* ►May 7, 2007 - Renewal sought for drug approval user fee law - Some observers are urging Congress to seek a proper balance between federal and drug company funding of the FDA. - www.ama-assn.org

* ►May 7, 2007 - Physician ethics still in play when talking to the media - How should a doctor respond when a news reporter calls? Journalists seek comments from physicians for background on scientific advances, for better understanding of the true threat of an epidemic outbreak, for information on the health status of a prominent person and much more. How should you handle interview requests? - www.ama-assn.org

* ►May 7, 2007 - Bringing in the boomers: Potential growth for health market - While the boomer generation has long been considered an important demographic for marketers of products and services, experts say physicians also stand to gain by targeting the boomer patient. - www.ama-assn.org

* ►May 7, 2007 - Plan ties bonuses to members' health status - Physicians are concerned that WellPoint's employee incentives may lead to the weeding out of sicker patients. - www.ama-assn.org

* ►May 7, 2007 - By The Numbers Hospital side effects (requires registration or subscription) - Los Angeles Times

►May 7, 2007 - Immunization refresher  - www.ama-assn.org

►May 7, 2007 - Rating physician quality - www.ama-assn.org

►May 7, 2007 - Trust: A reciprocal relationship between us and patients - A message to all AMA members from Cecil B. Wilson, MD, chair of the AMA Board of Trustees. - www.ama-assn.org

►May 7, 2007 - Roadmap for health IT - Cost and privacy issues must be addressed if lawmakers want to encourage physicians to invest in technology -- and fulfill its promise. - www.ama-assn.org

►May 7, 2007 - Diabetics need much more than a shot (requires registration or subscription) - Managing the disease requires constant support and substantial investment, but would pay off in the end for thousands of people. - Los Angeles Times

►May 7, 2007 - Acid-reflux drug may block B-12 absorption (requires registration or subscription) - Los Angeles Times

* ►May 6, 2007 - From China to Panama, a Trail of Poisoned Medicine (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times - "The kidneys fail first. Then the central nervous system begins to misfire. Paralysis spreads, making breathing difficult, then often impossible without assistance. In the end, most victims die. Many of them are children, poisoned at the hands of their unsuspecting parents."

* ►May 6, 2007 - If paramedics err, what happens to them? (requires registration or subscription) - In California, there's no guarantee that they or emergency medical technicians will be reported, investigated or disciplined. - Los Angeles Times

►May 6, 2007 - Toxic sites on your doorstep - The Age, AU

►May 6, 2007 - Two millionth child vaccinated against measles in Sudan - Sapa/AFP via Mail & Guardian Online

* ►May 5, 2007 - Masks may Not Help Against Super-Flu - Casper Star Tribune

►May 5, 2007 - N.S. delegates off to biotech convention - The Chronicle Herald

►May 5, 2007 - Talk to the Hand: Language might have evolved from gestures - Science News

►May 5, 2007 - From the May 1, 1937, issue - Science News

►May 5, 2007 - Maritime mumps outbreak migrating to Ontario - CTV

►May 5, 2007 - Governor Spitzer Signs Jonathan's Law! - Thank the Governor and our Legislators for Acting to Protect Our Children! - A-CHAMP.org

►May 5, 2007 - Seasonal allergies plague one-quarter of Canadians - Vancouver Sun via www.canada.com

►May 5, 2007 - Selenium pills 'may combat HIV' - Taking daily selenium supplements may block the build up of HIV in a patient's blood, research suggests. - BBC

►May 5, 2007 - Timing is Important in Vaccinating Against BVD - Discover Moose Jaw

►May 5, 2007 - Study shows high tungsten parallels cancer cluster - Sierra Vista Herald

* ►May 4, 2007 - Bird Flu Vaccine Progress Reflects On Novavax Shares - Vaccine RX

* ►May 4, 2007 - Better medical screening sought for Guard troops being deployed - The Boston Globe - "They do not know why he died," Damon-Day said, adding that the Vaccine Healthcare Center at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington is still looking at the death as possibly vaccine-related. While the military lists the death as "sudden unexpected," Damon-Day believes it was "prolonged and preventable." She suspects it could have something to do with the extensive series of vaccinations Damon, like other soldiers, had to undergo before deployment. Damon-Day questioned whether, for example, one immunization could have an effect on another."

* ►May 4, 2007 - Imaging Study Provides Clues About Social Deficits of Autistic Children -  University of California Los Angeles

►May 4, 2007 - Vaccine Nation - The East Village Mamele via The Jewish Daily Forward

►May 4, 2007 - Whooping Cough Keeps Dozens Of Students Home - KTHV Little Rock News

►May 4, 2007 - UCSF to establish center for study of primary immune disease in children - UCSF to establish center for study of primary immune disease in children - University of California, San Francisco

►May 4, 2007 - U.S. Control Strategies May Make Flu Epidemics Worse - University of California Los Angeles

►May 4, 2007 - New Report Examines Strategies for Exploiting the Power of Genomics to Inform Studies in Immunology - Research and Markets via Business Wire

* ►May 3, 2007 - State Hopes to Add Five Vaccines to Free Program - AP via www.wral.com

* ►May 3, 2007 - Wyeth Turns to Menopause Pills After Hormone Debacle (Update5) - Bloomberg

►May 3, 2007 - Measles Cases on Increase in Kanto Area - Daily Yomiuri (Japan) via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►May 3, 2007 - 'Insulator' Helps Silence Genes In Dormant Herpes Virus - The Wistar Institute via Biocompare

►May 3, 2007 - Treating Ticks With Antibiotics Inhibits Their Reproduction - University of California - Irvine via Biocompare

* ►May 2, 2007 - India Unveils AIDS-Vaccine Partnership - UPI via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

* ►May 2, 2007 - Nabi Biopharmaceuticals Announces Positive Results of Phase IIb Trial of NicVAX - High Antibody Responders Meet Primary Endpoint and Show Statistical Significance - Nabi Biopharmaceuticals via The Healthcare Sales & Marketing Network

* ►May 2, 2007 - St. Jude Study Shows Effectiveness Of Peramivir In Prevention Of Mortality In Mouse Model Of Avian Influenza H5N1 Virus Infection - BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. via PRNewswire via Biocompare

* ►May 2, 2007 - Depressing Cleanliness - Progress Daily - "Dr Mary O’Brien was trying out an experimental treatment for lung cancer that involved inoculating patients with Mycobacterium vaccae. This is a harmless relative of the bugs that cause tuberculosis and leprosy that had been rendered even more harmless by killing it. When Dr O’Brien gave the inoculation, she observed not only fewer symptoms of the cancer, but also an improvement in her patients’ emotional health, vitality and general cognitive function."

* ►May 2, 2007 - FDA Proposes New Warnings About Suicidal Thinking, Behavior in Young Adults Who Take Antidepressant Medications - FDA

* ►May 2, 2007 - Metro Toronto Convention Centre to Host World's Leaders in Pediatrics at Largest International Meeting Focused on Research in Child Health - CNW via Canoe

* ►May 1, 2007 - Blood Products for Spanish Influenza: A Future H5N1 Treatment? - journal article (Annals of Internal Medicine)

►May 1, 2007 - Manual of Standard Operating Procedures and Policies Regulatory - License Applications Administrative Processing of Biologics License Applications (BLA) - FDA/CBER

►May 1, 2007 - Resistant HIV Quickly Hides In Infants' Cells - Infectious Diseases Society of America via Biocompare

►May 1, 2007 - Fighting West Nile Virus Requires Attention And Action - RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment) via PRNewswire via Biocompare

* ►May 2007 - Use of Meningococcal Vaccines in the United States. - journal article (Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal)

* ►May 2007 - Immunologic Considerations for the Timing of the Booster Dose of 7-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine in Young Children. - journal article (Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal)

* ►May 2007 - Whooping cough: Are health-care workers putting children at risk? - journal article (Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health)

* ►May 2007 - Company accused of faking toxic data - Former lab employee claims a manager falsified concentrations of hexavalent chromium in sediments - The Scientist

* ►May 2007 - Serum Antibodies to the Pneumococcal Surface Proteins PhtB and PhtD in Finnish Infants and Adults. - journal article (Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal)

►May 2007 - Estimating the Burden of Congenital Rubella Syndrome in Costa Rica, 1996-2001. - journal article (Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal)

►May 2007 - Changing Epidemiology of Pediatric Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia in Denmark From 1971 Through 2000. - journal article (Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal)

►May 2007 - Rotavirus Mortality Confirmed by Etiologic Identification in Venezuelan Children With Diarrhea. - journal article (Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal)

►May 2007 - Coagulant and Fibrinolytic Status in Tuberculous Meningitis. - journal article (Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal)

►May 2007 - Case Management of Childhood Pneumonia in Developing Countries. - journal article (Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal)

►May 2007 - Insights into modern disease from our distant evolutionary past - journal article (European Journal of Human Genetics)

►May 2007 - Pantoea Agglomerans Septicemia in Three Newborn Infants. - journal article (Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal)

►May 2007 - Genome-wide association study identifies new susceptibility loci for Crohn disease and implicates autophagy in disease pathogenesis - journal article (Nature Genetics)

►May 2007 - Risperidone Augmentation for Treatment-Resistant Aggression in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study. - journal article (Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry)

* ►April 30, 2007 - Quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). - Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) via www.guideline.gov

* ►April 30, 2007 - Prevention of rotavirus disease: guidelines for use of rotavirus vaccine. - Pediatrics via www.guideline.gov

►April 30, 2007 - Evidence-based guidelines for the management of Lyme disease. - Expert Review of Anti-Infective Therapy via www.guideline.gov

►April 30, 2007 - Guidelines for monitoring and management of pediatric patients during and after sedation for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures: an update. - Pediatrics via www.guideline.gov

►April 30, 2007 - Management of hepatitis C. A national clinical guideline. - Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) via www.guideline.gov

►April 30, 2007 - Diagnosis and treatment of respiratory illness in children and adults. - Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI) via www.guideline.gov

►April 30, 2007 - Bronchiolitis in children. A national clinical guideline. - Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI) via www.guideline.gov

►April 30, 2007 - Spectrum of noninfectious health effects from molds. - Pediatrics via www.guideline.gov

►April 30, 2007 - Total Recall: Alzheimer's-like Mice Regain Memory - M.I.T. researchers find that certain environments prompt lost memory to return and determine the biological mechanism behind the phenom - Nature via Scientific American

* ►April 27, 2007 - Notice: Wildlife Services; Availability of a Supplemental Decision/Finding of No Significant Impact for Oral Rabies Vaccine Program - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA via www.pharmcast.com

* ►April 26, 2007 - Expansion of vaccine regime ‘a problem’ - Business Day - “Currently, there is no capacity at national level to implement a new vaccine,” he said."

* ►April 26, 2007 - Human Papillomavirus Literature: Commentary by Dr. John G. Bartlett -- April 2007 (requires registration) - Medscape Infectious Diseases

* ►April 26, 2007 - Transmission of Bordetella pertussis to Young Infants (requires registration) (full text)  - Medscape Infectious Diseases

►April 26, 2007 - Notice(B): Government-Owned Inventions; Availability for Licensing - National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service, HHS via www.pharmcast.com

►April 26, 2007 - Roche: Tamiflu manufacturing capacity outstrips demand - Roche via MarketWatch

* ►April 25, 2007 - Influenza Literature: Commentary by Dr. John G. Bartlett -- April 2007 (requires registration) - Medscape Infectious Diseases

* ►April 25, 2007 - What's for dinner?: Mercury takes fish off the menu - The Salt Lake Tribune

* ►April 25, 2007 - Major Manufacturer of Unapproved and Adulterated Drugs - FDA

►April 25, 2007 - Coping With the Challenges of Therapeutic Compliance in Acid-Related Disorders: Focus on NSAIDs, Pediatric GERD, and Acid-Reflux Disease (requires registration) - Medscape

►April 25, 2007 - FDA Safety Changes: Actos, Diprivan, Rituxan CME (requires registration) - Medscape Medical News

►April 25, 2007 - Risk of Radiation-Induced Cancer Increased in Some Individuals (requires registration) - Lancet Oncology via Medscape Medical News

* ►April 24, 2007 - Certain PCB's Causes Developmental Abnormalities In Rat Pups - University of California - San Francisco via Science Daily

* ►April 23, 2007 - New Guidelines for Antiviral Therapy and Prophylaxis for Influenza in Children CME/CE (requires registration) - Medscape

►April 23, 2007 - Chitin Induces Accumulation In Tissue Of Innate Immune Cells Associated With Allergy - Comment By Asthma UK - www.asthma.org.uk via Medscape

►April 20, 2007 - Readers Respond to "Online Health Research is Widespread, but Few Check the Source and Date" (requires registration) (letters) - Medscape General Medicine

* ►April 19, 2007 - Safety and Persistent Immunogenicity of a Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus Types 6, 11, 16, 18 L1 Virus-Like Particle Vaccine in Preadolescents and Adolescents: A Randomized Controlled Trial (requires registration) (full text) - The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal via Medscape

* ►April 19, 2007 - Using Nutrition for Intervention and Prevention Against Environmental Chemical Toxicity and Associated Diseases (requires registration) (full text) - Environmental Health Perspectives via Medscape

►April 19, 2007 - Birth Weight Associated With Infection Risk Throughout Childhood (requires registration) - Reuters Health via Medscape

►April 19, 2007 - Awareness of Possible Human Rabies Infections Still Needed in U.S. (requires registration) - Reuters Health via Medscape

►April 19, 2007 - FDA Approvals: Altabax, TWINRIX, Risperdal Consta CME (requires registration) - Medscape Medical News

►April 19, 2007 - Mortality Markedly Increased in Children With Celiac Disease (requires registration) - Reuters Health via Medscape

* ►April 17, 2007 - Routine Pediatric Rotavirus Vaccination Might Be Worthwhile in US (requires registration) - Reuters Health via Medscape - "At the current manufacturer's price, however, the total cost is over $200 per course including administration, and so vaccination is unlikely to save any money for either health systems or society at large in terms of less time off work caring for sick children."

* ►April 17, 2007 - Title: Mixed Virus-like particles - GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA (Rixensart, BE) via www.pharmcast.com - "The invention also relates to a vaccine comprising mixed papillomavirus VLPs of the invention."

►April 17, 2007 - Title: Streptococcus agalactiae vaccine - The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture (Washington, DC) via www.pharmcast.com

►April 17, 2007 - Title: Dietary supplement composition for ameliorating inflammatory changes in influenza process - Sha; Shinhan (Tokyo, JP) via www.pharmcast.com

►April 17, 2007 - Oh, No! The Newborn Screen is Positive! (requires registration) - Journal of Pediatric Health Care via Medscape

►April 17, 2007 - Paracetamol Offers Rapid Pain Relief in Children With Intact Blood-Brain Barrier CME (requires registration) - Medscape Medical News

►April 17, 2007 - Title: Methods of treating Alzheimer's disease and other amyloidoses using Hypericum perforatum and derivatives thereof - Sha; Shinhan (Tokyo, JP) via www.pharmcast.com

* ►April 16, 2007 - Advances in Primary and Secondary Interventions for Cervical Cancer: Prophylactic Human Papillomavirus Vaccines and Testing (requires registration) (full text) - Nature Clinical Practice Oncology via Medscape

* ►April 17, 2007 - Potent Monovalent Poliovirus Vaccine More Effective Than Trivalent Vaccine (requires registration) - Reuters Health via Medscape

►April 17, 2007 - Adaptive Immune Response Inadequate in Severe RSV and Influenza Infection (requires registration) - Reuters Health via Medscape

►April 17, 2007 - Cost Analysis Favors Eradication, Not Control of Poliomyelitis (requires registration) - Reuters Health via Medscape

►April 13, 2007 - Antidepressant Prescribing for Children and Teens Dropped Following FDA Warnings (requires registration) - Medscape Medical News

►April 13, 2007 - Peppermint Oil May Relieve Digestive Symptoms, Headaches CME/CE (requires registration) - Medscape Medical News

►April 10, 2007 - Title: Hepatitis B virus surface antigen mutant and methods of detection thereof - Abbott Laboratories (Abbott Park, IL) via www.pharmcast.com

►April 10, 2007 - Title: Methods of preventing or treating brain ischemia or brain injury - Astellas Pharma Inc. (Tokyo, JP), Quark Biotech, Inc. (Cleveland, OH) via www.pharmcast.com

►April 10, 2007 - Title: IL6RIL6 chimera for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases - Yeda Research and Development Company Ltd. (Rehovot, IL),  Applied Research Systems ARS Holding N.V. (Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, NL) via www.pharmcast.com

►April 10, 2007 - Title: Bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV) based vectors - Novartis AG (Basel, CH) via www.pharmcast.com

►April 10, 2007 - Title: Therapeutic anti-cytomegalovirus compounds - Genzyme Corporation (Cambridge, MA) via www.pharmcast.com

►April 10, 2007 - Title: Treatment of ungual and subungual diseases - Nueryst Pharmaceuticals Corp. (Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, CA) via www.pharmcast.com - "In a further potential mechanism, it is believed that the concentration of silver in a solution can be raised above the saturation concentration of bare silver ions (e.g., to provide a relatively sustaining reservoir of silver as bare silver ions are consumed)."

►April 10, 2007 - Title: Drug therapy for celiac sprue - The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Palo Alto, CA) via www.pharmcast.com

►April 10, 2007 - Title: Simultaneous determination of cell proliferation inhibition activity and toxicity - Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. (Nutley, NJ) via www.pharmcast.com

►April 10, 2007 - Title: Aspirin formulation for cardiovascular health - Alan James Group, LLC. (Boca Raton, FL), Wakunaga of America Co., Ltd. (Mission Viejo, CA) via www.pharmcast.com

* ►February 21/24, 2007 - Vaccine Update CME/CE - Annual Meeting of the American College of Preventive Medicine via Medscape

►February 21/24, 2007 - Public Health Preparedness: Lessons Learned, Identified Goals CME/CE - Annual Meeting of the American College of Preventive Medicine via Medscape

►Volume 13 Issue 1, 2007 - Theiler's virus strain-dependent induction of innate immune responses in RAW264.7 macrophages and its influence on viral clearance versus viral persistence - journal article (Journal of Neurovirology)

►Volume 13 Issue 1, 2007 - Simian fetal brain progenitor cells for studying viral neuropathogenesis - journal article (Journal of Neurovirology)

►Volume 13 Issue 1, 2007 - Neurological evaluation of untreated human immunodeficiency virus infected adults in Ethiopia - journal article (Journal of Neurovirology)

►Volume 13 Issue 1, 2007 - Glial activation and matrix metalloproteinase release in cerebral malaria - journal article (Journal of Neurovirology)

►Volume 13 Issue 1, 2007 - JC virus viremia in interferon-b.beta -treated and untreated Italian multiple sclerosis patients and healthy controls - journal article (Journal of Neurovirology)

►Volume 13 Issue 1, 2007 - Influenza A virus transactivates the mouse envelope gene encoding syncytin B and its regulator, glial cells missing 1 - journal article (Journal of Neurovirology)

►Volume 13 Issue 1, 2007 - Neuropathologic confirmation of definitional criteria for human immunodeficiency virus-associated neurocognitive disorders - journal article (Journal of Neurovirology)

►Volume 13 Issue 1, 2007 - Aquaporin 4 regulation during acute and long-term experimental Herpes simplex virus encephalitis - journal article (Journal of Neurovirology)

* ►August 8, 2006 - Ultrasound scans found to affect mouse fetus, says new study - www.earthtimes.org

* ►June 1, 2007 - The Problem with the FDA Drug Approval Process - The Heartland Institute - "Excerpted from More Choices, Better Health: Free to Choose Experimental Drugs, by Bartley J. Madden--the first in a several-part series."

* ►June 1, 2007 - HPV Vaccine Effort Encounters Strong Opposition - The Heartland Institute

►May 6, 2007 - Hannam Village alarmed by water mercury warning - Stars and Stripes

* ►May 5, 2007 - Supervisors can't require hepatitis A vaccinations (requires registration or subscription) - Los Angeles Times - "The report concluded that only the state could require vaccinations for food workers."

* ►May 5, 2007 - A jab in the right direction - Arthur Allen shows how inoculation's successes have led to recent concerns in Vaccine, while Robert Bud charts a very different story in Penicillin, says Mark Honigsbaum - book reviews - The Guardian, UK

* ►May 5, 2007 - GPs attacked for giving jab that campaigners say encourages underage sex - This is London - "But Dr Trevor Stammers of Family Youth Concern said: 'Why should we spend so much money on vaccines against diseases which are totally preventable in other ways?'"

* ►May 5, 2007 - Session ends without passage of cancer education bill - AP via Tampa Bay's 10 - "School girls won't necessarily be encouraged to get vaccinated for a virus blamed for causing cervical cancer. Lawmakers ending their regular session without passing a bill that would have required the information be provided...Early in the session, Florida was one of a number of states being lobbied by drug maker Merck to require some middle school girls to receive the vaccination to go to school."

►May 5, 2007 - Vaccine Won't Be Pushed on Girls - The Ledger

►May 5, 2007 - Have your toddler vaccinated for rotavirus - Daily Times, Pakistan

►May 5, 2007 - Deadly HIV virus found in Holy City residents - Known as ‘mixed infection’, virus causes concern among doctors - Chandigarh Newsline via http://cities.expressindia.com

* ►May 4, 2007 - S1082 - The Voice of the People is Being Heard - www.newswithviews.com - "There is still time to stop FDA, Inc. Bill S1082 is a bill that helps fund the FDA with Big Pharma money. It is known all over Capital Hill as Big Pharma-designed legislation. It is running into all sorts of credibility problems. A vote is likely on Monday – delayed due to all the opposition flooding the Senate by 'we the people.'"

* ►May 4, 2007 - Natural health community having a huge impact on Senate bill S.1082; consumers achieving important victories - www.newstarget.com

* ►May 4, 2007 - Lilly Hires US Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services - Eli Lilly and Co. (NYSE:LLY) says U.S. Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex M. Azar II will join the company as senior vice president of corporate affairs and communications. - Inside INdiana Business

* ►May 4, 2007 - Doctors Fail to Recognize Life-Threatening Serotonin Syndrome - OpEdNews - "In addition to recent reports that the drugs work no better than sugar pills, the latest warnings added to the long list of adverse events linked to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants have focused on birth defects, suicide risks and violence. However, the massive over-prescribing of SSRIs, including Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa and Lexapro in combination with many other drugs now has medical experts scrambling to educate doctors about a life-threatening condition known as 'serotonin syndrome.'"

* ►May 4, 2007 - Health officials weigh re-vaccination campaign for mumps - CBC

* ►May 4, 2007 - Mumps appears in Ontario - Ottawa, York and Waterloo cases all linked to Nova Scotia outbreak, official explains (requires registration or subscription) - Canadian Press via Toronto Star

►May 4, 2007 - NS health officials considering mumps vaccine for university students - New Glasgow News

►May 4, 2007 - Immunizations up to date? Celebrate! - The Eureka Reporter

* ►May 4, 2007 - Flu test kills 6000 chickens - Belfast Telegraph - "Six thousand chickens on a Tyrone farm have been gassed in a test of Northern Ireland's bird flu emergency plan."

►May 4, 2007 - Prudent Flu Prep - editorial - Dallas Morning News

►May 4, 2007 - US Government Issues Facemask Advice For Flu Pandemic - Medical News Today

►May 4, 2007 - Scientist Says H5N1 Virus Similar To Spanish Flu Virus - 600 Action News via Saskatoon Homepage

►May 4, 2007 - US govt says to reduce bird flu testing during '07 - Reuters AlertNet

►May 4, 2007 - eGene's HDA-GT12 Genetic Analyzer Demonstrates the Rapid H5N1 Avian Influenza Virus Detection; The System Could Be Developed as an Effective Pathogen Detection Platform - press release - eGene Inc. via Business Wire

* ►May 4, 2007 - State Department Of Health Confirms Human Plague Case - www.koat.com

►May 4, 2007 - Hepatitis alert spreads to Vernon - Vernon Morning Star

►May 4, 2007 - Hepatitis A cases close Slayton Pizza Ranch - Sioux Falls Argus Leader

* ►May 4, 2007 - Mercury is dangerous yet government denies connections - American Chronicle - "The spin doctors have called those that have pointed to this toxin as a contributor to Autism Spectrum Disorders junk scientist. They claim that the only reason why the elimination of the vaccine preservative thimerosal (mercury compound) is being done is to calm the fears of parents. The denial that it was the EPA that sounded the warning is neglected. A Dr. David Graham of the FDA told a congressional hearing that mercury in vaccines is in fact dangerous. He was introduced as a top researcher for the FDA but was soon ridiculed by his bosses as a junk scientist."

* ►May 4, 2007 - "The nonsense continues": legislative update from Rep. Mark Buesgens - Shakopee Valley News - "Earlier this week, the House debated a bill that would require retailers to post signs next to fluorescent light bulbs to alert consumers that the bulbs contain trace amounts of mercury, a known neurotoxin.  A handful of vaccinations also contain mercury, but our attempts to require parental notification when their child is about to be given a vaccine with mercury have been ruled not relevant. You won't come into contact with mercury in a fluorescent bulb unless the bulb breaks, but the DFL majority says that is a health hazard worthy of government involvement.  Injecting the neurotoxin directly into a child's bloodstream is, apparently in their eyes, not a health risk."

* ►May 4, 2007 - Student brings mercury to Rockville High School - Business Gazette - "The female freshman student was apparently unaware of the risks, Principal Debra Munk said in a phone interview...'She brought it out and put it on a desk in second period,' Munk said. 'The kids came around to see. They thought it was neat. Their teacher saw what was going on and before we knew it, we had all these guys in ‘moon suits’ in our building."

* ►May 4, 2007 - School checks 1600 pairs of shoes for mercury - Oakland Press - "'My daughter called me from Lakeland High School and told me they were on lockdown because somebody broke a mercury thermometer in the hallway,' Grubb said. 'They said they had to wait for the Hazmat team to come and clean up the mess, as well as decontaminate everyone's shoes. Apparently, no one can leave until someone gets there to decontaminate their shoes. My daughter told me that they were announcing there would be a criminal investigation into who broke it.'"

►May 4, 2007 - Mercury-tainted fish found in two more Colo. lakes - Rocky Mountain News

* ►May 4, 2007 - Children with Autism Have Difficulty Recognizing Ordinary Words - Univeristy of Washington via Newswise

* ►May 4, 2007 - Imaging Study Provides Further Clues About Autism - University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences via Newswise

* ►May 4, 2007 - Social Behavior Differs in Children With Family History of Autism - University of California, San Diego via Newswise

►May 4, 2007 - Advice line assesses autism interventions - GPs can find help to advise parents of autistic children about useful interventions using a website launched last week. - Healthcare Republic News

►May 4, 2007 - A Whiff of Oxytocin for Autism - American Chronicle

* ►May 4, 2007 - 'Love hormone' may emerge as autism treatment - Seattle Post-Intelligencer

►May 4, 2007 - Sibling Studies Shed New Light on Autism - Newsweek via MSNBC

►May 4, 2007 - Shooting past bad blood - Blood therapy could be non-surgical answer for clogged arteries (requires registration or subscription) - Toronto Star

* ►May 4, 2007 - Eating peanuts during pregnancy could be linked to children's allergies - Findings not conclusive enough to change advice to women, experts say - CBC

►May 4, 2007 - CDC reports sexual transmission of vaccinia - CIDRAP News

►May 4, 2007 - Cervical Cancer Candidate Vaccine, Cervarix, Induces High Immune Response Levels And Likely Offers Long-term Protection For Adolescent Girls - Medical News Today

►May 4, 2007 - Vaccine may stop spread of chronic wasting disease - Wheeler News Service via Hudson Star Observer

* ►May 4, 2007 - Apollo Develops Needle-free Topical Vaccine - Medical News Today - "The trials showed that the Apollo technology can successfully deliver tetanus toxoid vaccine directly through the skin of mice, without needles. The technology has the potential to be applied in the delivery of influenza and measles-mumps- rubella vaccines that are given to Australian children. Apollo expects to begin human trials of the technology later this year."

►May 4, 2007 - Health Dept Aims to Immunise 90 Percent Against Polio - BuaNews (Tshwane) via http://allafrica.com

►May 4, 2007 - FDA Launches New Web Page, E-newsletter to Enhance Online Consumer Health Information - FDA via Rush PR News

►May 4, 2007 - Brazil May Bypass Merck HIV Drug Patent - AP via Forbes

►May 4, 2007 - FDA Advises Manufacturers to Test Glycerin for Possible Contamination - Glycerin Contaminated with Diethylene Glycol (DEG) Remains a Potential Health Hazard to Consumers - FDA

►May 4, 2007 - Petfood recall widens on cross-contamination - Reuters via Scientific American

►May 4, 2007 - Analysis: Antidepressants to weather storm - United Press International via ScienceDaily

►May 4, 2007 - Generation Y: Mental Health - www.wrex.com

►May 4, 2007 - Epilepsy Drug Can Increase Risk for Newborns, Study Says (requires registration or subscription) - The New York Times

►May 4, 2007 - Anthrax Alert - Dakota Farmer

►May 3, 2007 - The Doctor Will See You Now -- or Will He? - Jewish Exponent

►May 3, 2007 - Rhode Island Equine Rabies: Movement Restrictions, Vaccines in Wake - The Horse

►May 3, 2007 - Sanofi Profit Beats Estimates on Vaccines, Sleep Pill - Bloomberg

►May 3, 2007 - Students told no shots, no school - CanWest News Service via Windsor Star via Vancouver Sun via www.canada.com

* ►May 3, 2007 - SA scientists testing hepatitis C vaccine on chimps - KENS 5 Eyewitness News via San Antonio Express-News - "The research at the foundation is part of a new study published in the journal 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.' The results show a four-dose regimen of an experimental shot protected some San Antonio chimps from hepatitis C. The vaccine uses a virus-like particle, but it's not infectious."

* ►May 2, 2007 - The story of Qazi and Asperger Syndrome, His insights on life and feelings about Autism - American Chronicle

* ►May 2, 2007 - Unborn children seen as ‘test rodents” for untested chemicals - Catholic News Service via Catholic Online - "America is using "children as our test rodents" for thousands of new chemicals that have never been tested for toxicity to human life in the womb, said Dr. Philip J. Landrigan, director of the Center for Children's Health and the Environment at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York."

►April 4, 2007 - Pity the poor pharmaceutical sales rep - Amid mounting competition and a backlash against Big Pharma's aggressive sales tactics, drug reps are looking more and more like an endangered species. - CNNMoney

* ►The Mushroom Cloud that Caused Autism - Opinion by: Kenneth Stoller, MD, FAAP with Anne McElroy Dachel - The Bolen Report - "The policy of the vaccine division of the CDC is to promote the safety of Thimerosal and to keep it in the vaccine schedule no matter what - to “stay the course.” To do so, more than one law has been broken and the public trust violated.  The rationalization for this fraud was that a certain level of morbidity (side effects) must be tolerated for the good vaccines do for the greater population.  However this was not their decision to make. The CDC is in charge of vaccine safety which should have superseded all other responsibilities because vaccines are federally mandated."

Posted May 4, 2007

* ►June 1, 2007 - Prevaccine Determination of the Expression of Costimulatory B7 Molecules in Activated Monocytes Predicts Influenza Vaccine Responses in Young and Older Adults - journal article (The Journal of Infectious Diseases)

* ►June 1, 2007 - A West Nile Virus Recombinant Protein Vaccine That Coactivates Innate and Adaptive Immunity - journal article (The Journal of Infectious Diseases)

►June 1, 2007 - Recombinant Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara–Based Vaccine Induces Protective Immunity in Mice against Infection with Influenza Virus H5N1 - journal article (The Journal of Infectious Diseases)

►June 1, 2007 - A 2-Year Prospective Study of Human Papillomavirus Persistence among Women with a Cytological Diagnosis of Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance or Low-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion - journal article (The Journal of Infectious Diseases)

►June 1, 2007 - CD14 -550 C/T, Which Is Related to the Serum Level of Soluble CD14, Is Associated with the Development of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Bronchiolitis in the Japanese Population - journal article (The Journal of Infectious Diseases)

►June 1, 2007 - Haemophilus influenzae Survival during Complement-Mediated Attacks Is Promoted by Moraxella catarrhalis Outer Membrane Vesicles - journal article (The Journal of Infectious Diseases)

►June 1, 2007 - Sex, Drugs, and Hepatitis C Virus (full text) - journal article (The Journal of Infectious Diseases)

►June 1, 2007 - Strain Prevalence, Rather than Innate Virulence Potential, Is the Major Factor Responsible for an Increase in Serious Group A Streptococcus Infections - journal article (The Journal of Infectious Diseases)

►June 1, 2007 - Staphylococcal Chromosomal Cassette mec Type I, spa Type, and Expression of Pls Are Determinants of Reduced Cellular Invasiveness of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates - journal article (The Journal of Infectious Diseases)

►June 1, 2007 - Neutralization of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) by Antibody but not TNF Receptor Fusion Molecule Exacerbates Chronic Murine Tuberculosis - journal article (The Journal of Infectious Diseases)

►June 1, 2007 - Coinfection with Borrelia turicatae Serotype 2 Prevents the Severe Vestibular Dysfunction and Earlier Mortality Caused by Serotype 1 - journal article (The Journal of Infectious Diseases)

►June 1, 2007 - Effects of Human Leukocyte Antigen Class I Genetic Parameters on Clinical Outcomes and Survival after Initiation of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy - journal article (The Journal of Infectious Diseases)

►June 1, 2007 - Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome: The Sound of a Mouse Roaring (full text) - journal article (The Journal of Infectious Diseases)

►June 1, 2007 - Prospective Evaluation of Household Contacts of Persons with Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome in Chile - journal article (The Journal of Infectious Diseases)

* ►May 22, 2007 - Aerosol and subcutaneous measles vaccine: Measles antibody responses 6 years after re-vaccination - journal article (Vaccine) - "We therefore followed-up South African schoolchildren 6 years after their re-vaccination with Edmonston–Zagreb (EZ) and Schwarz (SW) measles vaccine given by aerosol and subcutaneous routes."

* ►May 22, 2007 - Safety review of the purified chick embryo cell rabies vaccine: Data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), 1997–2005 - journal article (Vaccine) - "On October 20, 1997, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensed Purified Chick Embryo Cell (PCEC, RabAvert®) vaccine against rabies in humans following clinical trials demonstrating safety and efficacy."

* ►May 22, 2007 - Phase I dose escalation safety and immunogenicity trial of Plasmodium falciparum apical membrane protein (AMA-1) FMP2.1, adjuvanted with AS02A, in malaria-naïve adults at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research - journal article (Vaccine)

* ►May 22, 2007 - Evaluation of influenza virus-like particles and Novasome adjuvant as candidate vaccine for avian influenza - journal article (Vaccine)

* ►May 22, 2007 - Modeling the long-term antibody response of a human papillomavirus (HPV) virus-like particle (VLP) type 16 prophylactic vaccine - Design, immunogenicity and toxicity studies - journal article (Vaccine)

* ►May 22, 2007 - A new highly effective anticysticercosis vaccine expressed in transgenic papaya - journal article (Vaccine)

►May 22, 2007 - Combined virus-like particle-based polyepitope DNA/protein HIV-1 vaccine - Design, immunogenicity and toxicity studies - journal article (Vaccine)

►May 22, 2007 - Workshop on vaccine pressure and Neisseria meningitidis, Annecy, France, 9–11 March 2005 - journal article (Vaccine)

►May 22, 2007 - Scientific consultation on immunological correlates of protection induced by dengue vaccines - journal article (Vaccine)

►May 22, 2007 - Improved formulation of a recombinant ricin A-chain vaccine increases its stability and effective antigenicity - journal article (Vaccine)

►May 22, 2007 - Protection with recombinant Clostridium botulinum C1 and D binding domain subunit (Hc) vaccines against C and D neurotoxins - journal article (Vaccine)

►May 22, 2007 - Long-lasting protection against canine visceral leishmaniasis using the LiESAp-MDP vaccine in endemic areas of France: Double-blind randomised efficacy field trial - journal article (Vaccine)

►May 15, 2007 - Updated rabies vaccination certificate released - American Veterinary Medical Association

►May 5, 2007 - No link between mercury and autism: study - AFP via Bru Direct

* ►May 4, 2007 - Vulvar Vaccinia Infection After Sexual Contact with a Military Smallpox Vaccinee --- Alaska, 2006 - MMWR/CDC

►May 4, 2007 - Prevalence of Actions to Control High Blood Pressure --- 20 States, 2005 - MMWR/CDC

►May 4, 2007 - Projected State-Specific Increases in Self-Reported Doctor-Diagnosed Arthritis and Arthritis-Attributable Activity Limitations --- United States, 2005--2030 - MMWR/CDC

►May 4, 2007 - Notice to Readers: National Arthritis Month --- May 2007 - MMWR/CDC

►May 4, 2007 - Notice to Readers: National High Blood Pressure Education Month, May 2007, and World Hypertension Day, May 17 - MMWR/CDC

* ►May 4, 2007 - Vaccine may protect against CJD - Scientists say they have a vaccine that stops mice getting a brain disease similar to BSE in cattle and which may ultimately protect humans against vCJD. - BBC

* ►May 4, 2007 - Senate Likely to Back Drug Reimportation - Arguments Pit Savings Against Safety (requires registration) - Washington Post

* ►May 4, 2007 - Hormone shows signs of easing effects of autism - Seattle Times - "A hormone that helps women give birth and breast-feed has shown promise in relieving some symptoms of autism, scientists reported Thursday at an international conference convened this week in Seattle."

►May 4, 2007 - The mystery of autism - As many as one in 150 children in the United States is afflicted — and researchers are still unsure of its cause - McClatchy-Tribune via The Monterey County Herald

* ►May 4, 2007 - Tell Gov. Spitzer to Sign Jonathan's Law - Protect Your Kids; Get Access to Their Records - Jonathan's Law – A. 6846–A/S. 3105 - A-CHAMP.org - "The New York State Legislature passed Jonathan's law on Monday, April 23, 2007 and sent the bill to Governor Spitzer for his signature. Support for Jonathan's Law was led by Assembly Member Harvey Weisenberg, longtime advocate for the developmentally disabled."

* ►May 4, 2007 - End of tonsil ops as surgeons admit they don't work - A simple operation to cure sore throats may not be as effective as was previously thought. - Daily Express, UK

►May 4, 2007 - 200 cases of the mumps reported in Nova Scotia since outbreak began - Canadian Press via CBC

►May 4, 2007 - Brazil begins FMD vaccinations - Brazil has begun a massive campaign to vaccinate its cattle against foot-and-mouth disease. - Farmers Guardian

* ►May 4, 2007 - Ped Med: Chelation stirs controversy - United Press International - "'CDC officials, who maintain autism is a genetic disorder and irreversible, cannot tolerate the existence of children whose autistic behaviors have disappeared after chelation therapy removes vaccine-related mercury and other toxins from their bodies,' Barbara Loe Fisher, president and co-founder of the consumer watchdog group National Vaccine Information Center, wrote in an e-mail sent to her newsletter subscribers. 'Prediction: CDC and FDA officials will move to ban chelation therapy in the U.S., and parents of autistic children will be forced to seek chelation therapy outside U.S. borders.'"

* ►May 3, 2007 - Drug Risks and Free Speech — Can Congress Ban Consumer Drug Ads? (free full text) - journal article (NEJM) - "Perhaps the best argument for revising the proposed laws regarding direct-to-consumer drug ads is that companies and regulators cannot ensure the accuracy of such ads during the early stages after drug approval, when a product's associated benefits and risks aren't fully understood."

* ►May 3, 2007 - Subjects or Objects? Prisoners and Human Experimentation - journal article (NEJM)

►May 3, 2007 - China and HIV — A Window of Opportunity (free full text) (includes audio) - journal article (NEJM)

►May 3, 2007 - Interview with Senator Orrin G. Hatch on Expanding Federal Funding for Embryonic Stem-Cell Research. (free full text) (includes audio) - journal article (NEJM)

►May 3, 2007 - Challenges in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Familial Adenomatous Polyposis: Clinical Management and Patients' Quality of Life (book review) - journal article (NEJM)

►May 3, 2007 - Long-Term Effect of Diabetes and Its Treatment on Cognitive Function - journal article (NEJM)

►May 3, 2007 - Lack of Association between Antimyelin Antibodies and Progression to Multiple Sclerosis - journal article (NEJM)

* ►May 3, 2007 - The Age of Autism: Gluten clue from Case 2 - www.earthtimes.org - "'Gluten is a protein and is contained in foods, such as wheat, barley, rye and oats,' according to autism.org. 'At the present time, we do not know why the gluten/casein-free diet helps many autistic individuals.' One theory is that they release opioid-like substances in the gut that can migrate to the brain. Well, here's another hypothesis -- could some of those grains be grown in places where residual toxins -- ethyl mercury, say, but in fact any environmental toxin -- are getting into them and thus into our kids? And if some child's body burden or susceptibility is already at the tipping point, could that aggravate or even induce physical and mental symptoms that go by the name of autism?"

* ►May 3, 2007 - Autism researchers reveal new findings (includes video) - www.king5.com - "One of the studies focused on the relationship between mercury levels and autism. Scientists at the McGill University Health Center in Montreal tested autistic and healthy children and parents. They believe there is no link between mercury and the disorder."

* ►May 3, 2007 - Researchers seek answers to mystery of autism - Scientists, parents work together to unravel mystery - Seattle Post-Intelligencer

►May 3, 2007 - Researchers Learn More About Genetic Mutation Linked To Autism - University of Iowa via Bioresearch Online

* ►May 3, 2007 - Senate Debates U.S. Imports of Lower-Cost Medications - Bloomberg

* ►May 3, 2007 - Senate Debates Amendment to User Fee Legislation That Would Allow Purchase of Lower-Cost Prescription Drugs From Other Nations - www.kaisernetwork.org

►May 3, 2007 - FDA asks for medical device recall - Shelhigh rejected agency's prior request - Star-Ledger via www.nj.com

* ►May 3, 2007 - CDC: Smallpox shot passed via sex - United Press International

* ►May 3, 2007 - The Fear Industry - Town Hall - "The administration then spent hundreds of millions of dollars on smallpox vaccine for first responders and the military, but both groups (notably, physicians) shunned the risky shots. That was the most costly fiasco of its type since the swine flu vaccination program of 1976, which killed more people than swine flu did. Continuing the tradition, the U.S. government just contracted with Sanofi Pasteur to produce $100 million worth of avian flu vaccine -- which is of dubious effectiveness against avian flu acquired from birds, much less from any hypothetical pandemic strain that leaps to humans."

* ►May 3, 2007 - U.S. Control Strategies May Make Flu Epidemics Worse, UCLA Study Shows - Novel Mathematical Modeling Adds "human Factor" - Medical News Today

►May 3, 2007 - Will face masks help during a super-flu? Scientists say don't count on it - AP via San Diego Union-Tribune

►May 3, 2007 - Ghana halts poultry exports after H5N1 outbreak - Reuters AlertNet

►May 3, 2007 - Bangladesh says bird flu spreads to more farms - Bird flu has spread to six more farms in western Bangladesh, forcing authorities to cull thousands of fowl and destroy eggs, government officials said on Thursday. - Thanh Nien Daily

►May 3, 2007 - Novavax Up on Bird Flu Vaccine Data - AP via Forbes

* ►May 3, 2007 - Novavax Reports Positive Pre-Clinical Study Results from Live Virus Challenge to Pandemic Flu Vaccine - Ferret Study to be Part of Data Package Required to Begin Clinical Trials - press release - Novavax Inc. via PRNewswire-FirstCall

* ►May 3, 2007 - Vaccine Might Protect Against Mad-Cow Disease, Mouse Study Says - Bloomberg - "'When animals are exposed to this vaccine they develop resistance to overall prion infection,' said Wisniewski, who presented his findings today at a meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Boston. 'These animals survive, while all the animals that don't get the vaccine are dead.'"

* ►May 3, 2007 - Revolutionary Immunologic Data Explains Function of Diamyd Diabetes Vaccine - press release - Diamyd Medical AB via PRNewswire-FirstCall

►May 3, 2007 - India's DBT And IAVI Forge Partnership To Develop 'Next Generation' Vaccine Candidates - International AIDS Vaccine Initiative via Medical News Today

* ►May 3, 2007 - Nabi's anti-smoking vaccine could leave Novartis smokin' - Nabi Biopharmaceuticals has announced positive Phase IIb results of an anti-smoking vaccine that is hot on the heels of a similar vaccine Novartis bought last week. - www.biopharma-reporter.com

►May 3, 2007 - Nabi's nicotine vaccine trial meets goal - AAP via Ninemsn

►May 3, 2007 - WHO and UNICEF urge funding for vaccine - Financial Mirror - "The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF announce today a new joint policy statement on the role of vaccine vial monitors (VVMs) in improving access to immunization, on the 10-year anniversary of introduction of VVMs in immunization programmes."

►May 3, 2007 - UN agencies call for increased use of vaccine monitors to boost access to immunization - UN News Centre

►May 3, 2007 - FDA Again Warns About Suicidal Thoughts and Behavior Among Young Adults on Antidepressants - www.newsinferno.com

►May 3, 2007 - Scientists discover hepatitis B protein, liver cancer connection, can help treatment - Yonhap News

►May 3, 2007 - 'Handful' of students may been exposed to mercury - Detroit Free Press

* ►May 3, 2007 - Bills would ban sale, disposal of some mercury products (requires registration) - AP via Boston Globe - "Mercury-added products not affected include pharmaceuticals, light bulbs and some batteries."

* ►May 3, 2007 - Heading closer to a robust EU mercury export ban - EEB - Environmental and health NGOs have welcomed the results of the 1st reading vote from the Environment and Public Health Committee of the European Parliament on the proposed regulation to ban EU mercury exports and ensure the safe storage of surplus mercury. - EUbusiness

►May 3, 2007 - GM Maize MON 863 Toxic - French scientists find signs of toxicity to liver and kidney in Monsanto’s study on its controversial GM maize. - Institute of Science in Society

►May 3, 2007 - Anthrax paralyzes immune cells with lethal toxin, UF research shows - University of Florida

►May 3, 2007 - Arthritis Cases to Rise by 30% or More in Some States, CDC Says - Bloomberg

►May 3, 2007 - Could Your Pet Make You Sick? - www.nbc10.com

►May 3, 2007 - Brazil rejects Merck price offer for AIDS drug - Reuters

►May 3, 2007 - Africa: Food and Nutrition Key in Tackling HIV/Aids - The East African Standard (Nairobi) via http://allafrica.com

* ►May 3, 2007 - HIV Experts Oppose Gambia's Unproven AIDS Remedy - Infectious Diseases Society of America via ScienceDaily

* ►May 3, 2007 - Medical mistakes plague WHO - Reuters via http://tvnz.co.nz - "Medical mistakes as basic as hospital workers spreading infections by not washing their hands hurt millions of people worldwide each day, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday in launching an effort to curb such errors."

►May 3, 2007 - Vietnamese prone to allergic responses from drugs: expert - A senior health expert said Wednesday that recent health studies showed over 8.5 percent of the Vietnamese population suffered from adverse reactions to medications, a high rate compared to the world average. - Thanh Nien Daily

* ►May 3, 2007 - Experts team up to crack causes of peanut allergy (requires registration or subscription) - Toronto Star - "One goal of the research is to find out what's going on in the immune system of people who never develop a peanut allergy that protects them from a reaction. The hope is that they could program the immune system of allergic people to react the same way. But the ultimate goal of Hayglass's group is to develop a vaccine that would protect a child if both parents have the allergy."

* ►May 3, 2007 - Lifeline gets a lifeline - Ottawa earmarks $2 million to provide MedicAlert bracelets for kids. (requires registration or subscription) - Toronto Star - "The No Child Without program was deemed necessary after MedicAlert conducted a study of 500 children between the ages of 4 and 14. This sampling revealed more than 120 different medical conditions, more than 100 children on medications and another 100 with various allergies. Kabat calls this 'astounding.' 'We knew allergies, diabetes and epilepsy were out there, but not to this extent.'"

* ►May 3, 2007 - Mandatory HPV Vaccination 'Presents Ethical Concerns,' Likely 'Counterproductive,' JAMA Editorial Says - www.kaisernetwork.org - "Another concern surrounding mandatory HPV vaccination is how vaccine recipients 'would be compensated if they incurred serious adverse effects' from a vaccine the state required. According to the authors, the vaccine is 'supported by limited efficacy and safety data' and 'still need[s] to be evaluated among a large population, and particularly among younger girls.'"

* ►May 3, 2007 - Protecting against HPV - One body of opinion holds that a program to immunize young girls against a virus that causes cancer is a good idea, while another holds a universal vaccination program is inappropriate (part 2) - Vancouver Sun via www.canada.com - "Hans Krueger, a Vancouver health economist, ran some numbers for a different type of study for the B.C. Cancer Agency and found that over 26 years, the vaccine immunizing only females would cost $245 million and would avoid health care costs of only $39 million. The vaccine costs $405 for the initial three shots, but governments hope to get cheaper bulk deals. Krueger concluded that for the vaccine to break even, it would have to cost $45 with a $15 booster shot at 10 years....Dr. Perry Kendall, B.C. public health officer, says his office is just launching a study to see if the vaccine is as effective using two shots instead of three. If it is, it will save about $150 per vaccination."

* ►May 2, 2007 - Controversial vaccine - Many researchers say that Gardasil will not eradicate cervical cancer -- not even guarantee protection from the virus --but that's not stopping women from getting the three-shot treatment (part 1) - Vancouver Sun via www.canada.com - "No politician wants to be quoted as saying, 'I wouldn't support a vaccine that prevents cancer in women,' says Diane Harper, a top-level scientist and professor at Dartmouth Medical School in New Hampshire, who has led clinical trials of the vaccine and written widely on the topic. 'That is just too powerful a political statement.' But Harper warns that Gardasil will not eradicate cervical cancer. Not even close. It doesn't even guarantee protection from the virus that causes cervical cancer."

►May 2, 2007 - Merck sues Ranbaxy over antibiotic medicine patent - Ranbaxy has applied to the U.S. Food and Drug administration to sell its version of the injectable medicine before Merck’s patent expires in 2009 - Bloomberg via Livemint

* ►May 2, 2007 - Local woman sues drug maker - A Beverly Hills woman is suing New Jersey-based pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. Inc. after suffering a heart attack her attorney argues was caused from a pain reliever the company manufactured. - Citrus County Chronicle - "Fulmer accuses Merck and the representatives of not properly advising people about potential side effects of the drug, including heart attacks and stroke, especially to those who had a history of heart or cardiovascular disease. She also accuses the company of misrepresenting information regarding the safety and effectiveness of Vioxx."

* ►May 2, 2007 - Mandatory HPV Vaccination - Public Health vs Private Wealth  - journal article (JAMA)

* ►May 2, 2007 - FDA Responds to Institute of Medicine Drug Safety Recommendations—In Part - journal article (JAMA)

* ►May 2, 2007 - Scientists Warn NIH Funding Squeeze Hampering Biomedical Research - journal article (JAMA)

►May 2, 2007 - Antibiotic-Resistant Plague - journal article (JAMA)

►May 2, 2007 - Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis—United States, 1993-2006 - journal article (JAMA)

►May 2, 2007 - Baby at Risk: The Uncertain Legacies of Medical Miracles for Babies, Families, and Society - journal article (JAMA)

►May 2, 2007 - Glucocorticoids and Newborns - journal article (JAMA)

►May 2, 2007 - FDA Sounds Alert on Anemia Drugs - journal article (JAMA)

►May 2, 2007 - Carbon Monoxide’s Benefits? - journal article (JAMA)

►May 2, 2007 - Incorrect Data in: Vitamin E and Respiratory Tract Infections in Elderly Nursing Home Residents: A Randomized Controlled Trial - journal article (JAMA)

* ►May 2, 2007 - Food safety put on new czar's plate at FDA - An agency medical officer is named to form a new plan of defense against domestic and imported hazards to consumers. (requires registration) - Los Angeles Times

* ►May 2, 2007 - FDA is failing to protect food, ex-chiefs say - Bloomberg News via Boston Globe

* ►May 2, 2007 - Affitech Moves to Further Strengthen Human Antibody Intellectual Property Position - Business Wire via Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News

* ►May 2, 2007 - Pediatric Academic Societies' Annual Meeting to Feature Data Presentations Related to MedImmune Clinical Programs in Influenza, RSV and hMPV - MedImmune Inc. via PRNewswire-FirstCall via www.earthtimes.org

* ►May 2, 2007 - Metro Toronto Convention Centre to Host World's Leaders in Pediatrics at Largest International Meeting Focused on Research in Child Health - press release - Metro Toronto Convention Centre via CNW Telbec - "A full list of the topics and presentations in the meeting program is available at www.aps-spr.org."

►May 2, 2007 - Hepatitis spread to patient in dental office - Journal of Infectious Diseases via Reuters

►May 2, 2007 - Officials investigating hepatitis A cases in workers at Pizza Ranch in Slayton - Marshall Independent

►May 2, 2007 - Hepatitis C focus of Ontario campaign - Canadian Press via Ottawa Citizen

►May 2, 2007 - Bone-Weakening Disease, Rickets, Reappears in US - Voice of America

►May 2, 2007 - Vitamin D and its importance to children - Daily News

►May 2, 2007 - Measles warning - Vancouver Province via www.canada.com

►May 2, 2007 - Norovirus causes quarantine at Hilo Hospital - Honolulu Star-Bulletin

* ►May 2, 2007 - President Museveni unaware of reward - New Vision, Uganda - "President Yoweri Museveni has said former health minister Brig. Jim Muhwezi did not disclose to him $4,361,000 (about 7.9b) that Uganda got as a reward for its successful immunisation programme."

►May 2, 2007 - Uganda: Impunity Must Be Stopped - New Vision (Kampala) via http://allafrica.com - "According to the findings of the Inspector General of Government, money meant for vaccines and immunisation programmes was shamelessly misused by former ministers and government officials. Worse, theft and fraud were discovered among one of the President's closest people, an employee at State House."

►May 2, 2007 - Drugs produced dramatic change in HIV patient - Tiko Kerr was at death's door in January 2006 when a new treatment was begun - Vancouver Sun via www.canada.com

►May 2, 2007 - Pupil dies of meningitis - This is Local London

►May 2, 2007 - Value of study up in the air - If certain antibodies are found in the blood, does that point anywhere? - Charlotte Observer - "The antibodies signal whether someone has been exposed to TDI, which can lead to asthma and other health problems."

►May 2, 2007 - What Vaccines are Needed in a Kitten? - www.wral.com

►May 2, 2007 - Work with nanoparticles may lead to 'on-the-spot' virus detector - FirstScience

* ►May 2, 2007 - Klaus Stöhr, director of the influenza vaccine franchises, Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Cambridge, Massachusetts - Klaus Stöhr moves from the WHO to industry. - news@nature.com via www.nature.com - "This year, after 15 years at the WHO, Stöhr has made what some may think is a surprising move. With offers on the table from the Harvard School of Public Health and several companies, he accepted a post as director of the influenza vaccine franchises at Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics. He will focus on the business of vaccine development — the aspect of public health he found most challenging."

* ►May 2, 2007 - Purdue Research Foundation Licenses Bird Flu Vaccine - Purdue Research Foundation says it has licensed a technology to PaxVax Inc. that uses a harmless virus as a bird flu vaccine and a vaccine delivery platform. The process to earn Food and Drug Administration approval for this through human clinical trials has not begun. - Inside INdiana Business - "The foundation's Office of Technology Commercialization granted the license to PaxVax Inc., a privately held San Diego-based corporation. The adenovirus-based vaccine technology is genetically modified to transport an extra gene related to the influenza virus."

►May 2, 2007 - New Vaccine Taking Wing to Rid Beak and Feather Disease in Companion Birds - U. of Georgia Researchers Close in on Breakthrough Vaccine with Help from PetSmart - press release - PetSmart, Inc. via CNW Telbec

►April 19, 2007 - Meta-Analysis Finds Favorable Risk-Benefit Profile for Antidepressants in Children and Teens CME/CE (requires registration) - Medscape Medical News

►April 19, 2007 - Can Family Medicine Still Catalyze Social Change? (requires registration) - Family Practice Management via Medscape

►April 17, 2007 - Spotting Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in Children (requires registration) - Clinical and Laboratory Features, Hospital Course, and Outcome of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in Children - Journal of Pediatrics via Medscape

►April 16, 2007 - 6 Tips for Improving Practice Efficiency and Patient Satisfaction (requires registration) - Family Practice Management via Medscape

* ►April 13, 2007 - Nonvaccine Serotypes Have Become the Most Common Pneumococcal Isolates in US Children as of 2003-2004 (requires registration) - Increased Antimicrobial Resistance Among Nonvaccine Serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae in the Pediatric Population After the Introduction of 7-Valent Pneumococcal Vaccine in the United States - Infectious Disease Journal  via Medscape

* ►April 13, 2007 - Pharmacists: A "Secret Weapon" for Reducing Drug Errors (requires registration) (includes video) - Medscape General Medicine

►Spring 2007 - When food turns toxic - Understanding—and reversing— the rise in food allergies - Children's Hospital Boston