►November 2008 - The serotonin transporter genotype is associated with intermediate brain phenotypes that depend on the context of eliciting stressor - journal article (Molecular Psychiatry)

►November 2008 - An association screen of myelin-related genes implicates the chromosome 22q11 PIK4CA gene in schizophrenia - journal article (Molecular Psychiatry)

►November 2008 - Increased serotonin 2C receptor mRNA editing: a possible risk factor for suicide - journal article (Molecular Psychiatry)

►October 23, 2008 - Three "Inconvenient Truths" about Health Care (free full text) - journal article (NEJM)

►October 23, 2008 - Slowing the Growth of Health Care Costs — Learning from International Experience (free full text) - journal article (NEJM)

►October 23, 2008 - Innate immunity and intestinal microbiota in the development of Type 1 diabetes - journal article (Nature)

►October 23, 2008 - Evolution in Health and Disease (book review) - journal article (NEJM)

►October 23, 2008 - Multiple Lessons for Multiple Sclerosis - journal article (NEJM)

►October 23, 2008 - Alemtuzumab vs. Interferon Beta-1a in Early Multiple Sclerosis - journal article (NEJM)

* ►October 23, 2008 - Measles vaccine kills 4 kids - The Telegraph, India - "Four children, aged between nine months and one-and-a-half years, died just hours after being given measles vaccine at a health sub-centre in the Nimua area of Baksa district this morning. The children, identified as Bikash Dorjee of Kursijhar, Pramod Barman of Baganbari, Pamit Barman of Narsingbari and Bhagyasri Swargiary of Dikiajan, had high fever and bouts of vomiting before breathing their last at their homes except for one, who died in hospital."

* ►October 23, 2008 - 4 infants die after measles vaccination - Assam Tribune - "As the report of the deaths spread in the rural areas, mothers whose children were administered the vaccine today, went panicky and created an unprecedented rush to the nearby dispensaries and to the Barpeta Road 30-bed hospital. Sources said that the casualties may rise as several more children have fallen sick after the vaccination programme."

* ►October 23, 2008 - BMC freezes vaccine after death of 18-month-old girl - Times of India - "Mumbai: Following the death of an 18-month-old girl after being given a dose of vaccine at a health post in Andheri (E) on Tuesday evening, the municipal corporation has frozen certain batches of vaccine and sent samples for testing. Sources said the girl, Ishadevi Sharma, was being taken by her parents to the local health post at MIDC for regular vaccine doses since her birth. On October 20, she was given the DPT booster as well as the polio dose and brought back home."

►October 23, 2008 - Drive-thru shots: Practicing for pandemics - Daily Home Online

* ►October 23, 2008 - Fears rise over flu strains resistant to oral drug Tamiflu - The Yomiuri Shimbun - "More than 30 percent of influenza viruses confirmed last winter in Tottori Prefecture were resistant to the major oral drug Tamiflu, according to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID)."

►October 23, 2008 - Ministry: School health program far from healthy for kids - Ha'aretz - "The ministry found serious failures not only in the number of children covered, but also in how services were provided. Students were left unsupervised after receiving vaccinations, which put them at risk in the case of an adverse reaction. The company used expired equipment and supplies, including syringes, needles and medications."

►October 23, 2008 - Nigeria tops polio cases’ list — GPEI - The Punch, Nigeria

►October 23, 2008 - A new war -- against polio - The News International, Pakistan

►October 23, 2008 - Polio eradication: Donors pledge support to FG - Daily Triumph

* ►October 23, 2008 - Two polio cases detected in Phoolnagar - The Post - "Liaquat Ali, father of Ali Hassan, told the visiting team that his son was unable to move his right leg following the polio vaccination administered him by the RHC vaccination team. He alleged that the vaccine given to his child was either expired or out of order. He appealed to the higher authorities to look into the matter and punish the guilty ones."

* ►October 23, 2008 - Huge New Biodefense Lab Is Dedicated at Fort Detrick (requires registration) - Washington Post - "Barry Kissin, a Frederick lawyer who has strongly opposed the lab's construction, said he fears the facility would be used to create biological weapons even though the government said its mission is defensive. 'It's not only a huge threat to local public health and safety, it is in the forefront of the instigation of a brand-new arms race in the realm of bioweapons,' he said. 'Here we are, expanding by about 20 times the size of the program that we're now being told generated the only bioattack in our history.'"

* ►October 23, 2008 - Autism speaks. It's time for the world to listen - This bewildering disorder is on the increase in Britain. A three-pronged approach can help both sufferers and carers by Bob Wright - The Times, UK

* ►October 23, 2008 - Ill Effects Likely Not Tied to Gardasil, Study Says (free content) - The Wall Street Journal - "CDC also said it had received more than 10,000 adverse event reports, including 27 deaths, as of Aug. 31, 2008. Of the reports, 94% were reports of events considered to be non-serious and 6% were reports of events considered to be serious. Most vaccines have reported serious adverse events rates between 10% and 15%, CDC said."

* ►October 23, 2008 - WHO says gardasil is safe - Fiji Times

►October 23, 2008 - FMA supports Gardasil vaccine - Fiji Times - "'My daughters will be vaccinated,' said Dr Waqainabete. The statements by Dr Waqainabete are in reaction to doubts raised by some organisations and health professionals over the use of a new drug."

►October 23, 2008 - Net Off, Merck Triggers New Cuts - Drug Maker Will Close Three Facilities, Trim 7,200 Workers in Latest Restructuring (free preview) - Wall Street Journal

* ►October 22, 2008 - NJ parents should have vaccine choices - editorial - Allentown Examiner - "New Jersey parents have a right to protect their children and should have the authority to make all of their medical decisions. However, that's not the case in New Jersey, where children attending any public or private school are currently required to have 35 doses of 13 vaccines, most of which are manufactured with neurotoxins and carcinogens such as formaldehyde, thimerosal and aluminum....When there are more recorded deaths of children who have had the meningococcal vaccination than there have been deaths of children from meningitis, we have to ask ourselves if the vaccines are about protecting kids or about helping vaccine manufacturers that made contributions to politicians."

* ►October 22, 2008 - B.C. man paralyzed after flu shot warns of risks - CBC - "Within two weeks of getting his annual flu shot in 2007, however, Richard Ryan, 44, went from being happy and healthy to being in excruciating pain. 'The doctor asked me what was going on in my life. And as soon as I said I was feeling ill after getting a flu shot, he said, 'Stop right there, I know what you have,'' Ryan said. The neurologist diagnosed Ryan with Guillain-Barré syndrome, an autoimmune disease that attacks the nervous system. But as Ryan learned the consequences can be severe. By the time the emergency room exam was over, he was unable to get up. He spent the next 10 weeks recovering in hospital, including three weeks in intensive care, barely able to breath or eat for himself. 'My face was paralyzed. I had no feeling inside my mouth. I couldn't feel my tongue. My left eye wouldn't close so it had to be taped shut to sleep,' he said. The illness progressed into a lifelong condition known as chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), and a year later he remains heavily medicated, unable to work, and has memory problems."

* ►October 22, 2008 - VIDEO: Teresa Tang reports: B.C. man paralyzed after flu shot warns of risks (Runs 1:24) (wmv) - CBC

* ►October 22, 2008 - Forced Flu Vaccination and Freedom by Barbara Loe Fisher - Vaccine Awakening

* ►October 22, 2008 - NVIC Vaccine E-Newsletter
 
Forced Flu Vaccination and Freedom by Barbara Loe Fisher
 
www.vaccineawakening.blogspot.com
www.NVIC.org
www.StandUpBeCounted.org

It is no wonder parents in New Jersey are protesting in the streets in opposition to a mandate by the state health department that all children entering daycare and school have to get an annual flu shot. The mandating of the notoriously ineffective and risky influenza vaccine is turning out to be one vaccine too many for parents. Rightfully, they are calling for scientific evidence that obeying CDC officials and giving children 69 doses of 16 vaccines from birth to age 18 will keep them healthy while demanding the right to make informed, voluntary choices about vaccination.

October 2008 has been a busy month for those who want to force all Americans - especially children - to get a flu shot every year. It doesn't matter if scientific studies have failed to prove that influenza vaccine is effective in children or many adults. It doesn't matter that flu vaccines during the past few years have been essentially worthless because they have not matched circulating strains of Type A and B influenza viruses. And apparently it also doesn't matter if the mortality statistic the flu police cling to - "36,000 annual deaths from influenza" - is scientifically correct or just hype, especially in light of the fact that only about 20 percent of all flu-like illness [doc] is actually caused by "influenza."

Bottom line: the flu you thought you caught last year might not actually be "influenza" and, even if it was, the chances that you got a strain of influenza actually contained in the flu vaccine out on the market was slim to none.

But that isn't stopping the pro-forced vaccinators from pushing mandatory flu vaccination on all health care workers, who have an historically low uptake (about 40 percent) when it comes to getting an annual flu shot. So if you are a nurse, doctor, social worker, minister or any other professional who interfaces with "patients" in a medical setting, you are going to be rolling up your sleeve every year and getting that flu shot or you could be forced to divulge your vaccination status to patients, wear a mask or be denied contact with patients.

And what about influenza vaccine injury victims? A quick look at the federal Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) influenza vaccine reaction reports that now number between 24,000 and 34,000 (depending upon if the flu vaccine was given alone or not), illustrate the disturbing similarity of the report descriptions: inflammation of the brain; Guillain-Barre syndrome; chronic joint and limb pain and numbness, chronic fatigue, and permanent neurological damage.

On NVIC's Memorial for Vaccine Victims, there is a report of two children in the same family who regressed after influenza vaccination. Born in 2003, their mother reports that her baby son got a flu shot at seven months and her baby daughter at one year old. They both had behavior changes and regressed developmentally. Their mother said:"Both stopped sleeping, lost the few words they had at seven months and our daughter developed night terrors. Our son lost eye contact after each vax round, finally truly regressing at three after milk was added to their diet. He was diagnosed with autism; our daughter was diagnosed with "benign" language delay." Although their Mom reports that diet changes (gluten/casein/soy free diets) helped them partially recover, she said they still show "all the immune suppression and inflammation of efflux disorder and will have to be treated."At the end of her report she includes the following quote by Rabelais: "Science without conscience is but the ruin of the soul."

Yes, indeed.
__________________________________________

"New Jersey is the first state in the nation to require a flu shot for all children before they enroll in preschools and daycare centers.....But the mandate has infuriated many parents, hundreds of whom gathered in protest Thursday outside the statehouse in Trenton. Parents have formed advocacy groups and enlisted support online for fellow residents to sign their petition against the law. They've banned together to demand what they see as their right to choose what is injected in the bodies of their children. "I have a really big problem with mandatory flu shots in this country," said Louis Kuo-Habukus, a mother of three from New Jersey. "We need to have a choice." Parents flooded the statehouse, carrying signs with slogans like "Parent Power" and "My Child, My Choice," and chanting "No American should be forced to play vaccine roulette with their child." 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." - Sharyn Alfonsi, ABC News and ABC World News Tonight (October 16, 2008)

"Parental informed consent is "a civil right, a human right to be free to make intelligent, rational decisions about using pharmaceutical products that risk their children's lives," Fisher told the Holistic Moms Network fifth annual Natural Living Conference. "What the entire debate comes down to is freedom" of choice, said Fisher, a mother, and president of the National Vaccine Information Center. Fisher co-founded the non-profit grass-roots group in Washington in 1982. Health officials and physicians in the past three decades have tripled the number of shots that children are required to have, without adequately studying the possible long-term effects, Fisher charged....From birth to age 18, children currently receive 69 doses of 16 vaccines, including annual flu shots, she said. In 1982, 23 doses of seven vaccines were required, she said. "Today, twice as many children are chronically ill and disabled than in the 1970s and 1980s, when half as many vaccines were given," Fisher said." - Bob Groves, Bergen County Record (NJ), (October 19, 2008)
http://www.northjersey.com/news/health/31244264.html

"In the face of chronic low influenza vaccination rates among healthcare workers, the leading US society of infection control professionals says it's time to require medically eligible workers to either get the immunization or sign a form saying they understand the risks to patients if they skip it. "As part of a comprehensive strategy, we recommend that influenza vaccine be required annually for all healthcare personnel with direct patient care," the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) said in a policy statement released yesterday. "Organizations should adopt a system in which an informed declination is obtained from employees that decline for other than medical reasons," the statement continues. "This information should be utilized by the facility to develop improvement strategies for the following vaccine season." - Robert Roos, CIDRAP News (October 10, 2008)

"Over the past two flu seasons, vaccinating children five and younger did not reduce the number of child hospitalizations or doctor's visits linked to influenza, according to results of a new study....In the study, a team led by Dr. Peter G. Szilagyi, from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, N.Y., looked at 414 children aged five and younger who developed flu in the 2003-2004 or 2004-2005 flu seasons......after they adjusted for flu risk factors -- such as a child's location, sex, insurance status, chronic health conditions or timing of the vaccine -- the effectiveness of the vaccine could no longer be shown. The effectiveness of the flu shot ranged from 7 percent to 52 percent for 6- to 59-month-old children who had been fully vaccinated, the researchers found. The less- than-perfect match between the strain of flu in the vaccine during the two seasons studied and the flu that was actually circulating may have contributed substantially to the poor effectiveness of the vaccine, Szilagyi's team speculated. In 2003 to 2004, 99 percent of circulating flu was influenza A, but only 11 percent of the influenza A strain in the United States was similar to the strains included in the vaccine." - Health Day News (October 6, 2008) http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_70107.html

* ►October 22, 2008 - Flu Vaccine for Preschoolers - editorial (requires registration) - The New York Times - "Although no other state yet requires flu vaccination for preschoolers, New Jersey is on the right track. Vaccinations for infectious diseases are most effective when coverage is near universal."

* ►October 22, 2008 - Chiropractor says flu shots worthless, dangerous - letter - Marion Star - "According to Dr. J. Anthony Morris, distinguished virologist and formerly Chief Vaccine Control Officer at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration: 'There is no evidence that any influenza vaccine thus far developed is effective in preventing or mitigating any attack of influenza. The producers of these vaccines know that they are worthless but they go on selling them anyway.'"

* ►October 22, 2008 - Smokers should get pneumonia vaccine -US advisers - Reuters - "'The ACIP voted to recommend smokers aged 19 through 64 years of age should be vaccinated with pneumococcal vaccine. The committee also recommended smokers who receive pneumococcal vaccine also undergo stop smoking counseling,' CDC spokesman Curtis Allen said by e-mail. 'This is the first time the ACIP has recommended a vaccine specifically for smokers.'"

►October 22, 2008 - Smokers Should Get Pneumonia Vaccine, U.S. Panel Says - Bloomberg - "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, meeting in Atlanta, voted to expand its recommended use of the pneumonia shot to all smokers ages 19 to 64."

►October 22, 2008 - Should You Get A Flu Shot? - InjuryBoard.com

►October 22, 2008 - Don’t believe common myths about the flu - The Pickens Sentinel

►October 22, 2008 - Drive-through flu shots a success in Lynchburg - Lynchburg News Advance - "'It’s a public service, but it is a drill too,' said Dr. Kerry Gateley, district health director. The procedure tested the city’s incident management system, which would be used if a mass inoculation were required."
 
►October 22, 2008 - Flu Shot Season Has Arrived - WTVH.com

►October 22, 2008 - Clinics in Sauk Valley keep cost of flu shots steady - Trading Markets

►October 22, 2008 - Flu shot still stuck with misconceptions - Northumberland Today

* ►October 22, 2008 - Children's Network may sack flu shots for foster kids - Not enough vaccinations to go around, it says - The News-Press

* ►October 22, 2008 - Suspected botched vaccination claims four infants in Assam - IANS via Thaindian.com - "'The babies frothed at the mouth, shivered and then collapsed, almost immediately after they were administered the vaccine,' an activist said, requesting anonymity. Pediatricians said the vaccine was unlikely to be the cause of death."

* ►October 22, 2008 - Food Allergy in Kids Up 18% - CDC: 4% of U.S. Children Now Suffer Food Allergies - WebMD - "The new CDC data confirms what pediatricians and allergists have been suspecting, says Hugh Sampson, MD, director of the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York. 'There was the impression food allergy is increasing in children, but we only had data on peanut allergy,' Sampson tells WebMD. 'This report shows it is food allergy in general. That goes along with what a lot of pediatric allergists and pediatricians have been thinking.'"

* ►October 22, 2008 - CDC Study Finds 3 Million U.S. Children have Food or Digestive Allergies - press release - CDC

►October 22, 2008 - Eating shouldn't be dangerous; for many kids, it is - Booster Shots via Los Angeles Times

* ►October 22, 2008 - Hospitals Push Tdap Vaccine On New Mothers - NaturalNews.com - "A preservative used in the Tdap vaccine, 2-phenoxyethanol, has its own dangers. In fact, a data sheet for this chemical provided by Oxford University states: 'Harmful if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin. May cause reproductive defects. Severe eye and skin irritant.' Anyone want an injection? Pregnant mothers should note that this chemical is known to cause reproductive defects. Smart money says that if this chemical is harmful if it is absorbed into the skin, it's probably not too healthful if it's injected into the bloodstream. It's also a good bet that mothers aren't given this little tidbit of information before receiving the jab, either."

* ►October 22, 2008 - Cell Division, Autism and Ultrasound By: Angela Warner - Age of Autism

* ►October 22, 2008 - Biological Drugs Produce Side Effects But Vaccines Don't? - Age of Autism

* ►October 22, 2008 - CT's Shays on Vaccine Safety Legislation. Where's Jim Himes? By Nicole Crosby - Age of Autism

* ►October 22, 2008 - Medical Experts Take Notice of Jenny McCarthy's Autism Message - Autism Blog via http://autism.about.com

►October 22, 2008 - Unraveling Autism: What's Next in Treatment and How Do We Best Train Practitioners to Provide It? - press release - The Chicago School of Professional Psychology via PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX via MarketWatch

* ►October 22, 2008 - Merck Announces Big Job Cuts as Sales and Profit Fall (requires registration) - The New York Times

* ►October 22, 2008 - Gardasil Passes a 2-Year Safety Check - Safety Studies See No Sign of Safety Problems for HPV Vaccine - Meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), Oct. 22, 2008 via WebMD

* ►October 22, 2008 - Merck's Gardasil Isn't Linked to Risks in U.S. Study - Bloomberg

* ►October 22, 2008 - Few adverse reactions to cervical cancer vaccine - Reuters - "'Of these reports, 94 percent were reports of events considered to be non-serious, and 6 percent were reports of events considered to be serious,' the CDC said. These included 27 deaths....Eleven of the deaths were traced to diseases such as diabetes or meningitis and unrelated to the vaccine, while the others were being investigated or did not provide enough information to assess, the CDC said."

* ►October 22, 2008 - Boys should also receive HPV vaccine - Western News - "Nobel Prize winner Harald zur Hausen, whose discovery of the human papilloma virus (HPV) causes cervical cancer, says boys and girls should receive the vaccine."

►October 22, 2008 - Girls must have vaccine - letter - The Edmonton Journal

* ►October 22, 2008 - Reports of serious drug reactions hit record - The number of serious problems and deaths linked to medications reported to the government set a record in the first three months of this year, a health industry watchdog group said Wednesday. - AP via Seattle Times - "The watchdog group, known as ISMP, has served hospitals and pharmacists for years as a clearinghouse for information on drug safety and medication errors. It is now reaching out to consumers with regular reports on drug safety trends, drawn from FDA records."

* ►October 22, 2008 - Prescription drug injuries and deaths reach record levels - A watchdog group reports that 4,825 deaths and 21,000 injuries occurred in the first three months of 2008. The drugs heparin and varenicline are cited as the most dangerous. (requires registration) - Los Angeles Times

* ►October 22, 2008 - US reviewing accident reports for Pfizer's Chantix - Reuters - "A watchdog group released an analysis earlier on Wednesday saying the FDA had received more than 1,000 reports of health problems and injuries in Chantix users during the first quarter of 2008."

* ►October 22, 2008 - Homeland Security lab like biodefense battleship - AP via Examiner.com

* ►October 22, 2008 - GAO says tighter security needed at two BSL-4 labs - CIDRAP News

►October 22, 2008 - Emergent BioSolutions: Stellar Acting Stock - Seeking Alpha

►October 22, 2008 - Pitt gets federal grant to study disaster preparedness - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

►October 22, 2008 - "White-powder" letters hit more banks, N.Y. Times - Reuters

►October 22, 2008 - State and city officials continue mercury probe, victim still alive - The Plain Dealer via cleveland.com

►October 22, 2008 - County Rotary groups raise cash to fight polio - Northwest Herald

►October 22, 2008 - Namibia Seeks Polio-free Status - New Era

►October 22, 2008 - Officials Confirm Cases Of Whooping Cough - In Ontario County the Canandaigua City School District says it did have three cases of whooping cough, two at Canandaigua Academy, and one at an elementary school. - 1180 WHAM Rochester

►October 22, 2008 - TB Found in Ancient Bones - Science in the Headlines via The National Academies

* ►October 22, 2008 - Caution didn't keep West Nile virus away - County spokesman is still recovering - San Diego Union-Tribune

* ►October 22, 2008 - Deconstructing AIDS Part V - The Search for Truth - Absolutely Underdof

►October 22, 2008 - In Two Days, Four New Drugs Stall at FDA - Wall Street Journal Health Blog

* ►October 22, 2008 - Persistent Vaccination Effect of GRAZAX(R) After Completion of Treatment - press release - ALK-Abello A/S via PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX via MarketWatch - "Today, ALK announces main results from the first follow-up year in a long-term study (GT-08) with GRAZAX(R), the company's tablet-based vaccine against grass pollen allergy."

►October 22, 2008 - Time to give ill health the needle - Coventry Telegraph

* ►October 22, 2008 - Merck's a Bloated Garbage Heap of Stale Drugs - The Motley Fool

* ►October 22, 2008 - U.S. drug makers face mounting problems - International Herald Tribune

* ►October 22, 2008 - Merck Will Cut 7,200 Jobs as Profit Falls 28 Percent - Bloomberg - "Sales of Merck's Gardasil cervical cancer vaccine fell 4 percent to $401 million in the quarter after concerns about safety, effectiveness and price cut into demand. U.S. sales dropped 16 percent to $276 million."

* ►October 22, 2008 - Wyeth Profit Little Changed as Vaccine Sales Increase - Bloomberg - "Sales of the Prevnar vaccine rose 13 percent to $717 million, helped by its addition to national immunization programs. The World Health Organization recommended last year that developing countries add Prevnar to their immunization programs to reduce bacterial pneumonia and meningitis caused by pneumococcus."

* ►October 22, 2008 - It Would Take How Long To Inspect Foreign Plants? - Pharmalot - "The report (here it is) concludes the FDA is nowhere near to closing an oversight gap so foreign facilities get the same scrutiny as domestic plants, the Associated Press reports. Pharma plants in the US get a federal inspection every 2.7 years, on average."

►October 22, 2008 - Sourcing funding the unconventional way - Financial Times

►October 22, 2008 - Constraint-Based Network Model Of Pathogen-Immune System Interactions - Journal of the Royal Society Interface via Medical News Today

* ►October 22, 2008 - Cutting Back On Meds In A Bad Economy - Pharmalot

►October 22, 2008 - Silencing A Protein Could Kill T-Cells, Reverse Leukemia - Blocking the signals from a protein that activates cells in the immune system could help kill cells that cause a rare form of blood cancer, according to physicists and oncologists who combined computer modeling and molecular biology in their discovery. - Penn State via ScienceDaily

►October 22, 2008 - Wyeth Seeing Delays In Alzheimer's Trial Enrollment - Dow Jones Newswires via CNN Money

►October 22, 2008 - NAFDAC blacklists 22 Indian pharmaceutical firms - Vanguard

* ►October 22, 2008 - Making mice forget (requires registration) - The Scientist - "Tweaking levels of a brain protein causes mice to selectively forget fearful memories"

* ►October 21, 2008 - Product Approval Information Proper Name: Human Papillomavirus Quadrivalent (Types 6, 11, 16, 18) Vaccine, Recombinant  - FDA/CBER

* ►October 21, 2008 - JAMA Opposes Drug Industry in Wyeth v. Levine - The Wall Street Journal

* ►October 21, 2008 - The Case of the Disappearing Journal Article - Pharmalot

►October 21, 2008 - FDA Issues Warnings About Surgical Meshes - Pharmalot

►October 21, 2008 - inSPOT: The First Online STD Partner Notification System Using Electronic Postcards (full text) - journal article (PLoS Medicine)

►October 21, 2008 - The joint impact on being overweight of self reported behaviours of eating quickly and eating until full : cross sectional survey - journal article (BMJ)

►October 21, 2008 - Glaxo boosts oral care with $170 mln Biotene buy - Reuters

►October 21, 2008 - Glaxo Drug Teams Seek Funds Under New Start-Up System - Bloomberg

►October 21, 2008 - Amylin has wider Q3 loss; in supply deal with Eli Lilly - Reuters

►October 21, 2008 - The pneumonia shot: Perspective on prevention - Great Falls Tribune

►October 21, 2008 - Allard honored by CDC lab - The Coloradoan

►October 21, 2008 - Magnetic brain therapy gets US green light - New Scientist

►October 21, 2008 - Vitamin B6 Reduces Colon Cancer - Intake is Often "Inadequate" Even When it Exceeds the RDA - press release - Orthomolecular Medicine News Service

* ►October 21, 2008 - Beating measles: the success of MMR vaccine - The 20th anniversary of the introduction of the combined MMR vaccine in the UK should be an occasion for celebration. - Communitycare.co.uk

* ►October 21, 2008 - Dentists Back Sealants, Despite Concerns (requires registration) - The New York Times

* ►October 20, 2008 - So who's afraid of the Internet ... Big Pharma? (requires registration) - Los Angeles Times

►October 20, 2008 - Is physics better than biology? - Citation statistics now comparable across disciplines. - news (Nature)

* ►October 19, 2008 - Physical Decline Caused By Slow Decay of Brain's Myelin - Source: University of California - Los Angeles via Biocompare

►October 19, 2008 - Researchers Identify Achilles Heel of Common Childhood Tumor - Mechanism for rapid growth of infantile hemangiomas discovered - Harvard Medical School via Biocompare

* ►October 19, 2008 - Gladstone Scientists Identify Role of Fatty Acids in Alzheimer's disease - Large-scale analysis of brain lipids identifies potential therapeutic strategy - Gladstone Institutes via Biocompare

* ►October 19, 2008 - Parents asked to study perils of vaccinations - The Record via NorthJersey.com - "Americans have a basic right to decide whether their children should be vaccinated, Barbara Loe Fisher, a veteran crusader against government-mandated immunizations, said Saturday. Parental informed consent is 'a civil right, a human right to be free to make intelligent, rational decisions about using pharmaceutical products that risk their children's lives,' Fisher told the Holistic Moms Network fifth annual Natural Living Conference."

►October 15, 2008 - Why Are T Cells Tolerant to Hepatitis B Virus? - World Journal of Gastroenterology via Biocompare

►October 15, 2008 - Agriculture: Is China ready for GM rice? (requires registration) - In an effort to avoid a food crisis as the population grows, China is putting its weight behind genetically modified strains of the country's staple food crop. Jane Qiu explores the reasons for the unprecedented push. - news (Nature)

* ►October 11, 2008 - Immunologic changes in children with egg allergy ingesting extensively heated egg. - journal article (The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology) - "The majority of subjects with egg allergy were tolerant of heated egg. Continued ingestion of heated egg was well tolerated and associated with immunologic changes that paralleled the changes observed with the development of clinical tolerance to regular egg."

►October 9, 2008 - FDA Warning Letter Natural Biology, Inc. - FDA

* ►October 9, 2008 - Publish and be wrong - One group of researchers thinks headline-grabbing scientific reports are the most likely to turn out to be wrong - The Economist - "With so many scientific papers chasing so few pages in the most prestigious journals, the winners could be the ones most likely to oversell themselves—to trumpet dramatic or important results that later turn out to be false. This would produce a distorted picture of scientific knowledge, with less dramatic (but more accurate) results either relegated to obscure journals or left unpublished."

* ►October 9, 2008 - APIC Calls For Annual Flu Immunization For Healthcare Workers - Personnel Who Decline Must Acknowledge Risk To Patients (pdf) - www.apic.org

►October 6, 2008 - Kids' Flu Shot Largely Ineffective Over Past Few Years - Study finds it didn't keep them from hospitals, doctors' offices - HealthDay via MedlinePlus

►October 2008 - MHC loci affecting cervical cancer risk: distinguishing the effects of HLA-DQB1 and non-HLA genes TNF, LTA, TAP1 and TAP2 - journal article (Genes & Immunity)

►September 2008 - Latex allergy: two educational cases. - journal article (Pediatric Allergy and Immunology)

* ►November 2008 - Anaphylaxis following single component measles and rubella immunisation - journal article (Archives of Disease in Childhood)

* ►November 2008 - Funding of drugs: do vaccines warrant a different approach? - journal article (The Lancet Infectious Diseases)

* ►October 22/29, 2008 - Safety-Related Regulatory Actions for Biologicals Approved in the United States and the European Union (full text) - journal article (JAMA) - "Biologicals with an extension of indication during the study period, vaccines, allergenic products (allergen patch tests and allergenic extracts), biological products for further manufacture, and biological products for transfusion purposes and maintenance of circulating blood volume were excluded."

* ►October 22/29, 2008 - Prescription Drugs, Products Liability, and Preemption of Tort Litigation - journal article (JAMA)

* ►October 22/29, 2008 - National Department of Public Health. - JAMA 100 Years Ago - journal article (JAMA) - "Recent advances in scientific medicine; public recognition of sanitary victories, such as the stamping out of yellow fever in New Orleans and Havana and the suppression of the bubonic plague in San Francisco; greatly increased public interest in health matters, as shown by the successful campaigns for pure food and against dangerous drugs; the increasing desire of the people for trustworthy information"

►October 22/29, 2008 - Worried Sick (book review) - journal article (JAMA) - "Nortin Hadler takes very seriously the Hippocratic concept that medical care should deliver more good than harm. In Worried Sick, he makes the case that much of medical care does not meet that standard."

►October 22/29, 2008 - Without Your Consent: The Hijacking of American Health Care (book review) - journal article (JAMA)

►October 22/29, 2008 - Association of Patient Case-Mix Adjustment, Hospital Process Performance Rankings, and Eligibility for Financial Incentives - journal article (JAMA)

►October 22/29, 2008 - Selling a Medical School's Name - Ethical and Practical Dilemmas - journal article (JAMA)

►October 22/29, 2008 - Comparison of the US and Canadian Health Care Systems - journal article (JAMA)

►October 22/29, 2008 - A New Federal-State Partnership in Health Care - Real Power for States - journal article (JAMA)

►October 22/29, 2008 - Making Access to Quality and Affordable Health Care a Reality for Every American (full text) - journal article (JAMA)

►October 22/29, 2008 - Affordable Health Care for All Americans (full text) - journal article (JAMA)

►October 22/29, 2008 - Tort Litigation and Federal Regulation of Medical Devices - journal article (JAMA)

►October 22/29, 2008 - Quality of Care - journal article (JAMA)

►October 22/29, 2008 - What Does the US Surgeon General Mean to the Health of the Nation? - journal article (JAMA)

* ►October 22/29, 2008 - Congress Passes Mental Health Parity Bill - journal article (JAMA)

►October 22/29, 2008 - The Future of the Nursing Workforce in the United States: Data, Trends, and Implications (book review) - journal article (JAMA)

►October 22/29, 2008 - Health Insurance Costs Remain a Burden for Employers and Working Families - journal article (JAMA)

►October 22/29, 2008 - Reports Warn of Primary Care Shortages - journal article (JAMA)

►October 22/29, 2008 - Upper Income Limit for SCHIP and Forgone Care Among Uninsured US Children (book review) - journal article (JAMA)

►October 22/29, 2008 - Low Income, Social Growth, and Good Health: A History of Twelve Countries (book review) - journal article (JAMA)

* ►October 22, 2008 - MSD Pharma eyes slot among top five firms - Business Standard - "MSD Pharmaceuticals, the wholly-owned subsidiary of US-based multinational drug company Merck, has chartered an ambitious growth plan to emerge as one of the top five pharmaceutical companies in India."..."So far, the company has launched speciality drugs for critical care, metabolic disorders and vaccines. The company intends to launch a product from the parent stable every six months and these will include drugs for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity and novel vaccines, Rao said."

* ►October 22, 2008 - Parents fight for vaccination choice - Citizens seek conscientious objection option in New Jersey - Edison/Metuchen Sentinel - "When the hundreds of protesters in front of the statehouse Oct. 16 applauded a speaker, seven-year-old Alex Wurmser started screaming. Wurmser who was diagnosed with autism after receiving a series of what are considered routine vaccinations, is easily startled by loud noises. However, he accompanied his mother MaryTara to the protest so together they could oppose the mandating of more vaccines for children in New Jersey and to support the passage of A260/S1071, legislation that would provide a conscientious belief exemption to mandatory vaccination."

* ►October 22, 2008 - Little Known Facts About Gardasil - An Alternative Opinion on the "Miracle Vaccine" - The Racquet

* ►October 22, 2008 - Should we want to cure autism? - Two American grandparents are raising the global profile of the condition starting with a controversial debate in London tonight. Cassandra Jardine reports. - The Telegraph, UK - "Autism might have kept a low profile in the United States, if it hadn't affected Bob Wright's grandson, Christian. The chief executive of NBC Universal - the American television and film company - is not the kind of alpha male to take a problem in the family lying down."

►October 22, 2008 - Vaccine, serum manufacture: R&D labs at NIH pending approval for months - Daily Times, Pakistan

►October 22, 2008 - Routine immunisation can tame polio -- Minister - Triumph , Nigeria

* ►October 22, 2008 - Measles: 600 African Children Die Daily, Says IFRC - ThisDay Online

►October 22, 2008 - Gwinnett school moving cautiously on TB (requires registration) - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

►October 22, 2008 - Changing women's lives $3 at a time - Changing the lives of struggling women in Third World countries is sometimes as easy as giving up one latte. - East And Bays Courier via Stuff.co.nz - "Mrs Bowman describes the mission to eradicate tetanus in Nepal by 2005 as the most 'thrilling project' she has contributed to through Zonta."

►October 22, 2008 - Autism New Jersey Supports New Legislation - TomRiver Times

* ►October 22, 2008 - "Harmless" virus may hide and cause asthma - Reuters India - "'This research suggests that there's a potential new mechanism for asthma related to viral infections in children that could be associated with RSV,' pediatrician Dr. Asuncion Mejias of the University of Texas Southwestern, who led the study, said in a statement."

* ►October 21, 2008 - Live Webcast: Deirdre Imus' "A Forum on Vaccines" - Age of Autism - "We would like to extend an invitation for physicians, health officials, legislators and parents to join in a historic discussion on October 23rd, at Hackensack University Medical Center.....Program begins at 1:30pm * 4:15 panel discussion with audience Q&A"

* ►October 21, 2008 - MEETING OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON IMMUNIZATION PRACTICES (ACIP) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1600 Clifton Road, NE, Tom Harkin Global Communications Center (Building 19), Atlanta, Georgia October 22-23, 2008 - agenda (pdf) - www.cdc.gov

* ►October 21, 2008 - Olmsted on Autism: AAP, Feds Swap Cash. Why? By Dan Olmsted - Age of Autism

* ►October 21, 2008 - Why Couldn’t Autism be the Result of a Monkey Virus? By Kent Heckenlively, Esq. - Age of Autism

* ►October 21, 2008 - Is Jenny Mccarthy Right? Researcher Says No Proven Link Between Vaccines and Autism - Dalhousie University via Newswise - "'We don’t want to close our minds to further research and inquiry, but we really need to treat the vaccine-autism connection as highly speculative,' says Susan Bryson, the Joan and Jack Craig Chair in Autism Research at Dalhousie University in Halifax, and one of the world’s foremost autism experts."

* ►October 21, 2008 - Medical Conflict Of Interest Double Standards Humbug - BMJ via The One Click Group - "Andrew Wakefield is continuously attacked on the basis that he had crippling financial conflicts of interest - with regard to his research in MMR - which he did not disclose. At the time, the Lancet did not request authors to disclose conflicts of interest. So Dr Wakefield broke no rules. Perhaps more pertinent is the fact that a huge number of researchers, and those who write clinical guidelines, are far more 'conflicted' than Andrew Wakefield ever was - or is - or probably could ever be."

* ►October 21, 2008 - Catholic board rejects HPV - Decision to opt out of inoculation program not taken ‘lightly’- Grande Prairie Daily Herald Tribune - "'It would be more appropriate for (the vaccinations) to happen at a health unit. The board’s direction is to provide the decision we made to parents, and why we made the decision to give them information on availability outside the school setting.'...With the board’s decision, the school district becomes the 10th faith-based school district in the province to opt out of the program. At press time, eight Catholic school districts in the province have implemented the program."

* ►October 21, 2008 - 180 women a day immunising against cervical cancer - press release - CSL Biotherapies via Scoop.co.nz - "Over September, the first month of the programme, almost a quarter of eligible women (4054 of an estimated 15,000) started their course of three immunisation shots. Of these women, 2909 filled out an enrolment card for the Remind Me text and/or email reminder programme after their first vaccine shot."

►October 21, 2008 - Cervical cancer jab rolls out next month - YourCanturbury.co.uk

►October 21, 2008 - Nobel laureate dismayed by opposition to HPV vaccine - CP via CTV News

►October 21, 2008 - Nobel winner draws a crowd - Canadian Press via London Free Press

►October 21, 2008 - HPV and cancer, down to a science (requires registration or subscription) - The Globe and Mail

►October 21, 2008 - US orders cancer vaccine Gardasil for female immigrants (requires registration) - Los Angeles Times via San Jose Mercury News

* ►October 21, 2008 - Requiring HPV Vaccine For U.S. Immigrants Imposes Costs, Inhibits Freedom Of Choice, Opinion Piece Says - Daily Women's Health Policy Report via Medical News Today

* ►October 21, 2008 - Congrats, your baby is a public health hazard! - New parents need a shot of infant immunity: Infant germs can spread like a brushfire through the B.C. Interior (requires registration or subscription) - The Globe and Mail - "When Noah had his first doctor's appointment at one week old, his physician recommended my wife and I get flu shots. He said it was for Noah's protection. We wouldn't want to risk catching the flu and exposing our baby to the virus, now, would we?"

* ►October 21, 2008 - Edging away from life-saving vaccines - editorial - The Oregonian via OregonLive.com - "As Kimberly Bartholomew, a Beaverton nurse and member of the Oregon Partnership to Immunize Children, told The Oregonian's Paige Parker, 'we have a number of medically fragile children in our school system. These children can only be protected if their classmates are immune.' And that will happen only if the parents of their classmates are willing to believe the overwhelming scientific and medical consensus, and get them vaccinated."

* ►October 21, 2008 - A matter of public health - editorial - The Times of Trenton via NJ.com

* ►October 21, 2008 - Immunization effects reach far - The Times of Trenton via NJ.com - "Parents who oppose mandatory vaccines say the state is taking away their right to decide what is best for their children's health by adding four more injections to an already long list. New Jersey has more mandated vaccines than any other state, according to New Jersey Vaccination Choice, a group opposed to the mandates. Parents from the group rallied last week at the State House to support a bill that would let them opt out of vaccinations for their children, as parents in 19 other states can do."

* ►October 21, 2008 - Four booked for unauthorised vaccination - IANS via Sindh Today - "Despite not having necessary papers to undertake such an exercise, the NGO members were taking money from people for vaccination, he added."

* ►October 21, 2008 - Dynavax, Merck say hepatitis vaccine still on hold - Reuters

* ►October 21, 2008 - Dynavax and Merck & Co., Inc. Provide Update on U.S. FDA Clinical Hold on Investigational Vaccine HEPLISAV(TM) - press release - Dynavax Technologies Corporation and Merck & Co., Inc. via Business Wire via MarketWatch - "The FDA has advised the companies that the balance of risk versus potential benefit no longer favors continued clinical evaluation of HEPLISAV in healthy adults and children."

* ►October 21, 2008 - Dutch Authorities Raid Sanofi/Glaxo - Cervarix HPV Vaccine - The One Click Group

* ►October 21, 2008 - Safety a problem for new generation drugs, too - AP via Yahoo!

* ►October 21, 2008 - Knoop Et Al Slammed On CBT For 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome' - The One Click Group

* ►October 21, 2008 - Experts Confirm Vaccines Cause Asthma - The One Click Group

* ►October 21, 2008 - Pneumococcal Doubles Asthma Incidence - Adventures in Autism

* ►October 21, 2008 - Excellent Lyme Disease Film Debuts - The One Click Group

►October 21, 2008 - Open Up The Courts - Social Workers To Be Held Accountable - The Times via The One Click Group

►October 21, 2008 - Should pro-vaccine advocates try to get on The Oprah Winfrey Show? - Respectful Insolence via ScienceBlogs

►October 21, 2008 - HSS To Shield Government And Industry From Vaccine Lawsuits - The One Click Group

►October 21, 2008 - The Huffington Post adds another antivaccinationist to its roster - Respectful Insolence via ScienceBlogs

►October 21, 2008 - Parents home-school to avoid vaccinations - The Clarion-Ledger via USA Today

►October 21, 2008 - Walk event raises $200,000 to fight autism - MyCentralJersey.com

►October 21, 2008 - Child Warrior: Carson - Age of Autism

* ►October 21, 2008 - Dealing with autism - Learning center helps families adapt - Shelby County Reporter - "Just last year, the number of students diagnosed with autism in Shelby County rose from 186 to 212. In the last five years, the prevalence of the disorder increased by 421 percent in the county."

* ►October 21, 2008 - Cindy McCain Discusses Autism on Fox News (includes video) - Adventures in Autism

* ►October 21, 2008 - Obama Sponsors Mercury Ban Bill - Adventures in Autism

►October 21, 2008 - Cleveland: High mercury levels drive six from their duplex - WKYC.com

* ►October 21, 2008 - Man dies after mercury spill, EPA investigates possible connection - The Plain Dealer via Cleveland.com

►October 21, 2008 - Remember that federal biodefense facility? Kansas still wants it. - KansasCity.com Prime Buzz

* ►October 21, 2008 - Experts predict next epidemic will start in animals - USA Today - "The report, 'Germs Go Global: Why Emerging Infectious Diseases Are a Threat to America,' cites National Intelligence Estimates that conclude outbreaks of new and resurgent infectious diseases, many of which 'originate overseas,' kill more than 170,000 people in the USA each year."

►October 21, 2008 - IDNR participating in avian influenza surveillance - Canton Daily Ledger

►October 21, 2008 - Emergency drills planned for pandemic influenza, radiation release - Bloomington Pantagraph

►October 21, 2008 - Drive-Thru Flu Shot 10/21/08 - photo gallery - Bloomington Pantagraph

►October 21, 2008 - UN reports broad, but untested bird flu planning - AP via International Herald Tribune

* ►October 21, 2008 - UN Urges Governments to Prepare for Possible Influenza Pandemic - A senior U.N. health official warns that governments must better prepare themselves to fight an influenza pandemic should one break out. Citing a new World Bank report that says the economic price tag of an influenza outbreak could top $3 trillion, David Nabarro says international cooperation is vital.  From United Nation's headquarters in New York, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more. - Voice of America

* ►October 21, 2008 - UN: Birdflu pushed back, pandemic threat remains - Reuters South Africa

* ►October 21, 2008 - U of M Attempts to Break 1-Day Flu Shot Record - The last flu shot record was 3,271 set in 2006 - MyFox Twin Cities - "University of Minnesota is trying to make the Guinness World Record by giving 10,000 flu shots to students, faculty and staff on a single day on October 28th."

►October 21, 2008 - Getting flu shot sound advice - editorial - Sudbury Star

►October 21, 2008 - Healthy dose of flu vaccine available - Journal-Advocate

►October 21, 2008 - Should the flu vaccine be mandatory? - Examiner.com

►October 21, 2008 - Residents urged to get free flu shot - Mississauga News

►October 21, 2008 - Even if you Feel Great, You Can Still Carry the Flu Virus - WCTV.tv

►October 21, 2008 - Be Prepared, Stay Healthy Through Flu Season - Flu Season’s Coming, Shots Are Already Here - The Chronicle Online

►October 21, 2008 - Vaccine supplies good this year - County health department expects to inoculate 1,000 adults, children - Star-Gazette

►October 21, 2008 - Drive-thru flu shots a big hit - Bainbridge Post-Searchlight

►October 21, 2008 - County sees first flu case of season - Colorado Springs Gazette

* ►October 21, 2008 - Plague emerges in Grand Canyon, kills biologist - USA Today

* ►October 21, 2008 - Edinburgh Firm Develops Vaccine for Chlamydia - The Business via All Media Scotland

* ►October 21, 2008 - One-Quarter of Biologic Drugs Have Had Safety Issues - International analysis finds 11% issued 'black box' warnings by FDA - HealthDay News via U.S. News and World Report

* ►October 21, 2008 - Preemption - True Motives - Lawyers and Settlements - "A win against Ms Levine could potentially wipe out a majority of those lawsuits and save the industry billions upon billions of dollars. Wyeth would save the nearly $6.8 million owed to Ms Levine after the Vermont Supreme Court upheld a lower court's jury verdict. "To find preemption in this context would eliminate all compensation for often devastating injuries – lost wages, medical costs, and other traditional forms of damages – without providing any federal remedy as a substitute."

* ►October 21, 2008 - Pharma critics censored? (requires registration) - Rumors of censorship swirl as Harvard's student-run health policy journal takes down its Web site - The Scientist

* ►October 21, 2008 - U Medical School plan: Ban all gifts to doctors - Star Tribune

* ►October 21, 2008 - Lilly To Take $1.4 Billion Charge For Zyprexa Probe - Pharmalot

* ►October 21, 2008 - Google.org Battles Bugs & Viruses - Announces More Than $14 Million in Grants to Partners Working to Predict and Prevent the Next Pandemic - Google via Centre Daily

►October 21, 2008 - Universal Detection Technology Responds to Declaration of Anthrax Emergency Universal Detection Technology Offers Early Point and Standoff Anthrax Detection - press release - Universal Detection Technology via Business Wire via MarketWatch

►October 21, 2008 - Warning to parents as meningitis kills toddler - South Wales Echo

►October 21, 2008 - Pneumococcal disease: the neglect of a major killer - TropIKA

►October 21, 2008 - Whooping cough on the rise in Gaston - Gaston Gazette

►October 21, 2008 - Hepatitis A: dramatic increase in Prague and Riga - Cambridge Network

►October 21, 2008 - Sex Partners Get STD Alerts by E-mail - Report shows 30,000 have used Internet service to handle delivery of delicate news - U.S. News & World Report

►October 21, 2008 - Inflammation, Coagulation Tied to Non-AIDS Deaths in HIV Cases - Some antiretroviral therapies boosted mortality from other diseases, study finds - HealthDay via U.S. News & World Report

* ►October 21, 2008 - Opinion | 'Long Way To Go' in Fighting HIV/AIDS, Nobel Laureate Says in Opinion Piece - www.kaisernetwork.org

* ►October 21, 2008 - Deconstructing AIDS Part IV - Denialists vs. The Rest of the World - Absolutely Unherdof

* ►October 21, 2008 - Cross-protective Vaccine Developed - Doctors have always hoped that scientists might one day create a vaccination that would treat a broad spectrum of maladies. They could only imagine that there might be one vaccine that would protect against, say, 2,500 strains of Salmonella. And what if that same vaccine could help protect the elderly? - University of California Santa Barbara via ScienceDaily

►October 21, 2008 - Crucell Doubles Production of Quinvaxem(R) in 2008 and Prepares Move to New Korean Production Site to Facilitate Growth - press release - Crucell N.V. via Marketwire via MarketWatch - "Dutch biopharma company Crucell N.V....today announced that an agreement was reached to relocate Crucell's Korean production facility, where its pentavalent children's vaccine Quinvaxem(R) and a hepatitis B vaccine Hepavax-Gene(R) are produced, from the Shingal site in Yongin City, Korea to the Incheon Free Economic Zone."

►October 21, 2008 - R50m for new vaccine rollout - Sapa via Independent Online

►October 21, 2008 - AnaSpec Introduces New PKD1 & PKD2 Antibodies - Protein kinase D (PKD), a serine/threonine kinase originally described as a novel PKC family member and termed PKCm (1), belongs to the calcium calmodulin superfamily of kinases (2-3). - press release - AnaSpec, Inc. via NewswireToday

►October 21, 2008 - Researchers examine evolution of genes that trigger the body's immune response to viral infection - eScienceNews

* ►October 21, 2008 - Herbal drug pulled after death of newborn - China Daily - "A 9-day-old baby died on Oct 11 at the Zhidan County Hospital in the city of Yan'an, Shaanxi province, after being injected with yinzhihuang, an extract of herbs, including gardenia and honeysuckle, used to treat liver disease and infantile jaundice."

►October 21, 2008 - Pediatricians recommend double dose Vitamin D for infants and kids - Medill Reports

►October 21, 2008 - U.S. Has No 'Cause For Celebration' Over CDC Report On Infant Mortality, Editorial States - Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report via Medical News Today

►October 21, 2008 - Vitamin D works wonders for you, but you may need to take it as a supplement - The Kansas City Star

►October 21, 2008 - Interventions to Promote Breast-Feeding Succeed - Education before and after birth helps new moms participate, task force says - U.S. News & World Report

►October 21, 2008 - Dentists defend sealants against BPA concerns - SmartBrief

* ►October 21, 2008 - BPA Used in Children’s Dental Sealants - Newsinferno.com

►October 21, 2008 - Lilly Will Take $1.42 Billion Charge in Zyprexa Probe - Bloomberg

►October 21, 2008 - 20 years of soothing our sneezes - Bunged up, coughing all night, sore throat, streaming nose, headaches and sneezing. All symptoms of the all-too-familiar and somewhat inevitable common cold. - BBC

►October 21, 2008 - California Product Stewardship Council Announces a New Law to Provide Free Mercury Thermostat Recycling - Honeywell and Other Thermostat Manufacturers are Taking Responsibility for Their Products - press release - California Product Stewardship Council via PRNewswire via COMTEX via MarketWatch

►October 21, 2008 - Mercury in Compact Fluorescent Bulbs More Hazardous than Previously Thought - NaturalNews.com

►October 21, 2008 - Prescription for Change (free content) - Health care has managed to avoid the information-technology revolution. But it won't for much longer. - The Wall Street Journal

►October 21, 2008 - RSV may hide in the lungs, lead to asthma, UT Southwestern researchers report - UT Southwestern Medical Center via EurekAlert!

►October 21, 2008 - Patients Seek Financial Aid to Buy Medicine (free content) - The Wall Street Journal

►October 21, 2008 - Earnings Preview: Wyeth - Seeking Alpha

►October 21, 2008 - Sanofi expands drug R&D activities in China - Reuters

►October 21, 2008 - Pfizer, UCB and UK Govt team up to cut development timelines - PharmaTimes

►October 21, 2008 - The Next Steps to Take in Beating AIDS - We're still making progress on drugs and vaccines. - The Wall Street Journal

►October 21, 2008 - Genetics could be key to understanding autoimmune diseases, says professor - Irish Times

►October 21, 2008 - Novartis Is Taking the Road Less Traveled - The Motley Fool

►October 21, 2008 - Scripps research scientists enhance immune system attacks on cancer - Findings provide foundation for developing new human immunotherapy - Scripps Research Institute via EurekAlert!

►October 21, 2008 - Eating your way to a better Immunity - Examiner.com

* ►October 20, 2008 - TB vaccine reduces new cases by almost 40% in people with HIV - Aidsmap

* ►October 20, 2008 - Are You Immunizing Your Patients With Asthma Against Pneumonia? Medicine Matters From Sandra A. Fryhofer, MD (requires registration) (video) - Medscape Internal Medicine

* ►October 20, 2008 - The Long Tail of the Law: Post-Marketing Drug Safety Commitments - FDA’s new post-marketing authorities mean drug sponsors are now required (not merely asked) to complete Phase IV commitments. For some companies—like Pfizer and Shire—those commitments will stretch out long after the products are commercially viable. - The RPM Report

* ►October 20, 2008 - How to Talk to FDA—Early - Meetings with FDA are harder to come by. A webinar presented by The RPM Report and BIO featuring FDA’s Kim Colangelo aims to help drug companies make the most of meetings they have with the agency. - The RPM Report

* ►October 20, 2008 - Novartis Shows Generics Can Be Tricky Business for Big Pharma - The Wall Street Journal

►October 20, 2008 - Physician Impairment due to Substance Use Disorders CME (requires registration) - Medscape

►October 20, 2008 - Celecoxib and the drug research roller coaster (requires registration) - In clinical trials, the arthritis drug showed promise in preventing cancer, but then it fell into the Vioxx controversy's wake. - Los Angeles Times

* ►October 20, 2008 - Family says N.S. pharmaceutical worker named chemical he used before death - Canadian Press via Canada East

►October 20, 2008 - Tysabri & Unequal Access: Nancy Berlinger Explains - Fred Baron is a prominent Dallas trial lawyer and Democratic Party fundraiser, who drew national headlines twice this year. First, he helped bankroll John Edwards’ presidential run and paid for the former senator’s mistress to leave North Carolina after the affair was disclosed. Last week, we learned the 61-year-old is dying and his family succeeded in gaining access to Biogen’s Tysabri to treat his multiple myeloma after reaching out to the FDA commish and getting Hillary Clinton and Lance Armstrong, among others, to contact the biotech. Why the fuss? Tysabri is approved only for MS and Crohn’s disease, and was briefly off the market after some patients developed fatal brain infections. That’s why Biogen balked at making the drug available (back story here and here). We spoke with Nancy Berlinger, a deputy director and research scholar at The Hastings Center, a non-profit bioethics research institute about compassionate use and Baron the dilemma. This is an excerpt… - Pharmalot

►October 20, 2008 - …but how do we recover from Jenny McCarthy? - Bad Astronomy Blog via Discover Magazine

* ►October 20, 2008 - Parents press states for autism insurance laws - AP via Seattle Post-Intelligencer

* ►October 20, 2008 - Seasonal influenza vaccination to begin - Miramichi Leader - "The government is investing $4.2 million to buy and deliver the publicly funded influenza vaccine to eligible New Brunswickers, Health Minister Michael Murphy said today."

* ►October 20, 2008 - CDC: 1-2% of anthrax vaccinees may die or become disabled...but consider expanding vaccinations - Anthrax Vaccine -- posts by Meryl Nass, M.D.

►October 20, 2008 - Health officials: Flu vaccine a good idea for most everyone - WLOX.com

►October 20, 2008 - Researchers Identify Novel Type of Antibody that Potently Inhibits HIV Infection - press release - National Institutes of Health

►October 20, 2008 - Shark blood could help fight malaria and arthritis - Practical Fishkeeping

►October 19, 2008 - Wasp stings don't cause infertility - A possible connection between male infertility and allergy to wasp stings has been the subject of a recent study by Swiss scientists. - swissinfo

* ►October 19, 2008 - Why Pharma Fears Social Networking - BrandWeek - “Drug companies need to begin embracing ways to look for adverse events instead of hoping they don’t stumble across them,” said Peter Pitts, an svp at Manning, Selvage & Lee, New York, who keeps a blog that champions the industry. “I think the attitude of ‘there’s safety in ignorance,’ or active ignorance, is no longer actionable or responsible.”

* ►October 17, 2008 - Children for Vaccination Choice - video - YouTube

* ►October 17, 2008 - Deconstructing AIDS Part III - The Money Machine - Absolutely Unherdof

* ►October 16, 2008 - Deconstructing AIDS Part II - The Chimp Factor - Absolutely Unherdof

* ►October 15, 2008 - Deconstructing AIDS - Part I of V - Absolutely Unherdof

* ►October 15, 2008 - Heroes and False Prophets of Vaccine Safety - The struggle for the public’s confidence in vaccines—especially childhood vaccines—is perpetual. The current fight continues the decade-long debate over allegations of a link between vaccines and autism. It threatens to diminish the positive climate for vaccine development in the US. - The RPM Report - "To work on his Capitol Hill colleagues, Waxman sent a summary of the major studies to other members of Congress recently to counter arguments at a briefing on autism sponsored by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY). Maloney, a liberal Democrat from Manhattan, is the sponsor of a bill (HR 2832) to require the National Institutes of Health to conduct a comparative study of vaccinated and non-vaccinated populations as a way to examine the allegations of a link between thimerosol and autism. According to blog reports, the Maloney hearing drew representatives from 59 House offices and 30 Senate offices, including Barack Obama’s office. The high attendance at the Maloney event demonstrates the persistent political attention to the issue. It even raised its head during the presidential campaign earlier in the spring, pushing Obama, John McCain, and even traditional supporters of vaccines like Hillary Clinton to speak out for caution."

►October 13, 2008 - Glide Pharma Secures Further GBP2.2 Million to Accelerate Development Programme - press release - Glide Pharma via Business Wire via MarketWatch - "Through a simple one-click action, the pen-like device of the Glide SDI pushes the solid dose, in the form of a tiny, pointed rod, through the skin where it subsequently dissolves to release the drug or vaccine to the body."

►October 9, 2008 - Allergy Therapeutics (AGY) - Investors Chronicle - "The FDA originally decided to freeze Allergy's US clinical trials of Pollinex in 2007 after a suspected adverse event. However, it later expanded this into a review of all products containing novel adjuvants, parts of vaccines that help target immune system response, including GSK's Cervarix human papilloma virus vaccine."

►October 6, 2008 - Phase II Meningococcal B Vesicle Vaccine Trial in New Zealand Infants - journal article (Archives of Diseases in Childhood)

►October 1, 2008 - Sweetener Controversy Grows - Funding For Many Of The High Fructose Corn Syrup Studies Came From Companies With A Financial Stake In The Outcome - CBS News

* ►Unprecedented and Historical Forum on Vaccines: All Sides of the Issue A Fair & Balanced Discussion with a Prestigious Group of Speakers Hackensack University Medical Center, October 23, 2008, 1:30 - 5 p.m. Register Now for Live Webcast - The Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology

►November 1, 2008 - Genetically engineered animals in the food supply - FDA releases draft guidance on regulating GE animals and their products - JAVMA News

►November 1, 2008 - FDA asks veterinarians to report pet food complaints - JAVMA News

* ►November 2008 - A Replication-Limited Recombinant Mycobacterium bovis BCG Vaccine against Tuberculosis Designed for Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Positive Persons Is Safer and More Efficacious than BCG - journal article (Infection and Immunity)

* ►November 2008 - Advanced Parental Age at Birth Is Associated With Poorer Social Functioning in Adolescent Males: Shedding Light on a Core Symptom of Schizophrenia and Autism - journal article (Schizophrenia Bulletin)

* ►November 2008 - Acute Combined Central and Peripheral Nervous System Demyelination in Children - journal article (Pediatric Neurology)

►November 2008 - Prenatal Nutritional Deficiency and Risk of Adult Schizophrenia - journal article (Schizophrenia Bulletin)

►November 2008 - Silent synapses and the emergence of a postsynaptic mechanism for LTP - journal article (Nature Reviews Neuroscience)

* ►November 2008 - Remyelination in the CNS: from biology to therapy - journal article (Nature Reviews Neuroscience)

►November 2008 - Metabolic syndrome: from epidemiology to systems biology - journal article (Nature Reviews Genetics)

* ►October 27, 2008 - With no AIDS vaccine in sight, what's next? - After several notable failures in the hunt for a vaccine, researchers are refocusing on basic science and attempting to harness treatments for use as prevention. - www.ama-assn.org

* ►October 27, 2008 - Flu vaccine: Walk the talk, get the shot - With ample vaccine expected, physicians top the list of those who should get immunized. - www.ama-assn.org

* ►October 27, 2008 - News in brief: Health & Science - Infection control group: Flu shot should be required for doctors - High court declines abortion case over "wanted" posters - AHRQ accepting applications for patient safety organization status - www.ama-assn.org

* ►October 27, 2008 - Mental health coverage to see boost as long-sought parity law is enacted - The law does not apply to small employers or the individual insurance market. But it leaves stronger state parity laws intact. - www.ama-assn.org

►October 27, 2008 - Doctor faces tight congressional race in attempt to keep Maryland's Eastern Shore red - Republican Andy P. Harris, MD, wants a seat in Congress to inject more consumer choice into health care. - www.ama-assn.org

►October 27, 2008 - Court upholds San Francisco employer insurance mandate - The decision could lay the groundwork for a U.S. Supreme Court fight over "pay or play" laws requiring companies to pitch in for health coverage. - www.ama-assn.org

►October 27, 2008 - The reflective essayist (book excerpt: The Uncertain Art) - Sherwin B. Nuland, MD, has spent decades in and around the exam room. The latest book from this prolific author recounts some of his thoughts and experiences. - www.ama-assn.org

►October 27, 2008 - Polls show Washington voters favor physician-assisted suicide - If passed, a state ballot measure would be the first doctor-assisted suicide law to receive voter approval since Oregon's Death With Dignity Act. - www.ama-assn.org

►October 27, 2008 - Guarding their treasure: Health plans try to hold on to financial reserves - Nonprofit health plans across the country continue to face questions as their surpluses grow to historically high levels. - www.ama-assn.org

►October 27, 2008 - 4 areas you can look to for lost profits - www.ama-assn.org

* ►October 27, 2008 - Link between muscle disorders, statins probed - Investigators hope that identifying those most at risk for this common side effect will allow more personalized prescribing. - www.ama-assn.org

►October 27, 2008 - First signs of asthma often appear early in patient's life - Studies suggest several risk factors, question the use of a technology for monitoring, and reinforce the heterogeneity of the condition. - www.ama-assn.org

►October 27, 2008 - C. difficile thriving even without antibiotic use - The rate of infection is increasing, as is doctors' vigilance in testing for it. - www.ama-assn.org

►October 27, 2008 - Letters to the Editor - Drop third-party-payer contracts and be free from hassles and bondage - Government should do some more thinking on soundness of ICD-10 shift - www.ama-assn.org

►October 27, 2008 - News in brief: Government & Medicine - Feds crack down on Medicare fraud in Florida - www.ama-assn.org

►October 27, 2008 - News in brief: Professional Issues - Handoffs at teaching hospitals seen as harmful to patients - Palliative care programs take hold in Calif. hospitals - Texas high court declines to address medical liability cap - www.ama-assn.org

* ►October 27, 2008 - News in brief: Health & Science - Infection control group: Flu shot should be required for doctors - High court declines abortion case over "wanted" posters - AHRQ accepting applications for patient safety organization status - www.ama-assn.org
 

►October 22, 2008 - M&A trends in Pharma - Datamonitor via Pharmaceutical Business Review

►October 21, 2008 - Merck eyes top slot in vaccine market by 2013 - The Economic Times - "Merck is looking at tying up with the government to sell its vaccines under various national immunisation programmes. It is not only talking with the Centre but even the various state governments for such partnerships. The company, which has adopted an India-specific pricing strategy, is even keen to offer a differential pricing under the government scheme."

►October 21, 2008 - CDC urges public to get flu shots after local death - Taipei Times - "The woman lived in southern Taiwan and had a history of high blood pressure. She came down with the illness on Oct. 13 and died four days later of hemorrhagic shock induced by pneumonia, a complication of influenza."

►October 21, 2008 - New TB vaccine trials set for Kenya - Business Daily Africa

►October 21, 2008 - Doctors demand money to fight virus - The Canberra Times - "Health groups will make a joint plea today for federal funds to curb the spread of hepatitis B, a virus that affects up to 160,000 Australians."

►October 21, 2008 - EU-PRIME earmarks N1.3bn for polio eradication - Vanguard, Nigeria

►October 21, 2008 - UK boosts funds to eradicate polio in Pakistan - Daily Times, Pakistan

►October 21, 2008 - Development: Achieving the MDGs - One hopes that the international development community will begin to give more attention to marginalised groups like the rural poor and women, since doing so will help boost overall accomplishment of basic human development - Daily Times, Pakistan

►October 21, 2008 - Polio spread unchecked, govt transfers CMO to save face - State tops polio list with 243 cases, 47 cases of P1 infection - Expressindia

* ►October 21, 2008 - Born to die? - Pakistan’s infant mortality rate at 10 per cent - The News International, Pakistan

* ►October 21, 2008 - A vaccine given to babies could increase the risk of childhood asthma - Daily Mail, UK - "This theory, however, is discounted by the Department of Health and all the Royal Colleges. Dr Richard Halvorsen, author of The Truth About Vaccines, who advocates delays between immunisations, said: 'This is a very interesting study which the Government should look at. 'This study doesn't prove the immunisation schedule we use causes a problem but it is stupid not to consider it.'"

►October 21, 2008 - Autism groups warn of payout delays - Autism groups are concerned they will not have enough staff to help parents of autistic children access new federally-funded treatment programs. - www.abc.net.au

►October 21, 2008 - AIDS virus may cause clots - Reuters India

►October 21, 2008 - Taiwan research team wins award for work on AIDS vaccines - eTaiwan News

* ►October 21, 2008 - Cervical Cancer Vaccine - Lots of you would have heard about the vaccine 'Gardasil'. Schoolgirls right across Australia get it for free because it can protect them from developing 'cervical cancer'. But doctors are worried after a study showed some girls are choosing not to get the jab because they're worried about side-effects. Catherine investigates. - video (includes transcript) - Behind the News via www.abc.net.au - "Health authorities did warn though, that there were about a hundred cases of allergic reactions and Kyla was one of them. KYLA, SCHOOL STUDENT: I felt like I was seriously going to die, because it was inflaming my whole system, I felt like I was going to pass out, there was like rashes through my body, burning my stomach, my throat, everything."

►October 21, 2008 - Parents concern with HPV vaccination - Parents alone can decide whether or not they want their children vaccinated against the virus that causes cervical cancer, says Fiji Head Teachers Association president Vijay Kumar Sharma. - Radio Fiji

* ►October 21, 2008 - State defends Gardasil - Fiji Times - "Dr Samuela said parents' fears were posing a challenge for the ministry to complete the vaccination process within the scheduled time. 'Yes, it was planned that we complete the campaign by May 2009 but with the unexpected fear mongering from self-professed health experts, it is a challenge with any new product that is introduced into the market. But individual girls accessing health centres can do so until 19 June 2009,' Dr Samuela said."

* ►October 21, 2008 - Ministry out to convince parents - Fiji Times - "National Public Health adviser Dr Josaia Samuela said their objective was to communicate simple facts to the public. He said people were more aware of information through mediums such as online search engines and websites."

* ►October 20, 2008 - HPV vaccine stirs controversy in Utah - BYU Newsnet - "Sara Hughes spent months in and out of hospitals. At first, no doctor could tell her what was wrong. Then, once they found out what was wrong, no doctor knew how to fix it. Hughes, from Centerville, studying social work at BYU, had an adverse reaction to the vaccine Gardasil when it was administered to her at the Intermountain Healthcare clinic in Bountiful within minutes of her flu shot. According to Hughes, this poisonous, and nearly lethal, combination could have been avoided if there wasn't so much pressure to promote and distribute the vaccine."

* ►October 20, 2008 - Dutch probe GSK, Sanofi over HPV shots - FiercePharma

* ►October 20, 2008 - Dutch plans to combat cervical cancer under fire - Two pharmaceutical companies in the Netherlands have come under scrutiny for allegedly using inadmissible practices to promote their respective cervical cancer vaccines. Potentially these vaccines could save hundreds of women's lives. However, doubts have been raised about the speed at which a government cervical cancer vaccination programme is to be introduced next year. - Radio Netherlands - "At the weekend, the Dutch health care inspectorate raided the offices of Sanofi Pasteur MSD and GlaxoSmithKline, seizing documents and correspondence on the promotion of their cervical cancer vaccines. The two companies are suspected of advertising prescribed medicines and giving doctors inducements to promote their vaccines. Both these activities are forbidden in the Netherlands. There were already serious doubts about the effectiveness and the safety of the vaccine and the speed at which its is being introduced. There has never been large-scale research into the vaccine. In Sunday's current affairs programme Zembla, Professor H. Schellekens, a member of the Health Council, shares the reservations of many experts: 'As long as it's not been proved that the vaccine prevents cancer, its actually an experiment'....Nevertheless Health Minister Ab Klink plans to introduce a vaccination programme for all girls aged 12 in September next year."

* ►October 20, 2008 - Years ago zur Hausen hypothesized that HPV causes cervical cancer - Today he is vindicated - press release - Merck & Co. Inc. via CNW Group - "The Gairdner Foundation is pleased to feature Dr. Harald zur Hausen at a free public lecture entitled, 'HPV: Vaccinating against Cancer', on Tuesday, October 21 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the MaRS Centre, located at 101 College Street in Toronto."

* ►October 20, 2008 - Nobel laureate whose discovery led to HPV vaccine dismayed by opposition to it - Canadian Press via Google

* ►October 20, 2008 - Merck's Goal: "One Less" Gardasil Marketing Problem - Pharma Marketing Blog

* ►October 20, 2008 - Merck’s Marketing of Gardasil to Older Women Questioned - Newsinferno.com

►October 20, 2008 - India's first vaccine to fight cervical cancer launched - Sify

►October 20, 2008 - Preventing cervical cancer - Edmonton Sun

* ►October 20, 2008 - Tassie devils renew contagious cancer fear - Scientists have always assumed that cancer is not contagious in humans. - www.abc.net.au

* ►October 20, 2008 - Blunder left my son with a double MMR jab - Liverpool Echo, UK - "Jackie Fletcher, from Jabs, (Justice Awareness and Basic Support), who campaign against the MMR vaccine, said: 'This is appalling. This should not happen in the UK. 'They should not have four syringes out for anybody, particularly two babies. 'This child needs to be monitored very, very closely, particularly over the next six weeks."

* ►October 20, 2008 - Every Child By Two: Parasites, Graves, Wyeth, and Sanofi By J.B. Handley - Age of Autism - "The CDC's vaccine program is at a crossroads, and sitting on very, very fragile ground right now. Just like our financial system, the vaccine program is held together with trust, in this case the trust between a parent and their doctor. That trust is eroding very quickly. When parents hear about autism in their own communities on a daily basis, and when they hear from many parents of children with autism that vaccines were a primary trigger, they listen. When the only message they hear from doctors is 'vaccinate or die', they stop listening."

* ►October 20, 2008 - Kim Stagliano: New Jersey To Require Mandatory Kidney Donation - The Huffington Post

* ►October 20, 2008 - Deidre Imus Invites You to a Forum on Vaccines - Age of Autism - "We would like to extend a personal invitation for physicians, health officials, legislators and parents to join in a historic discussion on October 23rd, at Hackensack University Medical Center."

* ►October 20, 2008 - The worry over vaccines - opinion - The Journal News via http://lohud.com - "Behind many a public-health issue lurks a civil rights question: At what point do an individuals' rights to make decisions about their health give way to the necessity to safeguard the public's health?"

* ►October 20, 2008 - Dr Paul King Reviews Florida Autism Task Force Report - The One Click Group

* ►October 20, 2008 - Mercury pollution causes immune damage to harbor seals - BioMed Central via EurekAlert!

►October 20, 2008 - Autism project celebrates reaching milestone - A database of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder is celebrating its fifth birthday. Health Reporter Helen Rae finds out how youngsters in the region are benefiting from the ground-breaking scheme. - Evening Chronicle, UK

►October 20, 2008 - One Family's Fight Against Autism - Tyler Morning Telegraph

►October 20, 2008 - Autism group lobbies for more insurance coverage - New York Daily News

►October 20, 2008 - Spotlight on Autism - The mother of an autistic son reacts to John McCain's recent pledge to help families like hers. Was it just rhetoric? - Newsweek

►October 20, 2008 - Sen. McCain And Autism - letter - Hartford Courant

►October 20, 2008 - Hysteria serves no one - NJ voices: Thurman Hart via The Star-Ledger

►October 20, 2008 - As if... - Age of Autism

►October 20, 2008 - MMR Vaccine Doctors Reported To General Medical Council - Sunday Sun via The One Click Group

►October 20, 2008 - Autism Becomes an Electoral Issue - AgoraVox

►October 20, 2008 - Dr. Jay Gordon: Pediatrician Warrior - Respectful Insolence

►October 20, 2008 - Don't handcuff scientists - op-ed (requires registration) - Boston Globe

* ►October 20, 2008 - Forgoing vaccines has a social cost (requires registration) - Boston Globe - "I love vaccines. The other day, at my 4-year-old son's annual check-up, a physician's assistant asked me whether I had any questions before she shot him up with a half-dozen varieties, including polio, mumps-measles-rubella and flu, and I said, 'Heck no, bring them on!'"

* ►October 20, 2008 -  IAC Express - Issue number 759 - Immunization Action Coalition - "Action alert: Please contact the Oprah Winfrey Show to urge that it dedicate a show to vaccine science - Amy Pisani, executive director of Every Child By Two (ECBT), recently called on the immunization community to contact the Oprah Winfrey Show to request that it devote an upcoming show to vaccine science. The text of Ms. Pisani's message is reprinted below in its entirety."

* ►October 20, 2008 - Why you should get vaccinated - GoErie.com - "Immunizations are needed across the life span -- from infants to the elderly. Recommended vaccinations begin right after birth and continue throughout life."

* ►October 20, 2008 - 3M and VaxInnate Collaborate to Develop Flu Vaccine Patch - press release - 3M via Business Wire via MarketWatch

►October 20, 2008 - Couple gives $2M to CU vaccine lab - Denver Business Journal

►October 20, 2008 - New vaccines aim to prevent and treat cancer (includes video) - Ivanhoe via News 8 Austin

►October 20, 2008 - Trial: Experimental Breast Cancer Vaccine - InjuryBoard.com

►October 20, 2008 - Whooping cough not just for children, researchers say - SmartBrief

►October 20, 2008 - Second MMR dose needed for mumps - The increasing incidence of mumps among 25 to 30 year olds suggests this age group should be targeted for a second dose of MMR, Australian researchers say in today’s MJA (189:434-437). - 6minutes.com.au

* ►October 20, 2008 - Should flu shots be mandatory? - New Jersey has passed a law requiring flu shots if young children want to go to daycare or preschool. And many Jersey parents say it violates their rights. What would you do? (requires registration) - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

* ►October 20, 2008 - Flu Vaccines Necessary in Kids? - On Medicine Blog via U.S. News & World Report

* ►October 20, 2008 - Area Families Sought for Flu Surveillance Study - Beginning immediately, University of Rochester researchers hope to recruit 100 area families for a multi-year surveillance study that aims to better understand how the body fights flu. New insights gleaned from this community study th especially, into how antibodies are marshaled to ward off flu viruses, both upon immunization and infection th could pave the way for more effective vaccines and less-deadly pandemics. - press release - University of Rochester via Media-Newswire.com

* ►October 20, 2008 - With 3,000 vaccines, SHS preps to fight flu - After last year's tough season, officials say it's hard to predict what's in store for this year - The Daily Pennsylvanian

►October 20, 2008 - Get your flu jab urges MP Jo Swinson - Bearsden Today

►October 20, 2008 - Wales seniors urged get flu jabs - New Wales

►October 20, 2008 - Fear of Bird Flu grips villagers - The Statesman - "Outbreak of a mysterious fever in Bari, Korei, Rasulpur and Dharmasala blocks have led to fear of Bird Flu here. But district health authorities say it is not bird flu but some other virus which is yet to be diagnosed."

►October 20, 2008 - Hong Kong finds bird flu virus in crow - Reuters via International Herald Tribune

►October 20, 2008 - Anthem Blue Cross Launches Points of Compassion Providing 3,000 Free Flu Shots - Vaccination clinics offer flu shots to California's most vulnerable populations. - Anthem Blue Cross via PRNewswire via Insurancenewsnet.com

►October 20, 2008 - Common illness can be deadly so don't forget your vaccine - Express & Echo, UK

►October 20, 2008 - Mass Drive-Through Vaccination Drill includes Free Flu Shots - NBC 29 News

►October 20, 2008 - Health experts say flu shots are not harmful - WTHI TV 10

►October 20, 2008 - Now is the time to vaccinate kids and teens against the flu - Akron Beacon Journal via Ohio.com

►October 20, 2008 - Prices for flu vaccinations can vary widely - Press-Register via AL.com

►October 20, 2008 - Ask a Doctor: Flu shot surest way to avoid illness - Wausau Daily Herald

►October 20, 2008 - Peramivir Phase 2 Data for the Treatment of Outpatient Influenza to be Presented at the 48th Annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy - press release - BioCryst Pharmaceuticals via PRNewswire-FirstCall

►October 20, 2008 - Flu: The Get-Well-Quick Plan - ABC News

* ►October 20, 2008 - Does flu vaccination work for children? - Effect Measure via ScienceBlogs

* ►October 20, 2008 - Three children die in China’s second outbreak of toddler virus - CaymanMama.com - "Earlier in the year, another flare-up of the hand, foot and mouth virus killed approximately 42 people in southern China killed, and 27,500 more cases, largely affecting toddlers, were also reported to health officials."

►October 20, 2008 - Pox on way out - Skin disease fading away 13 years after vaccine's debut - Chicago Tribune via GoErie.com

►October 20, 2008 - Chickenpox still a threat despite vacine - Rome Sentinel

* ►October 20, 2008 - Toddler dies from meningococcal septicaemia - WalesOnline

* ►October 20, 2008 - Another child found with polio - Express News Service via Express Buzz - "Four-year-old Banita Hemram of Garamia village, 45 km from here, was found suffering from polio even after taking the doses regularly."

►October 20, 2008 - ZIMBABWE: Cholera outbreak threatens to become endemic - IRIN Africa

►October 20, 2008 - Hepatitis C treatment is cost-effective for the US prison population - Wiley-Blackwell via EurekAlert!

►October 20, 2008 - New FDA drug safety web site debuts (requires registration) - Chicago Tribune - "Now comes a new effort to make it easier for consumers and health professionals to find information about the FDA's drug safety efforts on the Web.  Instead of searching all over the agency's site, people can go to http://www.fda.gov/cder/drugSafety.htm."

►October 20, 2008 - FDA To Open China Office, Others to Follow. But Will it Help? - Newsinferno.com

►October 20, 2008 - Sen. Allard Visits CDC - Fort Collins Now - "Dr. Lyle Petersen, Director of the Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases division said the Fort Collins building is the only CDC location not in Atlanta. He said the lab conducts world-wide research."

►October 20, 2008 - Novartis delivers sustained strong performance in first nine months of 2008 underpinned by accelerating growth in pharmaceuticals - Trading Markets

* ►October 20, 2008 - GeoVax's DNA and MVA Vaccines Shipped to HIV Vaccine Trials Network for Use in the Upcoming Phase 2a Trial - press release - GeoVax Labs, Inc. via PRNewswire-FirstCall

* ►October 20, 2008 - New HIV Vaccine Trials Raise Hopes - After two HIV vaccine trials were halted for safety reasons last year, a new trial is set to commence within the next few months in South Africa and the United States. Scientists will test a new vaccine formula produced in South Africa. It will be the first time a HIV vaccine manufactured in a developing country will be trialed in the developed world. - Inter Press Service News

►October 20, 2008 - HIV Can Re-Emerge From a Single Cell - Findings show patients should take their medications as prescribed - U.S. News & World Report

►October 20, 2008 - Election 2008 | Obama's Campaign Discusses Candidate's Plans for Addressing HIV/AIDS in U.S. - www.kaisernetwork.org

►October 20, 2008 - Science & Medicine | Researchers at HIV/AIDS Vaccine Conference Discuss New Methods, Ongoing Trials - www.kaisernetwork.org

►October 20, 2008 - Energizer Introduces Zero Mercury(TM) Hearing Aid Batteries - Product debut comes two years ahead of industry commitment to eliminate mercury - press release - Energizer Holdings, Inc. via PRNewswire-FirstCall

* ►October 20, 2008 - Studies: Lack of Sunlight, Cell Phones Damage Male Fertility - Two separate studies released this week sound warnings to men: If you don't get enough sunlight or talk endlessly on your cell phone, you could be damaging your fertility. - FOX News

►October 20, 2008 - Breastfed babies need more Vitamin D according to American Academy of Pediatrics - Examiner.com

►October 20, 2008 - Canada E. coli Cases Rise to 26; 133 Being Investigated - Newsinferno.com

►October 20, 2008 - Canadian Firm’s E.Coli Vaccine Test Successful In Large Scale Cattle Feedlot - CattleNetwork.com

* ►October 20, 2008 - Facts, tips and trivia about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome - www.macon.com

* ►October 20, 2008 - Wyeth Goes On A Preemption Offensive - Pharmalot

* ►October 20, 2008 - US Children, Adults Referred for Patch Test Equally Likely to Have Contact Dermatitis CME (requires registration) - Medscape Medical News - "The overall frequency of at least 1 relevant positive patch test reaction was not significantly different in children (51.2%) vs adults (54.1%). In children, the most commonly observed positive reactions were to nickel (28.3%), cobalt chloride (17.9%), thimerosal (15.3%), neomycin sulfate (8.0%), gold sodium thiosulfate (7.7%), and fragrance mix (5.1%)."

►October 20, 2008 - Pfizer And UCB Form Drug Discovery Joint Venture - Pharmalot

* ►October 20, 2008 - High Levels of Organophosphate Pesticides Found in Pregnant Women - National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences via  Beyond Pesticides

►October 20, 2008 - Funding needed to stem Hep B cases - The Age, AU

►October 20, 2008 - The Vytorin Limbo: Going Lower All The Time - Pharmalot

►October 20, 2008 - Archemix Signs Aptamer Therapeutics Agreement with Lilly - Archemix via Business Wire via Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News

►October 20, 2008 - Future Drug Pipelines and Prospects Revealed for RNAi Therapeutics - Research and Markets via Business Wire

►October 20, 2008 - Prebiotics may improve gut health, immune system function, UK conference hears - Aidsmap

►October 20, 2008 - Novartis A Picture Of Health (For Now) - AP via Forbes

►October 20, 2008 - Novartis Cuts 550 Jobs & Shakes Up Management - Pharmalot

►October 20, 2008 - Hong Kong hosts scientists of the future - Philippine Daily Inquirer

►October 19, 2008 - Dutch Authorities Raid Sanofi And Glaxo Offices - Pharmalot

* ►October 19, 2008 - States Taking Pharma to Court for Risky Antipsychotic-Prescribing Spree - Certain antipsychotics are leaving legions of children and elderly in chemical straightjackets for treatment of conditions they didn't even have. - AlertNet

* ►October 19, 2008 - Homeopathic answer to the Flu - Examiner.com

►October 19, 2008 - Dutch advisory body hit by funding scandal - Doctors and researchers at the Health Council of the Netherlands received research funding from pharmaceutical companies. - Expatica.com

* ►October 19, 2008 - At Merck, Desperation Sets in Over Gardasil - Pharma Industry Blog via BNET - "Signs of decline are setting in at Merck’s highly profitable vaccine for some strains of HPV and cervical cancer. Merck has adjusted its marketing to target women who are not the most likely to benefit from it. The drug has seen a 33 percent decline in sales."

* ►October 19, 2008 - Contact Your Reps: DHHS designates an anthrax emergency as a means to protect--- ITSELF! - Meryl Nass, MD via MBVP News Blog - "DHHS designates an anthrax emergency as a means to protect--- ITSELF! A series of coordinated moves designed to encourage new uses for anthrax vaccine (whose safety record is terrible and effectiveness unknown)—while excluding any manufacturer liability for its use, preempting state and local laws designed to protect citizens, and extending blanket immunity to government officials who came up with the plan--- is in process."

* ►October 19, 2008 - HHS Declares 'Health Emergencies' to Limit Legal Liability for Anti-terrorism Vaccines, Drugs - October Surprises: The U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, Michael Leavitt, has declared a series of 'public health emergencies' -- due to risk of a bioterrorism attack -- that continue through 2015. - Citizens for Legitimate Government

* ►October 18, 2008 - Flu 'Oddities' - Citizens for Legitimate Government

* ►October 18, 2008 - Canada moves to ban bisphenol A in baby bottles - CBC News

►October 18, 2008 - Broccoli's anti-aging, immune assist hailed - Pyschology Today Magazine via The Denver Post

►October 17, 2008 - Another Step Toward Polio Eradication - NEJM via Ivanhoe

►October 17, 2008 - Dirty equipment 'poses op danger' - One in four hospital trusts in England is failing to meet national standards on the cleanliness of surgical equipment, a watchdog has reported. - BBC

►October 17, 2008 - Antibiotic Discovery Offers Hope - Cell via Ivanhoe

* ►October 17, 2008 - Moving on, fighting on - Patients sustained by hope; doctor readies next study of cancer vaccine (includes videos) (requires registration) - Baltimore Sun

►October 17, 2008 - Rumors of Gulf War Syndrome - Informal communication among British veterans of the first Iraq war may have shaped the vets' characterization of Gulf War Syndrome. - Science News

►October 17, 2008 - Which candidate’s health plan will hurt the most? - AAPS News of the Day

►October 16, 2008 - Security Problems Found at Two Biodefense Labs - NTI Global Security Newswire

* ►October 16, 2008 - Plague vaccine - University of Central Florida via www.wptv.com - "Henry Daniell, Ph.D., a molecular biologist at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla., and his research team, created an oral vaccine that may be available to the public in just a few years....The vaccine is made by genetically engineered plant cells with a protein from Yersinia pestis."

►October 16, 2008 - Flu shots a tough sell to health care workers - Operating room nurse Pauline Taylor knows her refusal to get a flu shot is based on faulty logic. - AP via Seattle Times

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

►October 16, 2008 - Man's Best Friend Recruited in the Hunt for Disease Genes - European Science Foundation via Biocompare

►October 16, 2008 - Clinical presentation of celiac disease and the diagnostic accuracy of serologic markers in children - journal article (European Journal of Pediatrics)

* ►October 15, 2008 - Gene Screen to Identify Causes of Autism - BioMed Central via Biocompare

►October 15, 2008 - Migraine pain location: how do children differ from adults? - journal article (The Journal of Headache and Pain)

►October 15, 2008 - Neurobrucellosis with thalamic infarction: a case report - journal article (Neurological Sciences)

* ►October 15, 2008 - The job of getting well - Mom endures cancer treatment in hopes daughter won't have to (includes videos) (requires registration) - Baltimore Sun

►October 14, 2008 - Nashik police add a charge against SIMI: it’s blocking polio campaign - Indian Express

* ►October 10, 2008 - APIC seeks mandate for flu shots in health workers - CIDRAP News - "APIC urges vaccination for all medical and nonmedical personnel in contact with patients or patient samples, including physicians, nurses, physical therapists, dieticians, religious workers, and cleaning, kitchen, and laboratory personnel....'Voluntary efforts are clearly not effective—it's time for hospitals and other healthcare facilities to require influenza immunization,' said Linda R. Greene, RN, MPS, CIC, lead author of APIC's position statement, in a press release."

* ►October 9, 2008 - Parental stress associated with caring for children with Asperger's syndrome or autism - journal article (Pediatrics International)

►October 6, 2008 - BCG vaccination has increased by 26% - Healthcare Republic News

►October 6, 2008 - US$12.9M infectious disease biomarker research contract for Montreal biotech firm - Laboratory Product News

►October 2008 - Interleukin 10 Protects the Brain Microcirculation From Spirochetal Injury. - journal article (Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology)
 

* ►September 2, 2008 - Gardasil and Hexavalent Chromium continued... - The Brockovich Report

►Volume 29 Number 5, 9/10 2008 - Are fish oil supplements safe in finned fish-allergic patients? - journal article (Allergy and Asthma Proceedings)

►Volume 14 Number 8, 2008 - Omega-3 Fatty Acid: A Role in the Management of Cardiac Arrhythmias? (pdf) - journal article (The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine)

* ►Sample Vaccine Policy Statement - Ready for you to adapt for your practice (pdf) - Immunize.org - "Furthermore, by not vaccinating your child you are taking selfish advantage of thousands of others who do vaccinate their children, which decreases the likelihood that your child will contract one of these diseases. We feel such an attitude to be self-centered and unacceptable. We are making you aware of these facts not to scare you or coerce you, but to emphasize the importance of vaccinating your child."

* ►The Trial of Their Lives Sun Special Report - Parts 1-6 - Baltimore Sun - "Reporter Stephanie Desmon and photographer Chiaki Kawajiri spent the past six months following the lives of four women enrolled in a trial of an experimental breast cancer vaccine, and the Johns Hopkins oncologist who oversees it."

* ►November/December 2008 - Vaccines in Development to Prevent and Treat Atherosclerotic Disease. - journal article (Cardiology in Review) - "Heat shock proteins and oxidized low-density lipoprotein are proinflammatory substances that have been shown to have an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, and are now targets for clinical vaccine development. In addition, a vaccine has been developed to inhibit cholesteryl ester transfer protein. It is now recognized that many medications used to combat plaque development and rupture have significant anti-inflammatory effects and these effects are critical for drug efficacy. The influenza vaccine is associated with an atheroprotective effect. In addition, a nicotine vaccine, an antiangiotensin vaccine, and an anti-obesity vaccine may play a therapeutic role in modifying known risk factors for the development of atherosclerosis and its complications. This article reviews these vaccines as possible additions to the armamentarium of atheroprotective treatment modalities."

►November 2008 - Two centuries of meningococcal infection: from Vieusseux to the cellular and molecular basis of disease - journal article (Journal of Medical Microbiolodgy)

►November 2008 - Pregnancy IFN-γ responses to foetal alloantigens are altered by maternal allergy and gravidity status - journal article (Allergy)

►November 2008 - Early markers of allergic disease in a primary prevention study using probiotics: 2.5-year follow-up phase - journal article (Allergy)

►November 2008 - Timeliness of diagnosis of asthma in children and its predictors - journal article (Allergy)

►October 20, 2008 - The quest for cancer-preventing drugs (requires registration) - It's one thing to develop medicine without horrific side effects, and another to get doctors and patients on board. The prevention approach faces an uphill struggle. - Los Angeles Times

►October 20, 2008 - The FDA and junk science - editorial - Washington Times

►October 20, 2008 - The FDA and drug pre-emption - Supreme Court can improve patient access - opinion - Washington Times

* ►October 20, 2008 - Mumps a Gen Y pain in the neck - Sydney Morning Herald - "Today's children routinely receive two MMR shots - at the ages of 12 months and four years. 'The second dose seems to be really important for getting long-term immunity,' he said. 'It's one of the downsides of vaccine-acquired immunity. It's not as strong and long-lasting as disease-acquired immunity.' Like many childhood diseases, 'if you are unfortunate enough to get it as an adult it tends to be more severe', said Professor McIntyre, who outlines the mumps resurgence in the Medical Journal of Australia."

►October 20, 2008 - Adults most at risk in mumps comeback - The Age

►October 20, 2008 - Deadly bug strikes Gold Coast teen - Gold Coast, Australia - "The 19-year-old's mother, Karen Dunne, said Jessica had first gone to a doctor about four weeks ago with viral symptoms and was told to go home to recover...He said Jessica had the B strain of the neisseria meningitidis bacterium, commonly called meningococcus."

►October 20, 2008 - Ghost polio teams enter Islamabad - The News International, Pakistan

►October 20, 2008 - Virus clinic’s waste ‘has been destroyed’ - But hospital still waiting for proof - The Times

►October 20, 2008 - FG Pays N132m to Bird Flu Victims - ThisDay Online

►October 20, 2008 - Aids is not monkey business - Twenty years of solid research has proved beyond any doubt that a virus causes Aids. It's called HIV-1. But not everybody believes that. The just- resigned South African president and his health minister thought Aids is caused by poor nutrition and urged victims to eat garlic, lemons and olive oil and to avoid anti-Aids drugs, which they said were poisonous. - The Dominion Post via Stuff.co.nz

* ►October 20, 2008 - GP bonus decision sparks child vaccination fears - The Mackay Division of General Practice says it is concerned a Federal Government decision to stop bonus payments to GPs will leave some children vulnerable to preventable diseases. - www.abc.net.au

* ►October 20, 2008 - On Privacy - RH Reality Check - "Although the right to privacy is not explicit in the Constitution, the Supreme Court has found Constitutional support for it at least since 1891. The justices ruled then in Union Pacific Railway Co. v. Botsford that an employer cannot compel a worker to have a physical examination. The majority of the Court offered a powerful description of the right to privacy: 'No right is held more sacred, or is more carefully guarded, by the common law, than the right of every individual to the possession and control of his own person, free from all restraint or interference of others...'"

►October 20, 2008 - Cervical cancer drug donated to Fiji - An international drug manufacturer has donated the expensive Gardasil vaccine to Fiji so girls there can be immunised against cervical cancer. - Radio New Zealand

* ►October 19, 2008 - Fiji pushes to vaccinate schoolgirls against cervical cancer before vaccine expires - Radio New Zealand International - "Fiji is hurrying to vaccinate 32 thousand schoolgirls against cervical cancer, before its donated vaccine expires. The drug manufacturer Merck Sharp and Dohme has given the cash strapped country 110 thousand doses of Gardasil -- enough to vaccinate all girls between the ages of nine and 12. Fiji health authorities are now racing to give girls all three injections required before the June expiry date."

* ►October 19, 2008 - Grandad jabs at top doctors over MMR vaccine - Sunday Sun, UK - "A WHO’S WHO of Britain’s top doctors has been reported to the General Medical Council over claims they failed to address health issues regarding the triple jab. It marks a dramatic twist to the debate about the alleged link between the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and autism. Those reported to the GMC include Professor David Salisbury, the Department of Health’s director of immunisation, and the Government’s chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson....The complaint has been brought by grandfather Bill Walsh, whose grandson is alleged to have developed autism and bowel problems after he received the MMR jab....The action comes as the GMC is conducting an ongoing disciplinary hearing into Doctor Andrew Wakefield and two colleagues who suggested the MMR jab could be linked to autism."

* ►October 19, 2008 - Shays would support vaccine safety legislation - letter - Greenwich Time - "While war and the economy grab headlines, an issue little known to most Americans may eclipse both, and is why I urge citizens to re-elect Christopher Shays to Congress....In a detailed letter, Congressman Shays informed me that he's co-sponsoring a bill related to vaccine safety and is inclined to support two others."

* ►October 19, 2008 - Congressman Holt Asks National Academy of Science to investigate holes in FBI's anthrax letters case - Anthrax Vaccine -- posts by Meryl Nass, M.D.

* ►October 19, 2008 - HHS Declares Emergency, Limits Anthrax Vaccine Legal Liability - Adventures in Autism

* ►October 19, 2008 - Age of Narcissism? Pop Stars Nancy Minshew and Denis Leary By Katie Wright - Age of Autism

* ►October 19, 2008 - Multi Billion Dollar Tax goes to protect Pharmaceutical companies from foreseeable vaccine injury... Parents pay Tax ...Then have to fight to get help! - Tanners Dad's Blog

* ►October 19, 2008 - Parents press states for autism insurance laws - AP via Google

* ►October 19, 2008 - US Presidential Debate - National Autistic Society Of UK Encouraged To See Autism High On The US Political Agenda - The National Autistic Society (NAS) via Medical News Today

* ►October 19, 2008 - "Greater Boston Walk for Autism" raises over $1 million (includes video) - WHDH.com - "Boston Mayor Thomas Menino spoke and presented a proclamation declaring October 19 to be the Greater Boston Autism Awareness Day."

►October 19, 2008 - State House incumbent Allen Vaught says opponent's TV ad misleads voters - The Dallas Morning News - "The House District 107 campaign intensified last week with the Bill Keffer campaign putting up an ad on cable stations accusing Allen Vaught of not aiding the education of children with autism."

►October 19, 2008 - Denis Leary and Michael Savage Hitch Their Stars to the Autism Community - Autism Blog via http://autism.about.com

►October 19, 2008 - Autism One Radio: Heather Bruce - Age of Autism - "The Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin's sister Heather Bruce will be a guest on our Radio Program 'The Candy Store' on Autism One Radio.  Mrs. Bruce will be calling us from Anchorage, Alaska on Wednesday, October 22th, 2008 @ 10 a.m. EST."

►October 19, 2008 - A look at state laws forcing autism coverage (requires registration) - AP via Chicago Tribune

►October 19, 2008 - Child Warriors: Christopher and Daniel - Age of Autism

►October 19, 2008 - 26.2 miles to go for autism - Local dad running NYC marathon to raise cash in honor of kids - Broomfield Enterprise

►October 19, 2008 - Autism battles continue - editorial (requires registration or subscription) - Toronto Star - "Relations between parents of autistic children and Queen's Park remain uneasy after years of battles over waiting lists and eligibility for government-funded therapy known as intensive behavioural intervention (IBI)."

►October 19, 2008 - Lincoln's Krummel doesn't let autism slow him down - Manitowoc Herald Times

►October 19, 2008 - Tough decision about vaccination for ‘tween’ girls - Times-West Virginian

►October 19, 2008 - Health Services Authority to offer free HPV Vaccine - Cayman Net News

* ►October 19, 2008 - Pakistan: New polio cases cast shadow on vaccinations - IRIN - "The high incidence in the Punjab is leading to concerns about the vaccine itself, with newspaper reports alleging it is of low-quality, or that expired vaccines are being used. Each of the three children who have become the latest victims of the potentially crippling polio virus - Zunaira aged 14 months in Okara, Saima, aged two years in Bahawalpur, and Asad Ali, aged 18 months in Kasur - had reportedly received multiple doses of the vaccine."

* ►October 19, 2008 - E. coli O157 Vaccine Efficacy Reinforced by Study Published in Foodborne Pathogens and Disease - Bioniche Life Sciences via PR-USA.Net

* ►October 19, 2008 - National Pharmacy Association Insurance Covers Pharmacists For Flu Vaccinations, UK - National Pharmacy Association, UK via Medical News Today - "As community pharmacy moves away from the traditional role of dispensing towards a service based model, it is vital that pharmacists ensure they are covered for the activities they undertake. NPA Insurance recognises that services are the future of pharmacy and are able to cover the administration of flu vaccinations by NPA members or by those pharmacists who have the £99 policy."

* ►October 19, 2008 - Acting on autism - Early intervention helps children, families cope with spectrum disorder - Steamboat Pilot & Today

►October 19, 2008 - Merck's challenges include spate of lawsuits, lack of new drugs in development pipeline - The Morning Call

►October 19, 2008 - Another Poorly Regulated "Derivative"--the Antidepressant Pristiq - OpEdNews

►October 19, 2008 - Milk crisis boosts breastfeeding drive - Philippine Daily Inquirer

►October 19, 2008 - Ways to Wealth: Organizations can help with drug cost - Commercial Appeal

►October 19, 2008 - Boosting vitamin B12 may be helpful as we age - The New York Times via Rutland Herald

* ►October 19, 2008 - Living Well: How much mercury is safe? Go fishing for answers - Seattle Post-Intelligencer

* ►October 19, 2008 - Bird Flu Vaccine Protects People And Pets - A single vaccine could be used to protect chickens, cats and humans against deadly flu pandemics, according to an article published in the November issue of the Journal of General Virology. The vaccine protects birds and mammals against different flu strains and can even be given to birds while they are still in their eggs, allowing the mass vaccination of wild birds. - Society for General Microbiology, via AlphaGalileo via ScienceDaily

►October 19, 2008 - New Jersey requires flu vaccine - ParentDish

►October 19, 2008 - Ask the Mayo Clinic: Flu shots during pregnancy - Dear Mayo Clinic: Is it safe to get a flu shot during pregnancy? Should I avoid vaccines in general until after my baby is born? - Seattle Post-Intelligencer

►October 19, 2008 - A new way to make flu vaccine - It's flu shot season, and this year, there seems to be plenty of vaccine around. For decades, that vaccine has been incubated in fresh eggs. However, that could change. (includes video) - WPVI ABC 6

►October 19, 2008 - Bangladesh finds more bird flu - AFP via Straits Times

►October 19, 2008 - CDC now recommends flu shots for children - Schools, day cares are incubators for influenza - The Courier-Journal

►October 19, 2008 - Toddler virus flares up again in China - Reuters South Africa

►October 19, 2008 - Mumps Risk Rises For Young Adults - MedIndia - "However, Prof McIntyre and colleagues said in the latest issue of The Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) that there has been a recent resurgence of mumps in young adults."

►October 19, 2008 - Biologist Joseph Derisi and his virus detector – The Virochip - The Punch, Nigeria

►October 19, 2008 - Our bodies have an in-built weapon against HIV - Entertainment and Showbiz!

►October 19, 2008 - Changing policy could prevent mother-to-infant HIV transmission (requires registration) - Jerusalem Post

►October 19, 2008 - ‘Health Time Bomb’- China's economic rise is bringing on afflictions of the wealthy. - Newsweek

►October 19, 2008 - Squirrel monkeys yield clues to virus - Shreveport Times

►October 19, 2008 - Rabies vaccination a must for horses - Rabies can lead to fatal results - Dubuque Telegraph Herald

* ►October 18, 2008 - Every Child By Two Wants to Take the Vaccine Debate to Oprah - Adventures in Autism

►October 18, 2008 - Running team wins visibility for autism - The Detroit News

►October 18, 2008 - Adrienne D. Mims, MD, MPH, Inducted into Cambridge Who's Who Executive, Professional and Entrepreneurial Registry - Dr. Mims has published several articles, including "Increasing pneumococcal vaccination in managed care through telephone outreach" in The American Journal of Managed Care and "Teaching the older adult" in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. - press release - Cambridge Who's Who

►October 18, 2008 - Senegal distributes vaccines against livestock disease - Afrique en ligne

►October 18, 2008 - Schneider: MIChild insurance great - if doctors accept it - Lansing State Journal

►October 18, 2008 - Bacterial meningitis case puts Enid school on alert - NewsOK.com

►October 18, 2008 - After setbacks, hunt for AIDS vaccine pushes on - AFP via Google

* ►October 18, 2008 - Mechanism For Immune System Suppression Pinpointed; Could Help Treat HIV, Measles, And Tuberculosis - Diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, and measles claim countless lives by weakening immune systems in ways that have remained unclear. But a team from The Scripps Research Institute has for the first time pinpointed a clear mechanism for immunosuppression. They have shown how an initial viral infection can block production of critical immune system proteins known as type I interferons, leading to susceptibility to other, potentially deadly infections. - Scripps Research Institute via ScienceDaily

* ►October 18, 2008 - Wisconsin Medical Society Bans Pharma Gifts - Pharmalot

* ►October 18, 2008 - New benefits promise help for military veterans with Lou Gehrig's Disease (includes video) - Contra Costa Times - "At 55, Jim Kerr of Vacaville could expect that kind of wear-and-tear. He could live with it, enjoy his job and vacations scuba diving off exotic shores. What he never saw coming was the nerve damage that hobbles him and almost surely will kill him — perhaps in a few years — when it crawls into his chest and steals his breath. Or that his four, combat-free years of military service during the early 1970s could be to blame."

►October 18, 2008 - Wheat Intolerance Leads to Gastrointestinal Misery - Creators Syndicate

►October 18, 2008 - Strep bug resists most drugs - New York Times News Service via The Lexington Herald-Leader

* ►October 18, 2008 - Bitter sweet: India sees 17% rise in sale of diabetic medicines - The Economic Times

►October 18, 2008 - Unique Collaborative Research Program Between Novartis And Leukaemia Physicians Across Europe Moves CML Management Forward - European Treatment and Outcome Study (EUTOS) via Medical News Today

* ►October 17, 2008 - Notice: Pandemic Influenza Vaccine--Amendment - Office of the Secretary (OS), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) via www.pharmcast.com

* ►October 17, 2008 - Bioterrorism vs. bird flu: US controls over vaccine raise concerns - US controls over vaccine raise concerns - AP via The Daily News - "Under this little-known policy, North Korea, Iran, Cuba, Syria and Sudan may not get the vaccines unless they apply for special export licenses, which would be given or refused according to the discretion and timing of the U.S. Three of those nations — Iran, Cuba and Sudan — also are subject to a ban on all human pandemic influenza vaccines as part of a general U.S. embargo."..."Under normal circumstances it would take at least six weeks to approve export licenses for any vaccine on the list, said Thomas Monath, who formerly headed a CIA advisory group on ways to counter biological attacks. All such decisions would follow negotiations at a "very high level" of government. That could makes it harder to contain an outbreak of bird flu among chickens in, say, North Korea, which is in the region hardest hit by the virus. Sudan and Iran already have recorded cases of the virus in poultry and Syria is surrounded by affected countries. Cuba, like all nations, is vulnerable because the disease is delivered by migratory birds."

* ►October 17, 2008 - Raptiva (efalizumab) Audience: Dermatological healthcare professionals, patients - FDA - "FDA notified healthcare professionals of extensive labeling changes, including a Boxed Warning, to highlight the risks of life-threatening infections, including bacterial sepsis, viral meningitis, invasive fungal disease, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and other opportunistic infections with the use of Raptiva."..."Patients identified to begin therapy with Raptiva should have received all their age-appropriate vaccinations before starting the drug."

* ►October 17, 2008 - Formoterol For Asthma: Evidence Of Serious Adverse Effects - Asthma sufferers who regularly take the beta2-agonist formoterol are more likely to suffer non-fatal serious adverse events than those given placebos. A review carried out by Cochrane Researchers showed a significantly increased risk for people who took the drug once or twice daily for at least 12 weeks. - Wiley-Blackwell, via EurekAlert! via ScienceDaily

►October 17, 2008 - FDA & Pharma: What’s A Deadline Among Friends? - Pharmalot

►October 17, 2008 - A Patient’s Journey Common variable immunodeficiency - journal article (BMJ)

►October 17, 2008 - Pfizer Finds Redemption - Forbes - "The Pfizer drugs in question were of the same class of drug as Merck's Vioxx that was taken off the market due to its cardiovascular side effects and has resulted in years of costly litigation and a $4.85 billion settlement by Merck. The FDA found that Celebrex and Bextra did not have the same side effects as Vioxx."

* ►October 17, 2008 - Patient safety indicators for England from hospital administrative data: case-control analysis and comparison with US data - journal article (BMJ)

►October 17, 2008 - Pet Place: Vaccinations stimulate pets’ immune systems - The Adobe Press

►October 17, 2008 - Alberta first to offer medical information online - The Globe And Mail

►October 17, 2008 - Protecting Vegetables from Human Pathogens - Colorado State University

►October 17, 2008 - The Spanish flu epidemic -- 90 years later - Yakima Herald-Republic

►October 17, 2008 - Monroe County optimistic about flu vaccine - MPNnow.com

►October 17, 2008 - Vaccine for rabies in short supply - KHOU.com

* ►October 17, 2008 - Seattle, Swedish researchers working on diabetes vaccine (includes video) - KING 5 News

* ►October 16, 2008 - Health Canada makes it official: BPA is health hazard - Canwest News Service via Canada.com

* ►October 16, 2008 - Vaccination Choice Rally in Trenton NJ (videos) - Photos and Slideshow - Machado Family Albums phanfare

* ►October 16, 2008 - Vaccination Choice Rally Organized by Louise Kuo Habakus & NJ Coalition for Vaccination Choice Speakers include: Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk; Barbara Loe Fisher, NVIC; Dr. Larry Palevsky, Holistic Pediatric Association; Gary Null, author/filmmaker. - audio - Autism One Special Edition Host: Mary Holland, Autism One Radio

►October 16, 2008 - More than 36,000 children to be immunised this year in Doarmaa - GhanaWeb.com

►October 16, 2008 - Super HIV/AIDS laboratory in Africa - A state-of-the-art medical laboratory aimed at finding universal cure to the deadly HIV/AIDS disease has opened in South Africa. The centre would preserve infected cells for decades to give researchers time to study strains of the virus as it mutates. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funds it. - AfricaNews

►October 16, 2008 - A Drive-By Shot of Flu Prevention - Vaccine on the Go Offered at 2 Sites (requires registration) - Washington Post

►October 16, 2008 - Nurse pleased with clinic turnout - Woodstock Sentinel Review - "Joel Mills, 20, a police foundations student at Fanshawe College, said he was there because he was unsure of his immunity history and worried about spreading the disease to his family should he become infected. 'I wouldn't want to be the cause of a family illness,' he said....For those born after 1970 who have had only received one MMR vaccination, a second shot is recommended."

* ►October 16, 2008 - Stars Spar Over Autism, Child Vaccines - Dennis Leary Joins Fray in Public Debate Over Autism, Childhood Vaccination - ABC News

►October 16, 2008 - 2m kids to get polio vaccine - AFP via News24 - "The Ethiopian health authorities will vaccinate more than two million children this month as part off a nationwide anti-polio drive, state media reported on Wednesday."

* ►October 16, 2008 - Nobel-Winning Discovery of HPV–Cervical Cancer Link Already Having an Impact on Medicine (requires registration) - Medscape Medical News

* ►October 16, 2008 - MedImmune opens new U.K. research facility - Baltimore Business Journal

* ►October 16, 2008 - EPA slashes lead limit in air by 90 percent - AP via CNN

►October 16, 2008 - eMarketers Make a Comeback Inside Pharma - Pharma Marketing Blog

* ►October 16, 2008 - Regulation—the real threat to clinical research - journal article (BMJ)

►October 16, 2008 - Cognitive Performance and Plasma Levels of Homocysteine, Vitamin B12, Folate and Lipids in Patients with Alzheimer Disease - journal article (Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders)

►October 16, 2008 - Annual health check of NHS trusts in England shows room for improvement - journal article (BMJ)

►October 16, 2008 - New class of antibiotics may lead to therapy for drug-resistant tuberculosis - Cell Press via EurekAlert!

►October 16, 2008 - Disinfectants Can Boost Bacteria's Resistance to Treatment - WQAD

* ►October 15, 2008 - Chest Wall Abscess likely due to BCG Vaccination in a Child - journal article (Infection) - "We considered that the chest wall abscess was a complication of BCG vaccination occurred by hematogenous dissemination of the inoculated mycobacteria."

* ►October 15, 2008 - Criteria for Successful Hepatitis B Vaccination in Adults: Results of a Case Study - journal article (Infection)

* ►October 15, 2008 - WHO launches programme to extend treatment of mental and neurological disorders - journal article (BMJ)

* ►October 15, 2008 - Mental health services in England among best in Europe, says WHO - journal article (BMJ)

►October 15, 2008 - Notice: Availability for Non-Exclusive, Exclusive, or Partially Exclusive Licensing of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Concerning Method and Kit for Detecting Adenovirus Serotype 14 Virus - Department of the Army, DoD via www.pharmcast.com

►October 15, 2008 - GPs’ pay rise will be linked to treatment of patients most in need - journal article (BMJ)

►October 15, 2008 - WHO calls for return to primary care to help ailing health systems - journal article (BMJ)

►October 15, 2008 - Genetic testing: picking up the pieces - journal article (BMJ)

►October 15, 2008 - Notice: FDA-Regulated Products that Contain Bisphenol-A; Request for Information - Food and Drug Administration, HHS via www.pharmcast.com

►October 15, 2008 - Pop Star: Dr. Nancy Minshew - Pop City

►October 15, 2008 - Understanding autism - Fernandes Center medical director offers an explanation - The Herald News

►October 15, 2008 - South Africa's AIDS Truthsayer - TIME Magazine

►October 15, 2008 - Lipoxen up on vaccine deal - Interactive Investor

►October 14, 2008 - 30,000 children in Capital anti-polio drops - Daily Mail, Pakistan

* ►October 14, 2008 - Progressive Encephalopathy in a Child With Cerebral Folate Deficiency Syndrome - journal article (Journal of Child Neurology)

* ►October 14, 2008 - Acute psychosis caused by co-amoxiclav - journal article (BMJ)

* ►October 14, 2008 - Website of experiences with new name hopes to reach more patients - journal article (BMJ) - "The award winning website of patients’ experiences, DIPEx, has changed its name and added three more sets of patients’ stories to its database, one related to Parkinson’s disease and two to autism."

►October 14, 2008 - Notice: Implementing the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 Including How to Become a Patient Safety Organization: Interim Guidance Availability - Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Office for Civil Rights (OCR), HHS via www.pharmcast.com

►October 14, 2008 - Notice: International Drug Scheduling; Convention of Psychotropic Substances; Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs; Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid; Ketamine; Dextromethorphan; N-benzylpiperazine; 1-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl) piperazine; 1-(3-chlorophenyl) piperazine; 1-(4-Methoxyphenyl) piperazine; 1-(3,4-methylenedioxybenzyl) piperazine; Gamma-butyrolactone; 1,4-Butanediol; Reopening of Comment Period - Food and Drug Administration, HHS via www.pharmcast.com

►October 14, 2008 - Politics and science: a cautionary tale for the presidential candidates - journal article (BMJ)

►October 14, 2008 - WHO agrees plan to speed up research on risk to human health from climate change - journal article (BMJ)

►October 14, 2008 - Drug firms and regulatory agencies must consider how drugs are used - journal article (BMJ)

* ►October 13, 2008 - Long term predictive values of cytology and human papillomavirus testing in cervical cancer screening: joint European cohort study - journal article (BMJ)

►October 13, 2008 - China’s tainted infant formula What WHO should do - journal article (BMJ)

►October 13, 2008 - System for handling complaints against the English NHS fails on all counts - journal article (BMJ)

►October 13, 2008 - Measles outbreak fear - Lancashire Evening Post - "About 14,000 letters have been sent to families in Central Lancashire asking them to make sure children and teenagers have received two doses of the MMR vaccination. The campaign comes after an outbreak of 42 cases of measles in Blackpool caused fears the disease could spread to Preston."

►October 12, 2008 - Kitsap Drive-Thru Flu-Shot Clinics? This Idea Just Might Stick - Kitsap Sun

►October 9, 2008 - New Rapid Screening For Human Papilloma Virus (Hpv) - Voice of America

►October 9, 2008 - Eleven consecutive years of respiratory syncytial virus outbreaks in Croatia - journal article (Pediatrics International)

* ►October 1, 2008 - Calculating Safety vs. Drug Access - Weighing proposals to expand preapproval clinical data against delays in access to needed treatments. - Applied Clinical Trials

* ►October 1, 2008 - Changes in FDA's Approach to Risk - An update on the Agency's 2007 Act to improve drug safety sheds more light on REMS regulations. - Applied Clinical Trials

* ►October 2008 - Herd immunity — defining the herd? - (requires registration) - Infectious Diseases in Children - "The “canary in the mine” for many years has been measles. This disease is very contagious and even a slight fault in our system of immunization may be manifested by measles reappearance. In a study many years ago, we found that in two schools with only 4.1% of the students seronegative, an introduction of measles led to a sustained epidemic (N Engl J Med. 1987;316:771-774). Although the national immunization rates may be very high, packs within this larger herd might not be protected and an introduction to one of these can lead to outbreaks. This was well demonstrated during the, large measles epidemic in the late 80s when nationally we seemed to be doing fine, but in the inner cities, where we were not doing as well, those with low immunization rates were devastated by measles. We have had repeated examples of outbreaks that have occurred following introductions into populations that rejected immunization for one reason or another."

* ►October 2008 - Do not forget about protecting adolescents from pertussis (requires registration) - Although the incidence of pertussis has been dramatically reduced, reported cases have been increasing since the 1980s. - Infectious Diseases in Children

►October 2008 - FDA expands HPV vaccine approval for prevention of vulvar, vaginal cancers (requires registration) - Infectious Diseases in Children

►October 2008 - How interferon-γ keeps autoimmune diseases in check - journal article (Trends in Immunology)

►October 2008 - CDC launches National MRSA Educational Initiative (requires registration) - The campaign highlights specific actions for parents to protect themselves and their families against MRSA. -  Infectious Diseases in Children

►October 2008 -  Election 2008 and health care (requires registration) - Both presidential candidates say they will reform health care and broaden access; their plans have significant differences. - Infectious Diseases in Children

►October 2008 - Breast-feeding rate remains low among U.S. mothers (requires registration) - Discrepancies exist between accepted knowledge concerning the benefits of breast milk and maternity ward practice. - Infectious Diseases in Children

►October 2008 - Cough medicines on the agenda at Infectious Diseases in Children N.Y. Symposium (requires registration) - Annual symposium is Nov. 22-23, 2008, in New York; earn CME credits at the symposium. - Infectious Diseases in Children

►October 2008 - Effects of antibiotic pretreatment on cerebrospinal fluid profiles defined (requires registration) - Infectious Diseases in Children

►October 2008 - SPOT the rash (requires registration) - A monthly case study featured in Infectious Diseases in Children, with treatment information and discussion to follow. - Infectious Diseases in Children

►October 2008 - What's Your Diagnosis (requires registration) - A monthly case study featured in Infectious Diseases in Children, with treatment information and discussion to follow. - Infectious Diseases in Children

* ►September 30, 2008 - Title: Vaccine for nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae infection (patent) - The Research Foundation of State University of New York (Amherst, NY) via www.pharmcast.com

* ►September 30, 2008 - Title: Polypeptides capable of forming antigen binding structures with specificity for the Rhesus D antigens, the DNA encoding them and the process for their preparation and use (patent) - ZLB Bioplasma AG via www.pharmcast.com

►September 30, 2008 - Title: Method for identification of t-cell epitopes and use for preparing molecules with reduced immunogenicity (patent) - Merck Patent GmbH (Darmstadt, DE) via www.pharmcast.com

►September 30, 2008 - Title: Inhibition of SARS-associated coronavirus (SCoV) infection and replication by RNA interference (patent) - The University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong, CN) via www.pharmcast.com

►September 30, 2008 - Title: Methods of optimizing drug therapeutic efficacy for treatment of immune-mediated gastrointestinal disorders (patent) - Hopital Sainte-Justine (Montreal, Quebec, CA) via www.pharmcast.com

►September 30, 2008 - Title: Methods for genotyping hepatitis C virus (patent) - Third Wave Technologies, Inc. (Madison, WI) via www.pharmcast.com

►September 30, 2008 - Title: Method of producing infectious reovirus (patent) - Oncolytics Biotech Inc. (Calgary, CA) via www.pharmcast.com

►September 30, 2008 - Title: Transgenic bovines having reduced prion protein production (patent) - Hopital Sainte-Justine (Montreal, Quebec, CA) via www.pharmcast.com

►September 30, 2008 - Title: Compositions of an anticonvulsant and an antipsychotic drug and methods of using the same for affecting weight loss (patent) - Hopital Sainte-Justine (Montreal, Quebec, CA) via www.pharmcast.com

►September 24, 2008 - Caffeine experts at Johns Hopkins call for warning labels for energy drinks - Caffeinated energy drinks may present health risks - Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions via EurekAlert!