Posted May 19, 2006

►May 19, 2006 - More Americans should get flu shot, experts say - Reuters - "The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is preparing its broadest and most ambitious vaccination effort yet for the coming influenza season, experts said on Thursday. The new recommendations will cover 218 million Americans, or 73 percent of the population, for the 2006-2007 influenza season, the experts told reporters. They also hope to persuade more of these people to get vaccinated and will tell them that getting vaccinated is still useful late in the season."

* ►May 19, 2006 - Officials expect to up available flu vaccine doses - CDC official announces that up to four companies will manufacture doses recommended for children from 6 months to 5 years - South Florida Sun-Sentinel via Contra Costa Times

* ►May 19, 2006 - Proposal to ban vaccine ingredient will have to wait - Preservative containing mercury raises health concerns for some - Lawrence Journal World - "Sen. Jim Barnett, R-Emporia, chairman of the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, said he was confident that a Kansas ban on thimerosal would be approved in 2007. 'We’re a lot closer to having it move next session,' Barnett, a physician, said. Barnett initially took no action on the bill after it was opposed by medical groups. Some were concerned the ban might limit the supply of flu vaccine, prevent Kansans from getting travel vaccinations and affect the availability of snake and spider antivenins, which contain mercury. But then Senate Democratic Leader Anthony Hensley of Topeka made amendments to the original bill to narrow its scope."

* ►May 19, 2006 - Study: Vioxx risks started within months (requires registration or subscription) -  AP via Mercury News - "Unpublished data from the Merck & Co. study that led the drugmaker to halt sales of Vioxx appear to show the blockbuster painkiller raised the risk of heart attack and stroke within just a few months - not after at least 18 months' use, as Merck has consistently argued. The company disputed that Thursday, saying it is 'not scientifically appropriate' to draw conclusions based on a key graph in a 108-page report on the data. The news, first reported by National Public Radio, comes after prominent doctors said Merck misrepresented other data from the same study late last Thursday."

* ►May 19, 2006 - Prevention of Hepatitis A Through Active or Passive Immunization - Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) - MMWR/CDC - "These updated recommendations represent the final step in the childhood hepatitis A immunization strategy, routine hepatitis A vaccination of children nationwide."

►May 19, 2006 - Notice to Readers: Estimating Potential Impact of an Influenza Pandemic Using 1968- and 1918-Type Scenarios - MMWR/CDC

►May 19, 2006 - QuickStats: Most Common Diagnoses in Patients Transported by Ambulance to Emergency Departments, by Primary Diagnosis Group --- United States, 2003 - MMWR/CDC

►May 19, 2006 - Notice to Readers: Recreational Water Illness Prevention Week --- May 22--29, 2006 - MMWR/CDC

►May 19, 2006 - Pneumonia research highlights disparities - press release - New Zealand Medical Association via www.scoop.co.nz

►May 19, 2006 - Laos steps up bird flu watch after virus found in duck - AFP via TODAYonline

►May 19, 2006 - Lessons in cold and flu hygiene not to be sneezed at - New Zealand Herald - "New entrants' classes of primary schools yesterday were inducted into the SneezeSafe initiative, which encourages children to learn about hygiene and how to limit the spread of cold and flu viruses."

* ►May 19, 2006 - Measles scare at North school - Tasmania Examiner - "A student, already immunised against the highly contagious illness, came into contact with somebody else with measles and started to develop the symptoms about a week ago."

* ►May 18, 2006 - HCMC Council, WHO examine Priorix cases - On May 17, the HCM City Department of Health convened a specialized council to evaluate use of Priorix after several children fell ill and one died after receiving vaccinations. - VietNamNet Bridge

* ►May 18, 2006 - MoH, WHO investigate City vaccine scandal - Viet Nam News - "Meanwhile, with the MMR mishap and another baby admitted to hospital after getting a chicken-pox vaccination, parents in HCM City have stopped bringing their children for vaccination."

* ►May 18, 2006 - US Gives Preliminary Approval to Vaccine Aimed at Preventing Cervical Cancer - U.S. federal regulators have given a preliminary nod to a vaccine that studies show could prevent cervical cancer, which is a leading cause of death among women worldwide. The drug would protect young women and girls against infection with human papilloma virus, a sexually-transmitted disease that infects a majority of women. - Voice of America - "Richard Haupt, executive director of medical affairs with Merck's Vaccine Division, says studies show the vaccine protects women for at least five years, and it is most effective when given to women years before they become sexually active, such as when they are nine or 11 years old. 'The younger age group is actually very critical to be vaccinated because you're going to get them and you are going to get them before they are exposed to these very important HPV types,' he said."

* ►May 18, 2006 - Regulators will rule on Merck vaccine today - Controversial medicine fights cancer-causing STD - The Star-Ledger via www.nj.com - "Merck is pushing for all 50 states to require vaccination before children as young as 12 can enter school. This represents a huge patient population and, as a result, Wall Street predicts Gardasil will become a blockbuster. One drug-industry analyst, Steve Scala of Cowen & Co., forecasts Gardasil will reach $1 billion in sales by 2010, according to a note he wrote to investors this week. Other Wall Street estimates suggest $2 billion in annual sales."
 
* ►May 18, 2006 - Cancer Vaccine Appears Safe, But Who Should Get It? - Doctors Call the Cervical Cancer Vaccine a Monumental Breakthrough - ABC News - "Merck & Co. is seeking FDA approval for its Gardasal vaccine against four types of human papilloma virus. Doctors are calling the vaccine a monumental advance. 'We stand at a historic moment of wiping out a disease with a vaccine,' said Dr. Carolyn Runowicz, president of the American Cancer Society. 'We have to go for it.' The science behind the vaccine appears solid. Studies submitted by Merck found the vaccine can be 100 percent effective and discovered no problems with safety. 'I'm really encouraged that the scientific evidence is so overwhelming about what good this could do for women is being taken seriously at the FDA,' said Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y."

* ►May 18, 2006 - Cervical cancer vaccine may get OK - FDA panel also to decide if young girls to have shots - Boston Globe - "The FDA said Gardasil is safe and also prevents genital warts. But the agency noted 'compelling evidence' that it is less effective for women already exposed to the virus and could worsen cervical cancer for women who already have it. Five trial participants vaccinated shortly before conception gave birth to children with birth defects. Merck tested the vaccine in more than 27,000 people, only 250 of whom were 9-year-olds."

* ►May 18, 2006 - A Vaccine That Prevents Cancer, But Will Parents Accept It? - Parents May Not Understand the Link Between HPV and Cancer - ABC News

* ►May 18, 2006 - Thumbs Up for Cervical Cancer Vaccine - FDA Advisory Panel Recommends Approval of Vaccine Called Gardasil - WebMD - "Experts also urged Merck and the FDA to conduct longer-term studies on Gardasil, because researchers still don’t know how long immunity will last. 'There are going to be questions of what lays down the line in the way of boosting requirements,' said Pamela McInnes, director of the Center for Integrative Biology and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health and a member of the FDA panel."

►May 18, 2006 - Cervical cancer vaccine recommended for approval (includes video) (requires registration) - www.kvue.com

►May 18, 2006 - U.S. advisers back Merck's cervical cancer vaccine - Bloomberg

►May 18, 2006 - Merck Cervical Cancer Vaccine Wins Backing From U.S. Advisers - Parents May Not Understand the Link Between HPV and Cancer - Bloomberg

►May 18, 2006 - FDA to Review Vaccine for Cancer-Causing Virus - Morning Edition via NPR

* ►May 18, 2006 - How can this happen here? - comment - The Times, UK - "Imagine a country where parents accused of child abuse are assumed guilty unless proven innocent. Where secret courts need no criminal conviction to remove their children, only the word of a medical expert, and rarely let parents call their own experts in defence. Where even parents who are vindicated on appeal cannot see their children again, because they have been adopted. And where the 'welfare of the child' is used to gag them from discussing the case ever after. I live in that country."

* ►May 18, 2006 - Strange sickness: Mystery disease horror story - Disease or delusion? (requires registration) - www.kgw.com - "Drottar saw countless doctors and dermatologists who diagnosed her with delusional parasitosis, but she’s convinced what she had is real. She said she was diagnosed with Lyme disease and believes her symptoms are the result of Lyme and another illness she learned about on the internet -- Morgellons disease."

►May 18, 2006 - U of L center to host conference on autism, related disorders - U of L News - "Autism Institute 2006
June 14–16 Galt House, downtown Louisville"

►May 18, 2006 - Parents fear rule changes could weaken special ed - www.northjersey.com

►May 18, 2006 - Flutie Brothers Band to perform in autism benefit - Wellesley Townsman via www.townonline.com

* ►May 18, 2006 - Support key for dealing with autism - Caring for child with disorder can be lonely and frustrating - Peoria Journal Star - " Parents of autistic children say they are devastated by a mother's apparent killing of her 3-year-old child with the disorder, but some understand how a parent can be driven to such a desperate act. While not supporting such an act, parents said the stress of raising a child with this complex disorder is sometimes unbearable. While support groups, friends and families can help, it often is a lonely and terribly frustrating journey for the parents."

►May 18, 2006 - Kit to help diagnosis of mental illness - The Herald, UK - "Kits to help GPs diagnose illness such as schizophrenia and autism through skin tests are to be developed at the first genetics laboratory in the Highlands, which opened near Inverness yesterday."

* ►May 18, 2006 - Time to Vaccinate a Panic - TCS Daily

►May 18, 2006 - WHO Official Says Lessons of SARS Can Prepare Countries for New Diseases - The World Health Organization has recommended that governments study the SARS outbreak of three years ago in order to prepare for new and possibly more deadly diseases in the future. A new book on SARS, launched in Hong Kong on Thursday, sums up the lessons learned. - Voice of America

►May 18, 2006 - Eighty volunteer for bird flu trial - Oxford Mail

►May 18, 2006 - CDC, WHO experts visit Indonesia to inspect H5N1 cluster - CIDRAP News

►May 18, 2006 - Replay of 1918? - Charlotte Sun-Herald

* ►May 18, 2006 - China rules out bird flu in 30,000 chicken deaths - Reuters - "China on Thursday ruled out bird flu as the cause of death of 30,000 chickens in the northeast city of Dalian last month, blaming badly administered vaccinations by unskilled workers. The Agriculture Ministry also ruled out bad vaccines or feed poisoning as the cause."

* ►May 18, 2006 - Six Human Bird Flu Cases Probably Not Due To Human Transmission, WHO - Medical News Today

* ►May 18, 2006 - Bird Flu Cases in Indonesia Raise Fear of Human Transmission - Bloomberg

* ►May 18, 2006 - Avian influenza might simply 'burn itself out' - U.S. expert comments as Indonesian cases are downplayed - Bloomberg News via St.Paul Pioneer Press via www.twincities.com - "While scientists fear the deadly H5N1 virus will mutate into a form that spreads easily among people, it's just as likely that the outbreak in birds will fade, said Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases."

►May 18, 2006 - World Health Organization Expands Team Probing Bird Flu Cluster - Bloomberg

►May 18, 2006 - Avian influenza – situation in Egypt - update 8 - World Health Organization

►May 18, 2006 - Bird flu virus claims its sixth fatality in Egypt - Bangkok Post

►May 18, 2006 - Egypt acclaimed of its efforts to curb bird flu - Xinhua via China View

►May 18, 2006 - Russia finds H5N1 strain of bird flu in Siberia - Reuters AlertNet

►May 18, 2006 - Testing for bird flu begins in Alaska - AP via MSNBC

►May 18, 2006 - Canada expands testing of migratory birds for avian flu this year - CP via http://cnews.canoe.ca

►May 18, 2006 - Many states said not ready for bird flu - AP via Seattle Post-Intelligencer

►May 18, 2006 - Denmark confirms H5N1 bird flu on poultry farm -EU - Reuters

►May 18, 2006 - New survey shows bird flu beginning to scare off tourists to Asia - Channel News Asia

* ►May 18, 2006 - The Truth About Bird Flu - www.varsity.co.nz

►May 18, 2006 - Sweden to produce flu vaccine - The Swedish government today asked Director General Lars Rekke to negotiate the setting up of production facilities for flu vaccine in the country. The objective is to guarantee access to stocks in the event of a pandemic. - Nordic Council

►May 18, 2006 - Interview-Small steps help fight bird flu, expert says - Reuters AlertNet

►May 18, 2006 - Factbox-Bird flu's spread around the globe - Reuters AlertNet

►May 18, 2006 - Sponsorship Communities in Romania under threat of H5NI Avian Flu Virus - Reuters AlertNet

►May 18, 2006 - White County develops plan for pandemic - Monticello Herald Journal

►May 18, 2006 - Bird flu fight must focus on animal infection -FAO - Reuters AlertNet

* ►May 18, 2006 - Update: Multistate Outbreak of Mumps --- United States, January 1--May 2, 2006 - MMWR Dispatch/CDC - "Vaccination status of reported mumps patients is being ascertained. In Iowa, preliminary vaccination data were reported through May 3, 2006.† Among 1,192 patients, 69 (6%) were unvaccinated, 141 (12%) had received 1 dose of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, and 607 (51%) had received 2 doses of MMR vaccine; the vaccination status of 375 (31%) patients, the majority of whom were adults who did not have vaccination records, was unknown. Preliminary data, as of April 10, from two mumps outbreaks on college campuses in an Iowa county affected early in the outbreak, identified attack rates of reported mumps cases§ of 2.0% (31 of 1,542 students) and 3.8% (44 of 1,168 students). Preliminary data from vaccine coverage surveys suggest that the college with the higher attack rate had a smaller proportion (77% versus 97%) of students documented as having received 2 doses of MMR vaccine."

* ►May 18, 2006 - Misdiagnosed Mumps? (includes video) - http://nbc15.madison.com - "The number of mumps cases in Wisconsin could be much lower than first reported. State and federal health officials are no longer sure if the test they've been using is accurate. State health officials say they are waiting on retest."

►May 18, 2006 - Arkansas Reports Seven Confirmed Mumps Cases - Eyewitness News Memphis

►May 18, 2006 - New Fears For Mumps As College Students Head Home (includes video) - www.kake.com

►May 18, 2006 - UD student diagnosed with mumps - UDaily

►May 18, 2006 - Bethesda Ready if Mumps Outbreak Spreads - Bethesda Journal via www.dcmilitary.com

►May 18, 2006 - Mumps epidemic watched closely - A recent mumps epidemic in the Midwest has begun to spread to other states. Mumps, a contagious viral disease, has been mostly conquered by a vaccine that was introduced in 1967. The current US outbreak is the largest in 20 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control or CDC. Although no mumps cases have been reported this year in Connecticut, the state is on the lookout for the disease. - Orange Bulletin

►May 18, 2006 - Was it mumps? Probably - Ozaukee County News Graphic via Greater Milwaukee Today

►May 18, 2006 - Possible mumps cases put region on the alert - 2 local students have symptoms - Boston Globe

* ►May 18, 2006 - Number of mumps cases continues to increase - AP via www.wqad.com - "Des Moines, Iowa State health officials say the number of mumps cases in Iowa has grown to one thousand 765. The number of confirmed, probable and suspect cases as of Monday grew by 91 from the previous week."

* ►May 18, 2006 - Germany warns of alarming rise in measles infections - Reuters - "The WHO aims to eradicate measles in Europe by 2010, a goal that is also official policy in Germany."

►May 18, 2006 - Football fans warned on measles - Doctors are warning Socceroos fans heading for the World Cup to make sure they are vaccinated against measles amid an epidemic in the host country Germany. - www.news.com.au

* ►May 18, 2006 - Uganda: 60% of Kibaale Children Have Worms, Says Medic - The Monitor (Kampala) via http://allafrica.com

* ►May 18, 2006 - Cholera, meningitis kill over 70 in Guinea - Reuters AlertNet

►May 18, 2006 - MSU-Mankato Student Diagnosed With Meningitis - AP via http://wcco.com

►May 18, 2006 - Vaccine alert for developing countries - United Press International - "Global health experts have urged developing countries to set up routine pneumococcal vaccinations to combat pneumonia and meningitis among the young."

►May 18, 2006 - Anti-JE drive: Doubts cast over figures - Hindustan Times

►May 18, 2006 - Vaccine developer to open local office - The Coloradoan - "InViragen LLC is graduating from incubation quarters into its own office and lab space in Fort Collins."

* ►May 18, 2006 - Leading Experts Urge Commitment From Industry and International Donors to Prepare for the Introduction of Pneumococcal Vaccines - press release - GAVI's PneumoADIP via PRNewswire - "This call to action comes on the eve of a meeting of G8 ministers to discuss funding vaccines. This seems to be the latest step in major changes over the last five years in financing of immunisation, including the creation of the GAVI Alliance (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization) Fund. Dr Orin Levine, the lead author of the article and Executive Director of PneumoADIP - a non-governmental organisation that aims to shorten the time between use of a vaccine in industrialised nations and their introduction in the developing world - commented: 'We hope that with such mechanisms in place, all developing countries will begin to consider that millions of children can now be saved by the simple addition of this vaccine to existing immunisation programmes.'"

►May 18, 2006 - Cuban Biotechnology Sector Releases Details on Latest Research and Development - Cuban News Agency - "A new Cuban pentavalent vaccine called Heberpenta will soon be introduced into the island's healthcare system to fight against diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B and haemophilus influenza."

►May 18, 2006 - Cuban Biotech Products Outstanding - Prensa Latina

* ►May 18, 2006 - Carrington Gets Added U.S. Patent Protection for Antigen Sparing Influenza Vaccines - Company Achieves Significant Antigen Sparing Effect - Responds to Request for Proposal from U.S. Government for Antigen Sparing for Pandemic Bird Flu Vaccine - press release - Carrington Laboratories, Inc. via PRNewswire-FirstCall - "Based on animal (preclinical) data with the avian flu antigen, DelSite's technology allows for reduction in the (standard) amount of antigen needed for protection by a factor of up to 16. Thus, one million standard (15 micrograms HA) doses, theoretically, can be expanded to 16 million doses, using the DelSite formulation. This technology is the basis of DelSite's response to the government's recent request for proposal (RFP) for the development of an antigen-sparing pandemic flu vaccine."

►May 18, 2006 - Cel-Sci Q1 Net Loss Narrows On Lower Operating Expenses - Trading Markets

►May 18, 2006 - Schering-Plough To Present Hepatitis C Treatment Data At Digestive Disease Week Annual Meeting - Update - Trading Markets

►May 18, 2006 - US urged to allow wider emergency contraception - Reuters

►May 18, 2006 - Regulators uncertain about risk posed by RU-486 - AP via Seattle Times

►May 18, 2006 - Incidents of Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease Increases in St. Joseph - www.kq2.com

►May 18, 2006 - Top 5 Environmental Threats - the whole child

►May 18, 2006 - Aspirin tops list of health tips - Insurers, state agencies rank the 20 best preventive measures - St. Paul Pioneer Press via www.twincities.com

* ►May 18, 2006 - Volunteer wanted for HIV vaccine in Sydney - SX News

►May 18, 2006 - HIV/AIDS Vaccine Awareness Day - www.kaisernetwork.org

►May 18, 2006 - AIDS drug trials may be virus stopper - United Press International

►May 18, 2006 - HIV vaccine database launched - United Press International

►May 18, 2006 - Hope for HIV vaccine - www.inthenews.co.uk

►May 18, 2006 - US clears Aurobindo AIDS drug for global aid plan - Reuters AlertNet

►May 18, 2006 - PanAfrica: HIV/Aids Vaccine Awareness Day Recognized May 18 - United States Department of State via http://allafrica.com

►May 18, 2006 - Call to double AIDS vaccine funding - Community Newswire

* ►May 18, 2006 - Probiotic restores immune response in athletes - British Journal of Sports Medicine via Reuters, UK - "Production of the natural virus-fighter, interferon, is decreased in fatigued athletes, but it can be restored to normal levels with a 'probiotic' pill containing the beneficial microbe Lactobacillus acidophilus, findings from a new study indicate."

* ►May 18, 2006 - Expert panel: Benefits of vitamin supplements questioned - Food Consumer - "After three days of deliberation and a review of existing literature, the 13-member panel did not find any concrete evidence that supported the widespread use of vitamin supplements. 'The data is insufficient to make a recommendation for the general population,' said Dr. J. Michael McGinnis of the National Institute of Medicine, the chairman of the panel."

►May 18, 2006 - Core Technology Behind Universal Detection Technology's ('UDTT') Anthrax Spore Monitor to be Presented at the 106th Annual American Society For Microbiology Conference - press release - Universal Detection Technology via PRNewswire-FirstCall via Yahoo!

►May 18, 2006 - I-Team Tests Local Sushi For Mercury - www.ksdk.com

►May 18, 2006 - Harsh penalties needed to discourage counterfeit drug production, says expert - Interfax-China via Mainichi Daily News

►May 18, 2006 - Science: The Drug War’s Latest Victim - In These Times

* ►May 18, 2006 - Controversial Insecticide Allowed to Stay on Market (requires registration or subscription) - Los Angeles Times - "DDVP is listed by California as a known carcinogen and is part of a class of chemicals that has been linked to developmental damage in children. Exposure to DDVP can cause flu-like symptoms, including headaches, nausea and vomiting. In large doses, the chemical is fatal."

* ►May 17, 2006 - Cervical Cancer Vaccine Seen As Safe (requires registration) - AP via Washington Post

NVIC - BL Fisher Note: Gardasil, the heavily promoted cervical cancer and genital wart vaccine that Merck, the CDC and AAP want to mandate for all 11 and 12 year old girls, will not only increase the risk of cervical cancer for some of adolescent girls but can also make them susceptible to infection from the multiple other strains of HPV. In addition, five women who got the vaccine around time of conception gave birth to babies with birth defects.

With American babies now getting 48 doses of 14 vaccines by age six, profit-hungry drug companies and power-hungry federal health officials are targeting adolescents for new vaccine consumption. During a time when adolescents are undergoing hormonal changes and accelerated growth, they are being subjected to increased atypical manipulation of the immune system with viral and bacterial vaccines including DTaP, meningococcal, flu, hepatitis B and now a genital wart and cervical cancer vaccine.

In this national experiment on our teenagers, will anybody be studying onset of chronic disease and disability in adolescents post vaccination? Or will predictable increases in brain and immune system dysfunction such as onset of new allergies, asthma, seizure disorders, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, thyroid disease, chronic fatigue, depression, and yes, cancer, be written off as unassociated with vaccination?

Injecting adolescent girls with any vaccine that could increase their chance of getting cancer without their voluntary, informed consent and the consent of their parents is immoral. All attempts to mandate Gardasil for school entry should be opposed as a violation of human rights, including the right to life.

* ►May 17, 2006 - Family of dead baby seeks information - The family of a baby that died after vaccination with Priorix is not seeking compensation, but wants clarity on the reason, who is believed to died from anaphylactic shock to the dose. - VietNamNet Bridge

* ►May 17, 2006 - WHO experts work with Vietnam on UK deadly vaccine - World Health Organization (WHO) experts worked with Vietnam Tuesday after one infant died and five others hospitalized in critical condition following Priorix vaccination, a vaccine imported from the UK. - Thanh Nien Daily - "Vietnam could only check locally made vaccines for quality before injection but 'imported vaccines can only be checked after injection' to see if children had any adverse reaction, he added. He proposed several causes for the incident as vaccine quality, storage facilities, misuse and human sensitiveness to the vaccine."

►May 17, 2006 - Mumps memo to campus - Memo to students follows - University of Oregon

►May 17, 2006 - Pentagon Prepares For Biological Attack - Mock Drill Held To Prepare For Attack (includes video) - www.nbc4.com

►May 17, 2006 - New Carol Stream postal service conducts anthrax drill - Chicago Daily Herald

►May 17, 2006 - Supreme Court won't hear Butler case - Plague researcher looking for scientific job in US or Europe - The Scientist

►May 17, 2006 - County prepares for flu pandemic - Seymour Daily Tribune

►May 7, 2006 - Bord flu mutant could cause US$100 bln damage in Asia - Antara

►May 7, 2006 - Doctors say we do have flu problem - The Sunday Times

►May 7, 2006 - Free-Range Flu Threat? - Philadelphia Inquirer

►May 6, 2006 - Genome Institute To Study How DNA Variation Relates To Health Disparities - U.S. Medicine - "Speaking at a summit on eliminating racial and ethnic disparities in health here in January, Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, called the current trend of health disparities disturbing and said it beckons the question of how DNA, the environment and race may relate to such disparities."

►May 6, 2006 - The Next Big Thing: Communities encouraged to prepare for bird flu - Texarkana Gazette

►May 6, 2006 - The Next Big Thing: Businesses look at influenza battle plans - Texarkana Gazette

►May 2006 - Will travel restrictions control the international spread of pandemic influenza? (requires registration) - journal article (Nature Medicine)

Posted May 18, 2006

►June/July 2006 - Flu Bug Winning War on Drugs - The Trumpet

►June 2006 - Regression of papilloma high-grade lesions (CIN 2 and CIN 3) is stimulated by therapeutic vaccination with MVA E2 recombinant vaccine - journal article (Cancer Gene Therapy)

►June 2006 - Immunization under the influence of estradiol leads to non-sterile protection against genital herpes infection - journal article (American Journal of Reproductive Immunology)

►June 2006 - Phase 1/2 trial of autologous tumor mixed with an allogeneic GVAX® vaccine in advanced-stage non-small-cell lung cancer - journal article (Cancer Gene Therapy)

►June 2006 - Compliance with a risk factor-based intrapartum prophylaxis program for neonatal group B streptococcal disease - journal article (Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology)

* ►June 2006 - Cognitive side effects of anti-epileptic drugs The relevance in childhood epilepsy - journal article (Seizure)

►May/July 2006 - Mucosal immunotherapy of tuberculosis: Is there a value in passive IgA? - journal article (Tuberculosis)

* ►May/June 2006 - Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes Responding to Low Dose TRP2 Antigen are Induced Against B16 Melanoma by Liposome-encapsulated TRP2 Peptide and CpG DNA Adjuvant. - journal article (Journal of Immunotherapy) - "The induction of a potent and specific T cell response is a major challenge in the development of efficacious cancer vaccine strategies."

* ►May 19, 2006 - 400,000 euro worth of vaccines returned - Irish Medical Times - "Vaccines worth more than €400,000 have been returned to the Health Service Executive because they were considered below standard or had expired."

* ►May 18, 2006 - Vaccinations: friend or foe? - Concern is rising that tiny drops of mercury injected into millions of infants may be causing autism, attention deficit disorder and brain damage - The Mercury - "States public education group set up by the parents of vaccine-injured children, has warned of a widespread erosion of public trust in the American health profession and mass vaccination programmes. 'More and more parents are reporting that their healthy children are regressing into autism after vaccination, and there are nearly 5 000 autism vaccine injury cases pending in the US Court of Claims,' Fisher told a National Academy of Sciences hearing in 2004. Coincidentally, she said, a government health agency had quickly assembled a committee to hide and restrict access to official vaccine injury databases. 'Many parents of vaccine-injured children don't think it's a coincidence, just like they don't think it's a coincidence when a healthy child goes in for vaccinations and then regresses physically, mentally and emotionally and becomes a totally different child.'"
►May 18, 2006 - Bird Flu Deaths in Indonesia Raise Concerns (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times

►May 18, 2006 - Bird flu surveillance increased to meet world requirements - Biosecurity New Zealand has increased its surveillance for avian influenza to meet new World Organisation for Animal Health standards. - NZPA via www.stuff.co.nz

►May 18, 2006 - 4,250 govt staff to help in pulse polio programme - Newindpress

►May 18, 2006 - Hepatitis drug recall as caution - Shanghai Daily

►May 18, 2006 - HPV vaccine 'seems effective, safe' - Merck & Co Inc's experimental vaccine to prevent infection from a virus that causes cervical cancer appears to be effective, and studies did not raise major safety concerns, US regulatory staff said in documents released today. - Daily Telegraph

►May 18, 2006 - New class of antibiotic could be effective against superbugs - The Guardian, UK

* ►May 18, 2006 - Immunology: Toll-like receptors and antibody responses - journal article (Nature) - "This appreciable TLR-independence of immune responses should be taken into account in the rational design of immunogenic and toleragenic vaccines."

* ►May 18, 2006 - The Neurology of Autism (book review) - journal article (NEJM)

►May 18, 2006 - Making Medical Decisions for the Profoundly Mentally Disabled (book review) - journal article (NEJM)

►May 18, 2006 - Attention Deficit Disorder: The Unfocused Mind in Children and Adults (book review) - journal article (NEJM)

►May 18, 2006 - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: From Genes to Patients (book review) - journal article (NEJM)

►May 18, 2006 - Selective Serotonin-Reuptake Inhibitors and Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn - journal article (NEJM)

►May 18, 2006 - Caffeine Therapy for Apnea of Prematurity - journal article (NEJM)

►May 18, 2006 - Language Ability after Early Detection of Permanent Childhood Hearing Impairment - journal article (NEJM)

►May 18, 2006 - Newborn Hearing Screening — A Silent Revolution - journal article (NEJM)

►May 18, 2006 - Caffeine for Apnea of Prematurity - journal article (NEJM)

►May 18, 2006 - Drug-Related Hepatotoxicity - journal article (NEJM)

* ►May 17, 2006 - The Age of Autism: Pox -- Part 6 - UPI via Monsters & Critics - "In 1942 a 12-month-old child named Richard M. got a live-virus smallpox vaccination that triggered a fever and diarrhea from which he recovered 'in somewhat less than a week.' We know about Richard because he is Case 3 in psychiatrist Leo Kanner`s landmark study, 'Autistic Disturbances of Affective Contact,' which alerted the world to a condition that differed 'markedly and uniquely from anything reported so far.'"

* ►May 17, 2006 - Are we one question away from truth? - “Has a doctor or health care provider ever told you that _____ has autism?” - The Rescue Chronicle - "So, let’s make it official. Generation Rescue would like to sponsor a prevalence study of autism and other neurodevelopmental outcomes amongst unvaccinated children in the United States. The study should be well-designed and controlled; and structured to ensure publication in a first-tier peer reviewed journal. The authors of the study must be conflict-free, on either side of this issue. With an estimated 2 million unvaccinated kids in the U.S., the numbers are there. Please help us by spreading the word. Proposals should be submitted immediately to info@generationrescue.org"

* ►May 17, 2006 - Vaccine protesters rally outside of Legislature - News 14 Carolina - "Rally signs showed pictures of children, whose parents said were affected by mercury used in the vaccines. “We now know that certain children, like my son, can not excrete this heavy metal. If you do not excrete it, it will go to the brain like lead and will cause neurological damage,” said Angela Medlin, a supporter of the bill."

* ►May 17, 2006 - Gardasil Efficacy In Patients Already Infected With HPV Will Be Addressed By Vaccines Cmte. - FDA Advisory Committee - "In addition, the panel will review cases of congenital anomalies observed in infants born from mothers vaccinated within 30 days of conception. Although there were five reports of birth defects associated with vaccinated women and none with placebo, the “anomalies were widely varied and did not fit a particular pattern,” FDA noted."

* ►May 17, 2006 - New mums urged to get rubella vaccination - Croydon Guardian, UK

* ►May 17, 2006 - Sneezy living - The Belfast Telegraph - "So in trying to understand allergies, we might have to confront some dilemmas. Cleanliness is good for preventing food poisoning. Vaccines are good for preventing dangerous infections. But they may also contribute to the rise in allergies. We may have to balance one health-protection measure against another."

* ►May 17, 2006 - Feds' plan more scary than bird flu (opinion) - Atlanta Journal Constitution - "Numerous federal agencies are now issuing reports proving to us that our government has indeed been dutifully studying and preparing for the remote possibility of a pandemic. The latest, but by no means the last, was issued just this month by an office called the "Homeland Security Council." In typical contradictory government fashion, the "assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism," Frances Townsend, announced the publication of the administration's "National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza." In a massive national publicity blitz, she emphasized the pandemic may never materialize and cautioned the administration did not want to "panic" anyone."

* ►May 17, 2006 - Animal disease lab violating air-quality rules - The state lists 21 offenses but a center spokeswoman says pathogens were not present in emissions. - Des Moines Register

►May 17, 2006 - Bird flu prevention hampered by poor international coordination - Measures to prevent avian influenza in poultry flocks could be compromised by lax management, poor international coordination, and a lack of funds, according to researchers. - Food Production Daily

►May 17, 2006 - New Vaccine-Development Plan Moves Forward - United States: A network of USDA researchers and scientists from academia and the private sector will spur development of new livestock vaccines. - www.meatnews.com

►May 17, 2006 - Length Of Deprivation In Infants Affects Intellectual Development For Years - Society for Research in Child Development via Science Daily

►May 17, 2006 - Gene for a Serotonin Receptor and Antidepressant Response - journal article (Journal Watch Psychiatry)

►May 17, 2006 - Supreme Court won't hear Butler case - Plague researcher looking for scientific job in US or Europe - The Scientist

►May 17, 2006 - More applicants for US bio-agro lab - List grows to 29; some nearby communities voice mixed reactions - The Scientist

* ►May 17, 2006 - Grand Forks Roundup - Vaccination conference begins Thursday - Grand Forks Herald - "'Vaccination Expedition 2006: A North Dakota Adventure,' an immunization conference hosted by the Greater Grand Forks Immunization Coalition, will begin Thursday in the Alerus Center. The conference, intended for all health care providers who give immunization services to children and adults, will have as one of its main speakers Dr. Paul Offit, who will speak on 'The Quest for Truth: Vaccines and Autism' at 8:15 a.m. Friday."

* ►May 17, 2006 - Wednesday at the General Assembly - AP via Charlotte Observer - "About 100 people rallied in front of the Legislative Building backing a bill that would prohibit vaccines for young children and pregnant women that contain a mercury-based preservative. Amy Carson of Asheville and Angela Medlin of Raleigh contend thimerosal is to blame for harming their developmentally disabled children and many others around the nation."

* ►May 17, 2006 - Legislature Considers Mercury Protections - WTVD - ABC 11 - "'It's great to see this many people out here supporting it,' said demonstrator Lorrie Oakley. 'It's not just for children. You don't want mercury in your system, either. It's not just the kids' vaccines, It's everybody's. It needs to be removed.'  The demonstrators support a bill to protect infants, children and women from mercury used in some medicines as a preservative."

* ►May 17, 2006 - Parents’ group pushes for mercury reductions in vaccines - Asheville Citizen-Times - "Rep. Bruce Goforth, D-Buncombe introduced the legislation in April 2005. But it was referred to the House Appropriations Committee. Eight other states passed similar legislation. Amy Carson’s son Kit began developing a neurological disorder during his 12th-month flu shot. Doctors misdiagnosed Kit’s symptoms with autism. He wore diapers until he was 7. Kit is now 9."

* ►May 17, 2006 - New Cervical Cancer Vaccines - a Web News Conference - University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston via Newswise - "On Tuesday, May 23, from 1 to 2 pm EDT, the National Network for Immunization Information and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston will co-host a telebriefing about human papillomavirus infections and the HPV vaccines, expected to be approved by the FDA soon. Experts on the vaccine, including one of the inventors, will be available for Q&A."

* ►May 17, 2006 - Cervical cancer vaccine safe and effective, despite limited concerns - AP via Sioux City Journal - "An FDA review of the results of studies on the vaccine found two important concerns, according to the documents released ahead of Thursday's meeting of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products advisory committee. The first is that the vaccine may lead to an increased number of cases of a cancer precursor among patients already infected by any of the four virus types at the time they receive the vaccine, and whose immune systems have not cleared the virus from their bodies. The second concern is that any advantage the vaccine provides in protecting against the four virus types could be offset by infection by any of the multiple other types of HPV that the vaccine does not cover, according to the FDA documents. FDA staff also asked that the committee examine five cases where children with birth defects were born to women who had received the vaccine around the time of conception."

* ►May 17, 2006 - Merck HPV vaccine seems effective, safe-FDA staff - Reuters - "The FDA staff analysis said reviewers agreed with Merck's findings that Gardasil prevented early stage cervical cancer and pre-cancerous lesions in the overall group of women and girls studied. The evaluation of potential side effects in Merck studies 'did not demonstrate a safety signal of concern,' the FDA staff also said."

* ►May 17, 2006 - Cervical cancer vaccine nearing OK - Newsday

* ►May 17, 2006 - Despite concerns, vaccine that averts cervical cancer gains ground (requires registration or subscription) - AP via Globe and Mail - "Merck developed the vaccine and tested it in both women and men, but Thursday's discussion is expected to focus on its use in preventing HPV-related disease in women. An FDA decision is expected by June 8. Should it approve the vaccine, the national Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will decide later that month whether to endorse routine use. The committee's HPV vaccine workgroup is recommending the vaccine be given to girls 11 and 12, and the committee will consider recommendations for females 13 to 26."

►May 17, 2006 - Cervical Cancer Vaccine Safe And Effective Say FDA Staff - Medical News Today

►May 17, 2006 - Cervical Cancer Vaccine Seen As Safe - AP via Houston Chronicle

* ►May 17, 2006 - Catholic Medical Association Calls for End to Aborted Fetal Vaccines - LifeSiteNews.com - "'An ethical problem exists today because some vaccines for rubella (Meruvax), Hepatitis A, (VAQTA, HAVRIX) as well as others are derived from cell lines originally prepared from tissue taken from voluntarily aborted fetuses,' the CMA release continued. 'The question is to what degree do those who participate in production, distribution or use of these vaccines 'cooperate in evil.'"

* ►May 17, 2006 - Children of God for Life Backs CMA Initiative: End Aborted Fetal Vaccines - press release - Children of God for Life via ChristianNewsWire

*  ►May 17, 2006 - School nursing more than dispensing Band-Aids - Brighton Standard-Blade - "'We have students with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), diabetes, seizure disorders, heart transplants, Guillian-Barre Syndrome (a disorder where the body’s immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system), and rare disorders like neurofibromatosis (a genetic disorder of the nervous system affecting the development of the growth of nerve cell tissue) and Henoch-Sconlein purpura (a disease that has the symptoms of purple spots on the skin, joint pain, gastrointestinal symptoms and kidney disease,' Green said. 'We also have students with childhood cancer and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.' The list goes on to include students who need tube feedings, diaper changes, wound dressing changes, blood sugar testing, insulin injections, self catheterizing, and medications administered."

►May 17, 2006 - Report criticizes US mercury plan (requires registration or subscription) - Chicago Tribune

►May 17, 2006 - Ped Med: Red flag for suicide - UPI via Monsters & Critics

►May 17, 2006 - WHO confirms six bird flu cases in Indonesia - Reuters, UK

* ►May 17, 2006 - Evolving Issues in the Prevention and Treatment of Influenza: A Media Forum - Nation's Leading Experts Convene to Provide Insight and New Information Presented by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) in collaboration with: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) National Vaccine Program Office (NVPO) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)/National Institutes of Health (NIH) American Medical Association (AMA) American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) - press release - National Foundation for Infectious Diseases via PRNewswire via Yahoo!

* ►May 17, 2006 - Five Indonesians die of bird flu - Five more people have died from bird flu in Indonesia, the World Health Organization has confirmed. - BBC

* ►May 17, 2006 - Residents halt Djibouti bird flu chicken slaughter - Reuters - "Djibouti, which has confirmed the first human bird flu case in sub-Saharan Africa, has halted slaughtering poultry after residents refused to cooperate unless they received immediate compensation, an official said."

►May 17, 2006 - WHO confirms human bird flu death in East Java - Antara

►May 17, 2006 - Federal Flu Research - Ithaca Times - "The Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University is part of a new avian influenza government task force."

►May 17, 2006 - Government discusses country's preparedness for flu pandemic - The Czech Republic should complete a reserve of effective medicines that would cover the needs of one-fifths of the population, chief sanitation officer Michael Vit told CTK today after the cabinet approved a report on the country's preparedness for a possible flu pandemic. - Czech Happenings

►May 17, 2006 - Letters | Community Voices: Flu Pandemic - Philadelphia Inquirer

►May 17, 2006 - Man Investigated For Causing Siberian Bird Flu Outbreak - Cattle Network

►May 17, 2006 - Bird flu confirmed in Omsk Region (Russia) - Regnum

►May 17, 2006 - Local Officials Prepare for Flu Pandemic - Lynchburg News and Advance

►May 17, 2006 - East Texas is Preparing for a Pandemic - www.ktre.com

►May 17, 2006 - Counties prepare for avian flu - Health, emergency officials rework disaster plans - Appleton Post-Crescent

►May 17, 2006 - City Bird Flu Plan No Guarantee - Richmond Style Weekly

►May 17, 2006 - Wilson County getting ready if bird flu comes - As the World Health Organization monitors the avian flu, emergency responders and health officials in Wilson County continue to prepare on the home front. - Wilson Daily Times

►May 17, 2006 - State prepares for bird flu outbreak - Brattleboro Reformer

►May 17, 2006 - Bird Flu Vaccine - www.kten.com

►May 17, 2006 - Council gets crash course on H5N1 Virus - Seguin Gazette-Enterprise

►May 17, 2006 - Tamiflu's aftertaste might put off children - Washington Times

►May 17, 2006 - Romania sacks chief vet over bird flu outbreaks - Reuters AlertNet

►May 17, 2006 - Province only prepared for moderate flu outbreak - Victoria News

►May 17, 2006 - New Checklist Helps Facilities Prepare for Influenza Pandemic - Southwest Nebraska News - "HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today announced the release of the 'Long-Term Care and Other Residential Facilities Pandemic Influenza Checklist.'"

►May 17, 2006 - Laos finds first bird flu case since 2004 - Reuters

* ►May 17, 2006 - CDC panel votes to strengthen US mumps protection - AP via www.accessnorthga.com - "Seeking to limit future mumps outbreaks like the one that recently affected hundreds of people in the Midwest, a government health panel Wednesday voted to strengthen the country's mumps vaccination policies. In an emergency meeting, the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices - a panel of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - approved recommendations to make sure that when there is an outbreak, the public and health care workers are sufficiently immunized to stop the spread of the virus."

►May 17, 2006 - CDC panel votes to strengthen US mumps protection - AP via Bradenton Herald

►May 17, 2006 - Franklin County Offering Mumps Vaccine to those Ages 26-46 - Hampton Chronicle via www.zwire.com

►May 17, 2006 - More Age Groups Eligible For Free Mumps Shots (includes video) - www.kcci.com

►May 17, 2006 - Mumps shots now available for older Iowans - AP via www.wqad.com

►May 17, 2006 - More mumps vaccination clinics are planned - AP via Sioux City Journal

►May 17, 2006 - MPS Holds Mumps Immunization Clinics At 9 Schools - www.themilwaukeechannel.com

►May 17, 2006 - Mumps Clinic Age Requirements Expanded - www.kwwl.com

►May 17, 2006 - Missing Out Because of Mumps (includes video) - www.wibw.com - "High school and college grads have been asked not to attend their graduation if they have the symptoms of the mumps."

►May 17, 2006 - Rare case of measles found - Newsday

►May 17, 2006 - Measles rears its head again - Vernon Morning Star

►May 17, 2006 - BMH ready for pertussis - Brattleboro Reformer

►May 17, 2006 - Bubonic plague found at Mesa Verde - Durango Herald

►May 17, 2006 - Virus sickens 243, passing April tally - Contagion - A norovirus in a Clark County school and three care units leaves at least one adult dead - The Oregonian via www.oregonlive.com

* ►May 17, 2006 - Netlets for Wednesday, May 17 - The May 6 editorial "New mercury limits are welcome reversal" overlooked Minnesota's prime opportunity to reduce mercury exposure -- mercury in vaccines.- letters - Minneapolis Star Tribune - "The Centers for Disease Control has a dismal record of oversight and refuses to recommend available mercury-free vaccines to infants and pregnant women. Eight other states have independently passed bills limiting mercury in vaccines. Minnesota must stop treating mercury in vaccines as 'the elephant in the middle of the room.' It simply defies common sense to reduce environmental mercury pollution while continuing to inject mercury directly into the bloodstreams of Minnesotans. Can't the obligation to reduce this poison include the mercury in vaccines?"

* ►May 17, 2006 - Vietnamese Agent Orange Victims Sue Dow and Monsanto in US Court - ZNet

* ►May 17, 2006 - Pentagon Tests Bio-Attack Response - American Forces Press Service via US Department of Defense

* ►May 17, 2006 - Nanotech-wary groups ask for FDA help - The agency has six months to respond to petition about cosmetics and sunscreens - Washington Post via Houston Chronicle

►May 17, 2006 - Singapore to promote public awareness about pneumococcal disease - Xinhua via People's Daily Online

* ►May 17, 2006 - Parents Listen Up! School Officials Issue 'Silent Killer' Warning - www.woai.com - "The district says the meningitis vaccine is not mandatory, but it highly recommends that anyone eleven years old and older get one."

* ►May 17, 2006 - Bavarian Nordic Developing HIV, Breast Cancer Vaccines in Addition to Smallpox Vaccine for U.S. - press release - Bavarian Nordic via U.S. Newswire - "Bavarian Nordic, the Denmark-based biopharmaceutical company that expects to supply a new smallpox vaccine to the United States later this year, said today it is also progressing in development of HIV and breast cancer vaccines, and that it is considering expanding its production facility for the manufacture of influenza vaccines."

* ►May 17, 2006 - Malawi commemorates HIV Vaccine Day - Malawi's Daily Times - "Malawi will tomorrow(Wednesday) join the rest of the world to commemorating World Vaccine Awareness day to appreciate global efforts for HIV vaccine research and development. The College of Medicine and John Hopkins University will lead the nation in the commemoration under the theme; 'HIV Vaccine Research: Hope for the Future.'"

* ►May 17, 2006 - HIV Vaccine Awareness Day – May 18, 2006 - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) via Community Dispatch

* ►May 17, 2006 - AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition Launches AIDS Vaccine Clearinghouse; Website Provides Comprehensive Source of AIDS Vaccine Information - press release - AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition via U.S. Newswire

* ►May 17, 2006 - Volunteers overwhelm Aids vaccine team (requires registration) - Daily Nation - "Scientists conducting a new Aids vaccine trial in Nairobi’s Kangemi slums were overwhelmed by the heavy turnout of volunteers and  have had to put the  recruitment exercise on hold. The number of women volunteers rose to 30 per cent, up from 10 per cent in the first ever HIV vaccine to be tried in Kenya between 2001 and 2004."

►May 17, 2006 - Russia should push forward on proposal to build HIV vaccine center, experts say - Pravda

►May 17, 2006 - AIDS, HIV put Russia on the edge - Times of India

►May 17, 2006 - Forty-six more ART centres by June, cover 85,000 HIV patients - NewKerala

►May 17, 2006 - Educating The World's Poorest Children Could Reduce HIV Infections - Voice of America

►May 17, 2006 - Millions Infected With Hepatitis C - www.ktre.com

►May 17, 2006 - Hepatitis C Update - www.abc4.com

►May 17, 2006 - Centre explores role of genetics in mental illness - http://northtonight.grampiantv.co.uk

►May 17, 2006 - College comes to aid of boy with autism - The Register-Mail

* ►May 17, 2006 - Autism 'difficult for parents' - Groveland woman says community must do better job of providing resources for families - Peoria Journal Star

►May 17, 2006 - GlaxoSmithKline extends CEO's contract - Philadelphia Business Journal

►May 17, 2006 - MedImmune Seen With Positive Near-Term Events - Forbes

►May 17, 2006 - Foreigners Attempt To Buy Anthrax - Foreigners have tried buying Anthrax from the Gothenburg University of Gothenburg’s laboratories. - SR International

►May 17, 2006 - Aethlon Medical Presents Today at The Robins Emerging Opportunities Conference and Tomorrow at CALBIO 2006 - Genetic Engineering News

►May 17, 2006 - MorphoSys and Schering-Plough Sign R&D Agreement - press release - MorphoSys AG via Market Wire

►May 17, 2006 - Caring for the elderly - With numbers growing, seniors will be demanding top services - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

►May 17, 2006 - Inside Guantanamo Bay - By Navy Rear Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., commander of Joint Task Force Guantanamo, which is responsible for detainee operations and intelligence gathering at the camp (requires registration or subscription) - opinion - Chicago Tribune - "We have given nearly 3,000 voluntary vaccinations, including diphtheria, tetanus, mumps, measles and rubella--in many cases they are the first immunizations detainees have ever received--as well as treatment for hepatitis, influenza and latent tuberculosis."

* ►May 17, 2006 - County diagnosing infant deaths more precisely - The Flint Journal via www.mlive.com - "Medical authorities are becoming more specific in labeling a cause of death for babies, instead of using the more general term of SIDS, which is sometimes listed when a child dies unexpectedly, usually in their sleep, and no cause can be found. 'The trend is to get away from a SIDS diagnosis, which really is a catchall phrase,' said Dr. Gary Johnson, medical director of the Genesee County Health Department.'"

* ►May 17, 2006 - Milking It: Moms find industrial chemicals in their breast milk an outrage -- and a call to action - San Francisco Chronicle

* ►May 17, 2006 - Neotropix OK'd to test anti-cancer virus - United Press International - "Neotropix said Wednesday the Food and Drug Administration approved a phase 1 trial of Seneca Valley Virus, a potential cancer therapy."

►May 17, 2006 - Pre- and probiotics boost immunity - Health24

►May 17, 2006 - Reuteri boosts infant immunity - Health24 - "An interim report from the Karolinska Institute's Centre for Allergy Research has revealed that expectant and nursing mothers taking the probiotic strain Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730 (Reuteri) appear to have higher levels of anti-inflammatory molecules in their breast milk, which could offer their babies better protection against allergies and other diseases."

* ►May 17, 2006 - Is Your Child Being Poisoned? Part 3 (includes video) - www.wqad.com - "Illinois accounts for more than 20% of kids with elevated blood lead levels in the United States …that’s more twice the amount of the second-leading state, Ohio."

►May 17, 2006 - Carson sustained II - letter - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

►May 17, 2006 - Diabetes tsunami silently hitting the US - opinion - Macon Telegraph

►May 17, 2006 - Health Tip: Ticks Carry Lyme Disease - HealthDay via Forbes

►May 17, 2006 - Coley Pharma gets 'fast-track' status for hepatitis drug - Reuters

►May 17, 2006 - FDA hearing will focus on safety of RU-486 - KRT via Chicago Tribune via Myrtle Beach Sun News

►May 17, 2006 - US FDA defends handling of RU-486 abortion pill - Reuters

►May 17, 2006 - Bausch says it discussed infections with FDA - ABC News

►May 17, 2006 - Breast cancer vaccine plasmid DNA delivery systems were evaluated (requires subscription for full article) - NewsRX.com via Vaccine Weekly via Therapeutics Daily

►May 17, 2006 - Therapeutic cancer vaccines are the focus of review (requires subscription for full article) - NewsRX.com via Vaccine Weekly via Therapeutics Daily

►May 17, 2006 - Senior are living history - guest column - www.keepmecurrent.com - "I became more aware of this when I was talking with a young person about my school days and mentioned 'standing in line to get vaccinated' and saw the blank look on the young person's face. 'What do you mean?' he asked."

►May 16, 2006 - Cell lines for virus detection and isolation - The European Collection of Cell Cultures (ECACC) launches EasyCeL, a range of cell lines supplied in a ready-to-use format in standardised cell culture tubes - Laboratory Talk

►May 16, 2006 - Bird flu found in fowl in Indonesia's Papua-official - Reuters

* ►May 16, 2006 - Trial Results Favor Sponsors—Who Would Have Guessed? - MedPage Today

* ►May 16, 2006 - Avian Flu ¡®Unlikely¡¯ to Infect People Via Eggs - www.liaoning-gateway.com - "Bird flu on the chicken farm was suspected because wild birds dying of avian flu were found in the vicinity about three weeks ago, microbiologist Dr Lo Wing-lok said. "If the death of the wild birds wasn't not the reason, I then suspect the vaccines were faulty which killed the chicken. "Owing to severe shortage in supply of vaccines on the mainland, inferior vaccines that carry virus may be used," he explained."

* ►May 16, 2006 - Finding of H5N1 in blood raises safety concerns - CIDRAP News

* ►May 16, 2006 - CytoGenix and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston Sign Agreement for Preclinical Testing of synDNA(TM) H5N1 Avian Flu Vaccine Candidates - CytoGenix via Genetic Engineering News

* ►May 16, 2006 - Bavarian Nordic A/S Interim Report as of March 31 2006 - PRNewswire via ITnews - "In the US Government MVA-based smallpox vaccine programme, Bavarian Nordic produced and in timely process of delivering 500,000 doses of IMVAMUNE(R) according to the RFP-II contract and as agreed with the National Institutes of Health (NIH)."

* ►May 16, 2006 - Avian Flu: More Hospital Beds, Fewer 'Ridiculous' Ideas Needed - Occupational Hazards - "Henderson said that he has come across some "hilarious" suggestions on how to stop or slow the spread of the bird flu, if indeed a pandemic occurs. Some of those proposals include quarantining infected people in their homes, stationing workers 3 feet apart, shutting down the borders and screening international air passengers for the flu virus. Henderson, however, said that trying to slow the spread of the bird flu "is simply pipe dreaming."

* ►May 16, 2006 - Physicians Lack Confidence in Diagnosing Avian Flu and Small Pox; Majority Believes Threat of One or Both Diseases Is Likely - Business Wire

* ►May 16, 2006 - Vioxx lawsuits dismissed - AP via The Globe And Mail - "A federal judge has dismissed a group of shareholder lawsuits that charged Merck & Co. officers and directors with violating their duties by concealing the health risks of the company's Vioxx painkiller."

►May 16, 2006 - Audio: ABC News Radio Bird Flu Briefing - ABC News Radio via 1010 WINS

►May 16, 2006 - Five die in China from shoddy pharmaceuticals - AFP via Yahoo!

►May 16, 2006 - Global Contract Drug Development Spending to Reach $42 Billion by 2010 - Kalorama Information via Market Research via www.pharmalive.com

►May 16, 2006 - Advocates Unite to Urge Congress to Save Vital Funding for CDC Center - Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities Slated for Cuts, Affecting Millions With ADHD, Paralysis, Genetic Blood Diseases and Tourette Syndrome - PRNewswire via http://interestalert.com

►May 16, 2006 - Open access brings more citations - Analysis of PNAS articles suggests that open access papers are cited more heavily than subscription-based articles - The Scientist

►May 16, 2006 - Fever in 2- to 6-Month-Old Infants - journal article (Journal Watch)

►May 16, 2006 - The Secret Weapon That Will Destroy Any Deadly Hospital Bacteria Infection That Is Drug Resistant (includes audio) - NewsReleaseWire via www.expertclick.com

►May 16, 2006 - Conference to Discuss Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Responsible for Sarcoidosis and Other Autoimmune Diseases - Having demonstrated that antibiotic-resistant bacteria are the cause of sarcoidosis, the Autoimmunity Research Foundation is bringing its new-found knowledge to bear on other autoimmune diseases, AIDS and cancers. Alan Cantwell Jr., M.D. will headline the foundation’s conference June 17-18, 2006, discussing the role of cell-wall-deficient bacteria in AIDS and cancer. - PRWeb

►May 16, 2006 - Power3 Medical Using Biomarkers for Early Detection of Neurodegenerative Diseases; 'We're Not Solving the Da Vinci Code - It's More Important Than That' says CEO Steve Rash - Business Wire

►May 16, 2006 - Is this the cure for ME? - Daily Mail, UK - "A drug used to treat herpes infections has produced a dramatic improvement in patients severely affected by ME, or fatigue syndrome."

►May 16, 2006 - Dangers of Indoor Pollutants - Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine via Ivanhoe

►May 16, 2006 - Synthetic marijuana drug coming to chemo patients - Seventeen years after it was withdrawn from U.S. markets, a synthetic version of the active ingredient in marijuana is going back on sale as a prescription treatment for the vomiting and nausea that often accompany chemotherapy, the drug's manufacturer said Tuesday. - AP via CNN

►May 16, 2006 - Endocyte Announces Patent Issued to Enhance Cancer Targeting in Immunotherapy - Endocyte via Genetic Engineering News

►May 16, 2006 - Bacteria linked to RU-486 deaths a `really rare' human pathogen - Chicago Tribune via Duluth News Tribune

* ►May 16, 2006 -Is Your Child Being Poisoned? Part 2 (includes video) - www.wqad.com - "About 170,000 Illinois children under the age of six have lead poisoning. Two areas in Moline and Rock Island are where many lead-poisoned kids live. Here's a look at what it takes to get medical help for lead-poisoned kids."

* ►May 15, 2006 - Is Your Child Being Poisoned? Part 1 (includes video) - www.wqad.com

* ►May 15, 2006 - How AIDS Changed America - The plague years: It brought out the worst in us at first, but ultimately it brought out the best, and transformed the nation. The story of a disease that left an indelible mark on our history, our culture and our souls. - Newsweek via MSNBC

* ►May 15, 2006 - The Life of a Virus Hunter - A long crusade: In his 25 years as an AIDS fighter, Peter Piot has watched the epidemic grow from five cases to 40 million. So why is he feeling so hopeful? - Newsweek via MSNBC

* ►May 15, 2006 - An HIV Survivor's Story - Twelve years after Rwanda's genocide claimed nearly a million lives, women who were raped are suffering new consequences. - Newsweek via MSNBC

* ►May 15, 2006 - My Quest to Improve Care by Bill Clinton - Around the world: the cost of treating aids has fallen in recent years, but millions still die for the lack of medicine. My goal is to change that. - Newsweek via MSNBC

* ►May 15, 2006 - Officials mull using poultry vaccine on people - CP via CTV News

Comment:  Might injecting humans with a poultry vaccine cause exactly what is most feared; i.e., could it cause the bird flu to mutate in a way that makes it transmittable via humans, which it currently is not?

* ►May 15, 2006 - Estimating the risk population in relation to influenza vaccination policy - journal article (Vaccine)

* ►May 15, 2006 - Long-term immunity in young adults after a single dose of inactivated Hepatitis A vaccines - journal article (Vaccine) - "This study indicates that a single dose of inactivated HAV vaccine elicits protective immune memory for at least 2 years."

* ►May 15, 2006 - Idera Pharmaceuticals Broadens Toll-Like Receptor Programs; New Preclinical Data on Novel Agents That Act on TLRs 7, 8 and 9 and Expand Potential Therapeutic Applications - Genetic Engineering News - "Drug candidates targeting TLR7 and TLR8 have potential application in numerous therapeutic areas including cancer, infectious disease, and in combinations with vaccines."

* ►May 15, 2006 - Indonesia blames 5 deaths in family on avian flu - CIDRAP News

* ►May 15, 2006 - Alarming infections often go unreported - The Monitor - “All of the diseases that cause fever and rash — measles, rubella, typhus … those frequently don’t get reported,” he said. Perhaps that’s because some of those diseases are considered more routine, Smith said. Also, there are a myriad of forms, with some diseases reported on special forms rather than a standard document."

* ►May 15, 2006 - Geographic and ethnic variations of long-term efficacy and immunogenicity of hepatitis B vaccination in Hualien, a HBV hyperendemic area - journal article (Vaccine) - "These observations indicated that UHBVP was less effective in socio-economically disadvantaged area where HBV infection was hyperendemic and the long-term efficacy and immunogenicity of vaccination were modified by host factors and factors associated with urbanization."

* ►May 15, 2006 - FDA sets strong warnings for asthma drug labels - Reuters

* ►May 15, 2006 - Can Probiotics Prevent Asthma in Children? - Nutrition Horizon

►May 15, 2006 - Interchangeability of Hepatitis A boosters, Avaxim® and Vaqta®, in healthy adults following a primary dose of the combined typhoid/Hepatitis A vaccine Viatim® - journal article (Vaccine)

►May 15, 2006 - Immunogenicity and safety of a novel therapeutic hepatitis C virus (HCV) peptide vaccine: A randomized, placebo controlled trial for dose optimization in 128 healthy subjects - journal article (Vaccine)

►May 15, 2006 - Timeliness of childhood immunisation in Australia - journal article (Vaccine)

►May 15, 2006 - Russia: More Children Than Ever Affected By HIV/AIDS - A three-day conference on HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe and Central Asia opened today in Moscow. Among the topics discussed today were the rising numbers of children orphaned or abandoned because of the diseases. RFE/RL correspondent Claire Bigg reports from Russia's only clinic for abandoned children living with HIV, near the city of St Petersburg. - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

►May 15, 2006 - Dr. Richard Wallace Specializes in Treatment of Mycobacterial Disease - University of Texas Health Center at Tyler via Newswise

►May 15, 2006 - Full Year of Treatment Helps Infants and Children with Toxoplasmosis - University of Chicago Hospitals via Newswise

►May 15, 2006 - UPMC scholar joins initiative to control infectious diseases - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

►May 15, 2006 - A Center for Global Health Is Announced - Efforts at Public Health, Medicine and Nursing will be coordinated - The John Hopkins Gazette

►May 15, 2006 - AstraZeneca agrees to buy CAT - Reuters - "AstraZeneca said on Monday it had agreed to pay 1,320 pence a share in cash for Britain's biggest biotech company, 67 percent above Cambridge Antibody Technology's (CAT) closing price on Friday."

►May 15, 2006 - Mothers demand breastfeeding law - Mothers are demanding a law is introduced allowing women throughout the UK to breastfeed in public. - BBC

* ►May 14, 2006 - 'Mothering' through the years: Nurturing a movement - Santa Fe New Mexican - "One woman who called Pasquali had read articles about vaccination in Mothering, had discussed the issues with other mothers and was considering giving her child a particular vaccine. She wanted to know where she could find a producer of the vaccine that didn’t use thimerosal — a mercury-containing preservative suspected of links to autism and other chronic diseases — that she could recommend to her pediatrician. Pasquali directed the caller to a Web site that lists all U.S.-licensed vaccine providers along with each vaccine’s thimerosal content and trade name. “She was able to go to her pediatrician and say, ‘I want this vaccine; that’s the only one my baby can have,’ Pasquali says."

►May 14, 2006 - WHO warns Global Fund on malaria policy (requires registration) - Financial Times

►May 12, 2006 - Search For Cancer Genes Unlikely To Succeed, Say Experts - BMJ via Biocompare

►May 12, 2006 - Ped Med: Depression tough to spot in youth - UPI via Monsters & Critics

►May 11, 2006 - Antiretrovirals Appear Safe During Pregnancy: Presented at ACOG - Annual Clinical Meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists via Doctor's Guide

►May 10, 2006 - Involvement of the Endocannabinoid System in the Ability of Long-Term Tricyclic Antidepressant Treatment to Suppress Stress-Induced Activation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis - journal article (Neuropsychopharmacology)

►May 9, 2006 - Live Attenuated Flu Vaccine Safe in HIV-Infected Children: Presented at PAS - Pediatric Academic Societies via Doctor's Guide

►May 9, 2006 - So far, dog flu virus not spreading to Cheyenne pet community - AP via The Casper Star Tribune

►May 8, 2006 - Varicella-Zoster Virus Vaccine Safe and Effective in Older Adults With Comorbidities: Presented at AGS - American Geriatrics Society via Doctor's Guide

►May 8, 2006 - Sonoma County Nursing Homes Still Dealing with Virus Outbreak - http://kcbs.com

►May 8, 2006 - "Amplification" Strategy May Be Key To Combating West Nile Virus, Says Oregon State Researchers - Medford News

►May 8, 2006 - US unprepared for bird flu outbreak: health secretary - Xinhua via China View

►May 8, 2006 - Thai Farmers Get US$125 Million Compensation - Bernama

►May 8, 2006 - Beating bird flu - Recently, the Jamaican health authorities announced their plans to deal with the threat of an epidemic of the avian influenza virus. Back in 2004, the World Health Organisation (WHO) called a meeting of top medical scientists and researchers who made some startling announcements. - Jamaica Gleaner

►May 8, 2006 - SE Asia meeting agrees on bird flu action plan - Reuters AlertNet

►May 7, 2006 - Toxic Virus Invades Hospital Vents, Again - AP via http://kcbs.com - " A potentially lethal fungus has been found in the ventilation system of the Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla -- just four years after a similar outbreak there, was linked to several patient deaths."

►May 7, 2006 - Researchers working on possible Ovarian Cancer Vaccine - www.wtnh.com - "Here at UConn a clinical trial is underway with researchers working to come up with a vaccine to fight ovarian cancer. Dr. Zihai Li, ovarian cancer researcher, says, 'This particular vaccine is designed to prevent relapse of ovarian cancer.'"

►May 7, 2006 - Bird flu strategy in the works - Area emergency services crafting their responses - Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

►May 7, 2006 - At least one case of mumps reported in DeKalb County - Dekalb Daily Chronicle

►May 7, 2006 - Would biolab make a good neighbor? - Anniston should vie for facility - opinion - Anniston Star

►May 7, 2006 - Plasticizers in home may cause illnesses - Consider using natural items when building - Scripps Howard News Service via Arizona Daily Star

►May 6, 2006 - Vaccine Makers get Federal Funding - www.24x7updates.com

►May 6, 2006 - Editorial: New mercury limits are welcome reversal - Minnesota joins rebellion against weak EPA standards. - Minneapolis Star Tribune

►May 5, 2006 - Possible fifth measles case reported in Harvey County - Wichita Eagle via www.kansas.com

►May 5, 2006 - High Autism Numbers In New Report (includes video) - www.kold.com

* ►May 4, 2006 - Press Briefing: CDC Releases Parent-Reported Estimates of Autism Prevalence (includes audio) - transcript - CDC

* ►May 3, 2006 - Ped Med: A real downer - UPI via Monsters & Critics - "Zooming from nil to millions in 20 years, the burgeoning number of children diagnosed with depression is on a collision course with a healthcare system unable to keep pace."

►May 2006 - Timeline of European Disease Epidemics Among American Indians - Indymedia Chiapas

* ►May 2006 - Effect of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine on Nasopharyngeal Bacterial Colonization During Acute Otitis Media - journal article (Pediatrics)

►May 2006 - Hepatitis B e antigen-negative chronic hepatitis B: natural history and treatment. - journal article (Seminars in Liver Disease)

►May 2006 - Hepatitis B vaccination is effective for babies weighing less than 1800 g - journal article (Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health)

►May 2006 - Immunopathogenesis: Role of Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses - journal article (Seminars in Liver Disease)

►May 2006 - Antiviral drug resistance: clinical consequences and molecular aspects. - journal article (Seminars in Liver Disease)

►May 2006 - Predicting respiratory syncytial virus hospitalisation in Australian children - journal article (Blackwell Publishing)

►May 2006 - American Academy of Pediatrics Newborn Screening Task Force Recommendations: How Far Have We Come? - journal article (Pediatrics)

►May 2006 - Status of Newborn Screening Programs in the United States - journal article (Pediatrics)

►April 2006 - Indeterminate Colitis: A Significant Subgroup of Pediatric IBD. - journal article (Inflammatory Bowel Diseases)

►April 2006 - Bowlby and Robertson Revisited: The Impact of Isolation on Hospitalized Children During SARS. - journal article (Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics)

►April 2006 - Effects of Breastfeeding on Weight Changes in Family-based Pediatric Obesity Treatment. - journal article (Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics)

►April 2006 - Effects of exclusive formula or breast milk feeding on oxidative stress in healthy preterm infants - journal article (Archives of Disease in Childhood)

►April 2006 - Variation in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Use Across Racial/Ethnic Groups and the Development of Ethnic-Specific Measures of CAM Use - journal article (Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine)

►Volume 24 Number 1-2, 2006 - Established and Emerging Therapies for the Treatment of Viral Hepatitis - journal article (Digestive Diseases)

►Volume 24 Number 1-2, 2006 - Living Drugs for Gastrointestinal Diseases: The Case for Probiotics - journal article (Digestive Diseases)

►Volume 20 Issue 4, 2006 - Reliability and validity of the Child Behavior Checklist Obsessive-Compulsive Scale - journal article (Journal of Anxiety Disorders)

> Posted May 17, 2006

 

►May 17, 2006 - Researcher studies old anthrax release for hypotheticals - Stanford Report

* ►May 17, 2006 - Health threat: vaccines leave children hospitalised - After simple vaccinations left six children from District 5, HCM City hospitalised and one dead, storage methods by private pharmacological companies have come under the microscope. - VietNamNet Bridge

►May 17, 2006 - Toddler dies of disease which re-emerges after decade - Nation Multimedia - "A lab test has confirmed that a toddler here has died of meningococcal meningitis, which has disappeared from the country for over a decade."

* ►May 17, 2006 - Meningococcal vaccine - Group Health Cooperative via Seattle Times - "Linda Knapp had been vaccinated against meningitis with the Meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine, but the vaccine didn't protect her from the bacteria she contracted. Her case is unusual; the doctors' explanation is that she didn't have a spleen — the result of a previous illness — to filter out the strep-pneumococcus bacteria that caused her meningitis."

* ►May 16, 2006 - Fighting for Mikey - Hernando Today - "At the age of 18 months, Mikey was diagnosed with autism and retardation. The Lupos, like thousands of other parents across the country, are convinced that their son’s condition was caused by exposure to mercury in vaccines given to him as an infant. They’ve joined a class-action lawsuit filed against several vaccine manufacturers with the hopes of securing restitution that they say would help improve their son’s access to therapy and would guarantee that he would be taken care of long after his parents are gone. 'Our worst fear is what’s going to happen to him when Barbara and I die,' said Michael Lupo, Mikey’s father."

* ►May 16, 2006 - Dr. John Pittman to Speak at Legislative Building on May 17th to Address Need for Safer Vaccines - dBusinessNews Triangle - "Dr. John Pittman, founder of the Carolina Center for Integrative Medicine, will be among several speakers scheduled to speak at the State Capitol Building on Wednesday, May 17th to support legislation to ensure safer vaccines and flu shots for North Carolina’s children and pregnant women...The rally, which is being coordinated by Moms Against Mercury, will start at 9:00am in front of the Legislative Building, 16 W. Jones Street in Raleigh, with a press conference to follow at 10:00am."

* ►May 16, 2006 - No sign of 2003 war syndrome - The Telegraph, UK - "The apparent lack of post-conflict symptoms in troops who served in Iraq supports the view that vaccines and anti-nerve agents were to blame for Gulf War Syndrome, scientists said yesterday."

►May 16, 2006 - Homecoming stress of TA soldiers - Why do reservists serving in Iraq suffer double the levels of mental health problems of their regular comrades, as a government-commissioned report indicates? - BBC

* ►May 16 2006 - Catholic Medical Association Calls for Vaccines Not Associated With Abortion - press release - Catholic Medical Association via PRNewswire via Yahoo! - "The Catholic Medical Association -- the nation's largest professional organization of Catholic doctors -- is calling on the nation's vaccine makers to develop, as soon as possible, vaccines that are not cultivated on cells taken from aborted fetuses."

* ►May 16, 2006 - Merck's dance with the religious right - Drug giant close to approval for controversial anti-cancer vaccine for youngsters.- CNN Money - "Merck is eagerly awaiting news from the Food and Drug Administration, which is due to make a decision on two key experimental vaccines in the next few weeks. One of those is Gardasil, a controversial vaccine for the prevention of cervical cancer."

* ►May 16, 2006 - Merck Awaits FDA Approval for Gardasil - Merck Awaits FDA OK for Vaccine Which Blocks Infection That Causes Cervical Cancer, Genital Warts - AP via ABC News - "On Thursday, a panel of Food and Drug Administration advisers will discuss recommending the vaccine against HPV, the most common sexually transmitted disease, for females 9 to 26, the first groups tested. The FDA's decision is expected by June 8. Merck has already begun laying the groundwork, though. Its 'Tell Someone' TV and magazine ad campaign, launched in late April, ironically uses what's called 'viral marketing,' urging women to tell others about HPV, with magazine pull-out postcards about it in English and Spanish. Merck plans a similar campaign, plus materials for doctors' offices, once the vaccine is approved."

* ►May 16, 2006 - Some Facts About Human Papilloma Virus - Brocktown News - "Sources: World Health Organization , Merck & Co., GlaxoSmithKline, AP interviews"

* ►May 16, 2006 - "Extraordinary" breakthrough in fight against cancer virus - www.wwmt.com - "A West Michigan company has discovered a new drug that may be able to cure the virus that causes cervical cancer."

* ►May 16, 2006 - New U.S. guidelines aim to boost awareness - United Press International - "Among cautions that run from the start of menstruation to menopause, women are advised to take folic acid supplements, keep vaccinations up to date, keep chronic conditions such as asthma and diabetes under control and maintain a healthy weight."

* ►May 16, 2006 - U.S. District Court Dismisses Shareholder Derivative Action Against Merck - press release - Merck & Co., Inc. via PharmaLive via www.medadnews.com

* ►May 16, 2006 - Merck Says Vioxx-related Shareholder Lawsuit Dismissed - Trading Markets

* ►May 16, 2006 - Did drug firms call shots on vaccine liability bill? - Recent Public Citizen report poses more questions about crafting of legislation - Robertson County Times - "Sen. Bill Frist is not offering good explanations about the way vaccine liability legislation has been handled."

* ►May 16, 2006 - Donor backing grows for global vaccinations scheme - Reuters, UK - "Donor backing for a scheme to save 10 million lives in Africa and Asia by securing finance for vaccination programs is gathering pace with three new countries signing up, a senior official said on Tuesday. The International Finance Facility for Immunizations (IFFIm) aims to increase the amount of money available for immunizations and developing new vaccines by securing long-term donor funding as collateral for bond issues."

* ►May 16, 2006 - Case of mumps is confirmed in city - Watertown Daily Times - "Watertown Unified School District nurse Janice Rambo, school administrators and Quest met this morning and decided to require proof of mumps immunization records of all school district employees. All employees and staff will be asked to show proof of a mumps vaccination, a blood test showing they are immune or they will be asked to receive the vaccination. 'We want to be proactive and make sure that we're not contributing to the spread of mumps,' Rambo said. 'If just one adult working with the children has the mumps it could easily spread to the children.'"

* ►May 16, 2006 - Officials to Mull Advice for Mumps Shots - AP via Houston Chronicle - "Concerned by the recent mumps outbreak in the Midwest, federal health officials plan to review their advice for mumps shots. Possible changes could include new vaccine requirements for health-care providers in the mumps-stricken areas, said Curtis Allen, spokesman for the centers' National Immunization Program. The vaccine advisory committee has a meeting set for Wednesday."

►May 16, 2006 - CDC officials to consider changes to mumps vaccination policies - AP via www.accessnorthga.com

►May 16, 2006 - Mumps unwanted guest on graduation weekend - Lawrence Journal-World

►May 16, 2006 - Answers about mumps - The Detroit News

►May 16, 2006 - SD Health Department Updates Mumps Numbers - www.keloland.com - "Thirty-five mumps cases have been confirmed as of today, up from 33 on Friday. There are another 65 probable or likely cases."

* ►May 16, 2006 - State Prepares More Mumps Clinics (requires registration) -Yankton Daily Press - "As the state Health Department prepares another round of mumps immunization clinics, information from those already infected shows a mumps shot doesn't guarantee protection. Of the 92 people with confirmed or suspected mumps cases in South Dakota as of last week, 58 percent had received the recommended two MMR (mumps, measles, rubella) shots and 74 percent had at least one MMR shot."

* ►May 16, 2006 - State Changes Immunization Requirements - Thousands Of Children Need Hepatitis, Chicken Pox Vaccines - www.thewbalchannel.com - "Baltimore -- State educators have revised immunization guidelines for the upcoming academic year. WBAL-TV 11 News education reporter Tim Tooten reported the new order mandates young students show proof of vaccinations for hepatitis B and the chicken pox. Students entering the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth grades statewide must take the shots."

►May 16, 2006 - Stop & Shop Measles Scare - Long Island Press

►May 16, 2006 - Measles hits rare Andaman tribe - Nearly 50 children and several adults from an isolated tribe in India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands have contracted measles in the past month. - BBC

* ►May 16, 2006 - Children die of measles in central Somalia - Shabelle Media Network - "'The disease killed eight children under the age of five in villages of Abud-Waq' health officials in the town told radio Shabelle on Tuesday."

* ►May 16, 2006 - Guinea-Bissau: 700,000 children line up for shot against measles - IRIN via Reuters AlertNet

►May 16, 2006 - Campaign to raise awareness of bacteria that hits mostly children - Channel News Asia

►May 16, 2006 - EU countries urged to appoint bird flu "czars" - Reuters, UK

►May 16, 2006 - RPT-EU countries urged to appoint bird flu supremos - Reuters AlertNet

* ►May 16, 2006 - Pets could spread new infections: researchers - Canada Press via CTV

►May 16, 2006 - Bird flu vaccine priority: tough decisions - United Press International

►May 16, 2006 - Families Should Prepare Now For Bird Flu - www.ketv.com

►May 16, 2006 - Swiss press on with bird flu preparations - Health officials say that preparations for dealing with an outbreak of human bird flu are very advanced and an updated national pandemic plan will be published in June. - Swissinfo

►May 16, 2006 - Bird smugglers deepen threat of human flu crisis - Financial Times

►May 16, 2006 - Four Centers for Epidemics and Bird Flu Control - NewsYemen

►May 16, 2006 - Roche signs African deal for generic Tamiflu - Financial Times via MSN Money

►May 16, 2006 - Roche in deal with Aspen on Tamiflu production - Reuters

►May 16, 2006 - General Physics Corporation Expands Services to Include Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Efforts - press release - General Physics Corporation via Business Wire

►May 16, 2006 - Warning bird flu may decimate workforce - AAP via www.theage.com.au

►May 16, 2006 - As threat of the avian flu looms, one question remains: Will we be ready? - Asheville Citizen-Times

►May 16, 2006 - Infants or adults? NIH ethicists argue for new bird flu priorities - Renal Business Today

►May 16, 2006 - Experts Argue Over Allocation of Bird Flu Vaccine - ProgressiveU.org

►May 16, 2006 - Governments aren't telling people the truth about bird flu preparation - ProgressiveU.org

* ►May 16, 2006 - Chickens culled to test bird flu contingency plans - Irish Examiner - "Fifteen tonnes of liquid carbon dioxide in the form of dry ice was injected into a shed containing 12,000 hens on a farm in Kilmeady this afternoon. A team of veterinary experts and animal welfare officials monitored the exercise. Pat Meskell, a Veterinary Inspector for the Department of Agriculture in Limerick monitored the cull: 'We had television monitors and infra-red monitors on the birds continually as the gas came in and we watched the chickens' reaction from the time the gas was introduced.'"

►May 16, 2006 - FAO : Indonesia's fight against bird flu dogged by ignorance - Antara

►May 16, 2006 - Scientists Spot Secrets of SARS' Spread - HealthDay via Forbes - "The S2 protein on the outer membrane of the SARS virus is the "fusion machine" that allows the virus to fuse its outer membrane with that of the host cell, the researchers explained. After this fusion occurs, the virus can insert its genome into the host cell, where it replicates, erupts from the host cell, and spreads to new cells."

►May 16, 2006 - Vermont Health Department notifying possible pertussis patients - AP via The Burlington Free Press via Boston Globe

►May 16, 2006 - Ask Dr. Sue -- Probiotics help control diarrhea in children - Longview Daily News

►May 16, 2006 - £35,000 Website boost for autism charity - Community Newswire

►May 16, 2006 - College To Host Conference On Autism - Hartford Courant - "Bob and Suzanne Wright, co-founders of Autism Speaks, will open a conference on "Translating Autism Spectrum Disorders: Bench to Bedside and Beyond" on June 12 at Fairfield University."

►May 16, 2006 - Letters | A fast one on mercury - Philadelphia Daily News

►May 16, 2006 - Turn more mercury in, state urges - Salt Lake Tribune

* ►May 16, 2006 - Supreme Court Won't Revive Anthrax Lawsuits - http://wusa9.com - "The Supreme Court has decided not to revive lawsuits by former employees of Washington mail center who were exposed to anthrax.  The former employees had said that workers at the Brentwood postal center were deliberately kept on the job even though officials knew that workers had been exposed to anthrax in letters that were sent to Capitol Hill.  Dena Briscoe of Clinton, Maryland, was the lead plaintiff in the class-action lawsuit brought against the U.S. Postal Service. Briscoe says the court's decision not to hear the case means 'no one's being held accountable.'"

►May 16, 2006 - Universal Detection Technology ('UDTT') Completes the First Sale of BSM-2000 Anthrax Detector - press release - Universal Detection Technology via PRNewswire-FirstCall via Yahoo!

►May 16, 2006 - Funds lag as diabetes cases soar - New York Times News Service via Deseret News - "The number of Type 2 diabetics in the United States has doubled in the past two decades, to an estimated 20 million, when undiagnosed cases are included, making the disease the country's fastest growing public health problem."

►May 16, 2006 - GM tobacco houses plague vaccine - The Plague, both in its bubonic and pneumonic forms, has played a great part in human history. - www.checkbiotech.org

►May 16, 2006 - Diseases don’t always die, but knowledge of them does - Columbus Dispatch

* ►May 16, 2006 - Disease follows global warming - West Nile, malaria, cholera among those spreading - Washington Post via Columbus Dispatch

►May 16, 2006 - Longmont West Nile virus victim creates support group Web site - Longmont Daily Times-Call

►May 16, 2006 - Experts Monitoring For West Nile Virus - AP via http://cbs4denver.com

►May 16, 2006 - Utah Campground Closed Because of Plague (requires registration) - AP via Washington Post

►May 16, 2006 - Allergies Can Drive You Nuts (requires registration) - Washington Post

►May 16, 2006 - New Study Provides Road Map to Preventive Services With Greatest Health Impact, Best Cost Value - More Than Half of Americans Who Need Valuable Preventive Services Continue to Go Without Them - press release - Partnership for Prevention via PRNewswire

* ►May 16, 2006 - Smoking Advice, Aspirin Lead Frugal Health Ideas, Group Says - Bloomberg - "Doctors should do more to promote aspirin use and discourage smoking because those measures, along with childhood vaccines, are the most efficient means to prevent disease in the U.S., a government-sponsored study found."

►May 16, 2006 - Parents urged to have children immunised - www.news.gov.hk

►May 16, 2006 - Bavarian Nordic A/S - Interim Report as of 31 March - PRNewswire via ITNews

* ►May 16, 2006 - Expanded HIV testing good for drug makers - The administration's call for wider HIV testing signals a new battlefront in the fight against AIDS - and a possible boon for healthcare companies - CNN Money

* ►May 16,  2006 - HIV/AIDS Vaccine Awareness Day Recognized May 18 - Thousands of volunteers, researchers involved in vaccine search - Washington File via http://usinfo.state.gov - "At least 58 vaccine candidates have been tested in 96 HIV vaccine clinical trials involving 23,000 volunteers without a breakthrough, but the search goes on for a serum that will provide immunity to the virus."

* ►May 16, 2006 - Russia to propose new center for HIV/AIDS vaccine at G8 summit - RIA Novosti

►May 16, 2006 - South Africa: The HIV Testing Debate: Voluntary Or Opt-Out? - UN Integrated Regional Information Networks via http://allafrica.com

►May 16, 2006 - Sydney hospital trialling anti-HIV drug - www.theage.com.au

►May 16, 2006 - Glaxo-Vertex Study tests anti-HIV drugs - AP via BusinessWeek

►May 16, 2006 - Our view: Testing would fight HIV spread - Rocky Mount Telegram

►May 16, 2006 - HIV drugs for children badly needed in China - Reuters, UK

►May 16, 2006 - Gambia: President Jammeh to Launch HIV Prevention in Africa - The Daily Observer (Banjul) via http://allafrica.com

►May 16, 2006 - Foot-and-mouth disease hits 28 localities in Vietnam - People's Daily Online

►May 16, 2006 - Senate Moves to Waive Prescription Drug Plan Penalty (Update1) - Bloomberg

►May 16, 2006 - US FDA says Bausch failed to report infections - Reuters

* ►May 16, 2006 - Glaxo, Novartis asked to update asthma warning - Financial Express - "The US Food and Drug Administration strengthened the warning labels for three asthma treatments, including GlaxoSmithKline Plc’s Advair and Serevent, six months after the tougher wording was proposed. Novartis AG’s Foradil is also affected by the changes, which limit the drugs to people not helped by other medicines. The updated labels say the products' may increase the chance of severe asthma episodes, and death when these episodes occur' the Washington, D.C.-based agency said on its web site."

►May 16, 2006 - Rheumatoid Arthritis Drugs May Raise Cancer, Infection Risk - HealthDay via Forbes - "Rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with new and potent 'TNF-blocking' drugs are at higher risk of developing cancer and serious infections, according to a new review of the available data."

►May 16, 2006 - Valeant synthetic cannabis gets FDA OK - AP via BusinessWeek

* ►May 15, 2006 - Judge overturns Calif. tuna mercury labels - State attorney general considers appealing decision - AP via MSNBC

►May 15, 2006 - Businesses Get Ready For Bird Flu - www.kfoxtv.com

►May 15, 2006 - DVDs to develop babies' intellect are controversial - 'Screen media' images harmful, say advocacy groups; not so, says maker of Brainy Baby - Houston Chronicle

►May 15, 2006 - Morton girl may have been smothered - Bloomington Pantagraph - "The family told Ingersoll the girl had a history of autism."

►May 15, 2006 - Students with mumps able to reschedule finals - www.49abcnews.com

►May 15, 2006 - Local officials on the lookout for mumps - Montrose Daily Press

* ►May 15, 2006 - Research Uncovers Signaling Paths in Brain-Immune System Links - Children's Hospital of Philadelphia via Newswise - "New research on signaling pathways in immune cells bolsters evidence of connections between the central nervous system and the immune system. The findings may also advance the scientific foundation for a potential HIV treatment that may block the virus that causes AIDS."

* ►May 14, 2006 - War against overvaccinating cats and dogs continues (requires registration or subscription) - Miami Herald
 
►May 14, 2006 - Attacking asthma - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

* ►May 12, 2006 - Tots Used as Human Guinea Pigs? - The Blotter via ABC News Blogs - "ABC News has learned that a Massachusetts hospital is currently recruiting pre-schoolers to test the safety and effectiveness of a powerful antipsychotic drug called Quetiapine. The study, conducted by the Department of Pediatric Psychopharmacology at Massachusetts General Hospital, is testing subjects from four to six years of age with Bipolar Disorder. An earlier Massachusetts General study of the antipsychotic drugs Risperidone and Olanzapine recruited children as young as three years old."

* ►May 12, 2006 - Tots Used as Guinea Pigs? ABC News - Alliance for Human Research Protection - "How can anyone justify the use of four-year old children as human drug testing guinea pigs?  The experiments described by ABC News expose small children to drugs so toxic they disrupt normal biological and mental function, damage major organs, produce debilitating, chronic diseases such as diabetes, leading to premature death?...If these experiments were approved by the FDA, and passed the institutional review boards (IRBs) of Harvard and MassGeneral, what does it say about the debasement of academic medicine?  Clearly the system for safeguarding the children's right to be free from the risks of medical experiments that are not in their best interest, is broken and must be replaced. Join AHRP's efforts to stop the putting children in harm's way in medical experiments.  Help AHRP --we need a hosting a website for a petition to stop experimental exploitation of children.  Add your voice to public comments following ABC story at: http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/05/tots_used_as_hu.html

►May 10, 2006 - German measles continues spreading in Tan Thuan EPZ - Saigon Times Daily

►May 10, 2006 - Pakistan will be polio free by 2009: minister - Kashar News

►May 9, 2006 - Green Tea Makers Feeling Blue After FDA Decision - http://1010wins.com - "The Food and Drug Administration has rejected a petition that sought to allow tea labels that claimed drinking green tea reduces the risk of heart disease."

►May 9, 2006 - Acambis steps up R&D spending; aborts pursuit of 'major acquisition' - Silicon Fen Business Report

►May 9, 2006 - Merck To Buy Privately Held GlycoFi, Abmaxis For $480 Mln Cash - Trading Markets

►May 9, 2006 - FDA Reviewing European Aspartame Data - HealthDay via Forbes

►May 8, 2006 - Region readies for flu plague - The Standard-Times via www.southcoasttoday.com

►May 8, 2006 - The right formula - The more breast milk the better, studies show -- but they don't tell mothers how to balance the ideal with the real demands of family and work - Boston Globe

►May 7, 2006 - NZ children at risk - New Zealand children are at risk from a form of meningitis because of the lack of vaccinations. - http://home.nzcity.co.nz

►May 7, 2006 - What is Rotarivus Gastroenteritis? - Global National via www.canada.com - "A new study found that Rotavirus costs the Canadian health care system $26 million a year. Because the virus is contagious, the disease can incubate in their kids for 2 days without parents knowing they are sick. To get ahead of the disease, Health Canada is considering approving a new vaccine, one that could be given to babies like the mumps, measles and rubella."

►May 7, 2006 - Facilitated Communication and Autism - Scientific American

* ►May 6, 2006 - Ped Med: The young and depressed - UPI via Monsters & Critics - "Skeptics like consumer-rights advocate Barbara Loe Fisher are even less circumspect in their criticism. 'The medicating of our children for everything from `depression` to hyperactivity without getting at the root cause for the behavior disorder or the autoimmune disorder (asthma) or the neurodevelopmental delay (autism and learning disabilities) is not going to lead to better individual or public health,' Fisher said. 'Pharmaceuticals only act as a Band-Aid to stop the bleeding temporarily,' she maintained. 'Becoming dependent upon drugs and vaccines is not the answer to the open wound that has been created by failed health policies which do not approach health wholistically.'"

►May 6, 2006 - H5 Antibodies in Wild Goose in Northwest Russia - commentary - Recombinomics

►May 6, 2006 - CDC Recommends New Rotavirus Vaccine - U.S. Medicine

►What Brothers and Sisters Would Like Parents and Service Providers to Know - Autism Society of America