►January 9, 2004 - Worst of Flu Epidemic May Be Over, CDC Says - Vigilance Urged, as Second Wave Is Possible  - The Washington Post - "The flu has killed at least 93 young Americans so far this winter -- about double the count as of last month -- but there are indications that the epidemic may have peaked, federal health officials said yesterday... Gerberding stressed, however, that because flu deaths are not routinely tallied by the federal government, it remains unclear whether this year's flu season has been unusually deadly for children."

►December 31, 2003 - Flu shots given by phony doctor are likely to be ineffective - King County Journal

►December 30, 2003 - Meningitis Cases Have Unrelated Strains - AP via www.intelihealth.com

►January 2, 2004 - Vitamin D Deficiency: What a Pain It Is - Mayo Clinic Proceedings via Healthy News

►January 8, 2004 - Bug Speak - Scientists are finding that communication among bacteria is a vital part of their life. As this ScienCental News video reports, their new findings may lead to development of new ways to fight infections. - ScienCentralNews

►January 8, 2004 - Lone flu shot gives kids limited benefit - Officials say one dose still better than none. - News-Leader

►January 7, 2004 - International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases - American Society for Microbiology via www.eurekalert.org

►January 7, 2004 - Flu Season Hasn't Peaked Yet, CDC Warns - Boston Globe via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract)

►January 7, 2004 - Haven't Had Your Flu Shot? - USA Today via www.immunizationinfo.org (abstract) - "The influenza vaccine, much maligned most years for providing protection against what some people considered only a minor illness, has been thrust into the national spotlight in the 2003-2004 flu season. The U.S. public has learned that there are not nearly enough flu shots to immunize the entire country against influenza, mostly because demand is usually much lower for the product; but many people are confused about why manufacturers are unable to make more of the vaccine as demand increases."

►January 7, 2004 - Homeopathy helps fight flu - Sun-Herald

►January, 2004 - Should physics be more elitist? - Is it best to aim school physics teaching at a talented minority of specialists? Or should it be made more accessible so that people can appreciate the role of physics in society? Opening this special section on education, Mark Ellse argues that physics is an elite activity that only a few will ever appreciate, while Jonathan Osborne believes that we should communicate the excitement of physics to all - http://physicsweb.org - "Most of what the public needs to know not only requires some technical knowledge of science, but also an understanding of how scientific knowledge is achieved, how it is validated and what the associated risks are. Just look at the absurd actions of many parents who refuse to allow their children to be given a single vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) - preferring that the vaccinations should instead be given separately. In the process, these parents are putting their children at the increased risk of infection from measles or rubella."

►January 7, 2004 - If only he could call Dad - I have only one simple wish for 2004 - to hear my autistic son say 'Daddy' for the first time. It will be music to my ears - The Straits Times, Asia

►January 7, 2004 - Whitbread prize honours children's book - Reuters via www.abc.net.au - "Judges lavished praise on Haddon's winning novel, a murder mystery whose 15-year-old detective and narrator is a boy with Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism."

►January 6, 2004 - Young And Mentally Ill ; State Services Dwindling For A Disease Few Understand - Rocky Mountain News via http://mentalhelp.net - "Diagnosed with bipolar disorder and Asperger's syndrome, Chelsy bounces back and forth between two emotions - euphoria and rage. When she's happy, she literally believes the animals can sing. When she's angry, she becomes convinced that the sky will fall, and she lashes out at anyone, anything, nearby...Several months ago, it was her mother. Chelsy tried to stab her with a carving knife."

►January 8, 2004 - Brilliant minds linked to autism - Historical figures including Socrates, Charles Darwin, and Andy Warhol probably had a form of autism, says a leading specialist. - BBC

►January 8, 2004 - New Online Resource Reminds Internet Users To Safeguard Against Hib Disease - PRNewswire via http://nachrichten.boerse.de - "Today the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) launched Hibdisease.com, a comprehensive online resource for both healthcare providers and parents, which focuses on Hib disease (Haemophilus influenzae type B), a vaccine preventable childhood disease that was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis and post-natal mental retardation prior to the availability of effective vaccines. Hib disease continues to pose a serious threat to U.S. children."

►January 8, 2004 - Judge Reverses Anthrax Ruling - Pentagon May Resume Vaccinating Members of Military - "Zaid said he will soon ask Sullivan to reissue an order blocking mandatory anthrax inoculations because the FDA's approval of the vaccine was itself flawed, based only on animal research. Another government investigation of the vaccine, being carried out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and based on human research, will not be completed until 2007, he said."

►January 7, 2004 - Anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program Resumption (pdf) - Memorandum for Secretaries of the Military Departments; Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Under Secretaries of Defense; Assistant Secretaries of Defense; General Counsel of the Department of Defense; Inspector General, Department of Defense; Directors of Defense Agencies; Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard - www.dod.mil - "Therefore you should immediately resume the anthrax vaccination program."

►January 7, 2004 - Liquid mercury found in school - The Record-Courier