* ►January 7, 2009 - Failure to Report Financial Disclosure Information - journal article (JAMA)

* ►January 7, 2009 - Safer Therapies for Newborns Probed - journal article (JAMA)

►January 7, 2009 - Respirator Tolerance in Health Care Workers - journal article (JAMA)

►January 7, 2009 - Deaths of Physician in 1908 - journal article (JAMA)

►January 7, 2009 - How to Use an Article About Genetic Association - journal article (JAMA)

►January 7, 2009 - The Americans With Disabilities Act - Shattered Aspirations and New Hope - journal article (JAMA)

►January 7, 2009 - Bilateral Deep Brain Stimulation vs Best Medical Therapy for Patients With Advanced Parkinson Disease - journal article (JAMA)

►January 7, 2009 - The Future of Human Rights: U.S. Policy for a New Era (book review) - journal article (JAMA)

►January 7, 2009 - Electronic Health Records: A Guide for Clinicians and Administrators (book review) - journal article (JAMA)

►January 7, 2009 - The Cambridge Textbook of Bioethics (book review) - journal article (JAMA)

►January 7, 2009 - In Defiance of Death: Exposing the Real Costs of End-of-Life Care (book review) - journal article (JAMA)

►January 7, 2009 - The Longevity Revolution: The Benefits and Challenges of Living a Long Life (book review) - journal article (JAMA)

►January 7, 2009 - Effect of Selenium and Vitamin E on Risk of Prostate Cancer and Other Cancers (full text) - journal article (JAMA)

►January 7, 2009 - Vitamins E and C in the Prevention of Prostate and Total Cancer in Men (full text) - journal article (JAMA)

►January 7, 2009 - Randomized Trials of Antioxidant Supplementation for Cancer Prevention - journal article (JAMA)

►January 7, 2009 - Neurostimulation for Parkinson Disease - journal article (JAMA)

►January 7, 2009 - Grapes and Heart Failure - journal article (JAMA)

►January 7, 2009 - Measles: UK named and shamed for vaccination rate failure - The Scotsman

►January 7, 2009 - Over 7 mln children to be vaccinated against polio in Myanmar - Xinhua via China View

►January 7, 2009 - Nearly 1,000 fowls die for unclear reasons in Vietnam - Xinhua via China View

►January 7, 2009 - A dose of reality - An increase in cases of hepatitis C among injecting drug users has led to calls to reverse the dramatic fall in needle exchanges - The Guardian, UK

►January 7, 2009 - Free anti-cancer shots extended to 12-year-olds - A free vaccination critics say encourages sexual promiscuity by teenage girls will be extended to focus on 12-year-old girls. - The Press via Stuff.co.nz

►January 7, 2009 - Why the web is abuzz over Jett Travolta's death - The Guardian, UK

* ►January 6, 2009 - The Vaccine Hard Sell at Pediatrics A Shot of Reality By Michael Wagnitz, B.S. - Age of Autism

* ►January 6, 2009 - What is Paul Offit's Problem? By Anne Dachel - Age of Autism

* ►January 6, 2009 - Diphtheria - Exploring Vaccines

* ►January 6, 2009 - Seizure Alone Caused Jett Travolta's Death - Autopsy On Actor's Son Shows No Sign Of Head Trauma; Grieving Family Prepares For Funeral - AP/CBS via CBS News

* ►January 6, 2009 - Death of Travolta's son raises medical questions - AP via Yahoo! - "Dr. Michael Kohrman, a University of Chicago pediatric neurologist, said up to one-third of children with autism have some sort of seizure disorder. Still, there are dozens of other causes of seizures. Recurrent seizures are sometimes called epilepsy and are caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. These affect more than 3 million Americans. Mild seizures can be barely noticeable; severe ones can cause convulsing and loss of consciousness. 'Sudden death in epilepsy is not an unheard-of phenomenon,' said Dr. Bruce Cohen, a staff neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic.'"

* ►January 6, 2009 - For Kelly Preston - Barbara Fischkin MyBlog via Spectrum Publications

* ►January 6, 2009 - Lawsuit alleges Tukwila school officials didn't protect autistic boy from bullying - A discrimination suit has been filed on behalf of an autistic former student in the Tukwila School District, alleging district officials failed to protect him from bullying and tried to declare him a truant when his parents pulled him from classes. - Seattle Times

* ►January 6, 2009 - Most babies with uncomplicated febrile seizures can avoid spinal tap - Largest review to date questions current recommendations - Children's Hospital Boston via EurekAlert!

►January 6, 2009 - Autism Workshop Was Waste Of County Schools’ Money - The Chattanoogan

►January 6, 2009 - Appeal for research brain donors - More people need to donate their brains to medical research if cures for diseases like dementia are to be found, UK scientists say. - BBC - "Dr Rezaie, from the Neuropathology Research Laboratory at the Open University, said: 'For autism, we only have maybe 15 or 20 brains that have been donated that we can do our research on. That is drastically awful.'"

►January 6, 2009 - Autism United reaches out to John Travolta - The Dish Rag via Los Angeles Times

* ►January 6, 2008 - CNN’s Sanjay Gupta Is Approached for Surgeon General Job (requires registration) - The New York Times

* ►January 6, 2009 - Here We Go: Obama Wants CNN Doctor Sanjay Gupta as Surgeon General - NaturalNews.com

* ►January 6, 2009 - Health workers could knock on your door beginning Friday - Daily Comet - "About 420 residents will be asked to participate in the survey that has steered American health care for the last 50 years. Terrebonne is one of 15 counties in the nation that will be surveyed for the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a program conducted annually by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

* ►January 6, 2009 - Merck reports shortage of hepatitis B vaccine - Philadelphia Inquirer - "Merck & Co. Inc. said today that equipment upgrades at its West Point plant would cause shortages of its hepatitis B vaccine for adults. Merck said the shortages would not affect pediatric versions of the vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Merck competitor GlaxoSmithKline P.L.C. was producing enough hepatitis B vaccine to compensate for shortfalls. Merck spokeswoman Amy Rose said the firm was not answering questions about what the upgrade included or whether it was planned."

* ►January 6, 2009 - Hepatitis A vaccine gives long-lasting protection - Journal of Infectious Diseases via Reuters - "They say the findings show that protective levels of anti-hepatitis A antibodies are retained for at least 10 years after vaccination. 'Hepatitis A booster doses after completion of the primary vaccination series do not appear to be warranted and are not currently recommended,' the CDC team advises. Nonetheless, they point out, antibody concentrations do decline over time and ongoing monitoring is needed 'to assess whether persons vaccinated as children will be protected throughout adulthood.'"

* ►January 6, 2009 - Chimerix Completes Phase I Study and Initiates a Phase II Multi-dose Clinical Trial for CMX001 - CMX001 is an Orally Available Broad Spectrum Antiviral Being Investigated for the Treatment of dsDNA viruses including smallpox, BK virus, CMV and adenovirus - press release - Chimerix, Inc. via PRNewswire

* ►January 6, 2009 - BioReliance Corporation Announces Agreement with Barr Pharmaceuticals to Supply Bulk Virus for the Manufacture of Adenovirus Vaccine for the U.S. Department of Defense - press release - BioReliance Corporation via Business Wire

►January 6, 2009 - Internists Publish Updated CDC Adult Immunization Schedule - MedPage Today - "Although no new vaccines have been added to the schedule, asthma and smoking have been included as indications for pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccination, according to the schedule published in the January issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine."

►January 6, 2009 - 2009 Kids, Teens Immunization Schedules Released - New Recommendations Reflect Expanded Flu Vaccination Coverage, Other Changes - AAFP News Now

►January 6, 2009 - ACIP Provisional Recommendations - Smoking, Asthma Now Constitute Indications for Pneumococcal Vaccination - AAFP News Now

►January 6, 2009 - Advaxis’ Phase II Clinical Trial “HOLD” Lifted - U.S. FDA Approves Investigational New Drug Application for Phase II for Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia Grade 2/3 Clinical Trial - press release - Advaxis Inc. via Business Wire

* ►January 6, 2009 - Dissecting Merck’s “Gardasil for Boys” FDA Application - BNET Pharma Blog - "One interested party that definitely sees this as cost-effective is Merck. As BNET noted recently, Merck’s vaccine divisions are struggling to get product out the door, and they need extra indications for drugs that are mandated and often funded by government. That is why you will continue to see a drumbeat of stories featuring data that show Gardasil could be effective for boys, and for increasingly yucky diseases."

* ►January 6, 2009 - Bird Flu, Fire Hazards and a Vaccine for Boys (requires registration) - The New York Times

* ►January 6, 2009 - Merck asks FDA to expand Gardasil use - PharmaCompanies.info via farmanux.com - "Anyone who's been following the vaccine trade knows that Merck is working hard to expand the use of its human papillomavirus shot. Now approved for marketing to girls and young women, Gardasil has been tested on boys, young men and on women as old as 45, with the aim of growing the potential HPV market beyond preteen, teenage and early-twenties females."

►January 6, 2009 - Klein Champions Efforts to Protect Women Against Cervical Cancer - Urges Women to Get Tested in Cervical Cancer Screening Month - Lauds Contributions of Montefiore Medical Center to Westchester Women’s Health - Yonkers Tribune - "'Our goal is to reach the young women who need the vaccine most and let them know that this service is available,' said Mark Einstein, MD, director, Clinical Research, of Montefiore's Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health."

►January 6, 2009 - Health chiefs praise vaccine take up - St Helens Today

►January 6, 2009 - Abu Dhabi autism centre begins work with 24 children - Gulf News

►January 6, 2009 - Reasons Given to Refuse Influenza Vaccination - Dr. Neil Kao's Allergy and Asthma Website

►January 6, 2009 - Health department offering 1,000 free flu shots - Shelby Star

* ►January 6, 2009 - Young woman told she had flu dies - A teenage mother died three days after an out-of-hours medical service said she had a bout of flu and should take paracetamol and drink plenty of fluids. - BBC - "Clare Secker, 19, of Gorleston, Norfolk, died of bronchial pneumonia."

* ►January 6, 2009 - AstraZeneca aims to sell nasal flu vaccine in EU - Reuters - "AstraZeneca, which acquired MedImmune in 2007, believes its needle-free treatment can help increase vaccination rates -- a common goal for governments around the world."

►January 6, 2009 - Fear of measles outbreak at children's nursery - Get Surrey, UK

►January 6, 2009 - Measles epidemic fears - Metro, UK

* ►January 6, 2009 - Poor Vaccine Coverage in Europe Allows Measles to Hang On - The Lancet via MedPage Today

* ►January 6, 2009 - Measles could survive attempted eradication due to low vaccination rates - Doctors said there were "serious doubts" that a target to effectively kill off measles in Europe by next year will be reached because of low vaccination rates. - The Telegraph, UK

* ►January 6, 2009 - Baby in hospital after measles outbreak at nursery - The Surrey Herald, UK

* ►January 6, 2009 - Woman dies after contracting rabies in African animal sanctuary - A woman who contracted rabies while working in an African animal sanctuary has become the first Briton to die from the virus for four years. - The Telegraph, UK

►January 6, 2009 - Report: UNICEF to Continue Polio Vaccinations in Burma - Voice of America

►January 6, 2009 - 'Let me sleep,' anthrax suspect wrote before suicide - CNN

►January 6, 2009 - Debate Persists Over Suspected Anthrax Mailer - NTI: Global Security Newswire

►January 6, 2009 - Shingles vaccine becomes available - Billings Gazette - "After a six-month shortage, a vaccine that can prevent lingering pain and other symptoms associated with shingles is available in Billings."

►January 6, 2009 - Adopt male circumcision as anti-HIV strategy - New Vision, Uganda

►January 6, 2009 - Campaign addresses three leading causes of child mortality in CAR - UNICEF

* ►January 6, 2009 - Mandatory universal blood lead screening begins in Connecticut - Department of Public Health via NorwalkPlus.com - "The new legislation, which went into effect on January 1, 2009, requires all primary care providers to perform annual blood lead screening of all children less than three years of age and screen any child between the ages of 36 and 72 months who has not been previously screened."

►January 6, 2009 - Genetic Mutation Causes Familial Susceptibility For Degenerative Brain Disease - Mutation of a gene that helps proteins migrate in and out of the cell's genetic command center – the nucleus – puts some families at higher risk for the degenerative brain disease acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE). -  Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS via ScienceDaily

►January 6, 2009 - Deep Brain Stimulation Helps Those With Advanced Parkinson's - Study found both physical function and quality of life improved - HealthDay via U.S. News & World Report

►January 6, 2009 - US government sets infection control goals - Reuters

* ►January 6, 2009 - New health study focuses on hepatitis spread - Las Vegas clinics among those failing to follow basic infection control practices - Las Vegas Sun - "In the past 10 years, more than 60,000 patients across the United States were asked to go for tests for hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus because health care providers outside hospitals failed to follow basic infection control practices, says a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

►January 6, 2009 - Health Canada Reminds Canadians of Important Safety Information For the Smoking-Cessation Aid Champix - Health Canada - "Health Canada is reminding Canadians who are taking, or considering taking, the smoking-cessation aid Champix of important safety information for this product. Health Canada is also informing Canadians that it is in the process of further strengthening the labelling for the drug with respect to the risk of serious psychiatric adverse effects."

►January 6, 2009 - Larger, Older Deer Mice Spread Hantavirus - Environment News Service

* ►January 6, 2009 - PPD buys Merck vaccine facility - Contract research organization Pharmaceutical Product Development Inc (PPD) has moved further into providing central laboratory services with the purchase of a 130,000 sq. ft. laboratory from Merck & Co. - Outsourcing-pharma.com

* ►January 6, 2009 - Crucell Announces STAR(R) Research and Commercial License Agreement with Centocor, Inc. - Crucell via Market Wire via Street Insider

►January 6, 2009 - What Do Rockefeller Center and Ranbaxy Have in Common? - The Wall Street Journal

* ►January 6, 2009 - Medtronic gets defibrillator lawsuit dismissed - BusinessWeek - "The company said the decision was consistent with a Supreme Court ruling last year when they won after being sued because a patient suffered from a burst balloon catheter during an angioplasty procedure. The court ruled in favor of Medtronic, saying the plaintiffs claims were pre-empted because the FDA had approved the catheter."

►January 6, 2009 - Meeting of the Blood Products Advisory Committee - FDA/CBER

►January 6, 2009 - Pharmaceuticals' spending spree could swallow biotechs - Gulf News

►January 6, 2009 - Who's up for some Pfizer matchmaking? - FiercePharma

* ►January 6, 2209 - Osteoporosis Drug Fosamax Linked to Two Serious Side Effects - Health News

►January 6, 2009 - Is your company a good place to work? (requires registration) - Our Best Places to Work in Industry survey is now open, so rate your workplace today - The Scientist

* ►January 6, 2009 - Merck Gets Distribution from UPS - Traffic World Online

►January 6, 2009 - Dream Stocks for Biotech Investors - The Motley Fool

►January 6, 2009 - Healing Powers Within Your Reach - empowher.com

* ►January 5, 2009 - Big Pharma backs CMV vaccine (requires registration) - The Scientist - "The vaccine candidate, AVX601, was created by scientists at North Carolina-based AlphaVax and has fared well in a phase I clinical trial on healthy adults. AVX601 is a single-cycle particle vaccine that carries RNA encoding three antigens--phosphoprotein 65, immediate early protein I, and glycoprotein B--from the CMV virus, and the vaccine was shown to raise levels of neutralizing antibodies and antigen-specific T cells in phase I trial subjects."

* ►January 5, 2009 - Pharma buying spree could swallow biotechs - Financial Times

►January 5, 2009 - Shrinking sales forces face constraints - FiercePharma

►January 5, 2009 - Who's up for some Pfizer matchmaking? - FiercePharma

►January 5, 2009 - Call for widespread HIV tests has been only partially heard - Widespread screening can help curb HIV's spread and connect those already infected with lifesaving treatment, say testing advocates. - www.ama-assn.org

►January 5, 2009 - Defective directives? Struggling with end-of-life care - Most patients lack advance care plans, leaving doctors and families struggling to make decisions. Is there a better way? - www.ama-assn.org

►January 5, 2009 - Knowledge on call: Finding new uses for smartphones - Physicians increasingly are discovering smartphones serve a purpose beyond being a convenient communication gadget. - www.ama-assn.org

* ►January 5, 2009 - Teens' health care often a missed opportunity - A retooled health care system that includes a focus on adolescents is needed, as are coordination of primary and specialty care. - www.ama-assn.org

►January 5, 2009  - Florida consumer-driven Medicaid reform in limbo - Some physicians are considering dropping out of the program rather than deal with its new hassles. - www.ama-assn.org

►January 5, 2009 - Pressure builds for further slashes to Medicare Advantage spending - Any money saved by making private rates equal to traditional Medicare rates could go toward doctor pay relief or other health reforms. - www.ama-assn.org

►January 5, 2009 - Medical centers reveal doctors' industry pay - Experts foresee a rush of other teaching institutions following suit as political pressure mounts to disclose financial ties to pharmaceutical companies and device makers. - www.ama-assn.org

►January 5, 2009 - Low Medicare, Medicaid pay rates impact private costs - Cost-shifting was the focus of an insurer-hospital survey. - www.ama-assn.org

* ►January 5, 2009 - Louisiana pediatricians sue over Medicaid managed care pilots - Fearing problems with access to care, doctors are seeking public records related to the plan to shift poor children into managed care. - www.ama-assn.org

►January 5, 2009 - Medicare picks 4 vendors in PHR pilot program - The use of personal health records could help beneficiaries better manage their own conditions as well as help physicians better treat them, CMS says. - www.ama-assn.org

►January 5, 2009 - AHRQ funding safety research in ambulatory care - Developing tools to better track tests in the ED and reduce complications in transitions from neonatal intensive care are among the projects. - www.ama-assn.org

* ►January 5, 2009 - Supreme Court asked to examine Texas peer review case - A Dallas cardiologist wants the U.S. high court to decide whether federal law is being interpreted to give peer reviewers absolute immunity. - www.ama-assn.org

* ►January 5, 2009 - Nevada medical board seeks to update discipline, licensing systems - The goal is to make processes more timely and public, and to allow a voice at hearings for people filing complaints. - www.ama-assn.org

* ►January 5, 2009 - Doctor liable for not providing sign language interpreter - www.ama-assn.org

►January 5, 2009 - Maryland insurance commissioner seeks audit of CareFirst reserves - By the most recent estimate, the Mid-Atlantic Blues plan had nearly $1.7 billion in surplus set aside. An audit would examine whether the amount is reasonable. - www.ama-assn.org

►January 5, 2009 - Blues merger faces opposition in Pennsylvania Legislature - The state Senate's banking and insurance committee votes 10 to 4 to recommend the insurance commissioner block a merger of Highmark and Independence Blue Cross. - www.ama-assn.org

►January 5, 2009 - Bolster primary care: Avert a physician shortage - The AMA is pursuing efforts to make primary care more rewarding and appealing to doctors. - www.ama-assn.org

* ►January 5, 2009 - Report focuses on long-term effects of battlefield brain injuries - Traumatic brain injury has become the signature wound of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, yet its effects are often overlooked. - www.ama-assn.org

►January 5, 2009 - MRSA-fighting drug is approved by FDA panel - The need is great for a potent, oral antibiotic drug to treat resistant infections, say physicians, who are running out of effective treatments. - www.ama-assn.org

►January 5, 2009 - Economic downturn adds new uncertainties to IT planning - www.ama-assn.org

►January 5, 2009 - Letters to the Editor - Joint Commission's standard on disruptive behavior is unreasonable - www.ama-assn.org

►January 5, 2009 - News in brief: Health & Science - FDA top job soon to be vacant - Secondhand smoke still a health risk for many children - Defective antibodies from RSV vaccine - www.ama-assn.org

►January 5, 2009 - News in brief: Government & Medicine - Abortion conscience rule takes effect Jan. 18 - www.ama-assn.org

►January 5, 2009 - News in brief: Professional Issues - Scope of practice dispute can proceed, Texas court rules - www.ama-assn.org

►January 5, 2009 - FDA keeps heat on data--but lets itself off the PDUFA hook - FierceBiotech

►January 5, 2009 - Caution Urged When Giving Kids Cold and Flu Meds - Over-the-counter cold and flu medication can have serious side effects in children under the age of 6 - University of Michigan Health System via PRNewswire-USNewswire via Reuters

►January 5, 2009 - Flu Season is Tea Time - January is National Hot Tea Month, the Height of the Cold and Flu Season - press release - The Tea Council of the USA, Inc. via PRNewswire

* ►January 5, 2009 - Mothers tailor sons' immune systems to suit environment, study shows - Cordis News

►January 5, 2009 - Column: Fever-related seizures not a sign of epilepsy - Wausau Daily Herald

►January 5, 2009 - China Melamine Scandal Affects American Adoptions - Newsinferno.com

►January 5, 2009 - Avoiding Bisphenol A (BPA) Likely Best Bet for Better Health - Living the Science

►January 5, 2009 - Promoting the jab - Evening Chronicle, UK

►January 5, 2009 - Merck Files for FDA Approval of Gardasil For Males - CNBC

* ►January 5, 2009 - NYT: Portrait Emerges of Anthrax Suspect’s Troubled Life - Anthrax Vaccine -- posts by Meryl Nass, M.D.

►January 5, 2009 - Burying the anthrax story - Effect Measure via ScienceBlogs

►January 1, 2009 - Robyn O'Brien: Peaceful Revolution: When Did It Get So Hard To Be A Mom? - The Huffington Post

* ►January 2009 - PPD and Merck in Strategic Outsourcing Deal - ClinicalTrialsToday.com

* ►December 21, 2008 - Price and regulatory pressures squeezed drug industry in 2008, challenges to continue in 2009 - AP via Star Tribune

►October 1980 - Urine mercury levels in Kawasaki disease. - journal article (Pediatrics)

►National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey - CDC.gov

* ►January 6, 2009 - Keith Windschuttle admits Quadrant 'hoax' - Quadrant editor Keith Windschuttle has confessed he was "tricked" into publishing an article about popular scares on biotechnology issues in the respected journal. - The Australian

* ►January 6, 2009 - Vaccinating older people against pneumonia is a 'waste of time' - Daily Mail, UK

* ►January 6, 2009 - Small Dose of Meningitis Vaccine Useful - PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases via Ivanhoe - "A smaller amount of the standard dose of the meningitis vaccine may be just as effective as a full dose. ... The immune responses of one-fifth and one-tenth of the doses were compared to a full dose. One-fifth of the dose was found to be comparable to a full dose."

* ►January 6, 2009 - 4.6 lakh JE doses declared ineffective - New stocks of vaccine expected to arrive from China only after March - Expressindia.com - "'Since the vaccine is as good as water now, we will keep it outside the deep freezer and use the storage space for other vaccines,' said an official of the state Health Department. 'In no case will we destroy the vaccine in the state as it contains strains of the virus and in a vulnerable state like ours, this can create further problems,' he added."

►January 6, 2009 - Deaths from hospital blunders soar 60% in two years as NHS staff 'abandon quality of care to chase targets' - Daily Mail, UK

►January 6, 2009 - Children could be given routine chickenpox jabs - Belfast Telegraph

►January 6, 2009 - Mum praises medicos - Blake Sheen jokes about his "ninja-coccal" but his parents know there's nothing funny about a disease that nearly killed their five-year-old just six months ago. - The Cairns Post

►January 6, 2009 - Disease struck quickly in teen - Omaha World-Herald

►January 6, 2009 - Government urged to found autism centers - Arab News

►January 6, 2009 - Bird flu triggers alert in Nepali border areas with India - Xinhua via China View

* ►January 6, 2009 - Celebs roped in to boost Pulse Polio - Times of India

* ►January 5, 2009 - Pneumococcal vaccine does not appear to protect against pneumonia - Canadian Medical Association Journal, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS via ScienceDaily

* ►January 5, 2009 - Bayer Knowingly Sold HIV-Contaminated Vaccines, Say Internal Documents (includes video link) - NaturalNews.com

* ►January 5, 2009 - Pharmalot… Pharmanot… So Long, Folks - Pharmalot - "Dear Pharmalot friends, This is my long goodbye. For two glorious years, I have had the privilege and good fortune to run this site. Now, though, the time has come to walk away. This was a difficult decision, but one that is rooted in the turmoil engulfing the newspaper business."

* ►January 5, 2009 - Psychiatrists Push SSRIs for Childhood Anxiety- NEJM - Alliance for Human Research Protection via http://groups.google.com - "The New England Journal of Medicine has just published an article ... promoting the expanded use of antidepressants for treating loosely defined 'Childhood anxiety.' All the psychiatrists who authored the study have financial ties to drug manufacturers."

* ►January 5, 2009 - David Kirby: Top Federal Autism Panel Votes For Millions in Vaccine Research - The Huffington Post - "The Inter-Agency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) has voted to recommend earmarking millions of dollars in research funds from the Combating Autism Act of 2006 to study the possible role of vaccines in the causation of autism. The panel also proposed spending an additional $75 million to study a wide variety of other environmental factors in autism, possibly including parental age, infections, heavy metals, neurotoxins, occupational exposures and 'other biological agents.'"

* ►January 5, 2009 - Olmsted on Autism: Travolta, Kawasaki, Acrodynia By Dan Olmsted - Age of Autism

* ►January 5, 2009 - MMR: It’s ALL or NOTHING! Say goodbye to choice. By Allison Chapman - Age of Autism

* ►January 5, 2009 - Why Paul Offit Isn't Flexible on Vaccines - On Medicine Blog via U.S. News & World Report - "He added that he's not blind to the risks posed by vaccines just because he invented one. 'Vaccines have side effects,' he says. 'The oral polio vaccine [no longer in use] can cause polio, and the acellular pertussis vaccine can cause seizures. But it could be that those children who develop severe reactions would be even more overwhelmed by a natural infection.' Genetic studies are now being conducted to see if this is indeed the case."

* ►January 5, 2009 - What is Kawasaki syndrome? - Actor John Travolta says that his son, who was found dead last week, suffered from this inflammatory disorder. Did it play a role in the teen's death? - Scientific America

►January 5, 2009 - National Autism Society Reaches Out To Travolta Clan - FishbowlLA mediabistro.com - "Autism United, a national group representing over 15,000 parents of children with autism is reaching out to John Travolta and Kelly Preston to join a nationwide public awareness campaign about Autism."

►January 5, 2009 - Around the World in 10 Days - Globe Trotting for Autism! - This month marks some very special events for Adonya Wong, author of In My Mind: The World through the Eyes of Autism. In My Mind, Wong's first book, will be available in bookstores worldwide on January 6. Additionally, she will travel the world on her first virtual book tour starting January 19. - press release - 24-7 press  release

 ►January 5, 2009 - Magic in the water - Trips to the National Aquarium are key to a Kennedy Krieger program that helps autistic youngsters master social skills (requires registration) - Baltimore Sun

►January 5, 2009 - New memoir reveals realities of autism - Contra Costa Times via Kansas.com

* ►January 5, 2009 - Young Adult Warrior: John - Age of Autism

* ►January 5, 2009 - Flu Vaccine Mandatory For New Jersey Children - InjuryBoard.com - "Parents have banded together to protest the mandate. New Jersey Coalition for Vaccination Choice held a rally in Trenton, New Jersey insisting that parents be the ones who decide on their children’s vaccination schedule, not the state.  'There’s a huge trust gap between parents and public health officials right now,' said Louise Kuo Habakus, who is a parent and spokeswoman for the group. 'These are our kids. We’re stakeholders. You have to give us a say in this debate.' There is currently not any exemption for parents who feel strongly their children shouldn’t fall under the mandate. The group supports the passage of A260/S1071, legislation that will provide a conscientious belief exemption to mandatory vaccination."

►January 5, 2009 - Parents furious over mandatory flu vaccine - MOMformation via BabyCenter - "Many New Jersey parents are furious over a requirement that children get a flu shot in order to attend preschools and day-care centers."

* ►January 5, 2009 - The HPV Vaccine Controversy - Major uncertainties over efficacy and safety for costly vaccines that only benefit the drug giants for sure - Prof. Joe Cummins and Dr. Mae-Wan Ho - Institute for Science in Society

* ►January 5, 2009 - Merck Seeks FDA Approval for Gardasil in Boys - Wall Street Journal Health Blog - "The vaccine is a key product for Merck, which estimates sales this year of as much as $1.6 billion. But sales have slowed, down 4% in the third quarter compared to a year earlier."

* ►January 5, 2009 - Boys might get vaccine for sexually transmitted virus (blog) - TCPalm

* ►January 5, 2009 - Alaska develops vaccine database - Fort Mills Times - "The state has launched a new database designed to help health care officials track Alaska residents' vaccine history. The data base is called VacTrAK."

►January 5, 2009 - IAC Express Issue number 773 - Immunization Action Coalition

►January 5, 2009 - Merck sells vaccine lab to PPD in research deal - Reuters - "PPD bought Merck's 130,000 square-foot vaccine testing laboratory and related equipment in Wayne, Pennsylvania, and hired nearly 80 Merck workers who operate the facility. Financial terms of the deal, which closed on Dec 31, were not disclosed."

►January 5, 2009 - Pharmaceutical award curious - letter - Prince George Citizen

►January 5, 2009 - Pharmacy to offer year-round vaccinations - Post-Bulletin

►January 5, 2009 - Is a C Diff vaccine around the corner? - Merinews

►January 5, 2009 - Cytos soars on Pfizer vaccine deal - Reuters

►January 5, 2009 - Vaccine link to autism among science council's top 10 unfounded health scares - TCPalm Blog

►January 5, 2009 - Meeting to assess functioning of three state-owned drug cos - Economic Times, India

►January 5, 2009 - Schering-Plough spent $500K lobbying in 3Q - AP via Forbes

* ►January 5, 2009 - Sanofi-Aventis spent $1.8M lobbying in 3Q - AP via Forbes - "Meanwhile, the vaccine division lobbied on a host of issues, including vaccine safety funding, vaccines for children, influenza vaccine shortage issues, pandemic concerns, bioterrorism countermeasures and vaccine injury compensation programs."

* ►January 5, 2009 - CureVac Receives IND Approval from the FDA to start its Phase I/IIa mRNA Vaccine Clinical Trial in Prostate Cancer - press release - CureVac GmbH via Marketwire

* ►January 5, 2009 - Ohio State Studies Alzheimer's Vaccine Effectiveness - HealthNewsDigest.com

* ►January 5, 2009 - Health risks halted use of jet injectors - Mayo Clinic via Denver Post

* ►January 5, 2009 - Low flu vaccination uptake amongst health staff - Irish Medical News - "Only one-fifth of the annual flu vaccination supply designated for HSE staff around the country has been taken up, according to new figures."

►January 5, 2009 - Health boss calls for greater uptake of free flu vaccination - The Herald, UK

►January 5, 2009 - Status Report on Avian Influenza in Assam and West Bengal as on 4.01.09 - Press Information Bureau, Government of India

►January 5, 2009 - Threat Of Avian Flu Pandemic Still Present - redOrbit

►January 5, 2009 - Clevelanders urged to get flu shot; it could be a matter of life or death - letter - The Plain Dealer via Cleveland.com

►January 5, 2009 - Flu Vaccine Still Available in Salina - KSALLink.com

►January 5, 2009 - Home Care Services runs out of flu vaccine - Asheville Citizen-Times

* ►January 5, 2009 - Virus' Devastation Compels Mother To Action (includes video) - KETV Omaha - "Her foundation is working to raise awareness of CMV in an effort to reduce its effects on newborns."

►January 5, 2009 - Best Friend of Meningitis Victim is Sad and Scared - Action 3 News

►January 5, 2009 - Case of meningitis at upstate jail - Albany Times Union

* ►January 5, 2009 - Norfolk meningitis death an 'isolated' case - EDP24, UK - "The death of a toddler from meningitis at a Norfolk hospital just after Christmas was an isolated case and is not being treated as a public health alert, it has emerged."

►January 5, 2009 - Mumps vaccine recommended for those born between 1970-1991 - Chatham Daily News

►January 5, 2009 - Top Rotary stories of 2008 - Rotary International

►January 5, 2009 - Whooping cough alert at school - Brockville Recorder and Times - "Health officials greeted Sweets Corners Public School students asking for vaccination records this morning after one child came down with whooping cough over the holidays."

►January 5, 2009 - Mercury-laden whale meat may foster heart disease. - Environmental Health News

►January 5, 2009 - Environmental Groups Point Way to Mercury Reduction - Environmental Protection

►January 5, 2009 - Mixed News on Mercury in Indiana’s Water - United States Geological Survey

* ►January 5, 2009 - Johns Hopkins-led Team Solves Mystery of Failed Kids Vaccine - Johns Hopkins Gazette - "Research led by Johns Hopkins Children's Center scientists has figured out why a respiratory syncytial virus vaccine used in 1966 to inoculate children against the infection instead caused severe respiratory disease and effectively stopped efforts to make a better one."

* ►January 5, 2009 - Dutch study sheds light on virus that causes SARS - Reuters - "The model, created using hepatitis coronavirus from mice, will help scientists understand severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which appeared in China in 2002 and killed some 800 people globally before being brought under control."

* ►January 5, 2009 - FDA Approves New Test to Screen for HIV in Donated Blood - MPX test detects nucleic acid from HIV-1 Group O and HIV-2 - HealthDay via Modern Medicine - "'With the MPX test, blood donor testing laboratories will be able to use nucleic acid technology to screen for additional HIV strains, further assuring that donated blood and tissue are free from infection and providing better protection for patients,' Jesse L. Goodman, M.D., director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, stated in the release."

►January 5, 2009 - Evolution In Action: Our Antibodies Take 'Evolutionary Leaps' To Fight Microbes - With cold and flu season in full swing, the fact that viruses and bacteria rapidly evolve is apparent with every sneeze, sniffle, and cough. A new report explains for the first time how humans keep up with microbes by rearranging the genes that make antibodies to foreign invaders. This research fills a significant gap in our understanding of how the immune system helps us survive. - Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS via ScienceDaily

►January 5, 2009 - Biologists Evolve a Mosquito-Killing Bacteria to Fight Dengue Fever - Discover Magazine 80beats Blog

►January 5, 2009 - Pain Clinics, Dialysis Centers May Spread Disease, Studies Find - Bloomberg

►January 5, 2009 - MRSA not hospitals' only infection challenge - Prevention of health-care-associated infections, including MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is fundamental to patient safety. Mandatory screening and reporting policies alone, especially if focused on MRSA only, will not achieve the needed change in the larger problem of multidrug-resistant hospital-associated infections. - Seattle Times

►January 5, 2009 - Hepatitis Outbreaks Growing Issue in Non-Hospital Settings - Annals of Internal Medicine via MedPage Today

►January 5, 2009 - Healthcare-Associated Pneumonia Called More Deadly - Annals of Internal Medicine via MedPage Today

►January 5, 2009 - Dr. P's Top 10 Pediatric Stories of 2008 - WebMD Healthy Children Blog

►January 5, 2009 - CFS Linked to Childhood Trauma - Study Shows Sexual or Emotional Abuse May Be Risk Factor for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - WebMD

►January 5, 2009 - Records reveal anguish of anthrax suspect's wife - AP via Yahoo!

►January 5, 2009 - A steady stream of clues pointed to Ivins during FBI anthrax investigation - Scientific American

►January 5, 2009 - Bioterror Attempt Likely by 2013, DHS Report Warns - NTI: Global Security Newswire

* ►January 5, 2009 - Old-fashioned medicine in Madison - Exhibit at museum displays instruments used by physicians - Daily Record - "One section of the exhibit details the method used to inoculate Gen. George Washington's soldiers with smallpox while they were stationed in Morristown in 1777. Medics would run a needle and thread through a pustule of an infected person and then through the skin of a healthy person to expose them to the disease in hopes the newly exposed person could fight the disease and develop an immunity. Washington lost many of his troops to smallpox while stationed in Morristown. 'Our present Situation compells me to order you and Major Hay to march with all the Battalion that have got over the small Pox and are equipped,' George Washington wrote in a May 16, 1777, letter to Lt. Col. David Green, which also is on display in 'Crafting Cures.'"

►January 5, 2009 - Social Security overestimates death rates: study - Reuters UK - "The U.S. Social Security Administration, which pays out $600 billion a year in benefits to retirees, may have underestimated how a decline in smoking will increase life expectancy, two experts reported on Monday."

►January 5, 2009 - FDA Requires More Disclosure of Bug-Based Colorings - Mediapost.com

►January 5, 2009 - Spending on prescription drugs slows - USA Today

* ►January 4, 2009 - No Mugs, but What About Those Fees? - editorial (requires registration) - The New York Times

* ►January 4, 2009 - John Travolta's brother Joey thought Jett had autism - The Dish Rage via Los Angeles Times

►January 4, 2009 - Uganda: Tetanus- Immunising Pregnant Women, Hygiene Will Save the Babies - New Vision via AllAfrica.com

►January 3, 2009 - Olympian gets back to basics - The News Tribune - "Melanie Roach’s 14-year dream to compete in weightlifting at the Olympic Games came true last August in Beijing. ... One of her goals after the Olympics was to become a motivational speaker. She said she’s pursuing that to earn money to pay for expensive therapy for her son, Drew, who is autistic."

* ►Early Life Infections Improve the Function of the Immune System - www.chiro.org - "'Before 1920, acute leukemia among children was a rare event. A significant peak-age incidence (2-5 years) appeared after 1940. Since then, the incidence rate of childhood leukemia has been more or less remarkably stable. This means that some leukemogenic factor must have been introduced in children’s lives some time around 1940.' 'It is a highly striking coincidence that at the same year the introduction of immunization against diphtheria was began on a national scale.' — Petar I. Ivanovski, pediatrician University Childrens Hospital, Belgrade"

* ►January 5, 2009 - 10 yrs after side effects of polio drop kills infant, court orders govt to pay Rs 2 lakh to family - Expressindia.com - "In a decision aimed at making public authorities more accountable, a city court has directed the Delhi government to pay Rs 2 lakh as compensation to the parents of an infant who died after being administered with Pulse Polio drops in 1999. The court held that the government was obligated to not only run public health programmes like Pulse Polio, but was also duty bound to protect people from the probable side-effects of the vaccine."

►January 5, 2009 - Migrants cause of P1 cases in Delhi - Expressindia.com

►January 5, 2009 - Bhayander grapples with measles - Times of India

* ►January 5, 2009 - ‘EPI vaccinators have not been paid for six months’ - The News International, Pakistan

* ►January 5, 2009 - AGP report for 2007-08: Ex-minister kept 3 cars in excess of entitlement * Audit report says Naseer Khan used four official vehicles, three illegally, between July 2005 and June 2007 * Says departments concerned bore their repair, maintenance and fuel expenditures - Daily Times, Pakistan - "The AGP report says during scrutiny, the record of National Institute of Health (NIH), Expanded Programme of Immunisation (EPI), Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) and Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) showed four vehicles – Toyota Land Cruiser IDE-4684, Luxury Land Cruiser-Prado 5 door X-91-38, Double Cabinet 4x4 GF-922 and Suzuki Car IDB-8773 – in the custody of Naseer Khan from July 2005 to June 2007."

►January 5, 2009 - Mercury pollution can lead to disaster - Mercury, a metal used in gold extraction in small-scale gold mining, poses a serious environmental and health threat to the country. It is estimated that thousands of tons of mercury are present in fragile earth ponds containing tailings (mine wastes) in gold-mining areas all over the country. - BusinessWorld Online

►January 5, 2009 - Winter flu and vomiting bug set to overwhelm firms and schools - Daily Mail, UK

►January 5, 2009 - DPH head: Pap smears should not be forgotten - Saipan Tribune

►January 5, 2009 - 8 more states to offer second line HIV treatment - Times of India

►January 4, 2009 - The vaccine schedule debate continues - On Parenting Blog via Washington Post via Newsday

* ►January 4, 2009 - Medical team probes death of five kids in Bihar - IANS via Thaindian.com - "A medical team is investigating the death of five Dalit children in Bihar’s Darbhanga district where media reports said several kids are suffering from measles and chicken-pox. A health official said here the five children in Varahi village of Darbhanga district died of cold Dec 31-Jan 1."

* ►January 4, 2009 - Vaccines Are ‘Exonerated’ from Causing Autism? The Monkeys Know Better - The Baby Dust Diaries Blog

* ►January 4, 2009 - Silencing Autism By Sara DiFucci - Age of Autism

* ►January 4, 2009 - John Travolta's Son: Meds Ultimately Did Harm - TMZ.com - "TMZ has learned more about the medical condition of John Travolta's son, Jett, and the medication that ultimately didn't work. We're now told the grand mal seizures Jett suffered were 'frequent and extremely serious.' Travolta's lawyers, Michael Ossi and Michael McDermott, tell us 'each seizure was like a death,' with Jett losing consciousness and convulsing. We now know Jett was taking a drug called Depokate, a strong anti-seizure medication. There have been reports Travolta refused to give his son anti-seizure meds because of Scientology but those stories are not true."

* ►January 4, 2009 - John Travolta, EMT struggled to save 16-year-old Jett - New York Daily News

* ►January 4, 2009 - Parents of autistic children join forces to battle costs and confusion - Marin Independent-Journal

* ►January 4, 2009 - Autism's financial toll grips parents - Press-Enterprise

* ►January 4, 2009 - Third Hand Smoke: Dangerous! By Kim Stagliano - Age of Autism

►January 4, 2009 - Autism Sunday 2009: World/Church Leaders urged to speak out on Autism - Huliq

►January 4, 2009 - Church to pray for people with autism - Christian Today

►January 4, 2009 - Intestinal pain or autism? - Autism Blog via http://autism.about.com

►January 4, 2009 - Hague Defendant Karadzic Treated Boy For Autism - Apart from ordering the execution of 8.000 Srebrenica Muslims, Radovan Karadzic treated a 5-year-old for autism under alias David Dabic. - Javno.hr

►January 4, 2009 - WA ranks 48th worst for childhood vaccinations: Is this good? Bad? Jenny McCarthy's fault? - Examiner.com

►January 4, 2009 - Mirror-makers of old didn't see mercury threat - The Montreal Gazette

►January 4, 2009 - Editorial: FDA action smells fishy - Just give the facts, please - Ventura County Star - "The take-away message in the latest political battle over health advisories about mercury in fish is that women of childbearing age need to educate themselves and regulate how much fish they eat and feed their children."

►January 4, 2009 - Damage control for Big Pharma - Industry changes in'08 could help firms in'09 - AP via Star-Ledger via NJ.com

* ►January 4, 2009 - New flu strain not yet found in Greenville - Delta Democrat Times - "The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified a strain of influenza A (H1N1) that is resistant to the treatment of the antiviral medication Tamiflu. The CDC has tested the current strains circulating the United States. Of the 78 samples tested, 50 of those samples were influenza A. Of those 50 samples, 98 percent were Tamiflu resistant."

►January 4, 2009 - Protect yourself and others: Get the shot - Tampa Bay Newspapers

►January 4, 2009 - Death of former Daniels aide highlights flu danger (requires registration) - Chicago Tribune - "John Okeson's initial illness was the flu. But bacterial pneumonia, leading to toxic shock syndrome and multiple organ failure ultimately caused his death, according to analysis of blood and tissue specimens completed in November by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Normally, a healthy immune system -- like the one that John Okeson had -- is a good thing. But toxins in his body sent his immune system into overdrive, McMahan said."

►January 4, 2009 - Bird flu 'simmers' despite lower numbers - United Press International

►January 4, 2009 - Myocarditis Hits An Alabama Town - Health News - "Within two months of Kate’s death, the Opelika area lost another young life. Kaylee Marie Allison, ten years old, also died from myocarditis on August 5th. Then Brianea Janea Thomas, seven years old, died on November 11th, also thought to have succumbed from myocarditis, but which is still under investigation. The deaths have caused major concerns in parents, school, and medical staffs, as well as the community. Everyone wants to know if there is a strain of virus spreading through the area that is attacking the children’s heart muscles. Even though first investigations show no connections between the girls, the CDC has been called in to investigate and determine if the cases were linked."

►January 4, 2009 - Finlay Scott - GMC Clown Of The British Empire - The One Click Group

►January 4, 2009 - General’s polio secret inspires fundraiser - The State

►January 4, 2009 - Bombay Blues - Writer duo Kalpish Ratna traces the island city’s history through epidemics - book review - Expressindia.com - "The writer duo Kalpish Ratna — a pseudonym used by Kalpana Swaminathan and Ishrat Syed for their collaborative works — put together evidences of Bombay taking shape 'through sickness and health' in their newest book, Uncertain Life and Sure Death: Medicine and Mahamari in Maritime Mumbai."

►January 4, 2009 - Dengue Fever Breakthrough - Minivan News, Maldives

►January 4, 2009 - Is Canada ready for bioterrorism? (requires registration or subscription) - The Globe and Mail

►January 4, 2009 - Doubts persist that troubled scientist was anthrax killer - Bruce Ivins' suicide last July means a definitive outcome may never be possible in the deaths of five people. - New York Times via Seattle Times

* ►January 4, 2009 - UAMS to begin testing breast cancer vaccine - Arkansas Democrat Gazette - "The vaccine was developed through a decade of studying how the immune system responds to disease, said Thomas Kieber-Emmons, director of basic breast cancer research at the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute."

►January 4, 2009 - Breast Cancer Vaccine Clinical Trials - KARK 4 News via http://arkansasmatters.com

►January 4, 2009 - Prenatal Nutrition, Postnatal Allergy Protection - Certain foods consumed during pregnancy might protect against asthma and eczema - HealthDay via Forbes

►January 4, 2009 - Tainted water discovered - Stockton East: Contamination poses no threat - Stockton Record

►January 4, 2009 - For Privacy’s Sake, Taking Risks on Pills to End Pregnancy (requires registration) - The New York Times

►January 4, 2009 - One expert's view of FDA's role - Philadelphia Inquirer

►January 4, 2009 - A big dose of change prescribed for FDA - Obama seeks a new head for the beleaguered agency. - Philadelphia Inquirer

* ►January 4, 2009 - Health fears grow as fake drugs flood into Britain - Counterfeiting gangs based in China are producing sophisticated copies of the world's bestselling pharmaceuticals. In 2008 an estimated 8m of these potentially deadly pills found their way to NHS patients. The health of millions of people is at risk - The Guardian, UK

* ►January 4, 2009 - Some antibiotics overprescribed, effects not widely known (requires registration or subscription) - Atlanta Journal-Constitution - "When Dr. J.T. Cooper hobbles around his Marietta medical office, the boot brace on his right foot is a reminder of a danger posed by some of the most popular — and misprescribed — antibiotics on the market. Like thousands of others who have taken Levaquin, Cipro and other fluoroquinolone antibiotics, Cooper suffered a near-rupture of his Achilles tendon. Tendon side effects have been reported for at least 20 years, but drug makers only began sending letters to doctors warning them of the problem in recent months."

►January 4, 2009 - Antibiotics’ dangers not widely known (requires registration or subscription) - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

►January 4, 2009 - Mixing medications can harm your health - King Features Syndicate via Houston Chronicle - "We often hear from readers who are concerned about their relatives: 'My mother is 85 and under the care of an internist, a cardiologist and a neurologist. She has almost no energy and is quite depressed. She takes Aldactone, atenolol, Crestor, Diovan, hydrochlorothiazide, Lexapro, Miacalcin, Neurontin, Nexium, Nitro-Dur, Norvasc, Plavix, Rhinocort, Synthroid and tramadol. In addition, she takes Aleve for arthritis pain and aspirin twice a day as needed.'"

* ►January 3, 2009 - 'Tsunami' of autism cases crippling to Marin parents, schools - Marin Independent-Journal

* ►January 3, 2009 - UW researcher finds link between age, birth order and autism - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - "The risk of a firstborn with an autism spectrum disorder triples after a mother turns 35 and a father reaches 40. Although the study was not designed to uncover the cause of the disorder, the findings suggest avenues of research to explore, including the role of environmental toxins."

* ►January 3, 2009 - Vaccinations: Reasonable Doubt - The Baby Dust Diaries Blog

►January 3, 2009 - Retired druggist fears biological attack, urges stockpiling antibiotic - Daytona Beach News-Journal

►January 3, 2009 - Hospital, nurse sued - Man claims brush-off, despite illness - Winnipeg Sun - "A Winnipeg man who spent nearly two months in hospital suffering the effects of meningitis is suing the Victoria General Hospital and one of its triage nurses, whom he claims discouraged him from seeking emergency medical attention."

►January 3, 2009 - What You Need to Know About the HPV Vaccine - Mom Logic

►January 3, 2009 - 'Black alert' for virus hospital - A hospital serving residents in Norfolk and north Suffolk has been put on black alert which means no more admissions. - BBC

►January 3, 2009 - Flatley ‘healed’ of mystery virus - Belfast Telegraph

►January 3, 2009 - Vaccine plea to parents - Keighley News, UK - "Regional health experts are stressing to parents the importance of the MMR vaccine."

►January 3, 2009 - Free flu vaccines offered - The Times Daily - "Residents can take advantage of free flu shots being offered by the Alabama Department of Public Health. Dr. Karen Landers, Area 1 state health officer, said about 600 doses of the influenza vaccine remain available for area residents."

►January 3, 2009 - Pensioners at risk after failing to have flu jab - Barking & Dagenham Recorder, UK

* ►January 3, 2009 - Superflu strikes in the Midlands - Sunday Mercury - "Seven Midlanders have been struck by a potentially lethal strain of superflu which is resistant to drugs over the last six months. The Health Protection Agency said the patients survived the H1N1 virus which cannot be treated with the Tamiflu – the usual drug prescribed to treat the illness. Tamiflu has been stockpiled by the British Government as the first line of defence against a feared global flu outbreak."

* ►January 3, 2009 - Flu resistance causes concern - Augusta Chronicle - "In its last national flu report for the week ending Dec. 20, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that 64 of 65 samples of the influenza A H1N1 strain were resistant to oseltamivir, marketed as Tamiflu."

* ►January 2, 2009 - Cuba prevents annual epidemic among 5m people using homeopathy - Irish Homeopaths

* ►January 2, 2009 - Cameroon doubles Vaccination figures to get more aid - MyNews.in

* ►January 2, 2009 - Russia: Bloggers Debate Immunization of Children - Global Voices

►January 2, 2009 - Hometown Hero: Marianne Pappas (includes video) - WTOCtv.com - "Humility aside, Pappas' co-workers will confirm that nobody has worked harder to ensure that children in this area are immunized for diseases such as polio and that adults get vaccinated to prevent hepatitis, pneumonia and the flu. In October, she received the Walt Orenstein Champion for Immunization Award, just the latest honor to recognize her efforts."

►January 2, 2009 - Measles: Leamington parents urged to get children MMR immunised - Warwick Courier, UK

►January 2, 2009 - More county residents opting for flu vaccine - Hometown Annapolis

►January 2, 2009 - Killer Oz flu blamed for UK outbreak - The Age

►January 2, 2009 - Google searches indicate flu hitting Texas harder than most states - The Dallas Morning News

►January 2, 2009 - Man, 23, dies after flu diagnosis - Authorities say most flu deaths are caused by complications, such as pneumonia. - WCNC.com via Charlotte Observer

►January 2, 2009 - Baltimore Residents Urged To Get Vaccinated - Centers For Disease Control's Flu Prevention Tips (includes video) - WJZ.com

►January 2, 2009 - Flu reaches 'moderate' level in Idaho - KLEWtv.com

►January 2, 2009 - The Doctor Is In: Shingles vaccine may protect seniors from debilitating pain - Contra Costa Times

►January 2, 2009 - American Social Health Association Announces New Hepatitis Education Website Available - The American Social Health Association (ASHA) via Carolina Newswire

►January 2, 2009 - Gel Doesn't Protect Women from HIV - Lancet via Ivanhoe

►January 2, 2009 - AIDS to Anthrax, But No Fix for Uninsured - Hinton saw three decades of change in health policy, medical threats (requires subscription for full article) - Sacramento Business Journal

►January 2, 2009 - Breast Cancer Subtypes Not Effectively Ruled Out By Antibody-Based Pronostic Test - ANI via MedIndia

►January 2, 2009 - 'Environmental Justice,' insurance coverage for autism, Hospice services are subject of new laws effective Jan. 1, 2009 - One of the newly enacted laws requires health insurance companies in the state to cover physical, speech and occupational therapies for autism spectrum disorders if their policies cover the same treatment for other conditions. - Mansfield Today

►January 1, 2009 - Cross-country run for autism - South Delta Leader

►January 1, 2009 - January is Cervical Health Awareness Month - Cancer Blog via http://cancer.about.com

►January 1, 2009 - Lessons learnt after school pneumonia - Journal Live, UK - "...the HPA’s vaccine programme board has convened an expert group to develop guidelines and published interim guidelines for the management of clusters of serious pneumococcal disease in closed settings.'"

►January 1, 2009 - Green Mosquitoes Could Control Killer Disease - Wired Science

►January 1, 2009 - Update on H9N2 case - The two-month-old baby girl who was confirmed to have been infected with influenza A H9N2 yesterday (December 30) is still under isolation in Tuen Mun Hospital (TMH) in stable condition. Her symptoms of the disease have subsided. Nasopharyngeal aspirate specimens taken from her parents were tested negative for influenza A H9N2. - Media-Newswire.com

* ►January 1, 2009 - Sanofi Gets the Tax Breaks It Wanted in Vaccine HQ Deal - BNET Pharma Blog

* ►December 26, 2008 - Flu Shots Required in New Jersey - video - MyFox New York

* ►December 24, 2008 - So the Medicine Goes Down (requires registration) - The New York Times - "Mr. Yu, as a senior at Johns Hopkins, was working in the lab of Prof. Hai-Quan Mao while taking the team-design course required of biomedical engineering majors. Dr. Mao had a friend whose company was working on a vaccine against rotavirus infections, a leading cause of severe diarrhea in children. Most rotavirus vaccines are liquids, must be handled carefully and kept refrigerated. The company wanted to produce a powdered, inactivated virus and package it so it could be easily transported and given to a child."

►December 23, 2008 - Single-dose bird flu vaccine protects kids in tests - Reuters via National Post

* ►November 28, 2008 - Kawasaki's disease, acrodynia, and mercury. - journal article (Current Medicinal Chemistry)

►The Vaccination Issue - One Day Seminar - Held on Sunday 25th January 2009 The College of Practical Homeopathy is located at 760 High Road, North Finchley N12 9QH. - http://college-of-practical-homeopathy.com

►January 4, 2009 - Plan for new jab to eradicate chickenpox - The Scotsman

* ►January 4, 2009 - Chickenpox jab may be added to MMR - The Times, UK - "All children and pregnant women could be routinely vaccinated against chickenpox under a shake-up of immunisation policy."

* ►January 4, 2009 - Vaccine horror - letter - Washington Times - "I witnessed the transformation of a normal 4-year-old into a seizure-stricken, neurologically impaired child with no ability to walk, talk or feed herself. The culprit? The measles-mumps-rubella vaccine."

* ►January 4, 2009 - Sympathy for the devils: cubs are hope for species - Sydney Morning Herald - "With facial tumour disease (FTD) wiping out 50 per cent of the wild Tasmanian devil population since 1996, the world is increasingly turning to captive breeding programs to save the marsupial from extinction. The task has taken on even greater importance after a crucial immunisation trial failed last month. For two years scientists had pinned their hopes for the survival of the devils on a young male named Cedric, which they had tried to vaccinate using dead FTD cells."

►January 4, 2009 - Flu and sickness bug overwhelms schools - Double outbreak could make thousands of pupils and staff ill for weeks - The Observer via The Guardian, UK

►January 4, 2009 - New bird flu cases revive fears of human pandemic (requires registration) - Hong Kong, believed to have been free of H5N1, is forced to cull thousands of poultry after an outbreak. Two avian flu deaths are reported in Egypt and Indonesia. - Los Angeles Times

►January 4, 2009 - Govt adopts new approach to knock out hepatitis - The Nation, Pakistan

►January 4, 2009 - Unreported AFP cases ring alarm bells - Times of India

►January 4, 2009 - Protect for life - No other health prevention effort has prevented deaths and disability to the extent that childhood immunisation has. - Malaysia Star

►January 4, 2009 - Terror medicine can save lives - commentary - Washington Times

* ►January 3, 2009 - Court rules in favor of family in MMR vaccine case (video) - South Florida Sun Sentinel

* ►January 3, 2009 - David Kirby: Change.org v Change.gov and Autism Recovery - The Huffington Post

* ►January 3, 2009 - Change.gov v. Change.org and Autism Recovery - Age of Autism

* ►January 3, 2009 - Defining the Autism Debate - Autism Blog via http://autism.about.com

* ►January 3, 2009 - What is Turning our Servicemen Violent at Home? - Age of Autism

* ►January 3, 2009 - Riddle of John Travolta's son - could he have been saved? - Claims that Jett, 16, suffered from condition he was never treated for is denied by his devastated father. - Mirror, UK

* ►January 3, 2009 - Did Carpet Cleaning Kill John Travolta's Son? - As the star and celebrity wife Kelly Preston mourn their loss, they raise questions about Kawasaki Disease and toxic exposure. Others want to blame Scientology. - The Daily Green

* ►January 3, 2009 - John Travolta's son to have autopsy amid autism allegations - An autopsy will be conducted on Jett Travolta, teenage son of the Hollywood star John, who died in the family's Bahamas home on Friday after an apparent seizure. - The Telegraph, UK

* ►January 3, 2009 - Scientists on Staten Island at forefront of war on autism - Staten Island Advance via SILive.com - "How early can autism be detected? It's a question the world's leading scientists are seeking to answer -- and many of those scientists can be found on Staten Island in the labs of the New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (IBR) in Willowbrook."

►January 3, 2009 - Guns & Hoses Fundraiser for Elija School for Autism - Age of Autism

►January 3, 2009 - High mercury levels tied to sushi - Stamford Advocate

* ►January 3, 2009 - Merck mired in mayhem - Renew America - "An action alert from Children of God for Life arrived in my 'in box' moments ago. When you read the headline, please note that the word "monovalent" is defined as an entity "having specific immunologic activity against a single antigen, microorganism, or disease," such as a monovalent vaccine. Following is the action alert: Manufacturer Stops Sales of Monovalents for Measles, Mumps, Rubella Vaccines"

* ►January 3, 2009 - What’s Race Got to Do With It? - Nine clinical trials around the world are studying treatments in groups defined by race, gender or both. - Newsweek - "A recent study in The Pharmacogenomics Journal counted up nine clinical trials around the world studying diseases or treatments in groups defined by race or gender or both, including chronic hepatitis B in blacks and Hispanics and respiratory syncytial virus in Native American infants."

* ►January 3, 2009 - CKHA issues flu vaccine warning - Chatham Daily News - "Staff and patients at Chatham-Kent Health Alliance who received a vaccine at Sydenham campus between Oct. 29 and Nov. 30 are being advised that it may not be effective. CKHA said 80 staff and 46 patients have been warned that the effectiveness of the vaccine may have been compromised due to unexpected fluctuations in the temperature of the refrigerator in which the specific vaccines were stored."

* ►January 3, 2009 - New bird flu cases revive fears of human pandemic - Hong Kong, believed to have been free of H5N1, is forced to cull thousands of poultry after an outbreak. Two avian flu deaths are reported in Egypt and Indonesia. (requires registration) - Los Angeles Times - "Mainland China is using a newer poultry vaccine developed specifically for H5N1. But vaccination programs there and in Vietnam have not eliminated outbreaks. The vaccine itself could be the problem, said Robert Webster, a virologist and avian flu expert at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. Vaccines should be used only in areas where the virus is out of control, and then only temporarily, he said. That is because routinely administering the vaccine encourages the evolution to resistant strains."

►January 3, 2009 - India's West Bengal reports fresh bird flu outbreak - Reuters

* ►January 3, 2009 - ESTEVE And IRSICAIXA Sign Partnership Agreement For The Development Of A Vaccine Aimed To Eradicate AIDS In The Next 10 Years - www.inforpress.es - via Medical News Today - "The more than 40 researchers that work at HIVACAT are to carry out a series of clinical trials aimed at developing the vaccine treatment that stops the progression of the virus in those already infected, and a preventive vaccine to prevent the infection in case of possible exposure to HIV. The challenge is huge, although the vaccine will be only partially active, it could help to considerably reduce numbers of infections linked to HIV."

* ►January 3, 2009 - If you must be sick, don't be a sucker as well - People with colds these days would rather dose themselves with overpriced ‘cures' than simply retire to bed - The London Times - "No wonder the take-up of the flu vaccine has extended beyond the oldest and most vulnerable. Perhaps we are heading towards the American model. In many states children aged between 2 and 18 are only allowed to attend school if they've received the jab. (Just imagine the hoo-hah among the MMR = autism brigade.) Certainly employers are offering it now as a winter ritual. Once this looked laughably Stakhanovite: “Yes boss, please stick a needle in me, anything to help me serve you more ably.” It seemed pitifully corporate to entrust your immune system to your employer and forgo the God-given duvet days that help us through to spring."

* ►January 3, 2009 - Rumor has it that we're gullible, yet helpful - From bottle-cap cancer fighters to presidential politics, hoaxes and other falsehoods are on the rise - AP via The Charleston Gazette - "More worrisome are the roughly 131 cases of measles among U.S. children reported this year, the highest number in over a decade. Nearly half the cases involve parents who rejected vaccines, partly due to rumors they may cause autism, despite abundant scientific evidence to the contrary. "Once these large institutions are not trusted, then rumors have much more power," says Nicholas DiFonzo, a professor of psychology at the Rochester Institute of Technology and the author of "The Water Cooler Effect." "As people trust the press less and less, the public will be influenced by rumors more and more," he said."

* ►January 3, 2009 - Retired druggist fears biological attack, urges stockpiling antibiotic - News-Journal

►January 3, 2009 - Mumps - WWTI-Newswatch 50

* ►January 3, 2009 - Parents' voice stifled in China milk issue (requires registration) - Police detain five for a day, forestalling a news conference about their children who are ill from tainted formula. - Los Angeles Times

►January 3, 2009 - County Official: Let's Look At Fluoride - Heidt Will Suggest Water Treatment As Funding Cut Target - The Daily News Record

►January 3, 2008 - Get plastic-aware when it comes to toys and food containers - With possible dangers in everything from old Tupperware to baby bottles, consumers need to be flexible when it comes to toys and food containers. Here are 10 ways to reduce plastics in your home - Star-Telegram

►January 3, 2009 - Manage your allergies naturally - expressbuzz.com

* ►January 3, 2009 - Bangladesh vaccinates millions in anti-polio drive - Reuters - "Field workers from the health and family welfare ministry, along with some 600,000 volunteers, administered oral polio vaccines to some 22 million children, and vitamin A capsule to 21 million children at 140,000 sites, officials at the health directorate said. Health officials will follow a four-day door-to-door visit so that every child is vaccinated."

►January 3, 2009 - Another polio case reported in Delhi - Times of India

* ►January 3, 2009 - Portrait Emerges of Anthrax Suspect’s Troubled Life (requires registration) - The New York Times - "Still, doubts persist. The case will be reviewed this year by the National Academy of Sciences and by Congress. If the F.B.I. is wrong, then a troubled man was hounded to death and the anthrax perpetrator is still at large, as many of Dr. Ivins’s colleagues at Fort Detrick believe. When institute scientists began their own review of the evidence, nervous Army officials ordered the inquiry dropped."

►January 3, 2009 - Christine Maggiore and the price of skepticism - Questioning theories is usually a healthy pursuit, but in some cases -- such as Christine Maggiore's HIV theories -- the risks outweigh criticisms. - editorial (requires registration) - Los Angeles Times

►January 3, 2009 - HIV suspicions are doctor's dilemma (requires registration or subscription) - Toronto Star

►January 3, 2009 - Novartis Strengthens Vaccine Pipeline With Agreement For Novel CMV Vaccines Candidate - Medical News Today

* ►January 3, 2009 - Will Fosamax be Vioxx all over again? - OpEdNews

►January 3, 2009 - FDA Decides Against Warnings on Epilepsy Medication Suicide Risk - NaturalNews.com

►January 3, 2009 - Teen Test Day screens health of 1,000 - Chicago Breaking News - "The HIV test required a saliva swab and was completed in 20 minutes. Teens walked away with a T-shirt, candy or a pen. Many said they weren't sexually active, but thought it wise to get a free screening."

►January 3, 2009 - Safe-sleeping program for tots sees funding cut - Experts say city infant's recent death points to need for more education - The Indianapolis Star

►January 3, 2009 - Bush's changes in health provisions denounced - letter - The Courier-Journal

►January 3, 2009 - A Voice for the Consumer - editorial (requires registration) - The New York Times

* ►January 2, 2009 - Law on Flu Vaccinations May Be Tested (requires registration) - The New York Times - "This fall, the New Jersey Coalition for Vaccination Choice held a rally in Trenton that drew hundreds of parents who said they should be the ones to decide if their children need flu shots, not the state. “There’s a huge trust gap between parents and public health officials right now,” said Louise Kuo Habakus, who is a parent and spokeswoman for the New Jersey Coalition for V