grand Forks Family Medicine Residency is one of 11 winning programs awarded by the foundation funded by a grant from the Wyeth Vaccines."

* ►October 17, 2008 - Two safety-net hospitals hit hard by budget cuts (requires registration) - Boston Globe - "In other healthcare cuts, the Department of Public Health is trimming nearly $6 million from its immunization program. Massachusetts has long been a national leader in buying vaccines for children and then distributing them to doctors, a policy that yielded the highest vaccination rates in the United States."

* ►October 17, 2008 - Preliminary Phase I Safety Data for Preventive HIV Vaccine Delivered by Ichor's TriGrid to be Presented at AIDS Conference - First-ever Clinical Trial Using Electroporation to Test Preventive HIV Vaccine - press release - Ichor Medical Systems via Business Wire via MarketWatch

►October 17, 2008 - Voters to decide on fluoride in their water - AP via Nebraska.tv

►October 17, 2008 - Factbox: U.S. regulators missing drug review deadlines - Reuters

►October 17, 2008 - Marshfield Clinic seeks seniors for influenza vaccine study - Wausau Daily Herald

►October 17, 2008 - It's a Cold. It's the Flu. No, It's Much Worse - Signs That Your Cold or Flu Is More Serious Than You Think - ABC News

* ►October 17, 2008 - Imagine life in a refugee camp - Outdoor exhibit reveals conditions for millions - Press-Telegram - "What that means is that visitors will get a chance to squeeze inside the small sleeping tent they'd share with nearly a dozen other people....They'll step inside the medical tent, where children would be given mandatory vaccinations. And they'll see the quarantine areas where the sick would be held to prevent the spread of disease."

* ►October 17, 2008 - Polio case detected in Yendi - Joy Online, Ghana - "He said when the child was examined after admission at the hospital for weakness in the joints and legs, it was realised that she had gone through all the necessary immunisations. The medics therefore wondered why she had to experience signs of polio."

►October 17, 2008 - JMU student hospitalized with bacterial meningitis - inRich.com

►October 17, 2008 - CMU Hosts Hundreds At Autism Conference (includes video) - http://kdka.com - "Organizers expected just 120, but 400 to 500 people showed up, including professors, students and parents."

►October 16, 2008 - Autism Society Slams Denis Leary Book - video - MyFox Boston

►October 16, 2008 - Allergy jab is city invention - The Star, UK - "The ASI autoinjector has been designed to allow people with no medical training to inject a range of drugs."

►October 16, 2008 - Deputy calls for HPV vaccine plan expansion - Guernsey Press and Star - "A Deputy is calling for the human papilloma virus vaccine to be given to boys. Jenny Tasker (pictured) said she was pleased free inoculation had been introduced locally for girls aged 12-18 but felt it could be taken further."

►October 16, 2008 - HPV vaccine benefits outweigh risks - North Wind Online

►October 16, 2008 - North Essex: rush for cancer jabs - The Gazette, UK

►October 16, 2008 - Parents back Denbighshire school's HPV jab programme - Vaccinations to protect schoolgirls against the virus that can lead to cervical cancer have been met with 100 per cent backing from parents with children attending a school in Denbighshire. - Evening Leader, UK

►October 16, 2008 - DNA Identikit - Barcode for Biodiversity & Fingerprint for Everything Else - Institute of Science in Society

►October 16, 2008 - Busting the Myths About Flu Shots - KHON2.com

►October 16, 2008 - The best shot against flu - editorial - Star-Ledger via NJ.com - "Some parents want the right to decide the issue for themselves and their children. A group went to Trenton yesterday in support of a law that would let parents choose which shots their kids get from the list the state now requires for those attending public schools and preschool. That legislation should be rejected."

►October 16, 2008 - Jewel-Osco Offers Needle-Free Flu Immunizations - Company offers in-store FluMist(R) and flu shots at more than 170 pharmacy locations - PRNewswire via COMTEX via MarketWatch

* ►October 16, 2008 - UNC researchers receive $4.8M for dengue fever vaccine development, testing - WRAL.com Local Tech Wire

* ►October 16, 2008 - Lawyer of murdered journalist Anna Politkovskaya 'poisoned' - The Times, UK - "A judge in Moscow rejected a request to postpone the preliminary hearing because Karinna Moskalenko was ill in France, where police are investigating the discovery of a large quantity of mercury in her car."

►October 16, 2008 - Diagnostic HYBRIDS Releases D(3) Ultra 8 DFA Respiratory Virus Screening & ID Kit in Canada - Business Wire via MarketWatch

►October 15, 2008 - Gardasil: A shot in the right direction - Royal Purple News

►October 15, 2008 - State to probe autism fraud claims - The Advocate

►October 14, 2008 - Community health clinic practices trial run - Shelby County Reporter

►October 14, 2008 - Area bracing for annual flu outbreak - Gallup Independent

►October 13, 2008 - Vaccine doesn't make sex risk-free - The Montreal Gazette via Canada.com - "I'm not trying to scare you, but I just think there are more complex issues at stake with this vaccine that go beyond that simple little 'I wanna be one less' jingle in the Gardasil ads."

►October 13, 2008 - Agencies' free flu shot clinics help in emergency training - Reno Gazette-Journal

►October 13, 2008 - Influenza Season Is Here - Amanda Peet Vaccination PSA - video - YouTube

►October 13, 2008 - Tommy tackles flu jab - Leigh Today

►October 8, 2008 - Let the shots begin - The time to take one in the arm is just around the corner - Truro Daily News

►September 26, 2008 - Cell phone may raise brain cancer risk - http://foodconsumer.org

►September 24, 2008 - Doctors told to curb use of Ritalin in hyperactive children - The Times, UK

►September 24, 2008 - To: Editor, The Royal Gazette From: Gary Null, PhD RE: Letter to the Editor in Response to Dr. Bente Lundh, et al. (pdf) - GaryNull.com

►September 13, 2008 - Doctors hit out at film - letter - The Royal Gazette - "We are writing regarding certain erroneous information being used in association with the Mother Baby International Film festival. The promotion for the documentary film 'Vaccine Nation' has come to our attention."

►Children of the New Earth - website

* ►November 15, 2008 - Pneumococcal Vaccination of Elderly Adults: New Paradigms for Protection (full text) - journal article (Clinical Infectious Diseases)

►November 15, 2008 - Evaluation of a New Point-of-Care Serologic Assay for Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Infection (full text) - journal article (Clinical Infectious Diseases)

►November 15, 2008 - Therapeutic Use of Infliximab in Tuberculosis to Control Severe Paradoxical Reaction of the Brain and Lymph Nodes (full text) - journal article (Clinical Infectious Diseases)

►November 15, 2008 - Recent and Rapid Emergence of W-Beijing Strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Cape Town, South Africa - journal article (Clinical Infectious Diseases)

►November 15, 2008 - Differences in Clinical Presentation among Persons with Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Comparison of Documented and Undocumented Foreign-Born versus US-Born Persons - journal article (Clinical Infectious Diseases)

►November 2008 - Avoiding the void: cell-to-cell spread of human viruses - journal article (Nature Reviews Microbiology)

►November 2008 - Post-genomic challenges for collaborative research in infectious diseases - journal article (Nature Reviews Microbiology)

►November 2008 - The rise and fall of bacterial clones: Streptococcus pneumoniae - journal article (Nature Reviews Microbiology)

►November 2008 - Recombineering mycobacteria and their phages - journal article (Nature Reviews Microbiology)

►October 18, 2008 - New test to detect autism in babies - An academic from Flinders University in South Australia has developed a program that recognises signs of autism in one-year-olds. - www.abc.net.au - "'In about 70 per cent of the kids, we're seeing that if they're not responding to their name at 12 months, they've gone on to receive a diagnosis of autism,' she said."

►October 18, 2008 - Watchdog publishes reminder on herbal drug - China Daily

►October 18, 2008 - Children may need flu jabs too warns NHS - Leighton Buzzard Today

* ►October 18, 2008 - Schools stop vaccination - Fiji Times - "Holy Family Primary school and Labasa Primary School in Labasa turned the teams away, saying most parents wanted time to consider their decision....'A lot of parents had given their consent by signing the letters we gave them but then they called the school again to cancel their consent. That is why we put the vaccination process on hold until all parents are satisfied with their decision,' the school said."

* ►October 18, 2008 - Four fresh polio cases reported in Punjab, NWFP - * Number of polio cases reported this year rises to 81 - * All four children diagnosed with polio received polio vaccinations * NIH official says vaccination teams leave out many children - Daily Times, Pakistan

* ►October 17, 2008 - New Jersey Vaccine Freedom of Choice Rally Rocks by Barbara Loe Fisher - Vaccine Awakening

* ►October 17, 2008 - NVIC Vaccine E-Newsletter 
 
New Jersey Vaccine Freedom of Choice Rally Rocks by Barbara Loe Fisher

www.vaccineawakening.blogspot.com
www.NVIC.org
www.StandUpBeCounted.org

Yesterday in Trenton, New Jersey I joined with some 700 vaccine educated parents, who were standing up publicly at a rally in front of the State House for the freedom to follow their conscience when making informed vaccination decisions for their children. It was the first rally in the U.S. devoted to defending the ethical and legal right to exercise informed consent to vaccination.

The catalyst for the rally, which was sponsored by the New Jersey Coalition for Vaccination Choice (NHCVC), was the New Jersey Health Department's recent addition of annual influenza vaccinations to New Jersey's daycare and school entry laws. New Jersey now mandates more vaccines than any other state - 35 doses of 13 vaccines. It is the first state to mandate influenza vaccine for children despite a lack of scientific evidence that influenza vaccine is very effective in preventing Type A or Type B influenza in children. http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/333/7574/912

I saw many old friends, parents of DPT vaccine injured children and NJ Representative Charlotte Vandervalk, who has had the courage to stay the course for a decade in her sponsorship of conscientious belief legislation that now has 34 co- sponsors; Sue Collins, co-founder of New Jersey Alliance for Vaccine Choice; Larry Palevsky, M.D., who challenged pediatricians from the podium to open their eyes and listen to what mothers are telling them about vaccine reactions; Vaccination News founder Sandy Gottfried [sic - should be Sandy Gottstein], who made the trip from Alaska; Robin Stavola, whose daughter died after an MMR vaccine reaction; radio personality and alternative health care advocate Gary Null, Ph.D.; New York autism activists Bob Krakow, co-founder of A-CHAMP and John Gilmore, director of Autism United; Maureen McDonell, RN, founder of Saving Our Kids and Our Planet, Lynn Friedman, D.C., who has stood up for the right for religious exemption to vaccination in New York for many years, and so many more. And there were new friends I have gotten to know this past year, who are taking up the torch for freedom and standing up for their right to make voluntary health care choices for their families: NJCVC members Louise Habakus, Claudine Liss and Barbara Majeski; Rita Palma, who is in the courts right now in New York fighting for her right to receive a religious exemption from that state; Kevin Barry, CTI Science Foundation and Kim Stagliano, mother of three daughters with autism and managing editor for Age of Autism www.ageofautism.com.

As I looked out at the sea of young families with babies and small children, some vaccine injured and some unvaccinated and still healthy, as well as older parents with DPT vaccine injured children, I remembered the march in Atlanta in 1986 in front of the CDC and then at the White House that year which Kathi Williams and I led when we were young Moms. Back then we were asking for more scientific studies to investigate DPT deaths and brain injuries; more credible vaccine benefit and risk information for parents and a less toxic pertussis vaccine at a time when most Americans had never heard of a vaccine reaction. Today, many young parents have heard about vaccine reactions or experienced them with their own children first-hand and they have already figured out that cannot wait another 26 years for government, industry and medical organizations to do the right thing... They know they cannot wait to stand up and fight for their informed consent rights or they will be forced by law to give their children scores of potentially poorly tested and reactive new vaccines in the future in addition to the 69 doses of 16 vaccines the CDC already tells doctors to give children from birth to age 18.

It was a day that elicited many emotions from sorrow and anger that children are still being injured and killed by forced vaccination laws to the joy and peace that comes with knowing more Americans from every walk of life are understanding that defense of the informed consent ethic is an essential part of any call for less toxic vaccines and safer vaccine policies. Without the legal right to say no, the people have no economic and political leverage to place on industry and government to reform the public health system and develop policies which truly protect the health and well-being of our children.

Yesterday's remarkable gathering was made possible by the energy and vision of Louise Habakus and the New Jersey Coalition for Vaccination Choice, whose members representing many parent organizations came together to make a public stand that, as I said in my statement at the rally, will be repeated in many State Capitols in the years to come. It was a clarion call to all those, who would deny citizens the right to make informed, voluntary vaccine choices, that parents are going to fight for freedom from oppressive vaccine mandates until conscientious exemption to vaccination is translated into law in every state.

No forced vaccination. Not in America.

"This is not an anti-vaccine rally - it's a freedom of choice rally," said one of the organizers, Louise Habakus. "This one-size-fits-all approach is really very anti-American." New Jersey's policy was approved last December by the state's Public Health Council and is taking effect this fall. Children from 6 months to 5 years old who attend a child-care center or preschool have until Dec. 31 to receive the flu vaccine, along with a pneumococcal vaccine.....More generally, many of the parents mobilizing against the state policy believe various types of vaccine are being overused, resulting in more cases of autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other neurological problems in children. "There's not been a response from the government that is credible in terms of doing the scientific research that will screen out vulnerable children," said Barbara Loe Fisher, a speaker at the rally. She is co-founder of the National Vaccine Information Center in Vienna, Va., an advocacy group skeptical of vaccination policies. "There's an acknowledgment that prescription drugs can cause different reactions in people, but there's a blanket statement by health authorities that we all have to vaccinate, all in the same way," Fisher said. Fisher is a prominent player in a nationwide movement challenging the scope of vaccination programs. She was harshly critical last year when school officials in Maryland's Prince George's County threatened to impose jail terms and fines on parents whose children didn't get required vaccinations." - David Crary, Associated Press (October 16, 2008)

We come to this State Capitol today to celebrate freedom of speech and participate in the democratic process. Representing three generations, we are standing publicly for the legal right to follow our conscience when making educated vaccine decisions for our families....If we cannot be free to make informed, voluntary decisions about which pharmaceutical products we are willing to risk our lives for, then we are not free in any sense of the word......We believe every life is important and will not look the other way while vulnerable children are being sacrificed in the name of the community good. We believe in compassion because when one member of the community is considered expendable, we are all considered expendable.... We will come again to this State Capitol and every State Capitol until common sense and respect for the informed consent ethic is translated into law. No forced vaccination. Not in America." - Barbara Loe Fisher, Renton Rally Statement (October 16, 2008)

Statement by Barbara Loe Fisher  Co-founder & President National Vaccine Information Center

Rally for Conscientious Exemption to Vaccination
Sponsored by New Jersey Coalition for Vaccination Choice
October 16, 2008  Trenton, New Jersey

We come to this State Capitol today to celebrate freedom of speech and participate in the democratic process. Representing three generations, we are standing publicly for the legal right to follow our conscience when making educated vaccine decisions for our families.

Among us are parents with healthy children and those with children who have been hurt by one-size-fits-all vaccine mandates that ignore the genetic and biological differences which make some people more vulnerable than others for having severe reactions to prescription drugs and vaccines.

No American should be legally forced to play vaccine roulette with a child’s life.

Twenty eight years ago, I watched my two and a half year old son, Chris, suffer a brain inflammation within hours of his fourth DPT shot and become learning disabled. Back then, parents did not know vaccines contain bioactive and toxic ingredients that can inflame and damage brains and immune systems. Today many more parents do know because they either have a child who regressed into poor health after vaccination or know one.

During the past 30 years, public health officials have persuaded state legislators to triple the number of doses of mandated vaccines for daycare and school entry. And now more babies than ever are dying as America has plummeted among nations in infant mortality and an epidemic of chronic disease and disability is destroying the health of more highly vaccinated children than any infectious disease epidemic in our history, including smallpox, polio, whooping cough and measles.

The response by health officials to this unprecedented national child health crisis is to tell parents that, every time another child dies or regresses into poor health after vaccination, it is just a “coincidence” while quietly writing those children off as acceptable losses. It is this tragic moral failure and scientific miscalculation by doctors we have trusted that now threatens the biological integrity of future generations of Americans.

If we cannot be free to make informed, voluntary decisions about which pharmaceutical products we are willing to risk our lives for, then we are not free in any sense of the word. Because if the State can tag, track down and force individuals against their will to be injected with biological products of unknown toxicity today, then there will be no limit on which individual freedoms the State can take away in the name of the greater good tomorrow.

When you enter the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C., you see an inscription. It says: “The first to perish were the children…from these a new dawn might have risen.”

We believe every life is important and will not look the other way while vulnerable children are being sacrificed in the name of the community good.

We believe in compassion because when one member of the community is considered expendable, we are all considered expendable.

We believe in truth and will not be silent when we know government, industry and doctors could do so much more to make vaccines and vaccine policies safer.

We believe in justice and will find a way to hold those exploiting the people for profit and power accountable in a court of law.

We believe in liberty and will fight for the right to use our intelligence and follow our conscience when making health care decisions for ourselves and our children.

We believe in the future and will do whatever it takes to give children back the future that is their birthright.

We will come again to this State Capitol and every State Capitol until common sense and respect for the informed consent ethic is translated into law.

What do we want? Freedom.

No forced vaccination. Not in America.

* ►October 17, 2008 - Vaccine foes rally for bill - Gannett State Bureau via Courier-Post - "Four-month-old Gianna DiFiglia died only two days after being injected with four different vaccines at a routine doctor visit. Thursday, her mother, Patricia DiFiglia of Hackettstown, stood on the State House steps with a picture of her daughter in the air, underlined by the words 'Murder,' protesting mandatory children vaccinations. The issue has come to a head since New Jersey became the first in the nation to require annual flu shots for preschoolers last month. DiFiglia said she is scared to let her two other children get the mandatory shots, but the decision is difficult because schools mandate the vaccinations. 'I really want the choice without fail to be able to say no, especially with the flu shot,' said DiFiglia, 41. 'It's just ludicrous that they are mandating it in New Jersey.'"

* ►October 17, 2008 - Protesters rally at State House over state-mandated vaccines - NorthJersey.com - "At the rally, Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk, R-Westwood, told the crowd that forced immunizations violate the Nuremberg Code, the set of ethical standards created in the wake of Nazi experiments on humans. 'We have a right to informed consent,' Vandervalk said. 'This once was a closet fear that now has become a public outcry.' Vandervalk is the sponsor of a bill to allow parents a conscientious exemption from vaccinating their children. Parents would claim a 'sincerely held or moral objection' on paperwork to be filed with local health departments. An identical bill in the Senate is sponsored by Sen. Gerald Cardinale, R-Cresskill, with a half-dozen more North Jersey lawmakers as co-sponsors."

* ►October 17, 2008 - N.J. Mandatory Flu Shots for Preschoolers Cause Outrage - First Preschool Flu Vaccination Rule Shocks Parents (includes video) - ABC News - "Parents flooded the statehouse, carrying signs with slogans like 'Parent Power' and 'My Child, My Choice.' They rallied for support of a 'conscientious objectors' clause, which they want added to the bill. It would grant exemptions for children and parents who have a moral objection to the vaccination. Existing state law provides for medical and religious exemptions to mandatory vaccinations, but parents say that requests are not frequently granted by authorities. They also point to legislation that offers a similar conscientious belief exemption from vaccines in 19 other states."

* ►October 17, 2008 - Parents question vaccine mandate - Rally participants want choice to opt out of shots - The Times of Trenton via NJ.com - "But Carolyn Schmidt of Denville says her developmentally disabled son Brandon is proof of the darker side of childhood vaccinations. She held a picture of Brandon at 5 months old -- a chubby baby smiling brightly into the camera -- next to the mute 16-year-old she pushed in a wheelchair. 'There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the vaccination did this to him,' Schmidt said. 'He got his DPT (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus) shot the day this picture was taken. Within five hours he was rushed to the hospital with a grand mal (epileptic) seizure that lasted an hour. He's never been the same since.'"

* ►October 17, 2008 - Huge Protests As New Jersey Declares Flu Vaccines Mandatory - Parents seething over “requirement” that children get a flu shot in order to attend preschools and day-care centers (includes videos) - Infowars.net via Prison Planet

* ►October 17, 2008 - A shot against vaccines - At the Statehouse, hundreds protest new requirements - The Star-Ledger via NJ.com - "Currently, parents can opt out of the vaccines for religious or medical reasons. A bill (A260/S1071) introduced by Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk (R-Bergen) would let parents also cite "conscientious" objections....She noted that because vaccine manufacturers are protected by federal law from liability lawsuits, the federal government created a fund that compensates families who claim they have been adversely affected. 'Families have been paid out $910 million for vaccine-damaged children,' she said. 'There have been 988 deaths on file. What other product that causes the deaths of so many children is still allowed on the market?'"

* ►October 17, 2008 - Trenton Vax Choice Rally Signs - YouTube

►October 17, 2008 - Rally protests flu-shot mandate for NJ children - AP via Philadelphia Inquirer

►October 17, 2008 - Parents Protest The Flu Shot - AP via Digtriad.com

* ►October 17, 2008 - New Jersey mandates flu shots for children - Newsday - "New Jersey Assemb. Charlotte Vandervalk (R-Bergen) said she now has 34 co-sponsors for a bill to allow for conscientious objections to mandatory vaccinations. New Jersey health officials and the CDC insist the flu vaccine is safe and effective, but Vandervalk and the parent groups who support her bill contend there has been inadequate research into the vaccine's impact on small children."

* ►October 17, 2008 - BMJ - MMR Most Shameful Episode In Public Health History - Bill Welsh, President Autism Treatment Trust via BMJ via The One Click Group

* ►October 17, 2008 - Fiji Slams HPV Vaccine - Fiji Times via The One Click Group

* ►October 17, 2008 - Aiken boy is 2008-09 face of Jamil Temple - Aiken Standard - "Dawson was born with a hypospadias, hip dysplasia and a hole in his heart, diagnosed at three months, and later developed adverse reactions to the DPT vaccine."

* ►October 17, 2008 - U.S. Limits Anthrax Vaccine Liability--Global Security Newswire - Global Security Newswire via Anthrax Vaccine -- posts by Meryl Nass, M.D.

* ►October 17, 2008 - Chertoff tells Leavitt: No Emergency, No Problem - Anthrax Vaccine -- posts by Meryl Nass, M.D.

* ►October 17, 2008 - Emergency declarations smooth way for vaccine makers - Kansas City Star - "On Oct. 1, Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt declared an anthrax public health emergency. On Oct. 10, he declared health emergencies for smallpox, radiation sickness from the detonation of a nuclear device and poisoning from botulinum toxins, the active ingredient of Botox....But by declaring these public health emergencies, HHS has granted manufacturers of anti-terrorism drugs and vaccines and others involved with the products protection from lawsuits if the drugs were to cause unfortunate side effects."

* ►October 17, 2008 - US antiterrorism rules restrict vaccine exports - CIDRAP News

* ►October 17, 2008 - Germ lab’s security at GSU lax, report says - University points to improvements it has made at downtown facility. (requires registration) - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

* ►October 17, 2008 - Bugs in the System - The Texas Observer - "'To my knowledge this is the only BSL-4 that is situated in such an environmentally unstable area,' says Edward Hammond, a biodefense watchdog. UTMB–Galveston has two Biosafety Level Four (the highest such designation) laboratories and eight BSL-3s. A third, much larger, BSL-4, part of the new Galveston National Laboratory, is slated to open in November."

* ►October 17, 2008 - Parents press for autism insurance coverage - CNN - "A family's lifetime costs for caring for a child with autism can reach as high as $5 million, according to the Autism Society of America. Each month, parents report they pay thousands of dollars for treatment and therapy. And in most cases, insurance, even good insurance, won't cover all of the fees."

* ►October 17, 2008 - Reaching an Autistic Teenager (requires registration) - The New York Times - "With the skyrocketing diagnoses of A.S.D.’s in recent years, parents and school systems are challenged as never before to find techniques to keep these teenagers engaged, productive and nondespairing. Boys with A.S.D. (they outnumber girls four to one) who were difficult to console, to teach, to restrain at age 4 or 8 can be nearly impossible for parents and teachers to manage and to steer at 14 and 18. While a 25-pound toddler’s tantrum is wearying, a 150-pound teenager’s tantrum is dangerous."

►October 17, 2008 - Huffington Post Adds Autism Page - Age of Autism

►October 17, 2008 - Jenny McCarthy Says She Cured Her Son - Hollyscoop

►October 17, 2008 - Jenny McCarthy's diet cure - My Park Magazine, UK

►October 17, 2008 - US Presidential Candidates - Get With The Autism Votes - The One Click Group

►October 17, 2008 - Jenny McCarthy's Son Beats Autism Caused By MMR Vaccine - US Weekly via The One Click Group

►October 17, 2008 - McCarthy: 'Leary Is Uninformed About Autism' - Daily Dish Blog via San Francisco Chronicle

* ►October 17, 2008 - Pharma 'Blind Eye' University Finally Freezes Psych Nemeroff - Alliance for Human Research Protection (AHRP) via The One Click Group

* ►October 17, 2008 - Junk Harvard Pharma Psychiatrists Fail Research Standards - Alliance for Human Research Protection (AHRP) via The One Click Group

* ►October 17, 2008 - Bavarian Nordic Prepares Defense Against Possible Hostile Bids - Bloomberg - "Bavarian Nordic A/S, the Danish supplier of the U.S. smallpox vaccines, is preparing a defense against a possible hostile takeover as declines in the global markets send its shares to the lowest level in five years."

►October 17, 2008 - Accept vaccine for H-SCDSB students - editorial - Sault Star - "Trustees faced criticism from health officials across the country for turning down a $117-million provincewide effort to prevent cervical cancer, forcing Algoma Public Health to step in and offer the vaccine to Catholic students outside of schools."

►October 17, 2008 - Catholic schools won't inoculate - Edmonton Sun

* ►October 17, 2008 - Merck Aims Gardasil to Women Least Likely to Benefit - Bloomberg - "Merck's $100 million television and print advertising campaign last year featured young girls who were jumping rope and chanting ``one less.'' The company's new ads show college-aged women at home with pop music in the background. Merck spent $60 million on consumer marketing this year through June, according to Nielsen Monitor Plus. Merck is also advertising on the networking Web site Facebook.com and in college bookstores and coffee shops. The company has been selling $32 cervical-cancer awareness charm bracelets on the Internet. Merck is seeking Food and Drug Administration approval to market Gardasil to women through age 45. ``We are starting to see some encouraging feedback,'' Lybrand said."

* ►October 17, 2008 - The Flu - WSOC Charlotte - "An "Egg-less" Vaccine Researchers are looking for safe and efficient ways to make flu vaccines. At the University of Rochester Medical Center, scientists are testing flu vaccines grown in cells from an insect, the yellow-striped caterpillar. The vaccine is called recombinant hemagglutinin (rHA), or FluBlØk™."

►October 17, 2008 - This Australian Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare, Q4 2008 Report Provides Independent Forecasts and Competitive Intelligence on the Industry - Research and Markets via Business Wire via MarketWatch - "In June 2008 the federal Health Minister announced the approval of first Australian-made vaccine to protect humans from future bird-flu pandemics. The vaccine was developed by CSL and protects against the H5N1 strain. The government provided over AUD7million to help develop the product."

* ►October 17, 2008 - Preliminary Phase I Safety Data for Preventive HIV Vaccine Delivered by Ichor's TriGrid to be Presented at AIDS Conference - Ichor Medical Systems via Business Wire via MarketWatch

* ►October 17, 2008 - Flu Pandemic May Cost World Economy Up to $3 Trillion - Bloomberg

►October 17, 2008 - Pfizer to Settle Claims Over Bextra and Celebrex (requires registration) - The New York Times

►October 17, 2008 - Canberra immunologist awarded - A Canberra immunologist has won a prestigious science award for her work uncovering the causes of auto-immune diseases. - Australian Broadcasting Corporation

►October 17, 2008 - Scripps research team sheds light on immune system suppression - Work could aid development of new treatments for such conditions as HIV, measles, and tuberculosis - Scripps Research Institute via EurekAlert!

►October 17, 2008 - New Skin Disorder Caused By Mobile Phones Discovered - 'mobile Phone Dermatitis' - The British Association of Dermatologists via Medical News Today

►October 17, 2008 - Holt mother struggles to find doctor to immunize her daughter - Lansing State Journal

►October 17, 2008 - Health officials launch drive to get more kids vaccinated - Salt Lake Tribune

►October 17, 2008 - Seniors who get flu shots found to be healthier - More likely to take better care of themselves: study - Edmonton Sun

►October 17, 2008 - Carson City preparedness exercise helps locals fight flu season - Reno Gazette Journal

►October 17, 2008 - 2008-2009 Influenza Vaccine Available, Says Utah Department Of Health - Medical News Today

* ►October 17, 2008 - Girl, 8, wins £3.3m medical claim - A nine-year-old girl has won a £3.3m medical negligence payout after her GP failed to diagnose meningitis which left her with severe cerebral palsy. - BBC

►October 17, 2008 - Enid elementary student has bacterial meningitis - NewsOK.com

►October 17, 2008 - Measles on the increase - Daily Post, UK

►October 17, 2008 - 6,000 Plymouth children at risk of catching measles - This is Plymouth, UK

►October 17, 2008 - Lack of vaccination may threaten students - The Pioneer

►October 17, 2008 - Mini-marathon runners help to shed light on Polio in Moate - Westmeath Independent

►October 17, 2008 - Brazil's vaccines receive WHO's approval - Xinhua via China View

* ►October 17, 2008 - Former director of UCLA's Willed Body Program pleads guilty in cadaver scheme - Henry Reid was indicted by a grand jury in May on charges of selling body parts to a businessman who resold them to medical, pharmaceutical and hospital research companies. (requires registration) - Los Angeles Times

* ►October 17, 2008 - Melamine Scare Expands After Alabama Finds Tainted Chinese Cookies - Environment News Service - "'What's alarming is that not only had a product been found in stores where it shouldn't have been in the first place, but it also had exceeded FDA's safe levels for human consumption,' said Hauter. 'This just makes it more apparent that without a complete ban on all Chinese dairy products, FDA is incapable of protecting American consumers.'"

* ►October 17, 2008 - Agencies Rated on Scientific Candor (requires registration) - Washington Post

* ►October 17, 2008 - Mothers Launch National Petition for Preemies - press release - March of Dimes via PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX via MarketWatch - "Babies who survive an early birth face the risk of serious lifelong health problems, including learning disabilities, cerebral palsy ( http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1208.asp), blindness, hearing loss ( http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1232.asp) and other chronic conditions such as asthma."

►October 17, 2008 - Stop early labor induction, March of Dimes says (requires registration) - Los Angeles Times

►October 17, 2008 - Explosions, illnesses spur NY 'bug bomb' ban - Newsday

►October 17, 2008 - ME/CFS Conference In Calgary Announced - National ME/FM Action Network via The One Click Group - "This is a reminder of the up-coming ME/CFS Conference in Calgary, November 7th - 9th, 2008."

►October 17, 2008 - UK Labour Government To Spy On Every Person In Britain - The One Click Group

* ►October 16, 2008 - Gary Null Calls Out Corzine on Vaccine - Part 1 - video - YouTube - "On 10/16/08, Gary Null at the NJ Coalition for Vaccination Choice calls out Governor Corzine from the State Capital Building. Demanding that the voice of countless children, hurt by vaccines, be heard. Gary courageously speaks out about greed and complacency of our politicians on mandatory vaccinations, and demands they act for the defense of our children who are subjected to harmful biological toxins in unproven vaccines."

* ►October 16, 2008 - Gary Null Calls Out Corzine on Vaccine - Part 2 - video - YouTube

* ►October 16, 2008 - Trenton Vaccination Rally - video - YouTube

* ►October 16, 2008 - Ralph Fucetola JD speech at Trenton, NJ Freedom of Vaccine Choice Rally - YouTube

* ►October 16, 2008 - DHHS Likely Repeating its Mistakes with Anthrax Contracts - Anthrax Vaccine -- posts by Meryl Nass, M.D.

* ►October 16, 2008 - Giving flu shots to children unwise - letter - Yuma Sun

* ►October 16, 2008 - CSL Biotherapies Launches www.mercuryfreefluvaccine.com, An Online, Order-As-You-Go Service for Thimerosal-Free Influenza Vaccine Features include next day delivery and unlimited small orders - press release - CSL Biotherapies via Business Wire

►October 16, 2008 - Utahns urged to get flu shots ASAP - The Salt Lake Tribune

►October 16, 2008 - Flu shots abundant, correct strains? - KRCG.com

►October 16, 2008 - Protesting parents decry New Jersey policy of mandatory flu shots for preschoolers (requires registration) - Los Angeles Times

►October 16, 2008 - McCarthy "Cures" Autism, Reaches Out to McCain - http://perezhilton.com

►October 16, 2008 - Texas Company Illegally Stored Liquid Mercury in Rhode Island - Environment News Service

* ►October 16, 2008 - Debate emerges over making HPV shot mandatory - Johns Hopkins News-Letter - "Joffee said that while the Health Center does encourage incoming female students to receive the vaccination, the University is still far from mandating it. 'In order to make any vaccine mandatory, there must be long-term security data. The vaccine needs more positive long-term data supporting it,' Joffee said."

* ►October 16, 2008 - Catholic trustee reopens HPV controversy at local board - Trustees to vote Nov. 19 on allowing vaccine in Sault schools - The Sault Star - "A survey conducted by the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board indicated 77 per cent of families that responded favour having the vaccine administered in schools."

* ►October 16, 2008 - Bipolar Kids Need Nutrition, Not Junk Food and More Drugs - press release - Orthomolecular Medicine News Service

* ►October 16, 2008 - Aeras and Crucell Announce TB Vaccine Clinical Trial in Kenya; Promising Vaccine Candidate Advances to Phase II Safety Study in South Africa - Aeras and Crucell via News Blaze

* ►October 16, 2008 - Public Workshop Adjuvants and Adjuvanted Preventative and Therapeutic Vaccines for Infectious Disease Indications - FDA/CBER

* ►October 16, 2008 - Understanding the Childhood Vaccine Schedule: Spotlight on Rotavirus CME (requires registration) - Medscape

* ►October 16, 2008 - 'Leisha's Girls' come together (includes video) - Breast cancer patients want more information than doctor can provide - Baltimore Sun - "These eight or nine women aren't just drawn together for support but also by an overwhelming need to know more about the vaccine than they get through official channels. They want to know if it is working, how others are faring. At the very least they need validation that the time, energy and blood they have donated is pushing the scientific process forward."

* ►October 16, 2008 - Senate Probes Columbia Prof And A Non-Profit - Pharmalot - "The thread running between these groups is Martin Leon, a Columbia University cardiologist and controversial figure who runs CRF (see photo). Last year, for instance, he was banned by The New England Journal of Medicine from writing reviews or editorials for the next five years after he leaked embargoed clinical trial information (look here)."

* ►October 16, 2008 - Merck's interest in Durham may go beyond new plant - The News & Observer - "Within the next year or two, Merck is expected to decide where to make two new vaccines it is still testing -- a combination pediatric vaccine and a vaccine to protect against staph infections. The Durham plant, which was dedicated as the Maurice R. Hilleman Center for Vaccine Manufacturing on Wednesday, will compete with Merck's two other U.S. vaccine production plants for the work."

* ►October 16, 2008 - Bullitt to send ill kids home - The Courier-Journal - "School district officials sent letters about the new "exclusion policy" home with Freedom Elementary School students yesterday, and the policy will take effect today, said Lesa Bodine, the district's health coordinator. Students with symptoms will need a doctor's note stating that they do not have whooping cough to return to school."

* ►October 16, 2008 - Truth In Numbers: How Statistics Can Mislead - Pharmalot

►October 16, 2008 - Lyme disease often misunderstood - STL Today

►October 16, 2008 - Clostridium difficile FAQs - CBC News

►October 16, 2008 - New rules covering medical identity theft might apply to physicians - AMA

►October 16, 2008 - Gut Bacteria Play Key Role in Immune System - Cell Host & Microbe via MedPage Today

►October 16, 2008 - Boston University presents the Wyeth Symposium on Metabolic Dysregulation - Boston University

►October 16, 2008 - Amgen Sales Rep Can Pursue Wrongful Firing Suit - Pharmalot

►October 16, 2008 - Senior Moments - Multiple Sources of Relief Available for MS Patients - Jewish Exponent

* ►October 15, 2008 - The Bush Strategy For Pushing Preemption - Pharmalot

* ►October 15, 2008 - Toxins Found in Russian Rights Lawyer’s Car (requires registration) - "The Strasbourg police said Ms. Moskalenko’s husband, a chemist, had discovered “about 10 little pellets of liquid metal” in the family car on Sunday, on the floor of both the driver and the passenger sides of the vehicle, the newspaper Le Figaro reported, quoting an unidentified person close to the police inquiry. Analysis by toxicologists identified the substance as mercury, which can damage organs and the immune and nervous systems."

* ►October 15, 2008 - Education Secretary Announces Grants to Aid Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders - Pennsylvania Department of Education via PRNewswire-USNewswire

►October 15, 2008 - Do Fans Protect Against SIDS? - Fan use might further reduce the risk for SIDS, especially in adverse sleep environments. - journal article (Journal Watch Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine)

* ►October 15, 2008 - Biolab Scientists to Face Psychological Screening - The New York Times News Service via Aetna InteliHealth

* ►October 15, 2008 - Recent Trends in Infant Mortality in the United States - CDC

* ►October 15, 2008 - GSK to buy Egyptian pharma business from Bristol Myers Squibb - Triangle Business Journal - "GSK says it will be able to export generic versions of the drugs it’s buying from Bristol-Myers Squibb. The company pegs the pharmaceutical market in Egypt at roughly $2.1 billion – a number that grew by 19 percent in 2007, GSK says."

►October 15, 2008 - Bugs in the Gut Trigger Production of Important Immune Cells, NYU Study Finds - The finding may lead to new treatments for inflammatory bowel disease - NYU Langone Medical Center / New York University School of Medicine via Biocompare

►October 15, 2008 - Biogen, Tysabri & A Dying Democratic Fundraiser - Pharmalot

►October 15, 2008 - Two HSPH Professors Honored with Election to Institute of Medicine for their Scientific Contributions - Harvard School of Public Health

* ►October 15, 2008 - Pharmaceutical Industry Donations About Even To Democrats, Republicans, After Years Of Favoring GOP - Medical News Today - "According to lobbyists and pharmaceutical executives, the change is a result of the Democrats' control over both chambers of Congress and the expectation that they will expand their majorities and potentially win the White House. Ken Johnson, senior vice president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, said, 'There's a new world order.'"

* ►October 14, 2008 - Depression expert at Emory pulls out of research projects - NIH freezes grant money; Emory to begin monitoring potential conflicts of interest (requires registration) - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

* ►October 14, 2008 - UCLA Study Finds That Searching the Internet Increases Brain Function - University of California - Los Angeles via Biocompare - "Internet searches revealed a major difference between the two groups. While all participants demonstrated the same brain activity that was seen during the book-reading task, the Web-savvy group also registered activity in the frontal, temporal and cingulate areas of the brain, which control decision-making and complex reasoning. "Our most striking finding was that Internet searching appears to engage a greater extent of neural circuitry that is not activated during reading — but only in those with prior Internet experience," said Small, who is also the director of UCLA's Memory and Aging Research Center."

►October 13, 2008 - Mum's tribute to meningitis victim - Oxford Mail

►October 13, 2008 - Stanley M. Aronson: First do no harm - Providence Journal

►October 13, 2008 - Flu shots and babies (requires registration) - Washington Post via Los Angeles Times

►October 13, 2008 - New delivery system hikes vaccine response - United Press International

* ►October 13, 2008 - Elusive cure - For nearly a decade, Dr. Leisha Emens has been driven to develop a vaccine to stop breast cancer - Second of six chapters (requires registration) - Baltimore Sun

* ►October 11, 2008 - Are our girls guinea pigs? - Fiji Times - "Barely three months ago, buried in a government press release of Cabinet decisions, was an approval of Gardasil as a vaccination to be administered to our young girls because it would, apparently, prevent cervical cancer. The next thing you know, our medical officers are urging parents in a television advert to sign consent forms. This week, three primary school students were reported to have reacted negatively to the vaccination. The report will hopefully be a catalyst for more research on into vaccine and Merck, the company that's brought it to us. Like, for instance, Gardasil is still in its testing stages and will not be fully evaluated for safety until September 2009."

* ►October 10, 2008 - Flu Can Be Deadly for Young Victims (requires registration) - HealthDay via Washington Post - "Richard Kanowitz's 4-year-old daughter, Amanda, died of the flu on March 1, 2004, barely 72 hours after she first complained of feeling ill."

►October 10, 2008 - According to Cutting Edge Information's Research, Combined Cancer Vaccines and Immunostimulants Revenue to Double by 2012 - Cutting Edge Information via Market Wire via Comtex via MarketWatch

►October 9, 2008 - Psychopharmacological and Other Treatments in Preschool Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Current Evidence and Practice. - journal article (Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology)

►October 8, 2008 - Helping Doctors and Patients Make Sense of Health Statistics - journal article (Psychological Science in the Public Interest)

* ►October 8, 2008 - Campaign shows ease of getting flu shot, mist - TimesNews.net - "A press conference held by the Mountain Empire Epidemiology Task Force marched the Grunstra family out in front of cameras and microphones to prove a point — these shots are readily available and too convenient to ignore. 'People are running out of excuses. While getting the groceries, you can park the buggy and get a flu shot. It shows the simplicity and how important this vaccine has become in the public eye,' said Dr. John Dreyzehner of the Cumberland Plateau Health District, who rolled up his sleeve to get vaccinated during the conference."

►October 2008 - Cat scratch disease presenting as acute encephalopathy. - journal article (Emergency Medical Journal)

►October 2008 - Scientists pick their President (requires registration) - A revealing look at The Scientist's mock election results - The Scientist

►October 2008 - Persuasion Power (requires registration) - Ed Liu has produced innovative translational research and a world-class genome institute using his undeniable intellect - and charm. - The Scientist

►October 2008 - What do we know about the genetics of aspirin intolerance? - journal article (Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics)

* ►Holly's Law - The Antibody Blood Titer Test - Provides Physicians and Parents with More Knowledge - website - "Holly died of encephalopathy which she developed 7 days after receiving her second dose of MMR vaccine.  Encephalopathy is one of the potential reactions of the MMR.  You need to become knowledgeable and informed before making your decision to vaccinate."

* ►Antibody Titer Law (pdf) - www.state.nj.us - "The Antibody Titer Law (Holly’s Law, NJSA 26:2N-8-11), passed on January 14, 2004, concerns vaccination of children with the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine. The law allows parents to seek testing to determine a child’s immunity to measles, mumps, and rubella, before receiving the second dose of the vaccine."

* ►Should Schools Require That Children Be Vaccinated? - Opposing Views

►Calcium Signaling and Disease - September 3-7, 2008 Woods Hole, MA - 62nd Annual Symposium of the Society of General Physiologists via Autism Speaks

►October 17, 2008 - Notifiable Diseases/Deaths in Selected Cities Weekly Information - MMWR/CDC

►October 17, 2008 - QuickStats: Percentage of Injury Deaths* for Which Death Was Pronounced Outside of a Hospital,† by Leading Mechanism of Injury Death§ --- United States, 2005 - MMWR/CDC

►October 17, 2008 - Illnesses and Injuries Related to Total Release Foggers --- Eight States, 2001--2006 - MMWR/CDC

* ►October 17, 2008 - Takeda, Cell Genesys End Development of Prostate-Cancer Vaccine - Bloomberg - "Tests showed that less than 30 percent of patients improved their survival using GVAX, Osaka-based Takeda said in a statement to the Tokyo Stock Exchange today."

* ►October 17, 2008 - Gene Screen To Identify Causes Of Autism - A new screening method can be used to detect the chromosomal abnormalities most commonly associated with autism spectrum disorders. By screening for genetic defects associated with various kinds of cognitive impairment, the approach will help clinicians identify the underlying causes of some patients' autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) - BMC Medical Genomics, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS via ScienceDaily

►October 17, 2008 - Vaccine for cervical cancer launched in city - Daily News & Analysis, India

►October 17, 2008 - Cancer vaccines win top science prize - Cosmos Magazine - "The $300,000 Prime Minister's Prize was awarded to Ian Frazer, an immunologist from Diamantina Institute for Cancer Immunology & Metabolic Medicine at The University of Queensland whose cervical cancer vaccines – Gardasil and Cervarix – went on the market in 2006."

* ►October 17, 2008 - HPV Vaccine Safe: Aust Research Fellow - FijiVillage.com - "Fijivillage asked Doctor Samuela why the Health Ministry pamphlet which is being distributed to parents for their consent for their daughters to be vaccinated does not have the information that Gardasil is in its post marketing surveillance. He said it will only confuse parents and they may not allow their daughters to be vaccinated."

* ►October 17, 2008 - All pilgrims to get polio drops in S. Arabia - Pakistan Dawn - "The 85,000 Pakistani Haj pilgrims will be administered oral polio vaccine (OPV) on reaching Saudi Arabia next month.... 'As the polio-virus still exists here, the Pakistanis will be administered OPV, regardless of age and past vaccination history, on their arrival in Saudi Arabia,' he said."

* ►October 17, 2008 - 8-month-old is Delhi's latest polio victim - Times of India - "'Hasnim had received four doses of oral polio vaccine during anti-polio campaigns and two doses during routine immunization. The child had missed the last polio campaign dose which left her vulnerable,' an official said."

►October 17, 2008 - Polio Vaccinations miss the mark - Daily Times, Pakistan

* ►October 17, 2008 - 'Vaccinate now' to beat bird flu - Hilary's Desk via Beyond Conformity

* ►October 16, 2008 - NJ flu-shot mandate for preschoolers draws outcry - AP via Newsday - "Opposition to the policy is vehement. Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk, one of the speakers at the rally, said she now has 34 co-sponsors for a bill that would allow for conscientious objections to mandatory vaccinations. 'The right to informed consent is so basic,' she said in an interview. 'Parents have a right to decide for their own children what is injected in their bodies.'"

* ►October 16, 2008 - Parents, at Statehouse rally, protest mandatory vaccinations for children - The Star-Ledger via NJ.com - "'Governor Corzine,' speaker Louise Kuo Habakus said as she addressed the crowd. 'Are you the one with the courage to lead us through this health care crisis? If so, give us vaccination choice. The parents of New Jersey are moving ahead with or without you.' Habakus is a member of the New Jersey Coalition for Vaccination Choice, and she said she is the mother of two vaccine-injured children."

* ►October 16, 2008 - NJN News Thursday - video - New Jersey Public Television and Radio - [News Clip of Rally 3/4 way through]

* ►October 16, 2008 - Preschoolers’ parents protest required flu shots - N.J. policy is first in the nation to require the vaccine for small children - AP via MSNBC

►October 16, 2008 - Protest Over Mandatory Flu Shots For Preschoolers - Protesting Parents Decry New Jersey Policy Of Mandatory Flu Shots For Preschoolers - AP via CBS News

►October 16, 2008 - NJ flu-shot mandate for preschoolers draws outcry - AP via International Herald Tribune

►October 16, 2008 - Opponents of required vaccinations rally in NJ - Burlington County Times via phillyBurbs.com

* ►October 16, 2008 - The Rally Begins - Age of Autism

* ►October 16, 2008 - Barbara Loe Fisher - Age of Autism

►October 16, 2008 - Protest over mandatory flu shots for preschoolers - AP via Google

►October 16, 2008 - Vaccination choice group to hold rally in NJ - AP via Daily Record

►October 16, 2008 - NJ flu-shot mandate for preschoolers draws outcry - AP via The Guardian, UK

* ►October 16, 2008 - CDC Panel May Advise Anthrax Shots for First Responders - Anthrax Vaccine -- posts by Meryl Nass, M.D

* ►October 16, 2008 - Panel May Advise Anthrax Shots for First Responders - Global Security Newswire - "A U.S. government advisory panel next week could recommend that state and local public health officials consider administering anthrax vaccines to as many as 3 million first responders nationwide, Global Security Newswire has learned."

* ►October 16, 2008 - David Kirby: Last Night's Autism Debate -- Who Will Win the Special Needs Vote? - The Huffington Post - "The media may be transfixed on 'Joe the Plumber' today, but the real winner of last night's debate was autism. I cannot recall a single disorder ever becoming so prominent in a national election as autism has been in 2008: Not cancer, not AIDS, not heart disease."

* ►October 16, 2008 - Jenny McCarthy: My Son No Longer Has Autism - Usmagazine.com - "The actress - who believes the MMR vaccine was to blame for her son's diagnosis - says a strict no wheat-and-dairy-free diet has changed her son from a quiet little boy who used to flail his arms around to a loving six-year-old.

 'Before the vaccination, he was huggy, lovey, snuggly,' she says in the newest issue of Us Weekly. 'Then it was like someone came down and stole him.'"

►October 16, 2008 - New Jersey Vaccination Choice Rally Live on Autism One Radio - Age of Autism

►October 16, 2008 - Jenny McCarthy in US Weekly By Kim Stagliano - Age of Autism

►October 16, 2008 - Jenny McCarthy Takes On Denis Leary’s Autism Comments - Access Hollywood

►October 16, 2008 - Palin has experience with special needs kids - AP via Google

►October 16, 2008 - Palin's record on special needs kids is mixed - AP via Google

* ►October 16, 2008 - After McCain Spoke of Autism, Palin Talks of Down Syndrome (requires registration) - The Trail via Washington Post

►October 16, 2008 - Woman's charity takes aim at three conditions meaningful to her - Fabulosity avec Amour founder survived breast cancer, her mother has Alzheimer's and her son has autism (requires registration) - Chicago Tribune

►October 16, 2008 - Is autism all it's diagnosed to be? Actors square off - Chicago Sun-Times

►October 16, 2008 - Autism-awareness event set for Nov. 15 at Disney - Orlando Sentinel

►October 16, 2008 - Child Warriors: Ana - Age of Autism

►October 16, 2008 - MU brain imaging center provides research for autism, schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease - University of Missouri-Columbia via EurekAlert!

* ►October 16, 2008 - Health Column - The Daily Planet - "In a letter to the editor in the quarterly journal Wise Traditions, put out by the Weston A. Price Foundation, a mother tells of her very healthy 13-year-old son being taken in for mandatory vaccines for his participation in a Boy Scout program. After his vaccination he became very sick, feverish, shaking uncontrollably, his back arching in pain — an often-reported response by parents to a child’s vaccination. The parents took him to the emergency room, letting the ER doctors know several times that this response came on after a vaccination. The ER made light of it, saying he must have ‘picked up a bug’ while at the doctor’s office. The ER release papers never mentioned the correlation so it was never reported. The parents’ testimony is that their son’s health has not been the same since the incident."

* ►October 16, 2008 - Even health care workers reject flu shots - 60 percent opt not to get vaccinated despite promixity to virus - AP via MSNBC

* ►October 16, 2008 - Millions of Flu Vaccines May Go Unused - Local Laws on Flu Vaccines Are Limiting Number Immunized, Experts Say - ABC News - "Sanofi Pasteur, Inc., a pharmaceutical company that supplies 50 percent of vaccines across the country to health care providers, has nearly doubled its workforce in anticipation of the growing market. But, in fact, the company expects losses because of the large amount of vaccines predicted to be disposed, said Len Lavenda, spokesman for Sanofi Pasteur. 'We haven't seen any change in patterns of [providers] ordering [the flu vaccine],' Lavenda said. 'Right now, the big drive is to have as many people vaccinated, and we support removing the barriers and the inconvenience that will keep people from doing just that.'"

* ►October 16, 2008 - Canadians urged to get flu shots despite problems - CBC

►October 16, 2008 - Docs Recommend Flu Shot As Season Kicks Off - Doctors Are Recommending Flu Shots To Those At High Risk - WESH Orlando

* ►October 16, 2008 - New lab security report may signal need for pause - New government report on bio-defense lab security may signal need for pause - AP via Newsweek - "Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, repeated this week his call for suspension of all further design and construction of biodefense laboratories until security problems are fixed."

►October 16, 2008 - Pathogen labs lack security: GAO (requires registration) - The Scientist NewsBlog

* ►October 16, 2008 - Merck's interest in Durham may go beyond new plant - News & Observer

* ►October 16, 2008 - Vaccines Are Important Prevention Tools at Every Age - Society for Women's Health Research (SWHR) via Newswise - "Access to vaccines is another obstacle. 'We must expand vaccine delivery beyond the traditional medical home of the doctor’s office,' Schuchat said. She suggested that in the future more vaccines should be given in non-traditional settings, such as grocery stores, senior centers and churches."

* ►October 16, 2008 - Catholic school board reverses decision - Medicine Hat News - "In a split vote Tuesday night, Medicine Hat Catholic school trustees decided not to allow the HPV (human papilloma virus) vaccine to be administered in their schools. The decision was an about-face for the division, which had previously stated its intention to go along with the provincial government’s plan to innoculate all Grade 5 girls against the cervical-cancer causing virus."

* ►October 16, 2008 - FCGP Cautions Parents - FijiVillage.com - "The Fiji College of General Practitioners has cautioned parents of 9 to 12 year old girls to wait for Gardasil's Post Marketing Surveillance period to be over before deciding on whether their daughters should be vaccinated. Although the Health Ministry said the clinical tests for the vaccine is over, the College of General Practitioners President, Doctor Wahid Khan said Gardasil is on a trial period until next year."

* ►October 16, 2008 - Eight new suspected measles cases - Eight new measles cases have been diagnosed amid warnings that the disease is on the increase due to a reduction in the take-up of a vaccine. - BBC

* ►October 16, 2008 - President Bush Signs Obama's Mercury Export Ban into Law - Environment News Service

* ►October 16, 2008 - As flu shot clinics open, CDC recommends most children be vaccinated - Contra Costa Times 

* ►October 16, 2008 - Hawaii students to get free flu shots - Honolulu Advertiser - "More than 60,000 children are signed up to receive flu vaccine this fall through the program, the release said. Of participating students, about 53,000 attend public schools. Additionally, nearly 7,000 teachers and school staff will receive the flu vaccine, pushing the total number of vaccinations near 70,000."

►October 16, 2008 - Vaccines cause "microvascular strokes" that cause autism? - Respectful Insolence via ScienceBlogs

►October 16, 2008 - UR Seeks 100 Families for Influenza Study - 13WHAM.com

►October 16, 2008 - Dearth of yellow fever vaccines hits travellers in Delhi - Reuters India

►October 16, 2008 - NY suburb reports 4th death from West Nile virus - Newsday

►October 16, 2008 - Hepatitis C In Western New York - WKBW.com

* ►October 16, 2008 - Polio vaccination may continue after wild virus fades - CIDRAP News

►October 16, 2008 - Polio survivors encouraged to tell their stories - The Fallbrook Village News

►October 16, 2008 - Rumours in Africa hurt vaccination campaigns - Gauntlet News

►October 16, 2008 - Love Your Liver With Alpha Lipoic Acid - NaturalNews.com

* ►October 16, 2008 - Remaining AGs not willfully handing over medical records in Eli Lilly case - Legal Newsline

►October 16, 2008 - Psoriasis Drug Raptiva Gets FDA Warning - 'Black Box' Warning Will Note Risk of Dangerous Infections - WebMD - "Raptiva works by suppressing the immune system to reduce psoriasis flare-ups, but suppressing the immune system can raise the risk of serious infections and malignancies."

►October 16, 2008 - Baron Receives Biogen Drug After Clinton Appeals - Bloomberg

►October 16, 2008 - Genes that control cell death fingered in age-related hearing loss - Hints of 'blebbing' in ears of mice help guide effort to ease human disease - University of Rochester Medical Center via EurekAlert!

►October 16, 2008 - FDA Cites Dosing Errors in New Recommendations for Children's OTC Medications - AccuDial, Inc. via PRNewswire via COMTEX via MarketWatch

►October 16, 2008 - Sputtering Cell Genesys firing most employees - San Francisco Chronicle

►October 15, 2008 - Aspirin Doesn't Prevent First Heart Attack, Stroke - HealthDay via Forbes - "Contradicting current recommendations, a new trial finds that aspirin does not reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke for people with diabetes or peripheral arterial disease."

►October 13, 2008 - Dear Doc: Flu shot time is here - Vail Daily News