►December 13, 2006 - Merck to seeks approval for HIV drug - New York: Merck & Co expects to seek US approval in 2007 for drugs to treat HIV, cholesterol and insomnia, and it aims to have another four products in late-stage trials by mid-year, the company said on Tuesday. - Reuters via www.stuff.co.nz

►December 13, 2006 - NHS health checks pose difficulties for agencies - Recruiter Magazine - "Many agencies supply staff through NHS Framework agreements (Recruiter, 3 May), and therefore need to investigate candidates' medical histories, including immunisations."

* ►December 13, 2006 - Anthrax vaccine opponents file new lawsuit - Marine Corps Times - "'FDA’s certification of the vaccine, which is based on slipshod statistical analysis and improper use of testing data, as well as DoD’s alteration of the vaccine dosing schedule, render the vaccine a drug unapproved for its applied use under current federal law,' said Chicago lawyer John J. Michels, Jr., co-counsel in the lawsuit. 'Under these circumstances, the vaccine may not be administered to service members without their informed consent. It is patently illegal.'"

* ►December 13, 2006 - Temporary ban on tetanus vaccination - Kerala Online - "Tetanus vaccination has been temporarily suspended following the death of Rupisha (15), daughter of Rajan of Kuttiyadi."

* ►December 12, 2006 - David Kirby: Bad News for Mercury Defenders - Huffington Post - "Next June, when the Vaccine Trial of the Century gets underway in Federal Claims Court, government lawyers will defend the direct injection of toxic mercury into infant children by repeating the well-worn mantra that 'five large population studies' in Europe and the US have completely exonerated the vaccine preservative thimerosal as a possible cause of autism. But now it seems they may need to tuck a 'Plan B' into their Federal briefcase. Yesterday, UPI Senior Editor Dan Olmsted reported in his 'Age of Autism' column that an NIH-led panel of experts has 'identified several serious problems' plaguing the database used to produce the US vaccine study - the lynchpin of the 'five large population studies' showing that organic mercury is just fine to shoot into kids."

* ►December 12, 2006 - Ped Med: The hunt for autism genes - United Press International

* ►December 12, 2006 - Mercury Detection: It's a "Ruff" Job - Ivanhoe Broadcast News - "It's not often that you see a four-legged student roaming the school halls, but this dog is on a mission. Clancy is the only dog in the United States trained to sniff out dangerous mercury."

* ►December 12, 2006 - EPA rule on mercury emissions doesn't go far enough, groups say (requires registration or subscription) - McClatchy Newspapers via San Jose Mercury News

►December 12, 2006 - Arctic scientists call for treaty on mercury - CBC British Columbia

* ►December 12, 2006 - Baby teeth wanted for autism study - The Tennessean via www.rctimes.com - "Arizona State University has collected enough teeth from children diagnosed with autism, but needs teeth from normal children to compare the amount of toxic metals and essential minerals in the teeth. Participants must have been born between 1946 and 2004 and cannot have asthma, severe allergies, Type I diabetes or autoimmune disorders. They also should not be closely related to anyone with autism."

►December 12, 2006 - Boy’s autism keeps mom from working - Lebanon Daily News

►December 12, 2006 - Independent autism council closer to reality - www.northjersey.com

►December 12, 2006 - More US children see doctors for asthma - CDC - Reuters

* ►December 12, 2006 - US Childhood Asthma Rate Rose in 2005, Report Says (Update1) - Bloomberg - "Almost 9 percent of U.S. children had asthma in 2005, compared with 7.5 percent in 1995, while related deaths declined, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said."

* ►December 12, 2006 - Study: US Unprepared For Public Disaster - Majority Of States Cited As Being At Unacceptable Level To Cope With Widespread Public Health Emergencies - CBS News

►December 12, 2006 - US unprepared for bioterror and disease (requires registration or subscription) - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

* ►December 12, 2006 - Law Passes Retooling Effort on Bioterror (requires registration) - Washington Post - "The program's most significant investment, a nearly $1 billion effort by VaxGen to develop an anthrax vaccine, has been in limbo since the Food and Drug Administration held up human testing last month because of concerns about the drug's reliability. After threatening to end its contract, HHS gave the firm until Dec. 18 to resolve the concerns and begin human testing."

* ►December 12, 2006 - Science bills hatch from lame duck - U.S. lawmakers pass NIH reform, biodefense initiative before adjourning for the year - The Scientist

* ►December 12, 2006 - New Quarantine Act to further protect the health of Canadians - press release - Public Health Agency of Canada via CNW Group

* ►December 12, 2006 - Reckless With Food Safety - editorial (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times

* ►December 12, 2006 - Non-Prescription Pain Medications Diminish Vaccine Effectiveness (includes audio) - Voice of America

►December 12, 2006 - Tips from the Journals of the American Society for Microbiology - New Test May Allow for Rapid Detection of the Smallpox Virus - Novel Peptide Targets Viral Cells and May Inhibit Influenza Virus Infection - Microneedle Vaccination Technique Protects Rabbits Against Inhalation Anthrax Using Smaller Dosage - American Society for Microbiology via www.eurekalert.org

►December 12, 2006 - Report says most states still aren't prepared for major emergencies - McClatchy Newspapers via Mercury News

►December 12, 2006 - Survey: Arkansas needs more vaccines, nurses in case of pandemic - AP via Baxter Bulletin

* ►December 12, 2006 - Getting the word out to vulnerable groups is key, survey finds - HealthDay via CBC News - "About half of American adults who are at high risk for flu and related complications don't know that they need to get a flu shot and therefore don't get one, according to a survey of 300 adults conducted in September 2004 and March 2005."

►December 12, 2006 - S.Korea to expand poultry culls in H5N1-hit areas - Reuters via Malaysia Star

►December 12, 2006 - Business owners told to prepare for bird flu - Press-Register via www.al.com

►December 12, 2006 - Trying to unravel winter-flu link - Bloomberg via Newsday

►December 12, 2006 - Bird flu afflicts thousands of quails in South Korea - Taipei Times

►December 12, 2006 - Yellowstone County flu cases reported - Billings Gazette

►December 12, 2006 - First 3 Ky. flu cases of season confirmed; shots still offered - Illness reported in Fayette, Woodford - Courier-Journal

►December 12, 2006 - Get an Update on Avian Flu from ‘Talk to America’ - Voice of America

* ►December 12, 2006 - Experts meet on cervical cancer vaccine (requires registration or subscription) - AP via San Jose Mercury News - "'With a technology like this vaccine, the world has a moral obligation to make sure it reaches the women who need it,' said Dr. Nothemba Simelela, a senior official at International Planned Parenthood Federation. Public health officials are working with pharmaceutical companies to strategize how women in developing countries might get vaccinated as quickly as possible. 'We would be prepared to subsidize the price in the short term, if in the long term it became affordable,' said Dr. Julian Lob-Levyt, executive secretary of the GAVI alliance, a global partnership that buys vaccines for poor countries."

►December 12, 2006 - Push to boost cancer jab access - International experts meeting in London are pushing for developing countries to get quick access to new vaccines against cervical cancer. - BBC

►December 12, 2006 - Call for worldwide use of cervical cancer vaccines - Reuters AlertNet

►December 12, 2006 - Chickenpox cases slowing, officials say - Winston-Salem Journal

►December 12, 2006 - Polio outbreak on wane: next rounds must focus on youngest children - Press Information Bureau, Government of India

►December 12, 2006 - Pakistan, Afghans aim to eradicate polio on border - Reuters AlertNet

►December 12, 2006 - The Fight Against Yellow Fever: A Global Mobilisation for Sub-Saharan Africa - PRNewswire via www.earthtimes.org

* ►December 12, 2006 - Students swamp health department for shots - Schools required vaccination - Martinsville Bulletin - "Kim Collins’ daughter, Hannah Martin, 11, attends Laurel Park Middle School, but on Monday afternoon she was among those at the health department to get the booster. She previously had the vaccine, Collins said, but could not locate the record, 'so we came here to get it. It’s a lot quicker' than going to a private provider...Marshall Silver’s son, Marshall Silver Jr., was among Laurel Park students getting a record of the shot. Silver said his 12-year-old son provided school officials with a record, but it could not be located."

►December 12, 2006 - Intercell’s therapeutic Hepatitis C vaccine safe in combination with standard therapy - www.presseportal.de

►December 12, 2006 - Dynavax adds former Kaiser boss Lawrence to board - San Francisco Business Times

►December 12, 2006 - Children at risk - Coventry Observer, UK - "Controversy over certain vaccines may be to blame for the slow uptake rates, but doctors are urging parents to talk about their concerns with their GP rather than ignore the immunisations altogether."

* ►December 12, 2006 - FDA warns Nestle infant formula fails nutrition standards - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Nestle S.A. (NSRGY) that a sample of its Good Start infant formula failed to meet minimum nutrition standards for calcium and phosphorus. - MarketWatch

* ►December 12, 2006 - FDA cannot confirm green onions are the culprit in Taco Bell food poisoning outbreak - Boston Herald

►December 12, 2006 - FDA Halts Sales of Some Quinine Drugs (requires registration) - AP via Washington Post

►December 12, 2006 - Merck sees filing for FDA approval for three drugs in 2007 - Drugmaker reaffirms financial forecast - Merck said early Tuesday that it sees filing for regulatory approval of three new drugs in 2007, in addition to the three drugs that are already before the Food and Drug Administration. - MarketWatch

►December 12, 2006 - Merck to Seek US Approval of HIV, Cholesterol Drugs (Update1) - Bloomberg

►December 12, 2006 - Cuba preschool kids help raise $115.43 for UNICEF - Canton Daily Ledger

►December 12, 2006 - Patna man wrongly diagnosed with HIV - IANS via DailyIndia

►December 12, 2006 - Indian school throws out HIV boy - A four-year-old boy has been thrown out of nursery school in India because he has been found to be HIV-positive. - BBC

►December 12, 2006 - Congress Wants Answers On Anthrax - Lawmakers Send Letter To FBI Asking For Update - CBS News

►December 12, 2006 - Medicare, in a Different Tack, Links Doctors’ Pay to Practices (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times

►December 12, 2006 - No HIV, hepatitis for tested students - Classmates cleared of disease after substitute teacher used same lancet on them during project - The Argus via Inside Bay Area

►December 12, 2006 - Adult measles case confirmed in Seattle - AP via Seattle Post Intelligencer

* ►December 12, 2006 - New kind of rabies vaccine produced in Vietnam lab - Vietnam’s National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology has succeeded in producing rabies vaccine by employing the new cell transplant technology. - Thanh Nien Daily

* ►December 12, 2006 - IFM warns against KHV vaccine - Practical Fishkeeping

* ►December 12, 2006 - Report defends experiments on monkeys (requires registration or subscription) - AP via San Jose Mercury News - "The committee also said research on monkeys currently provides the only way of ensuring the safety and effectiveness of vaccines for HIV and other infections, and treatments for brain diseases, such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's."

* ►December 11, 2006 - CytoGenix synDNA™ HIV Vaccine Shows Robust Cellular Immune Response in Monkeys - press release - CytoGenix via Business Wire

* ►December 11, 2006 - Quit Smoking Vaccine - Ivanhoe Broadcast News - "The vaccine study is currently recruiting smokers who want to quit in several locations throughout the United States."

* ►December 11, 2006 - Dr. Oliver Pybus: The Libyan Children were Infected before Arrival of Bulgarian Nurses and Palestinian Doctor - Dr. Oliver Pybus, Oxford University, in an interview with Darik Radio - FOCUS Information Agency

►December 11, 2006 - Doctors report first flu cases - If you get a shot now, physicians say there's still time for the vaccine to become effective before holiday travel spreads the virus. - www.heraldnet.com

►December 11, 2006 - CDC rates hospital bioterrorism preparedness - CIDRAP News

►December 11, 2006 - Saliva swabs for bird flu virus more effective than faecal samples - dpa German Press Agency via Raw Story - "Scientists looking for indications of the bird flu virus have been taking swabs from the wrong end of the duck, a flu expert said in a published report Tuesday."

►December 11, 2006 - Flu makes an early showing across state - Tampa Bay isn’t seeing as many cases as North and South Florida, though. - St. Petersburg Times

►December 11, 2006 - Officials urge everyone to get flu vaccine - Portales News-Tribune

►December 11, 2006 - Idera gets $20M from Merck - Boston Globe - "The hope is that the toll-like receptor agonists that Idera is developing will boost the effectiveness of the vaccines, the companies said."

►December 11, 2006 - Whooping cough warning issued - 470 cases of pertussis reported; Illinois secondary schools offered tips - Beloit Daily News

►December 11, 2006 - Bacterial Meningitis Death - WDEF News 12

►December 11, 2006 - HPV DNA testing for cervical cancer - United Press International

►December 11, 2006 - New Test Could Detect E. Coli Much Faster - Sensor Activated When Food Contaminated With E. Coli - CBS2 Chicago

* ►December 11, 2006 - Once-a-day pill to treat hayfever - A vaccine in pill form to reduce the symptoms of hayfever will be launched in the UK early next year. - BBC

* ►December 2006 - The Law On Vaccine Religious Exemptions: What You Need To Know - http://chetday.com

* ►Access to Vaccine Data Sought by Attorneys for 5000 Vaccine-Injured Children - CDC Has Denied Access to Data by Independent Experts - Petitioners' Steering Committee Files Motion To Compel Access to CDC Vaccine Safety Database - www.A-Champ.org - "The attorneys representing  more than 5000 children and families in the vaccine court filed a motion last week to gain access to the database for non-government researchers. The action may prove to be the most important step taken to date to get access to the key vaccine database involved in the controversy over the link of vaccines to autism. The database is known as the Vaccine Safety DataLink ("VSDL"). You may obtain a copy of the complete motion and exhibits at http://a-champ.org/vaccinecourt.html"

►December 12, 2006 - FDA Reveals Plan for Wider Access to Experimental Drugs (requires registration or subscription) - Washington Post

* ►December 12, 2006 - Another 15 shots mooted for infants - Children could face an extra 15 vaccinations before they turn five in a Health Ministry proposal that is prompting fears of a parental backlash. - The Press via www.stuff.co.nz - "Sue Claridge, of the Immunisation Awareness Society, said even parents who were pro-vaccination had expressed concern when the meningococcal B vaccine – an extra three injections – was introduced last year. "They're asking, 'Just how many are we going to have and when is it going to stop?'" she said. Claridge said parents were concerned not only about their child getting 'stuck with a needle' but about the risk of reactions to vaccines and the possibility of contaminants in the drugs."

* ►December 12, 2006 - Vaccination foes needling doctors - Deseret News - "Bill Lawler, a chiropractic physician in Cedar Hills, disagrees. Lawler recently wrote 'Kids are Born to be Healthy,' a book in which he emphasizes natural treatments and dedicates an entire chapter to vaccination skepticism...Lawler, 50, did not vaccinate his children, and he argues most of the diseases with required vaccinations are no longer epidemics because of 'better sanitation and better food supply.'"

* ►December 12, 2006 - New vaccines against cervical cancer major opportunity for developing world - WHO - "'We don't know the final cost of the vaccine in developing countries,' said Arletty Pinel, Chief, Reproductive Health Branch of UNFPA. 'But, we can be certain it is going to be a major challenge to introduce quickly where it is needed most - in the poorest countries. Eighty per cent of women who die of cervical cancer are generally poor and live in underserved areas. They will be the ones to benefit most from affordable prices and access to this vaccine.'"

* ►December 12, 2006 - Poor Women Should Get HPV Vaccine, Health Leaders Say (Update1) - Bloomberg

* ►December 12, 2006 - Leaders of Civil Society and UN Agencies Call for Rapid Worldwide Access to New Cervical Cancer Vaccines - Greatest Need for Vaccines Seen in Women and Girls in Developing Countries - press release - Global Health Strategies via PRNewswire via Yahoo! - "The meeting brought together more than 60 key leaders from multilateral agencies, civil society, government, philanthropies and the pharmaceutical industry. It was convened by six non-profit organizations: the Rockefeller Foundation, the International Planned Parenthood Federation, the International Union Against Cancer, PATH, the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative."

* ►December 12, 2006 - Health dept apathy led to 2 deaths, says probe report - Express News Service via Lucknow Newsline via http://cities.expressindia.com - "Meanwhile, ‘routine immunisation’ has now been postponed in Chitvapur for a week in view of the 'law and order situation' (read fear of violence) after the report was submitted today."

►December 12, 2006 - Afghan, Pakistani health ministers to jointly launch polio days - Xinhua via People's Daily Online

►December 12, 2006 - Taco Bell outbreak not over, officials say - Reuters, UK

►December 12, 2006 - For the Birds - The flu is coming, the flu is coming - CIO Australia

►December 12, 2006 - Fresh Bird Flu Outbreak at Jeolla Quail Farm - Chosun Ilbo

* ►December 12, 2006 - Air Force plays in pandemic flu exercise - Air Force Link

* ►December 12, 2006 - Don't give up on advanced human bird flu cases -expert - Reuters AlertNet

* ►December 11, 2006 - The Age of Autism: 'Problems' in CDC data - United Press International - "For three years, the CDC has used a study conducted on its own Vaccine Safety Datalink to reassure parents that mercury in vaccines does not cause autism. Now a panel of government-appointed experts says there are 'serious problems' with exactly the approach the CDC took. 'I think what we're saying is that (study) wasn't the last word and that things need to be looked at again and perhaps with different methodology,' chairwoman Irva Hertz-Picciotto told Age of Autism, which obtained a copy of the panel's report."

* ►December 11, 2006 - Passage of 'Combating Autism Act' may help unlock disorder's mysteries - How billion-dollar, five-year funding will impact lake area, Missouri remains to be seen - Lake Sun Leader

* ►December 11, 2006 - Yadkin County Officials Monitor Chicken Pox Outbreak - www.wxii12.com - "Health experts recommend two doses of the vaccine, because you can still get the disease after the first dose."

* ►December 11, 2006 - Kids in remote villages to be vaccinated - Hindustan Times - "The children in the remote villages in all the 20 blocks will be administered routine BCG, DPT (Diptheria, Tetanus and Pertusis), Measles, TT and polio vaccine, during the drive."

* ►December 11, 2006 - Students get another shot to comply with vaccine regulation - Herald-Mail - "Those students without the vaccinations for Hepatitis B and chickenpox will not be allowed at school starting Jan. 20, 2007, Washington County Public Schools officials said."

* ►December 11, 2006 - New agency charged with fighting bioterror threats - Federal Times - "The Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act, which creates BARDA, was passed by the House without objection early on Dec. 9 and by the Senate on Dec. 5. It now awaits the president’s signature."

►December 11, 2006 - BIO Lauds Passage by Congress of BARDA Legislation - press release - Biotechnology Industry Organization via PRNewswire via Yahoo!

* ►December 11, 2006 - Yorkshire cancer patients to get virus amid trial hope - Experiment with injections directly into tumours could herald revolution in treatment using body's immune system - Yorkshire Post Today

►December 11, 2006 - Nigeria: The WHO Malaria Vaccine (editorial) - Daily Champion (Lagos) via http://allafrica.com

►December 11, 2006 - Vaccination teams target deadly strain of pneumonia - CBC British Columbia

* ►December 11, 2006 - Bird flu fears ease, risk stays - Pandemic possible; detection becoming more complicated - AP via Monterey County Herald

* ►December 11, 2006 - Vaccines for all H5N1 flu strains crucial -experts - Reuters AlertNet

►December 11, 2006 - HSE Chair exempts himself from flu drug deal decision - Irish Medical News

* ►December 11, 2006 - Flu vaccine distribution system could use a booster shot - USA Today

* ►December 11, 2006 - Study shows what helped during 1918 flu - AP via Yahoo!

►December 11, 2006 - Shots, Mist Available For Flu Season - Elderly, Young Urged To Get Vaccinated - www.10news.com

►December 11, 2006 - Local agencies rally together to develop test for avian flu - The Examiner

►December 11, 2006 - Bird Flu Outbreak In Quail Farm In South Korea - Medical News Today

►December 11, 2006 - SD Prepares For A Possible Pandemic Flu Outbreak - Yankton Daily Press

►December 11, 2006 - Haryana, Maryland universities to do bird flu research jointly - Telugu Portal

►December 11, 2006 - Short Winter Days May Help Seasonal Flu Spread (Update1) - Bloomberg

►December 11, 2006 - China Biopharma Announces Additional Flu Vaccine Deliveries in the Fourth Quarter - press release - China Biopharma, Inc. via PRNewswire-FirstCall via www.earthtimes.org

►December 11, 2006 - New Anti-Germ Device Leads Charge of Nano Silver Revolution - The Handler Leaves the Cold & Flu Transmission Cycle at the Door - press release - Maker Enterprises LLC via Market Wire

►December 11, 2006 - Virus spreads at Halifax-area hospitals - CBC Nova Scotia

►December 11, 2006 - FDA, CDC fail to find E. coli in green onions - Doctors for the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said late Monday they have been unable to confirm preliminary reports of E. coli in green onions at Taco Bell, reports that have been linked to dozens of illnesses in the Northeast and elsewhere. - MarketWatch

►December 11, 2006 - CDC warns against antibiotics for E. coli - Children treated with the drugs can become much more seriously ill, the health agency says. (requires registration or subscription) - Los Angeles Times

►December 11, 2006 - Merck signs deal for exclusive rights to Idera TLR-targeted compounds - AFX via Forbes

►December 11, 2006 - IAC EXPRESS Issue #635 - Immunization Action Coalition

►December 11, 2006 - Cervical cancer vaccine available, expensive - Bowling Green Daily News

►December 11, 2006 - A Promising Vaccine Doesn't Deserve a Policy Filled with Holes - California bill mandates pre-teen girls receive vaccinations for sex-transmitted virus - press release - Christian Newswire

►December 11, 2006 - No way to run a government - Cincinnati Post

►December 11, 2006 - Deputy Commissioner for Medical and Scientific Affairs to Leave FDA - FDA

►December 11, 2006 - US Senate approves FDA chief nomination - The US Senate has confirmed Andrew von Eschenbach as the official Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after months of delay due to complaints about the regulator’s oversight. - www.in-pharmatechnologist.com

►December 11, 2006 - FDA proposes wider access to experimental drugs - Reuters AlertNet

►December 11, 2006 - California Lawmaker Introduces Bill That Would Mandate HPV Vaccination for Girls Entering Sixth Grade - www.kaisernetwork.org

►December 11, 2006 - Weekly Calendar - Johns Hopkins Gazette - "Fri., Dec. 15, noon. 'Societal Risk of Pertussis in the United States: Role of State Policies and Spatial Clustering of Childhood Vaccine Refusers,' an International Health thesis defense seminar with Saad Omer"

►December 11, 2006 - Bacteria drug to fight HIV/cancer soon - Moneycontrol India

* ►December 11, 2006 - Day care parents look ahead - Gloucester County Times via www.nj.com - "Mother Connie Davis sat alongside Elwell, explaining that mercury poisoning has sent her daughter Alexis' health into a steep decline. 'Alexis went to Kiddie Kollege for two years. Over those two years her health really deteriorated,' she said. 'They didn't know what was wrong with her.' As she spoke, Davis presented class pictures of her daughter, taken while she was enrolled at Kiddie Kollege. The three pictures taken over the course of two years show the slow paralysis of Alexis' face, with the right side of her face no longer able to smile, Davis suggested."

►December 11, 2006 - Mercury pollution worries Arctic scientists - CBC British Columbia

►December 11, 2006 - EPA Fails to Limit Toxic Mercury Pollution from Cement Kilns - Agency ignores federal courts, Congress, and over 20,000 public comments in do-nothing rule - press release - Earthjustice

►December 11, 2006 - Governor's mandated reductions on mercury not accepted by all - Midland Daily News

►December 11, 2006 - NIH Announces Licensing Opportunities for Rare Disease Technologies - National Institutes of Health
 
►December 11, 2006 - Researchers Discover Method in Mice to Restore Tamoxifen Sensitivity in Resistant Breast Cancer - National Institutes of Health
 
►December 10, 2006 - Pittsburgh-based team engineers muscle, bone cell differentiation with aid of ink-jet printer - Printed 'bio-inks' could revolutionize range of replacement tissues for disease, injury - Carnegie Mellon University via www.eurekalert.org

►December 10, 2006 - Report: bird flu kills quails at farm in South Korea - USA Today

►December 10, 2006 - Health officials warn state about influenza, Shigella - The Decatur Daily

►December 8, 2006 - Bird flu has deadly friends: health experts - Reuters
 
►December 7, 2006 - Road map for malaria vaccine gives experts hope - Mail & Guardian Online
 
►December 7, 2006 - Weakness found in flu virus opens door to new remedies - www.timesonline.co.uk
 
►December 6, 2006 - Ebola-Outbreak Kills 5000 Gorillas - Vaccination program urgently needed - Max Planck Society
 
►December 5, 2006 - Statement By Mike Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human Services - On the Senate Passage of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act - U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

►December 18, 2006 - The Right to a Trial - Should dying patients have access to experimental drugs? - The New Yorker

* ►December 11, 2006 - S.Korea says third bird flu case confirmed - Reuters UK

►December 11, 2006 - Keep small birds out of chicken farms, expert says - Reuters AlertNet

* ►December 11, 2006 - Big Pharma Juggernaut Rolls To Victory - Health Freedom Reels - www.newswithviews.com

* ►December 11, 2006 - A young Florida boy with autism and epilepsy comes to Chester County to attend special school - Chester Daily Local Online - "The Florida school district was so incapable of adequately meeting the needs of autistic children that four out of six autistic children that were in Derek's class in Florida were removed by their parents from the school, Bill Hughes said.  In fact, the Hughes family claims that the Collier County School District deliberately does not try to meet the needs of disabled children so that the parents will remove them from the school. The Hughes family hopes that their federal suit in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division, will draw attention to the school district's actions and the court will force the school district to provide appropriately for the needs of disabled children."

►December 11, 2006 - Autism Expert Advocates Technological Solution to Senate Hearings - In her submission to the Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology inquiry on the issue of funding for the treatment of autism, Canadian autism expert, Dr Jeanette Holden, advocated the use of technology to help alleviate the problem of insufficient funding for autism services. - press release - AutismPro via PRWeb

* ►December 11, 2006 - SIDS tied to doubling of post neonatal deaths - Stanly County’s rate also doubles state average - Stanly News & Press

►December 11, 2006 - Skin ailment is baffling doctors - McClatchy Newspapers via Star-Telegram

* ►December 11, 2006 - Large-scale HIV vaccine trials to start in SA - Independent Online - "Representatives from the HIV Vaccine Trials Network and the SA Aids Vaccine Initiative remained tight-lipped on details of the number of subjects and the locations of the trial sites, saying an announcement would be made in January."

►December 11, 2006 - NanoViricides' President Chosen As Special Lecturer at Nanotechnology Conference - Biomedical Applications Attended by Leading Government and Industry Scientists Company On Target With Its Planned Studies Of H1N1, H5N1, And Rabies, To Be Independently Monitored, Scheduled For The First Quarter 2007 - press release - NanoViricides, Inc. via Business Wire

* ►December 11, 2006 - TechnoVax Licenses Wyeth’s Virus-Like Particle Vaccine Technology - press release - TechnoVax Inc. via Business Wire - "The VLP vaccine technology allows for the creation of structures that are morphologically identical to a virus, but lack the genetic material required for both replication and infection. VLP-based vaccines therefore, do not require chemical inactivation or attenuation as do some of the currently available vaccines. Vaccines based on VLPs trigger an immune response by attaching to host immune cells. "

►December 11, 2006 - Cat virus related to AIDS - Joliet Herald News

►December 11, 2006 - When flu strikes, don't dance - comment - The Times, UK

►December 11, 2006 - World's largest cruise ship held in port after second norovirus outbreak in 2 cruises - AP via USA Today

►December 11, 2006 - Vaccines - Good For Adults, Too - Mayo Clinic via Medical News Today

►December 11, 2006 - Factbox-Malaria: mosquito-borne killer - Reuters AlertNet - "On Dec. 14, U.S. President George W. Bush and Laura Bush will host a White House summit on malaria, bringing together multilateral institutions, African civic leaders and non-governmental organisations to discuss and highlight measures for fighting the disease."

* ►December 11, 2006 - TB: the Return of an Ancient Scourge - Chosun Ilbo - "'Those who spent their childhood in the 60s and the 70s naturally came to develop TB antibodies, but those born after that did not have the opportunity,' Kim said."

* ►December 11, 2006 - CDC Recognizes HPV DNA Testing For Cervical Cancer Screening - press release - Digene via PRNewswire-FirstCall - "'Although this vaccine offers a promising new approach to the prevention of HPV and associated conditions,' says the CDC, 'this vaccine will not replace other prevention strategies, such as cervical cancer screening ... Vaccine providers should notify vaccinated females that they will need regular cervical cancer screening as the vaccine will not provide protection against all types of HPV that cause cervical cancer."

* ►December 10, 2006 - Dying cervical cancer patient hopes to spread word about HPV vaccine - KTRK ABC 13

* ►December 10, 2006 - Dr. Peter Breggin: The Big Loophole in Antidepressant Drug Safety Studies - Huffington Post - "The data used to evaluate antidepressant-induced suicidality in adults is not reliable. This is a fact the FDA has yet to face. The data has been pruned, culled and manipulated by the drug companies before being tabulated and released. The FDA must send investigators into the original drug company files to search and analyze the primary sources of data, much as I have done as a medical expert in product liability suits against drug companies. I will be happy to share my knowledge with FDA officials on how to conduct these searches and analyses."

* ►December 10, 2006 - Controversial antibiotic Ketek will face more FDA scrutiny - USA Today - "Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, tried in vain last week to block Andrew von Eschenbach's confirmation as Food and Drug Administration commissioner, partly because of what the senator views as FDA efforts to hinder his investigation of clinical trials of the drug, which has been linked to fatal liver problems. 'The way the FDA under this nominee has handled the investigation of Ketek shows the agency would like to keep its business secret,' Grassley said on the Senate floor Thursday prior to von Eschenbach's confirmation. 'It doesn't want these issues made public or subjected to the scrutiny.'"

►December 10, 2006 - Flu Bug Hits Mid-Michigan - www.wlns.com

►December 10, 2006 - 103 fall ill on Caribbean cruise; norovirus suspected - AP via International Herald Tribune

►December 10, 2006 - Voluntary Quarantine After Norovirus Outbreak - 80 Ill At Belmont Nursing Home - ABC7 KGO

►December 10, 2006 - E. coli cases reveal flaws in US oversight - FDA says budget cuts have led to fewer produce inspections - The News Journal

►December 10, 2006 - Local Red Cross is improving, will address FDA concerns - Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

►December 10, 2006 - Hatch-backed proposals get Congress' OK - The senator's measures on tax credits, dietary supplements are passed as lawmakers wrap up - Salt Lake Tribune

* ►December 10, 2006 - Autism is unlikely a reaction to vaccine - Orlando Sentinel

►December 10, 2006 - Autism becomes a part of daily life in families - Rewards eclipse frustrations for siblings of those with the disorder - Indianapolis Star

* ►December 10, 2006 - New teaching method may aid autistic students - 3-year study testing locally created plan - Louisville Courier-Journal - " In Kentucky, state health officials estimate that about 24,000 residents are living with such disorders, up from about 1,500 in 1990."

* ►December 10, 2006 - Yuck! Study finds bacteria in 83% of chickens tested - USDA official says magazine's sample of 525 was small and shouldn't raise alarm - USA Today via Indianapolis Star

►December 10, 2006 - International experts to review polio situation in India - Zee News

►December 10, 2006 - Rotavirus: most common infection - Kuensel

►December 10, 2006 - Diabetes afflicting more in US Asian population - Boston Globe

►December 10, 2006 - The ABCs of D - U.S. News & World Report via Health Sentinel

►December 10, 2006 - Virus closes down Oshkosh school - AP via WFRB via www.wbay.com

►December 9, 2006 - Drug trial disaster 'avoidable' - Independent via New Zealand Herald

►December 9, 2006 - Virus leads to quarantine at Belmont senior center (requires registration or subscription) - Mercury News

►December 9, 2006 - Americans still ill-informed on biotech food, survey says - Most drastically underestimate how much is consumed - Washington Post via Houston Chronicle

* ►December 9, 2006 - Scientist was on Agent Orange payroll - The Australian - "Ron Coxon, national president of the Vietnam Veterans Association in Australia, said Sir Richard's connection to Monsanto should have been revealed. 'At the time, we suspected that some of the experts giving evidence might have had links to companies, but we didn't know,' Mr Cozon said. 'I think it's disgusting but I'm not surprised.  At the time, there was medical evidence of the damage that herbicides caused, but the problem was there were experts like Richard Doll who had come out and said there was no link.'"

►December 8, 2006 - Study finds Agent Orange didn't hurt trainees - AP via Portland Press Herald via MaineToday.com

►December 7, 2006 - New test could weed out dangerous drug trials - High-risk drugs such as antibodies need better safety checks, say experts. - www.nature.com