* ►December 7, 2006 - Good faith, integrity remain critical to CDC - opinion (requires registration or subscription) - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

►December 7, 2006 - Near fatal drug trial: report due - Press Association via The Guardian, UK

►December 7, 2006 - Revolt over new federal mercury law - The state-led push could weaken the EPA's emissions-trading system, which is popular with industry. - Christian Science Monitor

►December 7, 2006 - Bird Flu Remains Potent Threat - NBird Flu Remains Potent Threat With Possibility Of Human Pandemic, UN Agency Warns - press release - United Nations via www.scoop.co.nz

►December 7, 2006 - What Can Be Done to Prevent a Bird Flu Epidemic - Chosun Ilbo

►December 7, 2006 - Staff Box - The cold-and-flu season is upon us. Will you be getting a flu shot? - Salt Lake City Weekly

►December 7, 2006 - Eradicating Polio - editorial - Financial Express

►December 7, 2006 - Leavitt Statement on the Senate Passage of the Pandemic Preparedness Act - Southwest Nebraska News

* ►December 6, 2006 - Senate approves Burr's bioterrorism bill - Critics warn about the effects of 'secret vaccine production' - Winston-Salem Journal - "Highlights of BARDA include the creation of a new position within the Department of Health and Human Services that would be solely responsible for the oversight of vaccine production and decide what medications would be distributed. Barbara Loe Fisher, the president of the National Vaccine Information Center, has been an outspoken critic of the bill. She was unaware that the bill had been passed by the Senate last night but said she's worried about the effects 'secret vaccine production' could have on the American public. 'This is an extremely dangerous precedent that is being set,' she said."

NVIC - Barbara Loe Fisher Commentary: It is almost a done deal. The Senate has voted and the House will soon vote on a bill to create BARDA, a new and very powerful agency within the Department of Health and Human Services that will partner with drug companies to make experimental vaccines and drugs. The actions of the agency and the way these experimental drugs and vaccines are made, what they will contain, and how reactive they are, will be hidden from the public. Under the guise of "protecting national security," citizens will be prevented through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) from being able to obtain information about most of what BARDA is doing.

In the future, when the Secretary of Health and Human Services declares a public health "emergency" under Bioshield and other federal and state legislation passed since Sept. 11, 2001, Americans could be quarantined and forced to use experimental drugs and vaccines and have no recourse to the civil justice system if they are injured by them. Congress has already given complete liability protection to drug companies and those who order citizens to take drugs and vaccines during a declared public health "emergency."

The individual appointed to head BARDA will be one of the most powerful individuals in the U.S.. Congress has already given the Secretary of Health and Human Services, also a political appointee, unprecedented power. The militarization of the civilian public health system with unchecked power residing in the hands of unelected government health officials, who have no accountability to or oversight by the public, is a serious threat to freedom and public safety.

For more information about the possible consequences of the Bioshield laws and the pending BARDA legislation, go to www.nvic.org homepage ("Liability Shield Given to Pharma") and read NVIC's letter to Senate staffer Col. Robert Kadlec, M.D.

The House vote to approve BARDA could take place before this Friday, Dec. 8. If you want to let your Congressperson know how you feel about BARDA, call him or her at 202-224-3121. Go to www.house.gov to find information about your Congressperson.

* ►December 6, 2006 - Senate Approves Legislation To Reauthorize Bioterrorism Preparedness Law - www.kaisernetwork.org - "The Senate on Tuesday passed legislation (S 3678) that would reauthorize a law designed to bolster vaccine production and prepare for other biological threats, CQ Today reports (Berger/Wayne, CQ Today 11/5). The bill, sponsored by Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), would reauthorize through 2011 a law related to bioterrorism and disease outbreak preparedness."

* ►December 6, 2006 - BIO Applauds Senate Passage of BARDA Legislation - press release - Biotechnology Industry Organization via PRNewswire via Yahoo!

* ►December 6, 2006 - Texas congressman compromises on autism bill - Star-Telegram via www.dfw.com

* ►December 6, 2006 - Cure Autism Now and Autism Speaks Applaud Approval of the Combating Autism Act by United States House of Representatives - Landmark Legislation Authorizing Nearly $1 Billion in Autism Funding Now Moves Back to the Senate for Prompt Action - press release - Autism Speaks via PRNewswire - ""The bill authorizes nearly 1 billion dollars over the next five years to combat autism through research, screening, early detection and early intervention. The new legislation will increase federal spending on autism by at least 50 percent. It includes provisions relating to the diagnosis and treatment of persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders, and expands and intensifies biomedical research on autism, including an essential focus on possible environmental causes. Autism is now diagnosed in 1 in 166 children according to the Centers for Disease Control."

* ►December 6, 2006 - UCF student from Jupiter dies of bacterial meningitis - Palm Beach Post - "Davis family member said Rhett had been immunized against meningitis. The vaccination covers between 70 percent and 80 percent of the types of bacteria that cause the illness."

* ►December 6, 2006 - FAU students ask for bacterial meningitis vaccinations - Palm Beach Post - "FAU President Frank Brogan, who was Gov. Jeb Bush's lieutenant governor in 2002, said there will be more discussion about whether tougher immunization requirements are necessary. 'It's an issue we should look at as a state university system,' Brogan said. 'What should a student be required to have when they walk onto a university campus?'"

* ►December 6, 2006 - Northwest Iowa leads state in meningitis cases - Sioux City Journal - "There are antibiotics used to treat meningitis, and there is a vaccine available to help prevent the infection. But Teale said people who have had the meningitis vaccine should still be cautious. He said the vaccine doesn't prevent every type of meningitis -- or even the most common kind."

►December 6, 2006 - NSW meningococcal death 'improbable' - AAP via The Age, Australia

►December 6, 2006 - Meningococcal disease victim's boyfriend blames nurse - www.abc.net.au

►December 6, 2006 - Pa. Teen Dies After Contracting Meningitis - Pennsylvania boy did gymnastics training in Monongalia County. - www.wboy.com

►December 6, 2006 - Art professor dies of meningitis - Examiner.com

►December 6, 2006 - Northwest Iowa top region for meningitis cases in state - AP via www.woi-tv.com

►December 6, 2006 - Students, others treated after kindergartner contracts meningitis - AP via www.newschannel5.com

►December 6, 2006 - Restaurant crippled by hepatitis warning - A Lloydminster restaurant rocked by a recent health warning is hoping to alleviate concerns and win back customers. - Lloydminster Meridian Booster

* ►December 6, 2006 - Senate to try to force vote on Bush's FDA pick (requires registration) - Reuters via Washington Post - "The U.S. Senate will consider the nomination of Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach to run the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday as supporters try to overcome objections from three Republicans."

* ►December 6, 2006 - New FDA drug safety projects rely on IT - Government Health IT - "Today’s MedWatch portal 'is a valuable tool, but we know that it is not being used as effectively as it ought to be,' Gottlieb said in his speech. The agency gets only about 10 percent of the adverse-event reports that it would find helpful, he said, and few of the reports come from doctors and patients."

* ►December 6, 2006 - Merck Stand By Guidance, Cites Vaccines - www.smartmoney.com - "Meanwhile, bolstering the top line, Merck has introduced three new vaccines this year: Gardasil, the first vaccine to prevent cervical cancer; Rotateq for rotavirus; and Zostavax for shingles. Merck said Wednesday it expects vaccine sales of $2.8 billion to $3.2 billion in 2007. It didn't provide a vaccine sales estimate for 2006, but the 2007 projection would represent nearly a tripling from 2005 vaccine sales."

►December 6, 2006 - Merck Sees Higher 2007 Profit on New Medicines (Update2) - Bloomberg

* ►December 6, 2006 - At last minute, kids vaccinated - Henrico tells parents to fetch kids without proof of Tdap shots - Richmond Times-Dispatch - "There are ways around the vaccinations: Virginia students may be exempt for religious and medical reasons. Yesterday, school divisions reported that few, if any, were under such exemptions."

►December 6, 2006 - Catching up: About 400 students still need new shot - Virginian-Pilot

►December 6, 2006 - Many sixth-graders still lacking required Tdap inoculation - www.wavy.com

* ►December 6, 2006 - Saudi man is third US mad cow case, CDC says - Reuters AlertNet

►December 6, 2006 - Bird flu experts meet to fight virus, complacency - Reuters AlertNet

* ►December 6, 2006 - Vaccine for humans against bird flu expected in a year, WHO official says - AP via International Herald Tribune

* ►December 6, 2006 - Still time to get a flu shot this season - Rep. Mike Turner - Hillsboro Times-Gazette

* ►December 6, 2006 - Bird flu virus 'still smoldering,' US expert says - CNN

* ►December 6, 2006 - World Bank Says $1.5 Billion More Needed for Bird Flu Battle - Bird flu experts from 100 countries are calling for much more to be done to prevent the disease from spreading in Africa. Jordan Davis reports from VOA's West Africa bureau the experts are meeting in Bamako, Mali. - Voice of America

* ►December 6, 2006 - When to use bird flu vaccine a "tricky issue" - Reuters

►December 6, 2006 - HHS adds video to pandemic flu site - Government Health IT

►December 6, 2006 - Getting ahead on influenza planning - letter - News & Observer

►December 6, 2006 - Marlboro firm wins contract to address Avian Flu - Worcester Business Journal - "IQuum Inc. in Marlboro has been awarded a $3.8 million contract from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop a rapid point-of-care diagnostics for avian influenza."

►December 6, 2006 - Factbox-Bird flu's spread around the globe - Reuters AlertNet

►December 6, 2006 - Structure of key influenza A protein revealed - Chemistry World

►December 6, 2006 - Vaccines, common sense measures are best defense against the flu - Walker Pilot-Independent  - "The University of Minnesota was one of four groups across the country studying FluMist as a way to prevent the spread of flu in schools. Schoolchildren in St. Cloud had the option of participating in the research."

►December 6, 2006 - Flu season is at hand - Ludington Daily News

►December 6, 2006 - Drive-thru flu shot clinic opening - Tampa Bay's 10

►December 6, 2006 - Flu shots are still a very good idea - Corsicana Daily Sun

►December 6, 2006 - 2004 flu vaccine shortage analyzed - UPI via Monsters & Critics

►December 6, 2006 - Report: Young Girls Not Informed About Cause Of Cervical Cancer - www.kcra.com

►December 6, 2006 - African Health Officials Prepare for New Malaria Vaccine - Officials are meeting in Ghana to discuss ways to get an early start on administering malaria vaccines in Africa. The vaccine is currently on trial in six African countries. Malaria is a major cause of death for children in sub-Sahara Africa. Efam Dovi has more on the story for VOA, from the Ghanaian capital, Accra. - Voice of America

►December 6, 2006 - Breakthrough for Danish vaccine companies - Copenhagen Capacity - "The Danish vaccine companies ALK-Abelló, Bavarian Nordic, Pharmexa and Statens Serum Institut are about to enter new giant markets in the global drug industry with their ground-breaking vaccines."

►December 6, 2006 - Panacea buys stake in UK's Cambridge Biostability - www.ndtvprofit.com - "Panacea has also entered into an agreement to in-license Cambridge's stable liquid technology for pentavalent and other vaccines used in the treatment of diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B and a virulent form of influenza."

►December 6, 2006 - WHO: Vaccines to Underdeveloped Nations - Prensa Latina

* ►December 6, 2006 - Polio cases surge in Moradabad - www.ndtv.com - "Sometimes even the mandatory seven doses don't provide complete immunisation - especially in children who are undernourished. Many of the children have low resistance and suffer from repeated diarrhea diseases excreting the vaccine out, which leaves them exposed to polio. What add to their vulnerability are these open drains outside their homes. Poor sanitation in the district has allowed the wild virus to breed extensively. Lack of sanitation, over population and low resistance to diseases are among numerous reasons for the rising numbers of polio cases - and a district like Moradabad seems to have to all. Most of the children did receive polio drops yet contracted the disease."

►December 6, 2006 - Nigeria: Nigeria Makes Progress in Polio Eradication - Daily Champion (Lagos) via http://allafrica.com

►December 6, 2006 - Pertussis Persists - Ithaca Times

►December 6, 2006 - `Good start' at curbing pertussis - New Trier students and staff vaccinated (requires registration or subscription) - Chicago Tribune

►December 6, 2006 - Chicken pox virus hits elementary school - News 14 Carolina

►December 6, 2006 - Rockhampton part of worldwide fight against respiratory infections - Research Australia via www.eurekalert.org

* ►December 6, 2006 - Virus research earns Jacobs top honors - Biodesign Institute researcher named Innovator of the Year at governor’s celebration - Arizona State University - "'Certainly one aspect of the research we are doing is making a better, safer smallpox vaccine,' says Jacobs, whose group is part of the institute’s Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology. 'But as we started getting information on how to make better smallpox vaccines, we thought the vaccinia virus was also a really great vector for vaccinating against a variety of different things.'"

►December 6, 2006 - Legislators Reach Deal on Ryan White CARE Act; Bill Expected To Be Reauthorized Before Congress Adjourns - www.kaisernetwork.org

* ►December 6, 2006 - Chronology-Libya HIV trial of Bulgarian medics - Reuters AlertNet

* ►December 6, 2006 - JH Joins Ugandan Researchers to Study Pediatric AIDS Vaccine - Goal is to help prevent mother-to-child transmission through breastfeeding - Johns Hopkins Gazette - "The goal of the Johns Hopkins team is eventually to find a vaccine that will allow infants to develop immunity to HIV just as they would to polio, diphtheria and hepatitis B after vaccination for those disorders. Many of these vaccines, researchers point out, are already combined into a single vaccination. The goal is to one day provide an AIDS vaccine as part of a child's regular vaccination program."

►December 6, 2006 - Universal Condemnation Meets UK Government’s Green Light for GM Potato Trials - Assumptions of safety not justified by existing evidence - Institute of Science in Society

►December 6, 2006 - Medical Minute: National Hand Washing Week -- Clean hands lead to good health - Penn State Live

►December 6, 2006 - Aids, flu other vaccines developed - Bangkok Post

►December 6, 2006 - Health status varies by state - UPI via Monsters & Critics

* ►December 6, 2006 - W.Va. ranks low in health - Martinsburg Journal - "Meanwhile, across the state, childhood immunization rates were tumbling, a factor that was of significant concern for the United Health Foundation. Over the past year, West Virginia’s childhood immunization rate slid from 86.6 percent to 74.9 percent. It was a significant change, noted Jeff Neccuzi, director of the West Virginia Immunization Program."

►December 6, 2006 - State 23rd in health ranking - Study finds 1 in 4 Californians obese - Whittier Daily News - "The good news: The Golden State has among the lowest rates of smoking, infant mortality and cancer deaths. The bad news: California has a relatively low rate of immunization coverage and high rates of infectious diseases and residents lacking health insurance."

►December 6, 2006 - Checkup finds Kansas healthier - Infant mortality, obesity remain trouble spots for state - Lawrence Journal-World  - "Two other programs helped Kansas improve in another area ranked by the study, state officials say — childhood immunization."

►December 6, 2006 - Mercury Spills At Eden Valley School - http://wcco.com

►December 6, 2006 - Governor’s Mercury Directive Lacks Sound Scientific Basis - Proposed reductions in mercury emissions would not benefit public health or environment - press release - Mackinac Center for Public Policy

►December 6, 2006 - Wal-Mart, Intel, Others To Create Massive Health Records Database - The companies launch a joint effort to build databases to allow their 2.5 million employees to access their personal health records over the Web, starting sometime next year. - InformationWeek

►December 6, 2006 - Calif. biomedical lab could move headquarters to Tempe - Arizona Republic

* ►December 6, 2006 - Child Vaccinations Do Not Cause Diabetes - Routine childhood vaccinations do not increase the risk of developing diabetes, according to a study of more than 700,000 Danish children. - PakTribune

►December 6, 2006 - Senators Ask HHS To Focus on Diabetes Screening, Prevention for Medicare Beneficiaries - www.kaisernetwork.org - "According to the letter, findings from a recent study in the journal Diabetes Care show that 61% of Medicare beneficiaries -- 21 million of an estimated 32 million seniors -- have either diabetes or prediabetes."

* ►December 5, 2006 - Government scientist faces ethics charge - Seattle Post-Intelligencer - "...Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., said in a statement, 'We can only conclude that no one is being held accountable, the system is broken and the public trust has been violated.' 'Will a criminal conviction for conflict of interest be enough to get someone fired from NIH?' said Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich."

►December 5, 2006 - Forest Park nurse lauded for higher vaccine rates - Community Press & Recorder - "With immunization rates increasing from 34 percent in 2003 to 86 percent in 2004 to 89 percent in 2005, Tucker's persistence and hard work has clearly paid off."

►December 5, 2006 - Global Conference to Focus on Avian and Pandemic Influenza December 6-8 - U.S. Department of State

►December 5, 2006 - Bird flu experts gather in Mali to raise billions to fight deadly virus - AP via International Herald Tribune

►December 5, 2006 - Germ Warfare - Afraid to Eat Out? Worried About That Cruise? Join the Club -- Americans Are Sick of Getting Sick - ABC News
 
►December 5, 2006 - 11 without vaccines sent home - Suffolk News-Herald

* ►December 5, 2006 - Insecticide linked to poorer development - United Press International

* ►December 3, 2006 - CDC deal possibly unlawful - Internal review criticized how firm was picked (requires registration or subscription) - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

* ►December 2006 - The Future of the FDA - As the agency celebrates its 100th anniversary, what do Congress and others have in store? - The Scientist

►December 7, 2006 - Toys Help Take the Sting Out of Immunizations (requires subscription) - St. Ignace News

►December 6, 2006 - NZ researchers given $NZ1.6m funding for flu research - Radio New Zealand

* ►December 6, 2006 - MedImmune Reconfirms 2009 Financial Targets of $2 Billion in Revenues and $2.00 in Earnings Per Diluted Share, Excluding Share-Based Compensation Expense, at 2006 Analyst Day - press release - MedImmune, Inc. via PRNewswire-FirstCall

* ►December 6, 2006 - Letters to Health - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - "Waiting for my infant daughter to get a flu shot, I too was waiting to be called, when I read the information sheet and started asking questions about the mercury content...I didn't know much on the subject, but once my daughter was involved, I wanted to know every last detail and every last study before giving her the shot...I decided to leave. As I told the nurse I'd have to come back, she pulled me aside and told me they had a mercury-free one in the back."

►December 6, 2006 - Deadly flu bolsters push for immunisation - www.abc.net.au

►December 6, 2006 - 'GreeneChip' -- New diagnostic tool that rapidly and accurately identifies multiple pathogens - Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health via www.eurekalert.org
 
►December 6, 2006 - New Artery Stents Raise Safety Concerns (requires registration or subscription) - Washington Post

►December 5, 2006 - Mad cow protein may play role in diabetes - CanWest News via www.canada.com

* ►December 5, 2006 - Flu Vaccines - Open Season - OpEdNews - "Americans will soon see for themselves what the selfish, money-driven vaccine industry has done for society. Not even officials will be able to deny the ever excelling autism epidemic when it stares them square in the eye; human flesh and blood, just as themselves, rather than numbers on a page in their office."

* ►December 5, 2006 - Web extra: Health-care workers should get flu shots, conference told - Winnipeg Free Press - "'Principled opposition to vaccination' has existed since vaccines were introduced, said Dr. Ross Upshur, director of the U of T’s Joint Centre for Bioethics and a physician at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre."

* ►December 5, 2006 - Why your child needs a flu shot - The medical consensus is in: The benefits outweigh any risks. - opinion - USA Today - "Comments: Do not trust anyone who says, 'there is no proof that the small amounts of mercury used in vaccines are harmful to children.'"

* ►December 5, 2006 - Flu vaccine supply plentiful for those who still need a shot - West Central Tribune - "The thimerosal-free vaccine was ordered in response to parents’ concerns about mercury in the vaccine, DeBruycker said. 'What is in the flu vaccine is a very small amount, but we think people should have choices.'"

* ►December 5, 2006 - Make sure your health care workers got flu shot - opinion (requires registration or subscription) - San Jose Mercury News - "It is time to move public policy in the direction of mandatory flu vaccines for all appropriate health care employees."

►December 5, 2006 - Drawing out truth about the flu bug - Two talented local youngsters are helping to drive home the message of a new flu jab health campaign . . . with their drawings of the dreaded bug splashed across the back of buses across the county. - Mansfield Today

►December 5, 2006 - Giving flu vaccinations to care home staff saves residents' lives - Personnel Today

* ►December 5, 2006 - Pregnancy makes flu riskier (requires registration or subscription) - Globe and Mail - "While women are often reluctant to take any medication during pregnancy, it is safe for them to get vaccinated against the flu, she said. 'The vaccine community thinks this is a safe vaccine,' Dr. Langley said."

* ►December 5, 2006 - Swiss spell out pandemic vaccination plan - The Swiss authorities have given further details of plans to vaccinate the entire population in the event of an influenza pandemic. - Swissinfo - "Eight million doses of the pre-pandemic vaccine manufactured by Anglo-American firm GlaxoSmithKline are due to be delivered to the army's pharmacy division early next year. Claire-Anne Siegrist, head of the Federal Vaccination Commission, said the drug represented a 'new weapon' in the arsenal against a pandemic outbreak."

►December 5, 2006 - Autism Awareness: Easing fear during crises - The Union Leader

* ►December 5, 2006 - Texas lawmaker works out compromise on autism bill (requires registration or subscription) - McClatchy Newspapers via San Jose Mercury News - "After a daily drumbeat of negative publicity from radio personality Don Imus that lasted for weeks, a Texas congressman has worked out a compromise on a $945 million bill to fight autism. The Combating Autism Act goes to the House of Representatives Wednesday for a vote under streamlined procedures. Supporters anticipate that the bill, which has been revised slightly from a Senate-passed version, will pass by the two-thirds vote margin required and then be sent back to the Senate for a vote before Congress adjourns on Friday."

* ►December 5, 2006 - Autism Bill Sparks Sees Debate on Funding Research - Morning Edition via NPR

* ►December 5, 2006 - Girl, 17, killed by nut allergy - Tragedy at pal's birthday party - Belfast Telegraph

* ►December 5, 2006 - Children at Duke fight food allergies - Controlled exposure might make peanuts, milk and eggs less dangerous - News & Observer

* ►December 5, 2006 - 50 Children Sickened With Chickenpox In Yadkinville - www.wxii12.com - "A chicken pox outbreak in Yadkinville that may have caused one child's death has prompted health officials to urge parents to get their children vaccinated...In September, the C-D-C began recommending children receive two doses of the chicken pox vaccine instead of the previously recommended one dose. An immunization requirement for all children in the state took effect in 2002."

* ►December 5, 2006 - Chickenpox may have killed child - 1st-grader getting over the illness died last week - AP via Charlotte Observer

* ►December 5, 2006 - Brain bug kills teen in her sleep - The Sun, UK

►December 5, 2006 - Mother teaches about meningitis - Arizona Republic

►December 5, 2006 - Meningococcal guidelines 'inadequate' - The Australian

►December 5, 2006 - Vaccination proof required to register beginning fall 2007 - University of South Alabama Vanguard - "Beginning next fall all students must have proof of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations to attend the University."

►December 5, 2006 - No School for Students Not Vaccinated (includes video) - www.wric.com

►December 5, 2006 - No shots, no school - Vaccination deadline arrives; more students could be barred - Richmond Times-Dispatch

* ►December 5, 2006 - Over 1,000 sixth-graders still lacking required Tdap inoculation - www.wavy.com

* ►December 5, 2006 - Schools Could Turn Away Students - www.charlottesvillenewsplex.tv

►December 5, 2006 - TennCare wants more teens to get booster shots - The Tennessean

* ►December 5, 2006 - Aspirins may cut vaccine potency - UR research finds link, but experts say more study needed - Rochester Democrat & Chronicle

* ►December 5, 2006 - CDC Relationship With Consulting Firm Potentially Illegal - www.kaisernetwork.org

* ►December 5, 2006 - Nigeria: Bird Flu - Virologist Cautions Against Vaccination - Daily Champion (Lagos) via http://allafrica.com - "In an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), he said vaccination should be discouraged. He said the possibility of re-assortment of vaccines virus strains with the circulating wild strains, could result in emergence of a new strain which might be pathogenic for non immune birds."

►December 5, 2006 - Scientists to Review Fight Against Bird Flu at Mali Conference - Representatives from more than 100 countries are preparing to attend the fourth international conference on avian influenza, Wednesday in Bamako, Mali. Scientists fear that the rapid spread of this highly contagious virus, combined with the lack of preparation in vulnerable countries, can lead to added economic and human losses. Phuong Tran reports from Dakar. - Voice of America

►December 5, 2006 - Nigeria's bird flu status still uncertain despite 4-month gap since last known case - AP via International Herald Tribune

►December 5, 2006 - US Bird Flu Detection Plan Is Wild Goose Chase, Study Says - National Geographic

►December 5, 2006 - State considers $8 million purchase of Tamiflu in case of pandemic - Ashland City Times

►December 5, 2006 - New Research Predicts US Entry of H5N1 Avian Influenza - Scientists Uncover Disease Pathways and Causes - The Consortium for Conservation Medicine via Business Wire

►December 5, 2006 - First Epidemic Influenza Case Found - Korea Times

►December 5, 2006 - More Bacteria and Less ‘germ-free’ Chicken, 83% of Chickens Infected - MedIndia

►December 5, 2006 - Cepheid gets bird flu test CDC contract - AP via BusinessWeek

►December 5, 2006 - Hope rekindled as Nigeria inches towards eradicating polio - Vanguard

►December 5, 2006 - PAV Immunises 77,814 Children Against Polio - AngolaPress

►December 5, 2006 - Virus fells Needham health workers - Needham Times via Boston Herald

►December 5, 2006 - Details released on hunting camp virus - Helena Independent Record

►December 5, 2006 - Kids to get shots after whooping cough hits EL High - Lansing State Journal

* ►December 5, 2006 - Whooping Cough Confirmed in 2 E.L. Students (includes video) - www.wilx.com - "'There is a limited supply of this vaccine nationwide so we have to apply the most effective use of resources,' Sienko said."

►December 5, 2006 - State working to curb pertussis outbreaks - Daily Review-Atlas

►December 5, 2006 - TB tests planned at Center High - Student diagnosed with lung infection (requires registration) - Sacramento Bee

►December 5, 2006 - Suspected Norwalk virus plagues staff, patients at NB hospital - Canadian Press via CBC News

►December 5, 2006 - A Rare Glimpse at Merck's $300 Million Vaccine Plant Under Construction in North Carolina, an Industrial Info News Alert - Industrial Info Resources via Genetic Engineering News

* ►December 5, 2006 - Antidepressant-Linked Suicide Risk May Vary With Age (Update 4) - Bloomberg - "'They feel there is no apparent association here between antidepressant use and suicide risk in the over-25 adult population,' said Ian Sanderson, a Boston-based analyst with Cowen & Co. 'I think it's a bit of a relief,' and the market is unlikely to react negatively, he said."

* ►December 5, 2006 - UPDATE 2-Young adult antidepressant risk higher-FDA staff - Reuters

* ►December 5, 2006 - Stents hearing waivers stir FDA ethics debate - Newark Star-Ledger - "But FDA critics said physicians serving on panels responsible for giving independent opinions should have no industry ties. 'There are literally thousands of experts all over this country who are well-schooled in the details of this field,' said Merrill Goozner of the Center for Science in the Public Interest."

►December 5, 2006 - FDA Warns Five Firms To Stop Compounding Topical Anesthetic Creams - FDA

►December 5, 2006 - SA to host international genetics lab - Independent Online

►December 5, 2006 - Aethlon Medical Announces Dengue Virus Collaboration With Government of India Researchers - Genetic Engineering News

►December 5, 2006 - Cancer vaccines the wave of the future? - Mount Vernon News

►December 5, 2006 - Oxford Gene Technology Tapped to Provide Microarrays for HIV Vaccine Research - Genetic Engineering News

►December 5, 2006 - Thais Invent Rice-based Supplement To Help HIV/AIDS Patients - Bernama

►December 5, 2006 - Growing threat - Staph infections rising among athletes - Wyoming Tribune-Eagle

►December 5, 2006 - Susan C. Winckler Appointed as Acting FDA Chief of Staff - FDA

►December 5, 2006 - IFT Testimony at FDA's Functional Food Public Hearing - The Institute of Food Technologists via U.S. Newswire

►December 5, 2006 - Biolex technology produces superior MAbs - A new cell culture process developed by Biolex Pharmaceuticals produces monoclonal antibodies which are both more potent and more effective. - www.in-pharmatechnologist.com

►December 5, 2006 - NYC Bans Trans Fats From Eateries - AP via Forbes 

►December 4, 2006 - NCI Researchers Develop Modified Immunotoxin for Cancer Therapy in Mouse Study - NIH

►December 4, 2006 - Scientists Criticize Bird Flu Search - AP via San Francisco Chronicle

►December 4, 2006 - US CDC awards $11.4 million for new bird flu tests - Reuters AlertNet

* ►December 4, 2006 - Flu shot campaign raises issues - opinion - Edwardsville Intelligencer - "Not only is the use of mercury in vaccines highly controversial, but it's a well-acknowledged fact that some people will actually get sick from the shots. These things worry people. In many people's minds, it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense for some people in some situations to let health officials pump them full of a substance that MAY protect them again something that MAY happen at some UNCERTAIN point in the future. Certainly flu shots have their place, as do other forms of preventative medicine, but do health officials help their case any by thinking in the aggregate or speaking in terms of supply and demand? We don't think so. It's not all wrong, but focusing on ensuring that vaccines are 100 percent safe, and building the public's trust in health authorities in general -- which has seriously eroded over the years -- would be a better course of action."

►December 4, 2006 - You Best Shot: The Flu Shot - www.wsls.com - "Right now the Immunization Department in Lynchburg has several hundred doses just sitting, waiting to be used."

►December 4, 2006 - Care Home Vaccination Cuts Death Rates - Staff in care homes should be vaccinated to reduce the toll of death and illness from the annual winter flu outbreak, researchers have reported. - www.staffnurse.com

►December 4, 2006 - Studies shed light on autism effects and treatment - Reuters AlertNet - "Two studies shed light on the possible effects of autism on the brain and point to potential treatments, researchers said on Monday. One found that oxytocin, which studies have found is important in human bonding, may help reduce debilitating symptoms in autistic adults. And a second found that fear-detecting areas of the brain are shrunken in people with autism."

►December 4, 2006 - Fight for answers over mystifying skin disease continues - www.wfaa.com

►December 4, 2006 - Guidelines for Child Sedation Updated - Medical Groups Says Doctors, Dentists Must Know How to Revive Overly Sedated Children - AP via ABC News

►December 4, 2006 - The Power of One: a Simpler, Cheaper Method for Cell Fusion - Purdue University via Newswise

►December 4, 2006 - Shall We Ever See the Last of Polio? - Polio, the childhood killer disease is still on the prowl despite all efforts to confine it to history.  However, there is optimism that the renewed onslaught by Nigerian authorities against the disease will lead to its total eradication before the end of 2007. - ThisDay

►December 4, 2006 - UN-backed strategy seeks to develop powerful malaria vaccine by 2025 - UN News Centre

►December 15, 2006 - Dog dies of avian influenza - JAMVA News via American Veterinary Medical Association

* ►December 5, 2006 - Flu vaccination while pregnant does not help baby - Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine via Reuters, UK

* ►December 5, 2006 - 50pc of people don't believe in flu vaccines - Nearly half of a group surveyed on flu immunisation believed it was better to build up natural immunity through a healthy diet and alternative remedies, the National Influenza Strategy Group (NISG) says. - NZPA via www.stuff.co.nz

►December 5, 2006 - Influenza - Most People Unlikely to Have Immunity - National Influenza Strategy Group via www.scoop.co.nz

►December 5, 2006 - Merck sues Toronto-based drug maker (requires registration or subscription) - Toronto Star - "Merck & Co. has sued Toronto-based drug maker Apotex Inc., seeking to prevent sales of a generic form of the glaucoma treatment Trusopt."

►December 5, 2006 - US changes vaccine guidelines for children - The Detroit News

►December 5, 2006 - Olive Oil Compound Slows HIV Spread - Maslinic acid – a natural product extracted from dry olive-pomace oil – inhibits serin-protease, an enzyme used by HIV to release itself from the infected cell into the extracellular environment and spread the infection into the whole body. - Universidad de Granada via Scientist Live

►December 5, 2006 - Throw out the Sachar report - column - The Pioneer - "Muslim clerics, specially in Uttar Pradesh have been spreading wild stories that the anti-polio campaign is part of a western plot to reduce the Muslim birth rate."

►December 5, 2006 - Compo deal for bad blood victims - Newstalk ZB via http://tvnz.co.nz - "People who contracted Hepatitis C through the country's blood supply are to receive compensation payouts of up to $70,000 each."

►December 5, 2006 - Professor dies of meningococcal infection - AP via Baltimore Sun via www.wmdt.com - "People who've been in close contact with a Johns Hopkins University professor are getting precautionary treatment for the rare infection that killed her."

►December 5, 2006 - E. Coli Sickens 39 in New Jersey and New York (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times

* ►December 5, 2006 - SSRI Experts Head to Washington to Testify Before FDA Panel - OpEdNews - "Former Federal fraud investigator, Allen Jones, will also be testifying at the hearing and he too has testified before about the over-promotion and marketing of psychiatric drugs. 'The pervasive manipulation of clinical trials, the non-reporting of negative trials and the cover-up of debilitating and deadly side effects,' Mr Jones says, 'makes it impossible to prescribe, or take, these drugs with any level of meaningful informed consent.' 'Doctors and patients alike,' he states, 'have been betrayed by the governmental entities and officials who are supposed to protect them.'"

* ►December 5, 2006 - Early treatment urged for Autism - Shanghai Daily - "There are an estimated five million autistic residents in China, including some 650,000 with serious symptoms, said Jiao Min, doctor with the Zhengzhou Children's Hospital. Nearly 800,000 are below 14 years old."

* ►December 5, 2006 - A Campaign to Get a Disease Some Respect (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times - "Prevnar, a vaccine for infants that protects against seven strains of bacteria, has been sold in the United States since 2000. It costs about $250 and earns almost $2 billion a year for its maker, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals of Collegeville, Pa. A version that protects against nine strains of pneumonia that Wyeth made for a clinical trial in Gambia was a resounding success last year, preventing one death for every 200 children vaccinated."

►December 5, 2006 - Expanded HIV Screening in the United States: Effect on Clinical Outcomes, HIV Transmission, and Costs (full text) - journal article (Annals of Internal Medicine)

►December 5, 2006 - Molecule Linked To Autoimmune Disease Relapses Identified At Stanford - The ebb and flow of such autoimmune diseases as multiple sclerosis, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis has long been a perplexing mystery. But new findings from the Stanford University School of Medicine bring scientists closer to solving the puzzle, identifying a molecule that appears to play a central role in relapses. - Stanford University Medical Center via ScienceDaily

* ►December 4, 2006 - Four Months For First Vaccine In Bird Flu Pandemic - Bernama - "Britain's Health Department director of Immunisation David M. Salisbury said it could take up to a year for sufficient vaccine to be produced to allow two doses for each member of the countries to be vaccinated. "During this time, at the least the first pandemic wave will be over, and the second and third waves, should they occur, may also be over before significant numbers of individuals can be vaccinated," he told the Seventh World Health Organisation's (WHO) Global Vaccine Research Forum here."

* ►December 4, 2006 - Flu vaccine capacity at its highest… for now - Pharmaceutical giants push their flu vaccine production capacity to the limit but will it have an effect on future supply? - Pharmaceutical Technology

* ►December 4, 2006 - Dynavax's HEPLISAV(TM) Hepatitis B Vaccine Shows 100% Seroprotection Regardless of Vaccination Schedule in Phase 2 Trial - Dynavax Technologies Corporation via PRNewswire-FirstCall via RT Magazine

* ►December 4, 2006 - Local company sheds light on drug research -  The Examiner - "Breeding enough bacteria or viruses to provide large scale vaccinations takes nine months to two years, Rao said. His technology — which is already being produced by two sub-licensers — should be able to shave months or years off of that time by helping eliminate unproductive cultures more quickly."

►December 4, 2006 - IT Caught Off Guard by Flu Pandemic Warning - Call to make quarantine preparations a priority is ‘eye-opener’ for execs - Computer World

►December 4, 2006 - HerbalScience Develops Safe and Effective Treatment for Influenza, Including Avian Flu Strain - HerbalScience via www.earthtimes.org

►December 4, 2006 - New Approach To Mad Cow Disease Successful In Lab: Prion-infected Mice Survive Longer - A new method of treatment can appreciably slow down the progress of the fatal brain disease scrapie in mice. This has been established by researchers from the Universities of Munich and Bonn together with their colleagues at the Max Planck Institute in Martinsried. To do this they used an effect discovered by the US researchers Craig Mello and Andrew Fire, for which they were awarded this year's Nobel Prize for Medicine. Scrapie is a variant of the cattle disease BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as 'mad cow disease') and the human equivalent Creutzfeld-Jakob disease. However, it will take years for the method to be introduced to medicine, the researchers warn. Their findings are published in the next issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation (Vol. 116, No. 12, December 2006). - University of Bonn via ScienceDaily

►December 4, 2006 - The 'do-it-all' doctors (requires registration or subscription) - Primary care physicians monitor blood pressure and cholesterol, keep track of immunizations and screen for diseases. Yet many patients don't have one. - Los Angeles Times

►December 4, 2006 - More autistic children sparks statewide program growth - AP via Plain Dealer via Akron Beacon Journal

* ►December 4, 2006 - Campaign group's screening call - Belfast Telegraph - "Jackie Fletcher, from JABS, said it was the Government's responsibility to work out which children were most at risk because they have promoted the vaccines as being safe. 'It may be that some children have an immune system which just can't cope with the vaccine,' she said. 'There are also variations between batches, with some batches being particularly problematic. Children should be screened to see who is at heightened risk and should not just be lined up in school and all given injections.'"

* ►December 4, 2006 - Early childhood vaccination rates good, but figures at 7, 17 'sobering' - Canadian Press via CBC

* ►December 4, 2006 - Ont. flu shot program seems to lower hospitalizations in younger adults: study - Canadian Press via CBC - "Kwong is involved in a project trying to assess the impact of Ontario's universal flu shot program. The first in the world, the program is of intense interest to influenza researchers and public health authorities far beyond Ontario's borders. The data presented here are among the first this group has gathered. They have not yet been published in a medical journal and Kwong was cautious about how much information he would give out, fearing fuller disclosure might jeopardize publication."

* ►December 4, 2006 - Cervical cancer vaccine showing promise - Winnipeg Free Press - "Cervical cancer could be almost eliminated in Canada within a generation, according to one Winnipeg physician, if policy makers heed new data presented Sunday at a national immunization conference in the city."

* ►December 4, 2006 - Hundreds of sixth graders pulled out of school for lack of shots - Virginian-Pilot

* ►December 4, 2006 - Student vaccination deadlines loom - Richmond Times-Dispatch - "Several hundred Richmond-area sixth-graders could be held from school tomorrow because they have not received an up-to-date vaccination required by state law."

* ►December 4, 2006 - The Shot Every Girl Should Get - The College Hill Independent - "For most of the 1900s, the US government believed some Americans were apathetic towards vaccines. Using the new science of marketing beginning in the 1920s, the federal government tried to guilt, scare and threaten the public into vaccinating. Television actress Marion Ross, said in a 1978 radio broadcast, 'If your child comes down with polio, measles, diphtheria or mumps, it’s probably your fault, because your child was not properly immunized.' Today, Merck’s 'Tell Someone' ad campaign tries to stimulate discussions about the dangers of HPV."

►December 4, 2006 - Vaccines — Good for Adults, Too - Mayo Clinic via Newswise

►December 4, 2006 - Hermina Paull named National Winner of the 2006 Canadian Immunization Poster Contest - press release - Public Health Agency of Canada via CCNMatthews

►December 4, 2006 - IAC EXPRESS Issue #634 - Immunization Action Coalition

* ►December 4, 2006 - PETA calls for CDC chief's resignation (requires registration or subscription) - Atlanta Journal-Constitution - "Citing serious animal care problems recently revealed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the animal rights group PETA on Monday called for the resignation of director Julie Gerberding."

* ►December 4, 2006 - CDC under scrutiny for hiring favoritism - United Press International

* ►December 4, 2006 - FDA Stent Experts Have Financial Ties to J&J, Boston Scientific - Bloomberg

* ►December 4, 2006 - Ped Med: Scientists study genes in autism - United Press International

►December 4, 2006 - Brain's fear center likely shrinks in autism's most severely socially impaired - Well siblings share some of the same behavioral, neural features - NIH/National Institute of Mental Health via www.eurekalert.org

►December 4, 2006 - Adult Autism Asperger Syndrome – Oxytocin preliminary Testing Showed Improved Behavior - Best Syndication

►December 4, 2006 - Bird-Flu Fight to Cost $750 Mln a Year, UN Envoy Says (Update2) - Bloomberg

►December 4, 2006 - South Korea nears end of cull to stop bird flu - Reuters AlertNet

►December 4, 2006 - CDC funds work on rapid tests for avian flu - CIDRAP News

►December 4, 2006 - Minnesotans Urged To Get Flu Shots - AP via http://wcco.com

►December 4, 2006 - Agency offering flu-shot clinics - Event at stadium drew hundreds - Louisville Courier-Journal

►December 4, 2006 - Shots reduce risk as flu starts spreading - Norwich Bulletin

►December 4, 2006 - Development of Influenza A Virus - MedIndia

►December 4, 2006 - A shot of common sense - Wetaskiwin Times Advertiser

►December 4, 2006 - PAHO Launches 'Advances in Immunization' Book - Pan American Health Organization

►December 4, 2006 - Zimbabwe: Vaccination Exercise - The Herald (Harare) via http://allafrica.com

* ►December 4, 2006 - Govt adopts new strategy to fight polio - www.ndtv.com - "Apart from intensifying the pulse polio rounds, the new strategy is to catch newborns within 72 hours of their birth so that no child is left out."

* ►December 4, 2006 - Meningitis case at NF, student is recovering - Storm Lake Pilot Tribune - "According to Kevin Teale of the Iowa Department of Public Health, there have been 19 confirmed cases so far this year, 12 of those in northwest Iowa. 'We don't know why there have been so many cases in that area of the state but we're not calling it an outbreak situation by any means,' Teale said."

►December 4, 2006 - Meningitis Warning - Parents of youngsters aged two and under in Melton are being advised to vaccinate their children against a strain of meningitis. - Melton Times, UK

►December 4, 2006 - Meningitis patient wins huge payout - A trainee hairdresser who suffered catastrophic brain damage after doctors misdiagnosed the type of meningitis she was suffering has won a massive compensation payout. - Lancashire Evening Post

►December 4, 2006 - UCF Student Dies From Meningitis - www.local6.com

►December 4, 2006 - Passengers fall ill to virus on cruise - AP via Newsday

►December 4, 2006 - New Trier tries to combat whooping cough outbreak - School offers free vaccinations - WLS ABC 7 Chicago

* ►December 4, 2006 - Africa: UN-Backed Strategy Seeks to Develop Powerful Malaria Vaccine By 2025 - UN News Service (New York) via http://allafrica.com

* ►December 4, 2006 - NIH Using PARI's eFlow in HIV/AIDS Vaccine Research - PARI Aerosol Research Institute via PRNewswire-FirstCall via Yahoo! - "The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, is currently conducting research using PARI's eFlow electronic nebulizer to study aerosol delivery of vaccines to the mucosa. This study evaluates immunogenicity of aerosolized adenovirus- and DNA-based vaccines delivered to the lungs to protect from HIV/AIDS and other viral diseases."

* ►December 4, 2006 - Vaccine for Aids elusive as ever - New Zealand Herald

* ►December 4, 2006 - Uganda: New Vaccine Trial for Babies - The Monitor (Kampala) via http://allafrica.com

►December 4, 2006 - AVI BioPharma Awarded $28 Million Biodefense Research Contract by Department of Defense/DTRA - AVI BioPharma, Inc. via Business Wire

►December 4, 2006 - IIUM To Produce Halal Vaccines For Breeding Industry - Bernama

►December 4, 2006 - Aethlon Medical Receives 2007 Innovative HIV Life Science Leadership Award from The AIDS Institute - Genetic Engineering News

►December 4, 2006 - Israeli AIDS expert joins Australian vaccination project in Africa - Israel 21C

►December 4, 2006 - PEPFAR, Global Fund Programs Treating 1.2M HIV-Positive People; 2M Receiving Antiretrovirals in Developing Countries, Report Says - www.kaisernetwork.org

►December 4, 2006 - No Vaccine Yet For Malaria As R&D More On HIV, Bird Flu - Bernama

►December 4, 2006 - HIV-positive, but few viruses - Scientists study "carriers" who never got AIDS for keys to longevity. - Seattle Times via Philadelphia Inquirer

►December 4, 2006 - New Roads Act as a Highway for Diarrhea - Highway construction in Ecuador unites remote villages but also spreads diarrheal pathogens - Scientific American

►December 4, 2006 - FDA Sting 'Nails' Eli Lilly Drug Rep - Progressive U

►December 4, 2006 - Infected at the hospital - Virginia prepares to gather data in fight to better protect patients - Richmond Times-Dispatch

►December 4, 2006 - Cluster families hope for more research after CDC study results - Lahontan Valley News

►December 4, 2006 - Disease-tracker reflects on quarter-century career - O.C. Vector Control's James P. Webb, who retires this month, talks about insects, rodents and their propensity for passing diseases on to people. - Orange County Register

* ►December 4, 2006 - Team works toward finding vaccine for intestinal illnesses - Kansas professors, students join together to research dysentery cure, a disease that kills 1.1 million each year - University Daily Kansan

* ►December 4, 2006 - US FDA--drugs like Pfizer's to get more scrutiny - Reuters

* ►December 4, 2006 - Report: Benzene Found In Diet Orange Crush In 1990, FDA Looked The Other Way - CarbWire

►December 4, 2006 - "Stay healthy, Stop mercury" Campaign Launched - European Public Health Alliance

►December 4, 2006 - New biosensors from the blood of llamas - An unusual protein found in the blood of llamas has enabled scientists to develop a quick, simple method for making antibodies that could be used in a new generation of biosensors. The biosensors could detect deliberate environmental contamination with a wide range of disease-causing microbes and toxins, with new sensors produced quickly in response to newly emerging biothreats, researchers said. - www.physorg.com

►December 4, 2006 - AVI BioPharma Recipient of $28M Biodefense Contract - Genetic Engineering News

►December 4, 2006 - MIT develops antimicrobial paint - UPI via M & C Science

►December 4, 2006 - Allergy-free protein shows hope for a risk-free peanut - University of Florida News

►December 4, 2006 - It was not the end, but it was the start of a war - a war I knew I could win - Ron Fickling was diagnosed with lung cancer three years ago, but is now in remission from the deadly disease. The 53-year-old, from Merthyr Tydfil, was a heavy smoker but a persistent and troublesome cough - the first indication that he was ill - persuaded him to stop. This is his story - Western Mail via icWales

* ►December 4, 2006 - Doctors learn from subtle lead poisoning - Pediatrician says tests have increased since boy's death - Pioneer Press via www.twincities.com

* ►December 4, 2006 - Son's staph infection inspires new business for dad - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

►December 3, 2006 - Working when sick hurts business, bosses say - CTV

* ►December 3, 2006 - UTMB receives grant from Gates Foundation - Galveston County Daily News

* ►December 3, 2006 - Friends celebrate author's 'White Lies' (book review) - The Culpeper Star Exponent - “White Lies,” a 288-page journey inspired by actual events, follows the struggles of a young mother whose three-month-old son, Danny, suffers seizures following routine childhood vaccinations and autism."

* ►December 3, 2006 - Celebrating Immunization in Canada - Achievements and Opportunities - 7th Canadian Immunization Conference - Canada Newswire via Hoover's

* ►December 3, 2006 - New pan-canadian data on burden of HPV-related diseases revealed today - Canada Newswire via Hoover's

* ►December 3, 2006 - Toxic trade-off (requires registration) - Products made with dangerous chemicals are making our lives more convenient but at what cost to our bodies? - Star-Telegram

* ►December 1. 2006 - Defense official urges all to get influenza vaccinations - The Fort Leavenworth

►December 1, 2006 - Dendritic Cells Amplify T Cell-Mediated Immune Responses in the Central Nervous System - journal article (The Journal of Immunology)

►December 1, 2006 - Cutting Edge: TLR3 Stimulation Suppresses Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis by Inducing Endogenous IFN-beta - journal article (The Journal of Immunology)

►December 1, 2006 - CXCL12 Limits Inflammation by Localizing Mononuclear Infiltrates to the Perivascular Space during Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis - journal article (The Journal of Immunology)

* ►December 1, 2006 - Fighting AIDS Is Melinda Gates' Priority - In Exclusive Interview, Gates Tells Katie Couric That Vaccine Is More Than A Decade Away - CBS 13

►December 1, 2006 - Health Officials Insist On Flu Shots - Cox News Service via Herald-Tribune

►December 2006 - A Long Shot on Cytomegalovirus (requires subscription) - The Scientist

* ►December 2006 - Lipid-containing mimetics of natural triggers of innate immunity as CTL-inducing influenza vaccines - journal article (International Immunology)

* ►December 2006 - The influence of previous exposure to environmental mycobacteria on the interferon-gamma response to bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccination in southern England and northern Malawi - journal article (Clinical & Experimental Immunology)

* ►December 2006 - Nickel, cobalt, chromium, palladium and gold induce a mixed Th1- and Th2-type cytokine response in vitro in subjects with contact allergy to the respective metals - journal article (Clinical & Experimental Immunology)

►December 2006 - Comparison of cervical and blood T-cell responses to human papillomavirus-16 in women with human papillomavirus-associated cervical intraepithelial neoplasia - journal article (Immunology)

►December 2006 - Signal Transduction and Nuclear Responses in Staphylococcus aureus- Induced Expression of Human ß-Defensin 3 in Skin Keratinocytes - journal article (Infection and Immunity)

►December 2006 - Enhanced half-life of genetically engineered human IgG1 antibodies in a humanized FcRn mouse model: potential application in humorally mediated autoimmune disease - journal article (International Immunology)

►December 2006 - Severity of illness and the use of paracetamol in febrile preschool children; a case simulation study of parents' assessments - journal article (Family Practice)

►December 2006 - Pharyngitis in Low-Resources Settings: A Pragmatic Clinical Approach to Reduce Unnecessary Antibiotic Use - journal article (Pediatrics)

►December 2006 - Clinical features of childhood onset essential tremor - journal article (European Journal of Neurology)

►December 2006 - PECAM-1, a key player in neuroinflammation - journal article (European Journal of Neurology)

►December 2006 - Hepatocellular apoptosis during Candida albicans colonization: involvement of TNF-{alpha} and infiltrating Fas-L positive lymphocytes - journal article (International Immunology)

►December 2006 - Altered expression of vasoactive intestinal peptide receptors in T lymphocytes and aberrant Th1 immunity in multiple sclerosis - journal article (International Immunology)

►November 30, 2006 - Southern Illinois U.: HPV common infection with common misconceptions - U-Wire via Hoover's

►November 30, 2006 - Study shows conflicts of interest in many clinical trials - Los Angeles Times via The Seattle Times

►November 29, 2006 - How to cope with ADHD - http://lifestyle.iafrica.com

►November 29, 2006 - Arthritis drug dangers explained - Scientists believe they have uncovered why some arthritis drugs such as Vioxx can cause heart attacks and strokes. - BBC

* ►November 28, 2006 - Even more suicide attempts in clinical trials with paroxetine randomised against placebo (pdf) - (BMC Psychiatry)

►November 27, 2006 - Pivotal roles of CD8+ T cells restricted by MHC class I–like molecules in autoimmune diseases - journal article (The Journal of Experimental Medicine)

►November 27, 2006 - Spontaneous autoimmunity prevented by thymic expression of a single self-antigen - journal article (The Journal of Experimental Medicine)

* ►November 22, 2006 - A Hybrid Expressing Genetically Engineered Major Allergens of the Parietaria Pollen as a Tool for Specific Allergy Vaccination - journal article (International Archives of Allergy and Immunology)

►November 22, 2006 - Role of Cytokines in Allergic Airway Inflammation - journal article (International Archives of Allergy and Immunology)

* ►November 17, 2006 - What would you do? Alternative medicine - For most doctors, our poll shows, patient autonomy is key when the patient turns away from conventional medicine. - Medical Economics

►November 1, 2006 - Onion and garlic use and human cancer - journal article (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition)

* ►November 2006 - Outbreak of pertussis in a neonatal intensive care unit--Louisiana, 2004 - journal article (American Journal of Infection Control)

* ►November 2006 - Needlestick injury and accidental exposure to blood: The need for improving the hepatitis B vaccination grade among health care workers outside the hospital - journal article (American Journal of Infection Control)

* ►November 2006 - Cost benefits of targeting the Pneumococcal Vaccination Program to the elderly population in Taiwan - journal article (American Journal of Infection Control)

* ►November 2006 - Evaluation of immunity against rubella in Iranian after mass campaign for measles-rubella vaccination on December 2003 - journal article (American Journal of Infection Control)

* ►November 2006 - Hepatitis B virus among schoolchildren in an endemic area in Egypt over a decade: Impact of hepatitis B vaccine - journal article (American Journal of Infection Control)

* ►November 2006 - Measles, rubella, mumps, and varicella seroprevalence among health care workers in Turkey: Is prevaccination screening cost-effective? - journal article (American Journal of Infection Control)

* ►November 2006 - Dendritic Cell Vaccination in Patients With Malignant Gliomas: Current Status and Future Directions. - journal article (Neurosurgery Online)

►November 2006 - Drug-Induced Hypersensitivity Syndrome due to Mexiletine Hydrochloride Associated with Reactivation of Human Herpesvirus 7 - journal article (Dermatology)

►November 2006 - Pediatric Cyanide Poisoning: Causes, Manifestations, Management, and Unmet Needs - journal article (Pediatrics)

►November 2006 - Cost-Effectiveness of Biologic Agents for Treatment of Autoimmune Disorders: Structured Review of the Literature - journal article (The Journal of Rheumatology)

►November 2006 - Small body size at birth and behavioural symptoms of ADHD in children aged five to six years - journal article (Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines)

►November 2006 - Is Chronic Pain in Adulthood Related to Childhood Factors? A Population-Based Case-Control Study of Young Adults - journal article (The Journal of Rheumatology)

►November 2006 - Complementary and alternative medicine use in British Columbia—A survey of HIV positive people on antiretroviral therapy - journal article (Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice)

* ►October 31, 2006 - Immunogenicity of a polyvalent HIV-1 candidate vaccine based on fourteen wild type gp120 proteins in golden hamsters - journal article (BMC Immunology)

►October/December 2006 - Insulin Resistance Syndrome and Alzheimer Disease: Pathophysiologic Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications. - journal article (Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders)

►October/December 2006 - Thyroid Function in Patients With Alzheimer Disease: Implications on Response to Anticholinesterase Treatment. - journal article (Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders)

►September 2006 - Antigen-Specific CD4+ Regulatory T Cells in the Intestine - journal article (Inflammation & Allergy - Drug Targets)