Picks of the day archives - news that hit the "front page"

                                                         Vaccination News    

* ►June 2, 2008 - Influenza vaccination in paediatric nurses: Cross-sectional study of coverage, refusal, and factors in acceptance - journal article (Vaccine)

* ►June 2, 2008 - Generation and evaluation of the trivalent inactivated reassortant vaccine using human, avian, and swine influenza A viruses - journal article (Vaccine)

* ►June 2, 2008 - Participation in two phase II prophylactic HIV vaccine trials in the UK - journal article (Vaccine)

* ►June 2, 2008 - Plant-expressed HA as a seasonal influenza vaccine candidate - journal article (Vaccine)

* ►June 2, 2008 - A meta-analysis of human papillomavirus type-distribution in women from South Asia: Implications for vaccination - journal article (Vaccine)

* ►June 2, 2008 - The epidemiology of mumps in Italy - journal article (Vaccine)

* ►June 2, 2008 - A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the safety and immunogenicity of live, oral type 4 and type 7 adenovirus vaccines in adults - journal article (Vaccine)

* ►June 2008 - Detecting genetic responses to environmental change - journal article (Nature Reviews
Genetics)

* ►June 2008 - Chronic arsenic toxicity from Ayurvedic medicines - journal article (International Journal of Dermatology)

* ►May 19, 2008 - 'Vaccine Bar' May Be a Shot in the Arm for Small Firm - The firm of 'A Civil Action' fame takes on vaccination injury cases - The National Law Journal via Law.com - "Name partner Kevin Conway, and other lawyers specializing in vaccine cases filed as part of the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, say the program's fee rules make it hard for vaccine lawyers to stay solvent."

* ►May 18, 2008 - Ramadoss admits some syringes in TN had rusted - Times of India - "Speaking to TOI, Ramadoss said, 'AD syringes are vital to run a safe immunisation programme in India. Before it’s initiation three years ago in the RI programme, 64% of injections used in India were unsafe mainly due to reused needles. We have not received a single complaint with AD syringes earlier. In fact, we are on our way to introduce its sole use in all government hospitals.'"

* ►May 18, 2008 - Vaccine production in three units could resume: Anbumani - Health Minister makes it contingent on restructuring of the centres - The Hindu

* ►May 18, 2008 - India to part with flu data only if it gets cheap vaccines - Times of India - "Supari recounted her country’s bad experience with the small pox virus, which made them cautious. 'In 1926, small pox virus was found in Indonesia. In 1962, we developed a vaccine and in 1974, we managed to wipe out the virus. In 1984, WHO asked all nations to destroy the last known samples of the virus. We destroyed even our labs.'"

* ►May 17, 2008 - Smallpox Vaccine & AIDS Virus - Free Market News Network

* ►May 17, 2008 - Boys should also get HPV protection - Vancouver Sun via Canada.com - "B.C. I Boys as well as girls should be offered the free HPV vaccine to stop the spread of the cervical cancer-causing disease, former deputy health minister Dr. Penny Ballem says."

* ►May 17, 2008 - Centre to set up Vaccine, Medical park in TN: Minister - Chennai Online

* ►May 17, 2008 - Ramadoss defends decision to close vaccine production units - IANS via Thaindian.com - "Central Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss Saturday defended the government’s decision to close India’s three prime vaccine production facilities and denied charges that the move would create shortage of vaccines in the country. “India supplies 80 percent of the vaccinations to developing countries."

* ►May 17, 2008 - Vaccines ‘An amazing gift to our society’ - Jewish Standard

* ►May 17, 2008 - Little Leo’s jab: So how infallible is his mother's memory? - Mail on Sunday - "Then there's the MMR issue. The book opens with an unusual disclaimer that 'My memory is not infallible', presumably in case any of it is challenged. So I think we are entitled to ask if her memory is 'infallible' about her statement insisting that her son Leo was given the MMR jab – an assurance that could not be dragged from her by any means when it mattered. I'll accept this claim only when it's independently confirmed. Remember that her husband's government was engaged in a scheme to bully worried parents into giving their children this injection."

* ►May 17, 2008 - Man jailed in 5-month-old's death released - Courier-Post - "Calling it an "appropriate disposition considering all the circumstances," Drummond said medical experts for both the prosecution and defense concluded five-month-old Jasmine Fink did not die of shaken baby syndrome as originally determined at the autopsy."

* ►May 17, 2008 - Report Assesses Blame in Hepatitis Cases (requires registration) - The New York Times - "Health care workers at a Las Vegas endoscopy clinic linked to more than 80 cases of hepatitis C routinely mishandled injection equipment and medication vials and often failed to perform basic hand hygiene, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Friday."

* ►May 17, 2008 - Essential tools outlined for the prevention of avian flu - Investment in knowledge, strengthening responsibilities and contingency planning are seen as essential tools in the prevention of the spread of avian flu. - Farmers Weekly Interactive, UK

* ►May 17, 2008 - Preventing child deaths - New report emphasises the need to review the circumstances of death - journal article (BMJ)

* ►May 17, 2008 - Hospitals should use scoring system to spot serious illness in children, report says - journal article (BMJ)

* ►May 17, 2008 - Drug industry is partly to blame for overdiagnosis of bipolar disorder, researchers claim - journal article (BMJ) - "Marketing tactics by the drug industry are contributing to a huge overdiagnosis of bipolar disorder, researchers have said. A team from Brown University in Rhode Island says it has evidence that fewer than half of patients who were given a diagnosis of the disorder actually had it (Journal of Clinical Psychiatry www.psychiatrist.com/abstracts/oap/ej07m03888.htm). Their finding contradicts previous claims that the illness was underdiagnosed."

* ►May 17, 2008 - Immune Cells Kill Foes By Disrupting Mitochondria Two Ways - When killer T cells of the immune system encounter virus-infected or cancer cells, they unload a lethal mix of toxic proteins that trigger the target cells to self-destruct. A new study shows T cells can initiate cellular suicide, also known as programmed cell death or apoptosis, by a previously unrecognized pathway that starts with the destruction of a key enzyme in mitochondria, the power plant of the cell. - Harvard Medical School via ScienceDaily

* ►May 17, 2008 - Please, don’t forget ethical responsibilities - journal article (BMJ)

* ►May 17, 2008 - Drug companies must be open about using doctors as consultants, new code of practice demands - journal article (BMJ)

* ►May 16, 2008 - Human Effector and Memory CD8+ T Cell Responses to Smallpox and Yellow Fever Vaccines - journal article (Immunity)

* ►May 16, 2008 - Vaccine Adjuvants Alter TCR-Based Selection Thresholds - journal article (Immunity)

* ►May 16, 2008 - Biovail Pays $25M To Settle Federal Probe - Pharmalot - "The drugmaker was accused of paying docs as much as $1,000 and their office managers $150 each to get patients to use its Cardizem heart drug as part of a study that was to have been published. To extricate itself, Biovail agreed to pay $24.6 million to settle a Justice Department investigation into the 2003 launch of a long-acting version."

* ►May 16, 2008 - Zyprexa Document Leaker Fights Injunction - Pharmalot - "Now, Gottstein has filed a notice reactivating his appeal of Weinstein’s injunction, which charged him with violating a court order and prevented him from disseminating the Zyprexa documents. Gottstein sent us this explanation: “In order to facilitate settlement discussions we agreed to put the appeal on hold and have repeatedly extended the deadlines. However, because the negotiations have dragged on so long, it is hard for me to believe Lilly intends to ever reach an agreement with me. “On the other hand, in other ways, it seems like we are very close, but with maybe a couple of sticking points remaining. I continue to be cautiously optimistic we will reach a settlement. So, if Lilly wants to reach a settlement we can always drop the appeal, but if not, we are moving forward with it.”

* ►May 16, 2008 - Nigeria Ordered To Stop Harassing Pfizer - Pharmalot - "The High Court of Lagos granted an order restraining the Kano and Lagos States police from harassing the drugmaker’s Nigeria operation, and current and former employees - awarded Pfizer about $4,200 in damages, according a press release from the drugmaker."

* ►May 16, 2008 - County revises rabies vaccine policy - The Herald-Zeitung

* ►May 16, 2008 - Free flu vaccines for kids has “sketchy” evidence - The West Australian - "A top infectious diseases expert has accused the US of “putting the cart before the horse” by offering free flu jabs to all children, and says Australia won't be rushing to follow suit. Professor David Isaacs, a member of the federal government's vaccine advisory panel, will tell world leaders in childhood diseases today that the expert group was still considering universal influenza vaccinations for young Australians, but said the data supporting such a move was still “sketchy”."

* ►May 16, 2008 - Cough & Cold Maker Barred From Manufacturing - Pharmalot - "Scientific Laboratories and its two top execs - ceo Amit Roy and president Rajeshwari Patel - have signed a consent decree and are barred from manufacturing and distributing prescription meds until they bring their operations into compliance and obtain FDA approval for their products."

* ►May 16, 2008 - Family's suit claims mother died from contaminated Heparin - The Southeast Texas Record

* ►May 16, 2008 - FDA Obtains Permanent Injunction Against Scientific Laboratories, Inc. - FDA

* ►May 16, 2008 - East Africa: "Coverage of The Needle Exchange Programme will Have to Quadruple within The Next Year" - L'Express (Port Louis) via www.allafrica.com

* ►May 16, 2008 - Despite studies, parents believe in vaccination/autism link (includes video) - KSL.com

* ►May 16, 2008 - Launch of WHO H5N1 vaccine stockpile still awaited - CIDRAP News

* ►May 16, 2008 - GM tobacco expressing cervical cancer vaccine - Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers in developing countries and the second most prevalent cancer in women. Almost all cervical cancers result from human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Although vaccines against the virus, based on virus-like particles rather on attenuated HPV, have recently been made available, their high cost prohibits their widespread use especially in developing countries. - Checkbiotech.org

* ►May 16, 2008 - Anti CODEX War Raging Over C-51 In Canada - www.healthtruthrevealed.com

* ►May 15, 2008 - Consolidated to help DoH with cervical cancer drug - The Department of Health (DoH) has appointed Consolidated Communications to manage a PR campaign to raise awareness of a cervical cancer vaccine. - PR Week UK - "The Central Office of Information (COI) managed the three-way pitch, which also included Forster and Band & Brown. PR is part of an integrated campaign which includes activity across TV, radio, press, and digital."

* ►May 15, 2008 - CDC biolab not ready after 2 1/2 years - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's new maximum-security laboratories in Atlanta were supposed to open in the fall of 2005. But the suite of Biosafety Level 4 labs — designed to contain the world's most dangerous germs — still haven't been certified as ready to operate. The $214 million building they're in was completed 2 1/2 years ago. CDC officials say nothing is amiss. But the delays have raised concerns about potential construction or design flaws in labs destined to handle smallpox and Ebola viruses."

* ►May 15, 2008 - Drug ad effects on people need more study: FDA - Reuters - "Drug companies spent nearly $29.9 billion in 2005 on advertising, free samples, and sales staff to promote brand name products, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health published last year. More than $4 billion of that was spent on consumer ads compared to $429 million for ads directed at doctors."

* ►May 15, 2008 - What You Need to Know About the New Flu Shots (blog) - DVD

* ►May 15, 2008 - Dr. Jay Gordon Speaks Out at the Whole Children, Whole Planet Expo - Market Wire via COMTEX via MarketWatch - "Dr. Jay Gordon, nationally recognized pediatrician and an outspoken advocate for the reexamination of the safety and efficacy of childhood vaccinations, will appear as a guest speaker at the Whole Children, Whole Planet Expo (WCWP) at Highland Hall Waldorf School in Northridge. Dr. Gordon will speak Sunday, May 18 on the vaccination panel at 11:50 AM, and be available for signings of his informative DVD, "Vaccinations?: Assessing the Risks and Benefits," at the Childcare Media/Choices, Inc. booth from 1:00-2:00 PM. Thereafter, he will be available for media interviews from 2:00-4:00 PM."

* ►May 15, 2008 - Restaurateur charts autism bus to D.C. - Post-Tribune - "Gerodemos and his wife, Violet, believe their son's illness is the result of immunizations. "He was a fine, normal kid when he was 18 months old, and the day after he got his immunizations, he changed," Gerodemos said. "He's never been the same." Gerodemos has chartered a bus to Washington, D.C., and is inviting Northwest Indiana parents of autistic children to ride with him to participate in the June 4 "Green Our Vaccines" Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey DC Rally for Autism. The ride is free for the first 55 parents to fill the bus, Gerodemos said. His Paragon Restaurant is footing the bus bill."

* ►May 15, 2008 - Your Drug Did You Wrong? Call 1-800-Side-Effect - Pharmalot - "A recent Consumers Union poll found that 81 percent of Americans reported seeing or hearing an ad within 30 days of being questioned. The same poll found that one in six Americans who have ever taken a prescription drug experienced a side effect serious enough to send them to a doc or hospital, but only 35 percent were aware side effects can be reported to the FDA."

* ►May 15, 2008 - Study Looks At Late Talking Toddlers - Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research via redOrbit

* ►May 15, 2008 - Novel Microparticle Offers Immunological Breakthrough Against a Range of Infectious Diseases and Potentially Some Cancers - Virionyx via Business Wire - "When Virionyx, a New Zealand biotechnology company, tested a new anthrax vaccine, company scientists were elated when it worked, but then dumbfounded when one of the negative control agents compared to the vaccine also provided an unexpected level of protection against the bacterial toxin. That finding has led rapidly to a breakthrough that could help protect against a wide range of infectious diseases and possibly fight certain cancers."

* ►May 14, 2008 - Plastic Additives in Consumer Products (testimony) - U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation

* ►May 13, 2008 - Maximizing the effectiveness of a pediatric vaccine formulary while prohibiting extraimmunization - journal article (Health Care Management Science) - "To reduce this number, vaccine manufacturers have developed combination vaccines that immunize against several diseases in a single injection. At the same time, a growing number of parents are challenging the safety and effectiveness of vaccinating children. They are also particularly concerned about the use of combination vaccines, since they believe that injecting a child with multiple antigens simultaneously may overwhelm a child’s immune system. Moreover, combination vaccines make it more likely that extraimmunization (i.e., administering more than the required amount of vaccine antigens) occurs, resulting in greater concerns by parents and vaccine wastage costs borne by an already strained healthcare system. This paper formulates an integer programming model that solves for the maximum number of vaccines that can be administered without any extraimmunization."

* ►May 13, 2008 - Drug Safety Oversight Board Meeting April 17, 2008 Public Summary - FDA/CDER

* ►May 5, 2008 - 30 Million Children targeted for FluMist Vaccine (blog) - When getting a shot of the FluMist vaccine do you know what is being sprayed up your child's nose? How about adverse reactions? - Squidoo

* ►May 2008 - Potential therapeutic role of statins in neurological disorders. - journal article (Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics)

* ►April 28, 2008 - Effect of influenza and pneumococcal vaccines in elderly persons in years of low influenza activity (pdf) - journal article (Virology Journal)

* ►March 18, 2008 - Dr. Corinne Allen-Autism Help With Results - video - YouTube

* ►VACCINE COURT - Lawsuits Claiming Vaccines Containing Thimerosal or the MMR Cause Neurodevelopmental Disorders, including "autism" - A-CHAMP.org

* ►Audio recordings and transcripts of the Omnibus Autism Proceedings - Thimerosal/Autism Trial (May 12, 2008 - May 30, 2008) - Vaccine Program/Office of Special Masters via United States Court of Federal Claims

* ►Strong Evidence Mercury & Vaccines Cause Autism - A Population Level Rechallenge in Japan - The Honda/Rutter Japan Paper - Clifford G. Miller

* ►May 16, 2008 - Acute Hepatitis C Virus Infections Attributed to Unsafe Injection Practices at an Endoscopy Clinic --- Nevada, 2007 - MMWR/CDC

* ►May 15, 2008 - Prevention of Herpes Zoster - Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) (early release) - MMWR/CDC

* ►May 15, 2008 - CDC Urges Shingles Vaccine for Most Patients 60 and Older (includes audio) - MedPage Today - "Dr. Schaffner said clinicians may have been reluctant to prescribe the vaccine until the CDC's full recommendations were available. 'Clinicians now have a secure source of information about the vaccine and recommendations for its use,' he said."

* ►May 15, 2008 - Holland On The Omnibus Autism Proceeding: 5/14 by Mary Holland, Esq - Age of Autism

* ►May 15, 2008 - Olmsted, The Amish and Autism: Part Two by Mark Blaxill (Part 2 of 2) - Age of Autism

* ►May 15, 2008 - Offit Targets The Polings: Touts Vaccinations For Mito Disorder - Age of Autism

* ►May 15, 2008 - Insecticides in pet shampoo may trigger autism - New Scientist

* ►May 15, 2008 - Pyrethrin chemicals in pet shampoo may increase autism risk - The London Times

* ►May 15, 2008 - Detecting autism in babies may aid progress - Mac researchers track eye movement - Hamilton Spectator

* ►May 15, 2008 - Meningitis B vaccine could be only three years away - Daily Mail, UK

* ►May 15, 2008 - HIV / AIDS - Results from vaccine trial 'promising' - Bangkok Post - "Half of them have been getting injections of two combination vaccines _ the canary pox vaccine Alvac and a synthesised combination of the B and E sub-types of the Aids virus AidsVax, with the rest getting placebo injections over a one-year period."

* ►May 15, 2008 - Cancer vaccine gets Netherlands approval - Frederick company Vaccinogen wins approval for production in Europe; expects U.S. launch in three years - Gazette.net - "Vaccinogen Inc. of Frederick hopes to launch OncoVax in the United States in roughly three years, after the company secured a pivotal license to produce the vaccine at its manufacturing facility in Europe and distribute it there."

* ►May 15, 2008 - Aussie vaccine fights cervical cancer - The West Australian - "Cervarix, like the cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil, is developed using technology pioneered by former Australian of the Year Professor Ian Frazer. But unlike its rival, Cervarix has not yet been given the final sign-off to join the National Immunisation Program where it will be made available at no cost to girls and women between the ages of 12 and 26. The vaccine is also yet to get approval for use in the US."

* ►May 15, 2008 - Government's bird flu drugs strategy is 'flawed' - The Government's strategy to defend the nation against a bird flu pandemic has been called into question. - Telegraph, UK

* ►May 15, 2008 - TV Drug Ads May Have To Zoom In On Side Effects - TV Drug Ads Could Urge Patients To Report Drug Side Effects, Under FDA Proposal - AP via CBS News

* ►May 15, 2008 - Product Placements Require New FDA Regs - Pharmalot - "After all, there may well be more restrictions on DTC after the presidential elections, and consumers are increasingly using TiVo and remote controls to ignore commericals. In general, the UCLA researchers note that the overall market for product placement rose 30.5 percent to $3.5 billion in 2004, according to their paper in The Journal of Public Policy & Marketing. And in 2006, there were 462 mentions of prescription meds on TV shows."

* ►May 15, 2008 - New Drug Approvals Are On The Rise, So Far - Pharmalot

* ►May 15, 2008 - Crystal structures of oseltamivir-resistant influenza virus neuraminidase mutants - journal article (Nature)

* ►May 15, 2008 - Single anti-flu drug 'not enough' - No single drug alone will be enough to treat all the victims of a global flu pandemic, research has shown. - BBC

* ►May 15, 2008 - Sanofi Deceived US Patent Office Over Lovenox - Pharmalot

* ►May 15, 2008 - Five-year-old boy dies of chickenpox just days after doctors sent him home - Daily Mail, UK - "Little Fabio Nunes was rushed to East Surrey Hospital in Redhill on February 14 by dad Ricardo, but claims that medical staff told him that his son was alright after examining him even though he was 'unable to walk or talk' and was 'barely conscious'. But just four days later, with Fabio getting progressively worse, his dad took him back to hospital only to be told that Fabio was suffering from a severe reaction to chickenpox and only had six hours to live."

* ►May 15, 2008 - Quarantine was right call - The Ottawa Citizen - "Managing risk is a tricky business. Public safety must be balanced against civil liberties such as freedom of movement and association, and a perfect balance can be hard to achieve. In the post-9/11 era, governments perform risk assessments all the time and, admittedly, sometimes they get it wrong."

* ►May 15, 2008 - Actor backs right to sue companies - Quaid tells Congress of twins' overdose (requires registration or subscription) - Baltimore Sun

* ►May 15, 2008 - Migraine Medicines May Cause Potentially Deadly Brain Syndrome - Bloomberg

* ►May 15, 2008 - Cops, firefighters advised to get shots for measles (requires registration) - Arizona Daily Star - "This week, nearly 2,000 members of the Tucson Police and Fire departments are being targeted for measles shots, if they cannot show proof of immunity....That includes some 600 uniformed firefighters also ordered to get the MMR shots — for measles, mumps and rubella — if they're not currently immune, said Capt. Norm Carlton, a Tucson Fire Department spokesman....'We are investigating those reports now and stepping up efforts to get day-care staff immunized as well,' she said."

* ►May 15, 2008 - Bird flu drugs 'poured down the drain' - Nearly $1 million worth of antibiotics was being poured down the drain after drugs, bought in case of a bird flu pandemic, had expired, National MP Tony Ryall said. - NZPA via www.stuff.co.nz

* ►May 15, 2008 - Bird flu 'resistant to Australian drug arsenal' - The Federal Government's bird-flu medication stockpiles are being questioned after research showed the virus is resistant to the majority of Australia's supplies. - www.abc.net.au

* ►May 15, 2008 - PETA warns of link between factory farm filth and bird flu - PTI via Hindu Business Line

* ►May 15, 2008 - Indonesia to provide bird flu data online - AP via Google - "Several boycotted WHO's long-standing virus sharing system, instead depositing important bird flu information into existing but often inadequate public databanks. On the Net: GISAID: http://platform.gisaid.org/"

* ►May 15, 2008 - New Handbook of Clinical Psychology Focuses on Children and Adolescents - Research and Markets via Business Wire via MarketWatch

* ►May 14, 2008 - First Do No Harm — Avoiding Medication Errors in Children - Medication errors are especially problematic in children because many drugs are formulated for adults. - journal article (Journal Watch Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine)

* ►May 14, 2008 - Don't be fever phobic (blog) - Ms. W brings in her 4-year-old, who has had a fever of 102.8 for two days. "I'm worried sick. I can't get the fever down. I've given ibuprofen and acetaminophen, luke warm baths. but as soon as the fever goes down, it's soon back up again. I'm afraid the fever will cause some kind of damage." - WebMD - "Then why treat a fever? The body's thermostat is rarely satisfied; it usually wants the temperature in the body to be a few degrees warmer than it is. That's why we feel cold or chilled when really we are already too warm. Hence, the main reason to treat a fever: to make your child feel more comfortable. Period."

* ►May 14, 2008 - Pfizer To Disclose Grants And Charitable Donations - Pharmalot

* ►May 14, 2008 - Scientists use music to explore autistic brain's emotion processing - The Cheers

* ►May 14, 2008 - GAO Issues Report Citing FDA Slowdown on DTC Enforcement - Eye on FDA

* ►May 14, 2008 - Better Screening, Treatment, And Affordable Vaccines Can Prevent Doubling Of Cervical Cancer Deaths In Latin America, Caribbean - The Pan American Health Organization, The Albert B. Sabin Vaccine Institute via Medical News Today

* ►May 14, 2008 - The International Meeting for Autism Research May 15-17, 2008 - Scientists to report the latest findings on the causes and treatments of autism - Autism Speaks via FirstScience

* ►May 14, 2008 - South Elgin family joins fight against autism - The Courier News - "Like many parents with autistic children, Beth questions the role vaccines play in the disease. She is joining a national rally, Green Our Vaccines by Talk About Curing Autism, featuring spokeswoman Jenny McCarthy, whose son has autism, and comedian Jim Carrey on June 4 in Washington, D.C."

* ►May 14, 2008 - Dennis Quaid backs drugmaker liability suits (includes video) - Reuters - "'I believe if preemption of lawsuits is allowed to prevail, it will basically make all of us, the public, uninformed and uncompensated lab rats,' Quaid said at a House of Representatives committee hearing. He urged Congress to pass legislation to protect patients' ability to sue drugmakers if the Supreme Court further restricts the suits."

* ►May 14, 2008 - Former FDA Official Says FDA Approval Shouldn't Bar Lawsuits - Dow Jones via CNNMoney

* ►May 14, 2008 - Allergy seen profitable in 2009 on hay fever vaccine - Reuters

* ►May 14, 2008 - Phase II Clinical Trial of Sinobiomed's Malaria Candidate Vaccine to Start in Q3 - Company Collaborating With Mahidol University of Bangkok on Trial to Be Conducted in Thailand - Sinobiomed Inc. via Marketwire via CNNMoney

* ►May 14, 2008 - Cervarix™ provides longest duration of sustained neutralising antibodies reported for any vaccine against HPV 16 and 18 to date - Neutralising antibodies are believed by experts to be important for cervical cancer prevention - press release - GlaxoSmithKline

* ►May 14, 2008 - Judge Stephen Kouri said he would not reconsider McCarron's sentence - WHOI HOI-19 - "Early last month McCarron was sentenced to 36 years in prison for killing her 3-year-old daughter Katie who had autism. McCarron's attorney filed a motion to appeal."

* ►May 14, 2008 - Raking through sludge exposes a stink - Environmental Protection Agency scientists accused of fabricating data about health effects of fertilizer. - Nature News - "The False Claims Act lawsuit brought by microbiologist David Lewis, who says he was forced out of the agency, alleges that EPA officials and University of Georgia researchers fraudulently orchestrated a grant and then fabricated data to ensure that the EPA's 'biosolids' programme would come out smelling pretty. If the charges stick, the scientists and EPA officials could be held personally liable and may be forced to pay back the original grant as well as some US$4.6 million in subsequent grants, plus penalties."

* ►May 13, 2008 - Intercell AG announces Q1 2008 results and update on development programs - Vaccine against Japanese Encephalitis moving towards global market approvals: US FDA inspection currently ongoing, Australia grants priority review – All development programs on track - Intercell's investigational Japanese Encephalitis vaccine expected to obtain market approval in global traveler markets in 2008 – commercial production started - PharmaLive

* ►May 13, 2008 - Expert: Fetal Viability Threshold Continues to Change - 93.1 WIBC Indianapolis - "Indiana recognizes viability at 7 months; however, Dr. Lemons says the American Academy of Pediatrics has lowered their recognition to 23-25 weeks. Lemons says the developmental weight of the fetus matters more than the gestational age because each baby develops differently. Lemons adds in early development, girls develop faster than boys."

* ►May 13, 2008 - Maternal Infections During Pregnancy May Increase Risk for Childhood Epilepsy CME/CE (requires registration) - Pediatrics via Medscape Medical News

* ►May 13, 2008 - Allergy fight involves slew of method, varying results - Gannett News Service via Norwich Bulletin - "Joel Munch was told he was allergic to too many things, so he couldn’t get allergy shots. Instead, the Connestee Falls, N.C., resident would take over-the-counter medications to treat his allergy symptoms, but he often was unable to sleep and felt tired. But for the past three years, Munch has been putting a drop of liquid underneath his tongue three times a day to treat his allergies, and he says the difference is noticeable."

* ►May 13, 2008 - Are Anxiety Disorders All in the Mind? - Researchers Find Link Between Altered Dopamine Activity and Social Anxiety Disorder According to an Article in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine - Society of Nuclear Medicine via Biocompare

* ►May 12, 2008 - Shire Launches Nationwide Adult ADHD Mobile Awareness Tour - ADHD screening initiative launches in Atlanta and continues for 90 days; Shire expects up to 20,000 adults to self-screen for ADHD in 13 cities across the country - Shire

* ►May 12, 2008 - Does Early Nutritional Intervention Prevent Development of Atopic Disease in Infants? (requires registration) - Pediatrics via Medscape Pediatrics

* ►May 11, 2008 - Lead's legacy - Banned three decades ago, lead paint continues to poison Ohio's children - The Columbus Dispatch

* ►May 8, 2008 - Evaluation of the levels of folate, vitamin B12, homocysteine and fluoride in the parents and the affected neonates with neural tube defect and their matched controls - journal article (Pediatric Surgery International)

* ►May 5, 2008 - Expression and Maintenance of Mitochondrial DNA. New Insights into Human Disease Pathology. - journal article (The American Journal of Pathology)

* ►May 5, 2008 - New Clorox disinfectant is EPA registered to kill both known types of MRSA - Ketchum DC via EurekAlert!

* ►March 25, 2008 - Cost-effectiveness of hepatitis A immunization of children and adolescents in Germany - journal article (The European Journal of Health Economics) - "Assuming that the travel immunization rate among young adults remains at least constant, any newly implemented mass immunization among infants or adolescents in Germany would not be cost-effective. Therefore it does not seem sensible for the statutory health insurance to meet the costs of such immunization strategies."

* ►Has The Cause of Crib Death (SIDS) Been Found? Toxic Gases in Baby Crib Mattresses By Jane Sheppard - Healthy Child

* ►June 2008 - Developing Antibacterial Vaccines in Genomics and Proteomics Era - journal article (Scandinavian Journal of Immunology)

* ►June 2008 - Varicella zoster virus glycoprotein E-specific CD4+ T cells show evidence of recent activation and effector differentiation, consistent with frequent exposure to replicative cycle antigens in healthy immune donors - journal article (Clinical & Experimental Immunology)

* ►June 2008 - Clinical Immunology Review Series: An approach to the patient with recurrent infections in childhood - journal article (Clinical & Experimental Immunology)

* ►June 2008 - Pediatric traumatic brain injury: an update of research to understand and improve outcomes. - journal article (Current Opinion in Pediatrics)

* ►June 2008 - Live probiotic Bifidobacterium lactis bacteria inhibit the toxic effects induced by wheat gliadin in epithelial cell culture - journal article (Clinical & Experimental Immunology)

* ►May 15, 2008 - Vaccines and Autism Revisited — The Hannah Poling Case (free full text) - journal article (NEJM)

* ►May 14, 2008 - Hearing adjourns for doctor who linked shots, autism - British medical panel reviewing complaints against Austin-based doctor not expected to rule till end of year. - Austin American Statesman - "The disciplinary hearing into allegations of professional misconduct against Andrew Wakefield, a British-born gastroenterologist who lives in Austin, adjourned this week. The hearing will resume July 14 when the five-member panel begins hearing the case against one of Wakefield's colleagues, John Walker-Smith."

* ►May 14, 2008 - Prevention of Pertussis, Tetanus, and Diphtheria Among Pregnant and Postpartum Women and Their Infants - Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) (early release) - MMWR/CDC - "No evidence exists demonstrating whether Tdap in pregnant women harms the fetus or increases risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes, transplacental antibody induced by Tdap administered during pregnancy will protect infants against pertussis, or Tdap-induced transplacental maternal antibody will have a negative impact on an infant's protective immune response to later-administered routine pediatric DTaP or to conjugate vaccines containing tetanus toxoid or diphtheria toxoid. This report discusses certain situations in which health-care providers might choose to administer Tdap to a pregnant woman. Health-care providers should weigh the theoretical risks and benefits before choosing to administer Tdap vaccine to a pregnant woman."

* ►May 14, 2008 - Appendix A - Summary of ACIP Recommendations for Prevention of Pertussis, Tetanus and Diphtheria Among Pregnant and Postpartum Women and Their Infants (early release) - MMWR/CDC

* ►May 14, 2008 - Panel to probe vaccine deaths - Three children died last week after being given the shots - Daily News & Analysis, India

* ►May 14, 2008 - Heckenlively On The Omnibus Autism Proceeding: 5/13 - Beating up the Burglar – The Omnibus Autism Proceeding – Second Set of Hearings (Thimerosal & Autism) – Day Two – May 13, 2008 by Kent Heckenlively, Esq. - Age of Autism

* ►May 14, 2008 - Holland On The Omnibus Autism Proceeding: 5/13 by Mary Holland, Esq. - Age of Autism

* ►May 14, 2008 - Olmsted, The Amish and Autism by Mark Blaxill (Part 1 of 2) - Age of Autism

* ►May 14, 2008 - Unauthorized Imus Transcript - The following is an unauthorized transcript of IMUS interview with CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson. - Age of Autism

* ►May 14, 2008 - Contact Info For Dr. Healy by Anne Dachel, Media Editor - Age of Autism

* ►May 14, 2008 - Philly First In The Nation To Require Mercury Disclosures - The Philadelphia Bulletin - "Freya Koss said she developed multiple sclerosis, lupus and other health problems from a silver dental filling containing mercury. She and several other consumer advocates and health professionals were at City Hall yesterday to tell their stories of cavity fillings gone wrong. The Pennsylvania Coalition for Mercury-Free Dentistry and Consumers for Dental Choice (CDC) stood in front of large signs warning of the dangers of silver amalgam fillings - most notable for their high levels of the neurotoxin mercury. In December, Philadelphia City Council unanimously passed legislation backed by Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown that requires dentists to distribute patient brochures disclosing the dangers of silver amalgam fillings."

* ►May 14, 2008 - Concerns over mercury use in dental amalgam - letter - EurActiv.com

* ►May 14, 2008 - Report Detailed Thimerosal Cover-up - Newsinferno.com

* ►May 14, 2008 - Terminator Mosquitoes to Control Dengue? - Why take a dangerous, costly, and untested high tech option when safe, effective, and affordable alternatives are available. - Prof. Joe Cummins and Dr. Mae-Wan Ho - This article has been submitted to the FDA and EPA in the United States. Please send it to regulators in your country. - Institute of Science in Society

* ►May 14, 2008 - Merck revelations make state's drug immunity a bitter pill to swallow - Sen. John J. Gleason - The Detroit News - "Two new reports were released in the Journal of the American Medical Association that claim Merck & Co. frequently paid academic scientists to take credit for research articles prepared by company-hired medical writers, a practice called ghostwriting, to promote their products. They also assert that Merck tried to minimize deaths in two studies that showed that the now-withdrawn drug Vioxx didn't work at treating or preventing Alzheimer's disease. This is the latest in a growing string of incidents involving Merck and Vioxx, and it again underscores the urgent need to pass my legislation, Senate Bill 43, which would outlaw drug industry immunity in Michigan -- the only state in the nation that still allows such protection."

* ►May 14, 2008 - FDA Probes Come Under Fire From Hill Republicans - Wall Street Journal Blog

* ►May 14, 2008 - FDA Chief Relents, Asking Congress to Fund More Foreign Inspections - Wall Street Journal Blog

* ►May 14, 2008 - 1 nation, under medication: Prescriptions at record high - AP via Seattle Times - "For the first time, it appears that more than half of all insured Americans are taking prescription medicines regularly for chronic health problems, a study shows."

* ►May 14, 2008 - In a Phase II Study, Novartis Meningitis B Vaccine Has Potential to Produce a Protective Immune Response in Infants, the Age Group Most at Risk - Data show Novartis Meningitis B (MenB) vaccine has potential to be first vaccine to provide broad protection to infants against meningococcal B infections -- The meningococcal B strain causes 72% of meningococcal disease in Europe and is a major cause of the disease in other regions of the world -- Novartis MenB vaccine and Novartis Menveo(R) (MenACWY-CRM) vaccine on track to establish strong portfolio of meningitis vaccines - Market Wire via COMTEX News Network via FOX Business

* ►May 14, 2008 - Experts Appeal for Integrated Programs to Prevent Cervical Cancer - Pan American Health Organization

* ►May 14, 2008 - Glaxo says cervical cancer vaccine works for longer - Reuters - "GlaxoSmithKline said on Wednesday new data showed its Cervarix vaccine generated sustained, high levels of neutralizing antibodies against the two most common cervical cancer-causing virus types for 6.4 years."

* ►May 14, 2008 - Discovery of HPV in male oral cancers leads to vaccination call - CBC - "Janet Dollin, the president of the Federation of Medical Women of Canada, said public health officials in Canada should consider vaccinating both girls and boys against HPV. 'Start thinking about immunizing everybody who is at risk — it makes no sense to vaccinate only the girls,' Dollin said.:

* ►May 14, 2008 - New Data Support Routine Childhood Vaccination With PREVENAR in Europe - press release - Wyeth via PRNewswire via ITNews

* ►May 14, 2008 - Life-threatening Pneumonia Caused by Pneumonia Vaccine - NaturalNews.com - "There are dozens of types of pneumonia bacteria. Prevnar prevents only seven of them, and far from the worst forms of the disease. As a result, some of these more virulent strains of pneumonia, which had been held in check by competition with the seven types that Prevnar destroys, are running rampant in children who have received the Prevnar vaccine. In other words, its success is creating a greater danger. Prevnar is a perfect example of the law of unexpected consequences. Or were they unexpected? According to an Associated Press report, Wyeth 'anticipated' the spread of new strains of pneumonia and ear infection bacteria as a result of their vaccine! They are in the process of testing another one, and plan for its use by the general public in the next year or two. This one would address 18 strains of pneumonia-causing bacteria."

* ►May 14, 2008 - Centre decides to shut down three vaccine producing PSUs - Asia Pulse Data Source via COMTEX via Trading Markets - "In a major revamp of the immunisation programme, the Centre has decided to shut down the three vaccine producing Public Sector Units and depend on the private sector for its vaccination needs."

* ►May 14, 2008 - Maternity Immunisation Allowance - eligibility change - Joint Media Release with Nicola Roxon MP, Minister for Health and Ageing - 7thSpace - "The Australian Government will change the Maternity Immunisation Allowance (MIA) to encourage all parents to fully immunise their children before they start school.  From 1 January 2009 the Maternity Immunisation Allowance (MIA) will be paid in two instalments instead of one lump sum. Families Minister Jenny Macklin and Health Minister Nicola Roxon said the $236.70 allowance was currently paid for children aged between 18 months and 2 years who are fully immunised or have received an approved exemption."

* ►May 14, 2008 - Provider issue vexes drive to boost flu-shot coverage - CIDRAP News - "Over several hours Tuesday, participants at the annual National Influenza Vaccine Summit struggled with the competing goals of getting shots and nasal sprays into as many patients as possible, while protecting the investments of the patients' regular doctors and the entrepreneurship of alternative vaccination sites."

* ►May 14, 2008 - Health Minister Tony Clement responds to Bill C-51 criticism - Straight.com

* ►May 14, 2008 - Defining drugs through Bill C-51 - Bancroft This Week - "Promoted as a means to protect the safety of Canadians from so-called untested natural health products, Bill C-51 is a wide reaching, little publicized & carefully crafted set of amendments to the federal Food & Drug Act. Key changes include: replacing the word ‘drug’ with ‘therapeutic product’ throughout the Act giving the Canadian government broad-reaching powers to regulate the sale of all herbs, spices, vitamins, supplements & more."

* ►May 14, 2008 - FDA defends safety of baby bottle chemical - Reuters - "Norris Alderson, the FDA's associate commissioner for science, said although the regulatory agency is reviewing safety concerns about the chemical bisphenol A, or BPA, 'a large body of available evidence' shows that products such as liquid or food containers made with it are safe. In testimony before a Senate subcommittee, Alderson also defended the FDA's reliance on two industry-funded studies in determining that products containing BPA are safe."

* ►May 14, 2008 - Child-killing virus hits Beijing - CNN - "In mild cases, EV-71 causes cold-like symptoms, diarrhea, and sores on the hands, feet and mouth. Severe cases can cause fluid to accumulate on the brain, resulting in polio-like paralysis and death. There is no treatment for severe EV-71 infections nor does a vaccine exist. Adults with well-developed immune systems can usually fend off the virus, but children are particularly vulnerable to it, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

* ►May 14, 2008 - Judge won't suppress confession of man accused of shaking baby - Palm Beach Post - "Dr. Edward Willey testified by phone that he believes shaken baby syndrome is not a proper diagnosis in general and is propagated, in error, in the medical community. Dr. Willey likened it to doctors' regard for ulcers which for years were treated as if caused by spicy food or stress. They since have been found to be caused by bacteria, he said. The doctor said that in Cano's case specifically he does not believe Cano shook Elijah vigorously or that the shaking alone would have caused the boy's injuries. Defense attorney Gershman asked him about Elijah's dramatic head growth which registered at birth in the 10th percentile on growth charts and in the 95th percentile upon his death."

* ►May 14, 2008 - YEMEN: Neonatal tetanus campaign targets nearly one million women - IRIN via YemenOnline

* ►May 14, 2008 - Implications for Registry-Based Vaccine Effectiveness Studies from an Evaluation of an Immunization Registry: A Cross-sectional Study (pdf) - journal article (BMC Public Health)

* ►May 14, 2008 - F.D.A. Chief Writes Congress for Money (requires registration) - The New York Times - "After being pummeled for weeks on Capitol Hill over the president’s budget, Food and Drug Commissioner Andrew C. von Eschenbach has written Congress that the agency needs an immediate infusion of $275 million to ensure that imported foods, drugs and medical devices are safe."

* ►May 14, 2008 - Clinical Trial Participation Can Be A Hard Sell - Pharmalot

* ►May 14, 2008 - Financial Disclosures Are Inconsistent In Journals - Pharmalot

* ►May 14, 2008 - NPR, Conflicts Of Interest And A Mea Culpa - Pharmalot

* ►May 14, 2008 - Protesters ask Pallone to support Lyme bill - Independent - "Lyme patients have no more patience for being told, 'you are not sick, you never had Lyme disease, you need psychiatric help.' "Research and education hold the key to unraveling this disease, yet Congress will not even allow our voices or the voices of our treating physicians to be heard," she said."

* ►May 14, 2008 - Abuse of Power in Texas - Human Events - "When I hear a government bureaucrat claim to be the parents of children he never has met, it sets me off. It is an explosive statement. It is the kind of offensive and officious statement that only will serve to create more fear and distrust of government -- the very conditions that lead to the creation of compounds such as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Frankly, the state does not even know whether the children have been immunized or not. In some cases, the mothers say their children have had shots, but the records are in Utah, not in Texas. But these parents are hardly alone in our society when it comes to rejecting inoculations of questionable safety. Who's next? Will Texas decide it is also the lawful parent of children who are home-schooled and whose parents made conscious and well-informed decisions not to immunize their kids because of the potential for dire health risks? Why does the public accept the need for the state to intrude in this jackbooted manner when it comes to these parents and children?"

* ►May 14, 2008 - A $7.75 Million Vioxx Verdict Is Overturned - Pharmalot

* ►May 14, 2008 - Pfizer To Disclose Grants And Charitable Donations - Pharmalot

* ►May 13, 2008 - NIH Awards La Jolla Institute For Allergy & Immunology Major Grant To Test Safety Of New Smallpox Treatment - La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology via Medical News Today

* ►May 13, 2008 - Critical care panel tackles disaster preparation, surge capacity, rationing - CIDRAP News - "Clinicians should consider two factors when weighing if a patient should receive critical care: daily Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores and the patient's chronic illness severity. Patients' SOFA scores would be evaluated if their risk of hospital mortality is 80% or greater. Life-limiting illnesses that would exclude patients from receiving scarce critical care resources include conditions such as: Severe trauma. Severe burns in certain circumstances. Cardiac arrest (unwitnessed or witnessed events that don't respond to electrical therapy). Severe baseline cognitive impairment. Metastatic malignancy. Advanced, irreversible neurological events or neuromuscular disease. End-stage organ failure. Age above 85 years."

* ►May 13, 2008 - The "Mark of the Beast" is called "interoperability with electronic medical records" S.2911 & S.1693 - RenewAmerica

* ►May 13, 2008 - Lilly backs transparency on M.D. perks - The Indianapolis Star - "Eli Lilly and Co. today became the first drug maker to support a federal proposal requiring drug and medical device makers to disclose payments, gifts, honoraria and travel reimbursements given to doctors."

* ►May 13, 2008 - Major Study of Teflon Chemical in People Suggests Harm To Immune System, Liver, Thyroid - Preliminary Data Released as Calif. Senate Votes to Ban PFCs in Food Packaging - Environmental Working Group

* ►May 13, 2008 - Bush administration rules limit lawsuits - The Associated Press via Google - "The real-world impact of preemption will be on display Wednesday when a congressional committee hears from actor Dennis Quaid and his wife, who have sued a maker of the blood-thinner heparin in Illinois state court. The Quaids sued after their newborn twins were given massive doses of the blood thinner at a hospital. The Quaids claim the manufacturer was negligent in packaging different doses of the product in similar vials with blue backgrounds. The company — Baxter Healthcare Corp. — is seeking to use the doctrine of preemption to shield it from any civil liability, claiming that once FDA approved the labeling and packaging at issue in the case, the company is immune from civil suits for money damages."

* ►May 13, 2008 - Federal regulations limit consumer lawsuits - AP via Google

* ►May 13, 2008 - GAO Criticizes FDA Regulatory Letters on Violative DTC Ads - FDAnews - "The GAO report can be viewed at www.gao.gov/new.items/d08758t.pdf."

* ►May 13, 2008 - NBACC director says they will not create threats at lab - FAS Strategic Security Project Blog - "The controversy about the research goals of the NBACC emerged after Lt. Colonel George Korch, Jr., PhD, gave a powerpoint presentation about the facility in February 2004. According to this talk (the slides are available here), part of the NBACC threat assessment mission would include acquiring, growing, modifying, storing, stabilizing, packaging, and dispersing biological threat agents to determine various properties and capabilities. The presentation also states that the facility will 'characterize classical, emerging, and genetically engineered pathogens for their biological threat agent potential” through “computational modeling of feasibility, methods, and scale of production.'"

* ►May 13, 2008 - Senate revises drugmaker gift bill - Reuters

* ►May 13, 2008 - Coast Guard backtracks on forced vaccine - Catholic officer wins right to reject shot made from aborted fetus - WorldNetDaily - "In May 2006, the Coast Guard ordered all active-duty personnel to receive one of two vaccines against Hepatitis A or show proof of immunity. Healy researched the vaccine and discovered that an immunized person can still be a carrier of Hepatitis A if he comes in contact with infected fecal matter. Proper hygiene and simple hand washing is the best way to prevent the spread of the disease, he found. Healy further noted, 'Eighty-five percent of those exposed to the virus display slight to no symptoms and all develop a permanent immunity to the virus once exposed. Less than 3 percent of all exposures lead to severe symptoms or death.'"

* ►May 13, 2008 - Autism and Vaccines: Are We Being Objective? - Dr. Hugo Rodier

* ►May 13, 2008 - Heckenlively On The Omnibus Autism Proceeding: 5/12 - Once More into the Breach! – The Omnibus Autism Proceeding – Second Set of Hearings (Thimerosal & Autism) – Day One – May 12, 2008 by Kent Heckenlively, Esq. - Age of Autism

* ►May 13, 2008 - Are childhood vaccines are causing autism? (includes video) - WHEC.com News 10 Rochester - "Dr. Michael Pichichero with Legacy Pediatrics blames a growing trend among some parents to not have their kids vaccinated. He says, 'More parents are refusing the MMR vaccine because of incorrect information that it might cause autism. The result is measles outbreak across the country. We are expected to see measles this winter in Rochester for the first time in 20 years.'"

* ►May 13, 2008 - 200 babies could hold key to early diagnostic test for autism in children - The Times, UK

* ►May 13, 2008 - Doctors Neglect to Offer Flu Vaccines - RedOrbit - "Flu shot manufacturer Sanofi-Pasteur claimed on Monday that doctors are neglecting to give their patients flu vaccines. By using information collected by an electronic physician insurance claims database, the company cited evidence of 25 million high-risk people who visited their physician during recent flu seasons and were not given a flu shot. 'They are actually already in the office -- they just aren't being offered vaccines,' said Sanofi's Donna Cary."

* ►May 13, 2008 - MMR: Medical manipulation reality - The one sure sign of a government in desperate death throes is its fondness for vicious bullying. - opinion - News & Star, UK

* ►May 13, 2008 - Labour MP's MMR proposal 'a breach of human rights' - Some parents still refuse to give their children an MMR jab - Opposition parties and pressure groups have lambasted suggestions from Labour MP Mary Creagh that parents should be forced to inoculate their children. - Politics.co.uk

* ►May 13, 2008 - Needled by Cherie's jab at the truth - Daily Mail, UK - "Now Dr Rod Griffiths, former president of the Faculty of Public Health, tells me: 'She could have said 'yes' or she could have said 'no'. She said nothing. 'Now she is saying 'yes'. So when did Leo lose his right to privacy? Has she asked him if it is all right to say he's had it?...Dr Richard Halvorsen, author of The Truth About Vaccines, admits he was surprised at Mrs Blair's timing. 'I remember when people were screaming out to know if her son had had his MMR. It is not helpful to anyone to say he did now. People were troubled by this and she didn't help.'"

* ►May 13, 2008 - Judge restores custody to parents of boy, 11, who fought chemotherapy - The Canadian Press via Google

* ►May 13, 2008 - Stealth Marketers - The ties that bind - Alliance for Human Research Protection - "The New York Times reports that an examination by CSPI. Integrity in Science, found that the panels that crafted the new DSM-psychiatry's diagnostic 'Bible'-is as riddled with financial conflicts of interest as the previous panels had been: 'More than half the 28 new members of writers of the next edition of the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) have ties to the drug industry.'"

* ►May 13, 2008 - Tooth Fairy delivers Eli Lilly's Early Christmas Presents - Alliance for Human Research Protection

* ►May 13, 2008 - India plans to re-work immunisation programme - Thaindian.com - "The suggestion to introduce a pentavalent vaccine came from the sub-committee of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, headed by Biotechnology Secretary M.K. Bhan, Dayal said."

* ►May 13, 2008 - Is Your Mattress Toxic? - A major mattress manufacturer says he's worried chemicals designed to protect people from fires may be poisonous, making the mattress as dangerous as the flames. (includes video) - WXYZ.com

* ►May 12, 2008 - Dix Hills Doctor Settles First Hepatitis C Medical Malpractice Case - Newsinferno.com

* ►May 12, 2008 - 1,110 families refuse polio drops - Times of India

* ►May 11, 2008 - Baby given BCG vaccine dies - Times of India - "While such deaths are known in the medical world as 'adverse effect following immunisation', three deaths in the span of a week is uncommon, said health officials. The yet-to-be-named infant, the son of Chembur Naka resident Geeta Mane, was administered the BCG vaccine at a health post in Abhudaya nagar on Tuesday."

* ►May 11, 2008 - Local families await vaccine verdict - The Milford Daily News - "When Joe and Kelly Hurley's two boys were babies, the Franklin couple brought them to the pediatrician for standard shots. Like good parents, they were trying to protect their kids from whooping cough and tetanus. Both boys suffered bad reactions to the vaccines, coming down with 104-degree fevers and rashes with ballooned cheeks, Kelly Hurley says. Now 9 and 10, one has moderate autism; the other has a non-verbal learning disorder."

* ►May 11, 2008 - More Help Needed for Autism, Some Say - New insurance law welcome, but watered down from original. - The Ledger

* ►May 11, 2008 - 85 Now Identified With Hepatitis C in Las Vegas Investigation - InjuryBoard.com

* ►May 9, 2008 - Early C8 results suggest liver, immune impacts - Charleston Gazette - "The C8 Health Project is a multi-year effort to examine the chemical's possible effects on mid-Ohio Valley residents. It is funded by major portions of a $107.6 million settlement paid by DuPont to settle a lawsuit alleging the company poisoned residents' drinking water with C8. The settlement is also funding a related examination by a three-person science team of possible C8 links to adverse health effects."

* ►May 7, 2008 - The Facts Behind The Medical Mystery Of Morgellons (includes video) - KTNV ABC 13

* ►May 7, 2008 - USDA Renews Approval of 46 Non-Organic Ingredients in "Organic" Foods - NaturalNews.com

* ►May 6, 2008 - Psychiatry Handbook Linked to Drug Industry - New York Times Blog - "The Integrity in Science group described the financial conflicts of interest by the task force members as ranging from 'small to extensive,' including one member who over the past five years worked as a consultant for 13 drug companies, including Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Wyeth, Merck, AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb."

* ►May 5, 2008 - University Health Services near 1,000th course of HPV vaccine - The Daily Princetonian - "Adel Mahmoud, a senior policy analyst at the Wilson School and a molecular biology professor, is eagerly watching the controversy and anticipating the day when Gardasil will be routinely administered to all Americans as children. But Mahmoud is not just a casual observer. Before coming to the University, he oversaw the development of the Gardasil vaccine during his tenure as president of Merck Vaccines from 1998 to 2006."

* ►May 5, 2008 - 10-month-old boy is second polio victim in Delhi - New Delhi: Despite being vaccinated, a 10-month-old boy in Delhi was on Sunday found to have contracted polio, nearly two months after the capital reported India's first case of the wild polio virus known as P1. - Sify News

* ►May 5, 2008 - Country’s largest public health initiative from tomorrow - The News - International - Pakistan - "The health authorities of Pakistan are gearing up for the country's largest public health initiative in which 34 million children under the age of five years will be vaccinated against polio."

* ►May 2, 2008 - Bush Signs Bill To Take All Newborns' DNA - Health Council, Congressman Ron Paul warn new law could pave the way for a national DNA database - Infowars.net - "Described as a 'national contingency plan' the justification for the new law S. 1858, known as The Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2007, is that it represents preparation for any sort of 'public health emergency.' The bill states that the federal government should 'continue to carry out, coordinate, and expand research in newborn screening' and 'maintain a central clearinghouse of current information on newborn screening... ensuring that the clearinghouse is available on the Internet and is updated at least quarterly'. Sections of the bill also make it clear that DNA may be used in genetic experiments and tests. Read the full bill here."

* ►May 1, 2008 - Study Assesses Clinical Trial Disparities - Applied Clinical Trials

* ►May 1, 2008 - Top Three Misconceptions of Adaptive Trials - A clear grasp of the methodology behind the design is as important as the software that runs it. - Applied Clinical Trials

* ►April 26, 2008 - Dendritic cell-based vaccines suppress metastatic liver tumor via activation of local innate and acquired immunity - journal article (Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy)

* ►March 5, 2008 - Gabrb3 gene deficient mice exhibit impaired social and exploratory behaviors, deficits in non-selective attention and hypoplasia of cerebellar vermal lobules: a potential model of autism spectrum disorder. - journal article (Behavioral Brain Research)