* ►December 3, 2008 - 4000 kids under 10 on mood drugs - Unpublished figures show that nearly 4000 children under the age of 10 were prescribed anti-depressants last financial year, including 553 children under five and 48 babies. - The Australian

* ►December 3, 2008 - Asthma may boost pneumococcal infection risk - Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology via Reuters India - "People with asthma are at increased risk of serious infection with pneumococcal bacteria, according to a new analysis of medical records. The findings, along with the high fatality rate from such infections, suggest that adults with asthma would benefit from the pneumococcal vaccine, Dr. Young J. Juhn of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and colleagues say. However, the ability of asthmatics to react normally to the vaccine must be determined before such recommendations can be made, they add."

►December 3, 2008 - Health Protection Agency urges GPs to remind parents of MMR jab importance - GPs must continue to remind parents about the importance of children having both doses of the MMR jab. - Healthcare Republic

* ►December 3, 2008 - Tot died in MMR ‘mix-up’ - A toddler died ten days after the MMR jab when doctors failed to warn his parents of possible complications, an inquest heard. - The Sun, UK

* ►December 2, 2008 - "Healthy" baby died after MMR jab - The Herald, UK - "A 'healthy and robust' baby who died just ten days after being given the MMR jab had earlier suffered a fever fit which can be aggravated by the vaccine, an inquest heard today. George Fisher, aged 18 months, was discovered dead in his cot in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire by his mother Sarah Fisher just hours after he was heard 'chatting away on the baby monitor', a coroner was told."

* ►December 2, 2008 - Inquest to begin into death of baby after MMR vaccination - This is Gloucestershire, UK - "On January 9 2006, George was given his MMR vaccination and returned to his home in Wyman's Brook. He showed symptoms of lost appetite, red eyes, and diarrhoea before he died on January 19. A spokesman for solicitors Withy King, representing the family said: 'It is documented that children who have experienced a febrile convulsion should be closely monitored following their MMR vaccination as it can raise their temperature. 'Mr and Mrs Fisher insist they were not told this when they took George for his MMR vaccination, nor were they asked about his medical history.'"

* ►December 2, 2008 - MMR baby 'chatting away' hours before his death, inquest hears - Parents of George Fisher, who died at 18 months, say they could have acted earlier had they been given the right information - The Guardian, UK - "He was given antibiotics for his febrile illness shortly before he received his MMR jab, and had been 'running around playing football with his father' on the Wednesday before he died."

►December 2, 2008 - Timeline: MMR controversy - The triple inoculation for measles, mumps and rubella has been dividing opinion for more than a decade - The Guardian, UK

►December 2, 2008 - Toddler ‘died after MMR jab’ - Metro.co.uk

►December 2, 2008 - MMR, autism and a baby’s death - The Times, South Africa Minor Matters Blog

►December 2, 2008 - Sinovac says Health Services Bureau of Fengtai suspended 83 doses of hepatitis A vaccine Healive following minor's death - update - RTTNews

* ►December 2, 2008 - Sinovac: China district suspends 83 vaccine doses - Reuters - "Chinese vaccine maker Sinovac Biotech Ltd ... said a Health Services Bureau in Beijing suspended the use of 83 doses of its hepatitis A vaccine, Healive, after the death of a minor. The death of the minor on Nov. 27 'coincided with the administration of the vaccine two days prior,' the company said in a statement."

* ►December 2, 2008 - To Immunize or Not - WQAD.com - "At the Linderman house, 6-year-old Caden has autism, and Caden's parents blame it on immunizations. 'I will never have anymore shots for these children,' Curt Linderman (father of Caden) says. 'He got 6 shots, 9 vaccines in one sitting.  He stopped walking stopped talking screamed high pitch screams, 4 years of diarrhea, banging head into wall.'"

* ►December 2, 2008 - David Kirby: DOD and CDC: Our Study Suggests a Possible Link Between Multiple Vaccines and Injury - The Huffington Post

* ►December 2, 2008 - DOD and CDC: Studies Suggest a Possible Link Between Multiple Vaccines and Injury By David Kirby - Age of Autism

* ►December 2, 2008 - Autism One 2009 Highlights! - Age of Autism - "Autism One 2009 Conference Overview May 20-24, 2009, Chicago, IL"

* ►December 2, 2008 - Brain waves are window into autism language woes (includes videos) - AP via Yahoo!

►December 2, 2008 - Magnetic Field in Brain May Reveal Autism - Annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America via Ivanhoe

►December 2, 2008 - Candace "Candy" Waters Artism Child Warrior - Age of Autism

►December 2, 2008 - Brett Ashley McKenzie: Hearing Justin: A Boy with Autism Finds His Own Voice - The Huffington Post

►December 2, 2008 - Epilepsy Drug Linked to Autism Risk - Study: Children Exposed to Epilepsy Drug in Utero More Likely to Develop Autism - ABC News

►December 2, 2008 - Film reveals struggles with autism - Danbury News Times - "'Autistic-Like: Graham's Story' was made by Erik Linthorst and co-written by him and journalist Jody Becker."

* ►December 2, 2008 - Autism's terrible toll: Parents risk hitting "a breaking point" - Denver Post

* ►December 2, 2008 - Autism-vaccine link? All evidence says no - letter - Indianapolis Star

* ►December 2, 2008 - Merck targets univ. females in HPV vaccine campaign - Diamondback Online - "Alli Matson, sexual health education programs coordinator for the University Health Center, said the campaign began in October with the launch of www.HPV.com, an informational website created by Merck. ... At the university, Merck is spreading information through coffee sleeves, brochures and fliers about how women can protect themselves against HPV."

* ►December 2, 2008 - Hypersensitivity reactions to the quadrivalent HPV vaccine are rare - Research paper: Human papillomavirus vaccine hypersensitivity reactions: Retrospective cohort study in Australia - BMJ-British Medical Journal via EurekAlert! - "Thirty five schoolgirls with suspected hypersensitivity reactions including urticaria (hives), generalised rash, angioedema (swelling of subcutaneous tissues) and anaphylaxis were reported to specialised immunisation services and 25 agreed to be referred to paediatric allergy centres for further evaluation....Only three of the 25 evaluated schoolgirls had probable hypersensitivity to the quadrivalent vaccine, and the authors conclude that true hypersensitivity is uncommon. They point out that suspected hypersensitivity reactions such as hives are often 'idiosyncratic' and do not increase the risk of adverse reactions in subsequent vaccinations."

►December 2, 2008 - Hypersensitivity to HPV Vaccine Rare - BMJ via MedPage Today

►December 2, 2008 - Teenage women to get cancer vaccine - Northumberland Gazette, UK

►December 2, 2008 - GSK, Sanofi lobby Irish for HPV shots - FiercePharma

►December 2, 2008 - Fiji’s Women’s Rights Movement says parents need to be better informed about Gardasil - Radio New Zealand International

►December 2, 2008 - Medical researcher in Fiji blames local media for making people wary of Gardasil - Radio New Zealand International

* ►December 2, 2008 - The Case Against Mandating Gardasil - American Council on Science and Health

* ►December 2, 2008 - Aggressive drug marketing may endanger people: study - Reuters

►December 2, 2008 - AIDS vaccine trials enter second phase (requires registration) - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - "An Atlanta-based biotech company announced Monday - on World AIDS Day - that it is launching the second phase of trials for its vaccine to prevent AIDS. The trials for the GeoVax Labs vaccine will occur at 12 clinical sites, in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health and the HIV Vaccine Trials Network."

►December 2, 2008 - IAC Express Issue number 768 - Immunization Action Coalition

►December 2, 2008 - Board files medical malpractice complaint against another doctor from endoscopy center - Las Vegas Review-Journal

►December 2, 2008 - Koboko charges for vaccination - New Vision, Uganda

►December 2, 2008 - Vaccines offer firms new route to tame high medical costs - Business Daily Africa

* ►December 2, 2008 - U.S. FDA Grants Orphan Drug Designation for Burzynski Research Institute's Antineoplaston Treatment for Gliomas - The Burzynski Research Institute, Inc via Business Wire via MarketWatch

* ►December 2, 2008 - No more pig virus tests for Solvay drug-US FDA panel - Reuters via Thomson Financial via Forbes.com - "Solvay Pharmaceuticals Inc does not need to develop additional tests to screen out three viruses from its pancreatic enzyme drug Creon, which is made from pig glands, a U.S. advisory panel said on Tuesday. So far it is unclear whether people taking the drug could get sick from the three animal viruses -- porcine parvovirus, and two types of porcine circovirus -- so more tests are not warranted, the Food and Drug Administration panel of outside advisers said."

* ►December 2, 2008 - Nabi Biopharmaceuticals Significantly Enhances Gram-Positive Patent Portfolio U.S. Patent for Exclusive Use of Key Antigens in Immune-Compromised Populations - press release - Nabi Biopharmaceuticals via GlobeNewswire via COMTEX via MarketWatch - "The United States Patent and Trademark office issued U.S. Patent No. 7,449,189 entitled 'Glycoconjugate Vaccines for Use in Immune-Compromised Populations' for the exclusive use of a vaccine comprised of the two most prevalent surface antigens in Staphylococcus aureus -- capsular polysaccharides (CPS) Types 5 and 8 -- for the prevention of infections in immune-compromised populations through September 2022."

* ►December 2, 2008 - Gulf War Syndrome Is Physical, Not Mental, Says Official Study - American Free Press

* ►December 2, 2008 - Elsevier to Host Vaccine Virtual Congress With ON24 Virtual Show - Vaccine Virtual Congress Ensures Attendees Can Attend Online to Get Vital Information About Vaccines and Infectious Diseases - press release - ON24 via Marketwire

* ►December 2, 2008 - Vaccine and drug research aimed at ticks and mosquitoes to prevent disease transmission - Research to be presented in December at the ASTMH annual meeting - American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene via EurekAlert! - "We are working on a vaccine to target tick-protective genes, so when ticks feed on immunized cattle, the vaccine antibodies interfere directly with the biology of the tick and its feeding pattern which results in reduced tick populations.' The vaccine model being developed for cattle, which we call a dual target vaccine approach because both ticks and tick-borne pathogens are targeted, will likely be applicable to other ticks and the bacteria that they transmit."

►December 2, 2008 - College Students Also Need Flu Vaccine, Experts Say - New Study Shows Good Benefits for Young Adults in Minnesota - ABC News

►December 2, 2008 - It's not to late to get a flu shot - WALB.com

►December 2, 2008 - 5 Flu Vaccination Myths - MyFox Nepa

►December 2, 2008 - Alert in Assam districts following fresh detection of flu - PTI via The Hindu

* ►December 2, 2008 - Why You Need Extra Vitamin D during the Flu Season - NaturalNews.com

* ►December 2, 2008 - Study says college students benefit from flu shots - Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine via CIDRAP News - "The one 'big surprise' to her was that benefits of vaccination persisted in the season when the vaccine was not a good match for circulating viruses. 'The authors see this as a great thing—but it makes me wonder how this can be true, and if it is true, does that mean we shouldn't bother with all that effort to identify antigenically matched vaccine strains each season,' she said."

►December 2, 2008 - Measles Initiative to announce new achievements - The Measles Initiative partners - led by the American Red Cross, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United Nations Foundation, UNICEF and the World Health Organization - will announce the latest achievement in global health during a press teleconference on Thursday, December 4, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. EST, 4:00pm CET. - News-Medical.net

►December 2, 2008 - Cases of Whooping Cough on the Rise at Central Kentucky Schools - WTVQ.com

►December 2, 2008 - Ian Rush’s battle with meningitis inspires young footballer - Western Mail via Wales Online, UK

►December 2, 2008 - Chickenpox outbreak hits Chula Vista school - San Diego Union-Tribune

* ►December 2, 2008 - Global Challenges | Bush, Obama Mark World AIDS Day, Discuss HIV/AIDS Fight - www.kaisernetwork.org

►December 2, 2008 - If Everyone Got an Annual AIDS Test, Could We Beat Back the Epidemic? - Discover Magazine

►December 2, 2008 - Missouri Reports First Human Rabies Death in Missouri Since 1959 - A southern Missouri man has died from rabies after being bitten by a bat in mid-October, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported. - Kansas City infoZine

►December 2, 2008 - WHO Acts on Emergency Cholera Plan for Zimbabwe - The World Health Organization says it is organizing a huge U.N. effort to combat a deadly outbreak of cholera in Zimbabwe. It says an emergency health plan has just got underway to control the current outbreak, which has claimed nearly 500 lives since August. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva. - Voice of America

►December 2, 2008 - SARS virus is remade in lab to help design better vaccines and drugs - US scientists have synthetically reconstructed the coronavirus variant that caused the severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic of 2003 in order to design better vaccines and drugs. - Nursing Times

►December 2, 2008 - Two New West Nile Virus Cases Reported - 10News.com

►December 2, 2008 - Plague kills 14 in Nebbi, Arua - New Vision, Uganda

►December 2, 2008 - Scientists Developing Food Allergy Treatment - Medical News Today

►December 2, 2008 - Officials: Conte School Mercury Spill Intentional - iBerkshires.com

►December 2, 2008 - Mercury spill at middle school - Capital News 9

►December 1, 2008 - Coverage & Access | Autistic Children Require More Money, Time Than Children With Other Chronic Diseases, Study Shows - www.kaisernetwork.org

* ►December 1, 2008 - J & J Risperdal Documents---Biederman-Harvard - Alliance for Human Research Protection

* ►December 1, 2008 - Biederman $$ COI Backlash--Boston Globe / Should You Ask Your Doctor?--PBS Frontline - Alliance for Human Research Protection

* ►December 1, 2008 - Evidence Gap in Current Medical Rx Practices - Alliance for Human Research Protection

►December 1, 2008 - Woman Sues Hospital, Says 8-Hour ER Wait Killed Husband - An Arizona woman is suing a hospital over her husband's death, which happened after an eight-hour wait in the emergency room, the Arizona Daily Star reported Monday. - FOX News

►December 1, 2008 - New hope on AIDS in Africa - AP via International Herald Tribune

►December 1, 2008 - Child Epidemic Warning - Britain risks epidemics of infectious diseases among its children because of low vaccination rates, experts warned as new figures showed measles cases soaring. - Staff Nurse

►December 1, 2008 - Virginia Tech researchers discover how mosquitoes avoid succumbing to viruses they transmit - Virginia Tech via EurekAlert!

►December 1, 2008 - Bridging research begins on pollen disease vaccine - Researchers at the RIKEN Research Center for Allergy and Immunology (RCAI) have begun bridging research for a vaccine to prevent and treat pollen disease caused by cedar pollen. Human clinical trials are still needed, but a vaccine appears to be in sight. - innovations report

►December 1, 2008 - New model predicts hot spots for mercury in fish - North Carolina State University via EurekAlert!

* ►December 2008 - A National Profile of the Health Care Experiences and Family Impact of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children in the United States, 2005–2006 (full text) - journal article (Pediatrics)

* ►December 2008 - A Population-Based, Postlicensure Evaluation of the Safety of a Combination Diphtheria, Tetanus, Acellular Pertussis, Hepatitis B, and Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine in a Large Managed Care Organization (full text) - journal article (Pediatrics) - "Table 3 details the incidence of selected other outcomes, including allergic reactions, outpatient visits, hospitalizations, and deaths after any vaccine dose, according to study cohort. For each of these outcomes, the incidence between cohorts was not significantly different. In the DTaP-HepB-IPV cohort, there were 8 deaths for a crude mortality rate of 0.01% (95% CI: 0.01%–0.03%). The causes of death were liver necrosis (197 days after last DTaP-HepB-IPV vaccination); Pseudomonas septicemia (64 days); respiratory failure (273 and 358 days); primary cardiomyopathy (64 days); cystic fibrosis (52 days); pneumonia, organism unspecified (184 days); and aspiration pneumonia (47 days). None of the deaths seemed to be vaccine related as determined by the co-investigators. In both groups, the likelihood of a visit for an allergic reaction or of an outpatient visit for any reason slightly increased from dose 1 to dose 3 (data not shown), but the difference between cohorts was not significant."

* ►December 2008 - Is Our Vaccine System at Risk for a Future Financial "Meltdown?" - journal article (Pediatrics) - "On the other hand, many of the other findings have disturbing implications. First, the survey reveals that payments throughout the country for immunization services often do not cover the full costs of immunizing children, which has the potential to undermine the vaccine-delivery system in the future. Second, the survey results suggest that access to immunization services in rural areas is already eroding as increasing numbers of family physicians decide not to provide immunizations. One in 5 family physicians were seriously considering whether to stop providing all recommended vaccines to privately insured children."

* ►December 2008 - Variation in Provider Vaccine Purchase Prices and Payer Reimbursement - journal article (Pediatrics) - "Detailed price and reimbursement data were provided by 76 practices. There was a considerable difference between the maximum and minimum prices paid by practices, ranging from $4 to more than $30 for specific vaccines. There was also significant variation in insurance reimbursement for vaccine purchase, with maximum and minimum reimbursements for a single vaccine differing from $8 to more than $80. Mean net yield per dose (reimbursement for vaccine purchase minus price paid per dose) varied across vaccines from a low of approximately $3 to more than $24. Reimbursement for the first dose of vaccine administered ranged from $0 to more than $26, with a mean of $16.62."

* ►December 2008 - Primary Care Physician Perspectives on Reimbursement for Childhood Immunizations - journal article (Pediatrics)

* ►November 30, 2008 - Health Needs of Autistic Children Often Unmet - Expenses greater than those for kids with other special needs, report shows - HealthDay via Forbes

►November 30, 2008 - Sound-off: Does the flu shot work? - OnMilwaukee.com

►November 26, 2008 - Bundibugyo Ebola virus declared fifth species - Daily Monitor, Uganda

►November 26, 2008 - 7 million Pneumonia cases in Pakistan: ASAP - Regional Times

* ►November 25, 2008 - SARS breakthrough? UNC-CH team helps recreate variant of deadly virus - Local Tech Wire

* ►November 24, 2008 - Autism researchers: Our alternative methodologies work - Pair, who have clinic in Woodbridge, N.J., give lecture on Island - Staten Island Advance via SILive.com - Though the doctors said their work is based on scientific -- and not purely anecdotal -- research, Neubrander, a physician, and De Fina, a clinical neuropsychologist, said it could take at least 20 to 30 years before their theories are incorporated into mainstream science."

►November 24, 2008 - Free flu clinic tests point of distribution center - Laconia Citizen

►November 24, 2008 - Psychiatric Deaths, Drug Funding and Malnutrition in Haiti - Psychiatric Hospital Chain Cited in Deaths (requires registration) - The New York Times

►November 14, 2008 - Formaldehyde Clothing Dermatitis - Victoria's Secret Bras - InjuryBoard Honolulu

►November 12, 2008 - Chemotherapy can do more harm than good, study suggests - The Times, UK

►November 12, 2008 - CNS Response Provides Poster Review Regarding the Use of SSRIs in Children and Adolescents - CNS Response, Inc. via Marketwire via CNNMoney

Posted December 1, 2008

* ►December 9, 2008 - Influenza immunisation uptake in carers - journal article (Vaccine)

* ►December 9, 2008 - Identification of particulates in vaccine formulations containing aluminum phosphate - journal article (Vaccine)

* ►December 9, 2008 - Clinical and economic assessment of different general population strategies of pertussis vaccine booster regarding number of doses and age of application for reducing whooping cough disease burden: A systematic review - journal article (Vaccine)

* ►December 9, 2008 - Inactivated rotavirus vaccines: A priority for accelerated vaccine development - journal article (Vaccine)

►December 8, 2008 - Doctors urge: Rescue primary care or work force shortage will mount - Making primary care a more attractive specialty must be part of health system reform, physician groups say. - www.ama-assn.org

►December 8, 2008 - Senate gets early start on health reform plan - Sens. Baucus and Kennedy are working with a bipartisan group on the goal of moving a consensus bill through the Senate next year. - www.ama-assn.org

►December 8, 2008 - Medicaid pay delays found to squeeze access - Bureaucratic hassles can discourage physicians from seeing new Medicaid patients. - www.ama-assn.org

►December 8, 2008 - Health care fraud still a key target of federal False Claims Act - Physicians are seldom named in false claims cases but are often in a position to blow the whistle on fraud they observe. - www.ama-assn.org

►December 8, 2008 - Obama taps former Senate chief Daschle to head HHS - The nominee has proposed creating a federal health board to increase the transparency and value of health care spending. - www.ama-assn.org

►December 8, 2008 - Going high profile: Medical boards push transparency - Physicians can expect to see more information about their malpractice payments, disciplinary actions and other identifying data being made easily accessible online. - www.ama-assn.org

►December 8, 2008 - Doctor, med society executive honored for decades of service - The awards were presented during the AMA's Interim Meeting in November. - www.ama-assn.org

* ►December 8, 2008 - Supreme Court cases on medical issues rare, but crucial - www.ama-assn.org

►December 8, 2008 - Go tech go: Championing new health IT - A physician champion can play a key role in the success of any technology implementation. But the process can be long, and the job will demand much more than cheerleading. - www.ama-assn.org

►December 8, 2008 - Doctors want further scrutiny of Horizon for-profit conversion - New Jersey's medical society and its allies believe the Blues plan's rationale for converting to a for-profit does not reflect current economic conditions. - www.ama-assn.org

►December 8, 2008 - Adopting e-prescribing with an EMR is challenging - www.ama-assn.org

►December 8, 2008 - The promise of the medical home - The moment is right for the concept of a medical home, and that means it's time to give serious attention to how physicians will be paid for this more comprehensive care. - www.ama-assn.org

►December 8, 2008 - More adults have prediabetes, with patients (and often physicians) unsure who's at risk - Confusion over who to test may be an important obstacle. - www.ama-assn.org

►December 8, 2008 - Letters to the Editor - Arthroscopic surgery has a role, which is more common than skeptics allow - www.ama-assn.org

►December 8, 2008 - News in brief: Health & Science - No link between bisphosphonates and atrial fibrillation, FDA says - Researchers identify characteristics of teens at risk for major depression - www.ama-assn.org

►December 8, 2008 - News in brief: Government & Medicine - Rep. Waxman to chair key House panel - Few HIPAA complaints lead to reforms, report shows - www.ama-assn.org

►December 8, 2008 - News in brief: Professional Issues - ABIM warns about "phony" boards - www.ama-assn.org

►December 2, 2008 - Bush, Obama reaffirm commitment to fight HIV/AIDS - Xinhua via China View

►December 2, 2008 - Comm urges parents to support on-going immunization exercise - Triumph, Nigeria

►December 2, 2008 - India loses bird flu-free status - The Hindu

►December 2, 2008 - Measles: Over 550 children immunized in Kunchi - Triumph, Nigeria

►December 2, 2008 - Fiji defends Gardasil vaccine’s safety - Radio New Zealand International

* ►December 1, 2008 - Beijing suspends sales of Sinovac's hepatitis A vaccines after death of two-year-old (requires subscription) - Interfax China

►December 1, 2008 - Sales of Sinovac's Hepatitis Vaccine Suspended Following Baby's Death - Seeking Alpha

* ►December 1, 2008 - Sanofi Pasteur Wants Liability Protection for Vaccinating Pregnant Women By Kelli Ann Davis - Age of Autism - "Today, during the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) 2nd National Stakeholder Meeting on the Review of Priorities in the National Vaccine Plan, Stanley Plotkin, Executive Advisor to the CEO of Sanofi Pasteur and Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania made a startling revelation: Sanofi Pasteur is lobbying members of the Senate for liability protection. According to Plotkin, Sanofi Pasteur is concerned about the 'legal issue of vaccinating while pregnant' and feels it is 'important to keep non-negligence issues' out of the tort system...."

►December 1, 2008 - Scrutiny Grows of Drug Trials Abroad (free preview) - Wall Street Journal

►December 1, 2008 - Staffordshire parents urged to heed measles warning - thisislichfield.co.uk

►December 1, 2008 - Cumbrian parents urged to take up MMR jabs as measles outbreak spreads - Parents in Cumbria are being urged to get their children vaccinated against the potentially-deadly measles bug. - News & Star

* ►December 1, 2008 - MMR: Give parents the right to single vaccinations to halt measles rise - As cases of measles rise, give parents the right to single vaccinations not MMR says Cassandra Jardine. - The Telegraph, UK

* ►December 1, 2008 - Statewide Open Meeting on NY Legislation, Dec. 6 - Budget cuts, Insurance and Philosophical exemption - The Autism Action Coalition

* ►December 1, 2008 - World AIDS Day 2008: Much accomplished, much to do By Dr. Anthony S. Fauci - CNN

* ►December 1, 2008 - Initial trial on China's AIDS vaccine yields "good" results, but caution remains - Xinhua via China View

* ►December 1, 2008 - Hopes for AIDS Vaccine Still Alive Despite Setbacks - The lesson from 2 failed trials: The science must be more vigorous, experts say - HealthDay News via U.S. News & World Report

* ►December 1, 2008 - GeoVax's Phase 2a HIV/AIDS Vaccine Human Trials to Begin in North and South America - 'World Aids Day' Commemorated by GeoVax with Hope and Promise ATLANTA, Dec. 1 - press release - GeoVax Labs, Inc. via PRNewswire-FirstCall via The Earth Times

* ►December 1, 2008 - First days after HIV infection may hold vaccine key - Reuters

* ►December 1, 2008 - Primary Care Doctors Urge HIV Tests for All in US - Bloomberg

* ►December 1, 2008 - Can HIV Infection Be Prevented with a Once-Daily Pill? - Once the bane of global activists and politicians in developing nations, pre-exposure HIV preventatives are being tested in AIDS-stricken Africa - Scientific American

►December 1, 2008 - AIDS: A stigma endures - San Francisco Chronicle

►December 1, 2008 - Drugs offer Fort Pierce man a reprieve from deadly HIV/AIDS diagnosis - TCPalm

►December 1, 2008 - The TB-HIV crisis - op-ed (requires registration) - Boston Globe

►December 1, 2008 - 109 Medicines and Vaccines in Development for HIV/AIDS - ToTheCenter

►December 1, 2008 - UNICEF Says Early Diagnosis, Treatment Key to Reducing Infant HIV/AIDS Deaths - A new United Nations report says early diagnosis and treatment can significantly improve the prospects for survival of newborn babies exposed to HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. From United Nations headquarters in New York, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more. - Voice of America

►December 1, 2008 - Our Country Is Failing the AIDS Test - column (requires registration) - Washington Post

►December 1, 2008 - Sidibe Named Director of UN Coalition to Combat AIDS - Bloomberg

►December 1, 2008 - HIV: The Hunt for the Elusive Vaccine Goes On — and On - The Year in Medicine 2008 - TIME Magazine

►December 1, 2008 - Virus ancestor to HIV older than believed (requires registration) - Contra Costa Times via San Jose Mercury News

►December 1, 2008 - HIV testing can save newborns - AP via Boston Herald

►December 1, 2008 - Beijing to offer free spit tests for AIDS/HIV - Xinhua via China View

►December 1, 2008 - Routine HIV testing program to begin in three Connecticut hospital emergency departments - December 1st is Worlds AIDS Day; Health Officials recommend routine screening for HIV - NorwalkPlus.com

►December 1, 2008 - HIV prevention isn’t complicated - opinion (requires registration or subscription) - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

►December 1, 2008 - More than 33 million living with the HIV virus today - Red Cross

►December 1, 2008 - Uganda’s HIV-Infection Rate May Climb 30% by 2012, Group Says - Bloomberg

►December 1, 2008 - Opinion | Editorials, Opinion Pieces Respond to World AIDS Day - www.kaisernetwork.org

►December 1, 2008 - World AIDS Day - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

* ►December 1, 2008 - Doctors Abandoning Vaccines That Don't Make Them Money - NaturalNews.com

* ►December 1, 2008 - Are Vaccines a Shot in The Arm for a Pediatrician's Bottom Line? - Age of Autism

* ►December 1, 2008 - Childhood vaccines cause financial burden to many health care providers - Prices, reimbursements of vaccines vary widely, UM studies find - University of Michigan Health System via EurekAlert!

* ►December 1, 2008 - Mom Continues Autism Fight (includes video) - KSFY.com - "Linda Wessels says, 'It seems like it's never ending. It's an uphill struggle all the way...It's tiresome.' Now she's continued her fight after the election. She's started a petition in hopes of keeping McCain accountable for the promises he made to her and autistic children like Sam on the campaign trail....If you would like to look at Lin's petition, or if you'd like to add your name you can go to this website:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/please-keep-fighting-the-good-fight"

* ►December 1, 2008 - Epilepsy Drug, Pregnancy Raise Autism Risk - Study Shows Kids at Risk for Autism When Pregnant Women Take Valproate - WebMD - "The study, published in the journal Neurology, showed that seven of the children with autism had mothers who took epilepsy drugs while pregnant, including four who were exposed to valproate and a fifth who was exposed to valproate and lamotrigine."

* ►December 1, 2008 - Scans Show Sound-Processing Deficits in Autistic Kids - Difficulty may underpin language, listening impairments found in disorder, study says - HealthDay via U.S. News & World Report

* ►December 1, 2008 - Grant aims to help Alexian Brothers improve autism treatment - Daily Herald - "The Illinois MEG Center at Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village is seeking 35 patients a year for the next five years to participate in a study of auditory processing among people with autism spectrum disorder."

* ►December 1, 2008 - U of L researchers use magnets in autism research - Business First of Louisville - "Findings of the study on the new method, called transcranial magnetic stimulation, will be published this month in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders."

►December 1, 2008 - Horses fight autism one step at a time - Lake Cities Sun

►December 1, 2008 - Film reveals struggles with autism - Danbury News Times

►December 1, 2008 - Study shows families' financial strain from autism - AP via Yahoo!

►December 1, 2008 - IAC Express Issue number 767 - Immunization Action Coalition

►December 1, 2008 - 'NewsHour' gets grant for world health reports - $3.5 million from Gates Foundation to fund 40-50 docs - Hollywood Reporter

►December 1, 2008 - Immunization records due Dec. 16 - Collingwood Wasaga Beach Connection

* ►December 1, 2008 - Drugmakers Lobby Ireland To Use HPV Vaccines - Pharmalot

* ►December 1, 2008 - Wyeth Employee Balks At Outsourcing & Gets Fired - Pharmalot

* ►December 1, 2008 - Vical Receives Milestone Payment from Merck & Co., Inc. Triggered by Planned Initiation of Investigational Cancer DNA Vaccine Trial - Vical via PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX via MarketWatch

►December 1, 2008 - Immunization Puts Mounting Financial Pressure on Physicians - Pediatrics via MedPage Today

►December 1, 2008 - Some doctors may give up vaccines because of cost - AP via Yahoo!

►December 1, 2008 - Gardasil: Vaccine Battle? - The Year in Medicine 2008 - TIME Magazine

►December 1, 2008 - Gardasil Litigation? - Mass Tort Litigation Blog

* ►December 1, 2008 - Implementing a school-based HPV vaccination programme - Nursing Times

* ►December 1, 2008 - Fractional dose of scarce meningitis vaccine may be effective in outbreak control - Public Library of Science via EurekAlert! - "'In view of the current shortage of meningococcal vaccines for Africa, the use of 1/5 fractional doses should be considered as an alternative in mass vaccination campaigns,' the authors say."

* ►December 1, 2008 - Armed Forces Institute of Pathology to Conduct NanoViricides Animal Studies against Bird Flu - Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) Signed - NanoViricides, Inc. via Centre Daily Times - "This joint R&D effort will enable AFIP scientists to test the effectiveness of several NanoViricides, Inc. anti-viral nanomedicines against deadly bird flu viruses (H5N1) at their facilities. 'We are very excited to study the effectiveness of nanoviricides against the most current strains of H5N1 in animal models,' said lead AFIP scientist Dr. Mina Izadjoo."

►December 1, 2008 - Cmed Announces That Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation Has Selected Timaeus System for Electronic Data Capture and Management - Adoption of Cmed’s Timaeus System Establishes Enhanced Data Management Capture Process for Large-Scale Clinical Trials - press release - Business Wire

* ►December 1, 2008 - Flu Shots Reduce Illness, Boost Grades Among College Students - Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine via MedPage Today - "This investigator-initiated study was partly supported by unrestricted grants from Aventis Pasteur and MedImmune. Dr. Nichol reported financial links with Sanofi Pasteur, GlaxoSmithKline, MedImmune, CSL, and Novartis."

* ►December 1, 2008 - GPs 'key' to immunisation - Irish Medical News - "GPs were told they will play an important role in implementing the new childhood immunisation programme, which saw all babies born on July 1 or after take the new six-in-one jab instead of the five-in-one, at the ICGP Winter Meeting. ... GPs were also encouraged to inform parents with children on the new schedule that, at six months, their baby will receive three injections as part of the programme – the six-in-one, the meningitis C, and the new PCV."

* ►December 1, 2008 - Flu Shots: Health care workers must step up to protect patients - editorial - The Post-Standard via Syracuse.com

* ►December 1, 2008 - Scientists plan 'Big Brother' flu experiment - Financial Times - "British researchers plan to recruit 200 volunteers to be infected with flu while living together during week-long experiments, in order to deepen understanding of how to tackle a pandemic."

►December 1, 2008 - Daily News: Flu Shot Recommendations Fall Short - Nurse.com

►December 1, 2008 - CCHD offering vaccines through National Influenza Week - Jacksonville Daily Progress

►December 1, 2008 - Life after polio - A polio survivor's memoir demonstrates that even with a disability, life is what you make it. - Springfield News-Leader

►December 1, 2008 - Rotarian outlines polio project - Sierra Vista Herald

►December 1, 2008 - Whooping Cough On The Rise - KOMU.com

* ►December 1, 2008 - Killer bug kills child - Halifax Courier, UK - "'Nationally, the number of cases of the disease has fallen dramatically since the meningitis C vaccine was introduced, but it is important to remember there are other strains of the disease for which we don't yet have a vaccine', Dr Barnes added."

►December 1, 2008 - ANA598 Receives Fast Track Designation From the FDA for the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C Infection - press release - Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Inc. via PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX via MarketWatch

►December 1, 2008 - Chickenpox outbreak occurs in Morgan County Middle School - NewsOK.com

* ►December 1, 2008 - The Government of Canada Procures IMVAMUNE(R) Smallpox Vaccine for the Country's Biological Preparedness - press release - Bavarian Nordic A/S via PRNewswire, UK - "The old, conventional smallpox vaccines which have been stockpiled around the world are not suited to current needs. They are not safe and may cause severe side effects, even death. These vaccines cannot be given to people who are immune compromised, which constitute approx. 25 % of the population. IMVAMUNE(R), Bavarian Nordic's new, third generation smallpox vaccine, offers a number of unique advantages compared to the old vaccines. The superior safety profile of IMVAMUNE(R) makes it suitable for vaccination of those with compromised immunity."

* ►December 1, 2008 - WP Editorial: The Next Attorney General (and the anthrax letters) - Anthrax Vaccine -- posts by Meryl Nass, M.D.

* ►December 1, 2008 - Anthrax poses new threat in cholera-hit Zimbabwe: charity (Agence France Presse) - Anthrax Vaccine -- posts by Meryl Nass, M.D. - "Zimbabwe's health services have taken an enormous hit lately and are in shambles. People are dying again from the anthrax that was used against them and their cattle 30 years ago, during a long and dirty civil war for majority rule. An FBI informant claimed that Steven Hatfill told friends he had been involved in the original Zimbabwe epidemic. This is one reason he was suspected of having a role in the anthrax letters."

* ►December 1, 2008 - Zimbabwe's Latest Plague: Cholera - TIME Magazine - "Cholera is one of the simplest diseases to prevent or cure. To kill the cholera bacterium in water, just boil it. To treat the chronic diarrhea and potentially fatal dehydration that results from cholera, take a liter of water, a teaspoon of salt, eight teaspoons of sugar, mix, and drink; or, for patients too weak to drink, administer intravenously."

►December 1, 2008 - Zimbabwe Cholera Crisis Mounts As Harare Water System Shut Down - Voice of America

►December 1, 2008 - Now anthrax takes toll on the starving in Zimbabwe - The Independent, UK

►December 1, 2008 - Report: Anthrax kills hungry Zimbabweans, threatens livestock - USA Today

►December 1, 2008 - Emergent BioSolutions Hits Investors Business Daily - istockAnalyst.com

►December 1, 2008 - Obama Administration Faces Challenge in Managing Homeland Security Department, Experts Say - NTI: Global Security Newswire

►December 1, 2008 - NoMoreClipboard.com to provide personal health record accounts for IU students - Indiana University News Room

►December 1, 2008 - Adding Up the Many Dangers of Tobacco -- and Finding New Ones - Researchers have more warnings for smokers. Also, advice about how to quit. - Voice of America - "Advisers to America's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that pneumococcal pneumonia threatens smokers more than nonsmokers. The advisers say many smokers will need a vaccine to help prevent the disease."

►December 1, 2008 - Conte Middle School Remains Closed for Mercury Cleanup - iBerkshires.com

►December 1, 2008 - Mercury Levels on the Rise - letter (requires registration) - The New York Times

►December 1, 2008 - FDA blasted for failure to respond to melamine in infant formula - SmartBrief

►December 1, 2008 - FDA Touts Efforts to Enhance Food Safety - Critics see problems with the agency's goals, commitment and resources - HealthDay via U.S. News & World Report

►December 1, 2008 - Is a child ever too young to have tonsils removed? (requires registration) - Boston Globe

►December 1, 2008 - Deadlines for other inhalers to go eco-friendly - Patients with asthma and other lung diseases should stay tuned: Quick-acting albuterol inhalers aren't the only lung medicines poised for changes because they're powered by ozone-damaging chemicals called CFCs. - AP via FOX News

►December 1, 2008 - AAP Recommends Red Reflex Examination for All Neonates, Infants, and Children - American Academy of Pediatrics via Doctor's Guide

* ►December 1, 2008 - Beware cholesterol drugs for kids, journal warns doctors - Canwest News Service via Canada.com - "Canada's top medical journal is warning doctors about giving cholesterol pills to children, saying there's scant direct evidence statins are safe for children and that doctors risk committing kids to 'decades of therapy.'...Now, the American Academy of Pediatrics says the drugs should be considered for children as young as eight who have high concentrations of LDL, or low-density lipoprotein, the 'bad' cholesterol."

* ►December 1, 2008 - Distemper Vaccinations In Ferrets - Is it safe to skip a distemper vaccination in ferrets? - Ferrets magazine via SmallAnimalChannel.com - "The downside to frequent vaccination is possible immune system disorders and possible cancers at the site of vaccination. These concerns have occupied those who do dog and cat medicine for a number of years."

►December 1, 2008 - Novartis malaria drug safe, effective-US FDA staff - Reuters

►December 1, 2008 - Wyeth Employee Balks At Outsourcing & Gets Fired - Pharmalot

* ►December 1, 2008 - FDA Reports Significant Progress in Protecting the Food Supply - FDA

►December 1, 2008 - Protection from the own immune system - Some 80,000 people in Germany suffer from multiple sclerosis – their immune system attacks and destroys healthy nerve tissue. Researchers at the Heidelberg University Hospital and the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg have succeeded in vaccinating mice with specially treated, autologous immune cells and preventing them from developing encephalitis, which is similar to multiple sclerosis in humans. A protein of the nervous system, that is the target of the harmful immune reaction in multiple sclerosis, was placed on the surface of the cells; the cells were treated with an agent that suppresses immune defense. - University Hospital Heidelberg via Phyorg

►December 1, 2008 - The case for Pfizer - The healthcare giant faces a steep patent cliff - but it has the cash to bridge it. - Fortune via CNN Money

►December 1, 2008 - Research and Markets: Independent Forecasts and Competitive Intelligence of United States' US$307.7bn Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Industry for Q4 2008 - Research and Markets via Business Wire via MarketWatch

►December 1, 2008 - Rising Stress Levels, Limited Health Insurance and Health Care Waste (requires registration) - Americans Face Increasing Stress - The New York Times

►December 1, 2008 - Amanzi Tea offers free, natural 'Flu Shots' to New Yorkers - PRNewswire via COMTEX

* ►December 2008 - Influenza Vaccination Among College and University Students - journal article (Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine)

* ►December 2008 - A New Screen for Autism in Young Children - journal article (AAP Grand Rounds)

►December 2008 - Amantadine-Induced Psychosis in a Young Healthy Patient - journal article (The American Journal of Psychiatry)

►December 2008 - Antibodies as molecular mimics of biomolecules: roles in understanding physiological functions and mechanisms - journal article (Advances in Physiology Education)

►December 2008 - Pediatricians and the Promotion and Support of Breastfeeding - journal article (Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine)

►December 2008 - The serum complement system: a simplified laboratory exercise to measure the activity of an important component of the immune system - journal article (Advances in Physiology Education)

►December 2008 - Delusional Parasitosis Facilitated by Web-Based Dissemination - journal article (The American Journal of Psychiatry)

►December 2008 - Hib vaccine supplies still low; continue deferring booster dose (requires subscription) - AAP News

►December 2008 - New AAP president • Hot button issues helped Dr. Tayloe find his voice (requires subscription) - AAP News

►December 2008 - AAP working to reduce barriers to combination vaccine use - from the AAP Committee on Coding and Nomenclature and the AAP Task Force on Immunizations (requires subscription) - AAP News

►December 2008 - Complementary and alternative medicine 101 • Thirty percent of healthy children and more than half of kids with chronic conditions use CAM. Are you up-to-date? (requires subscription) - AAP News

►December 2008 - Advise families against giving children unpasteurized milk (requires subscription) - AAP News

►December 2008 - Metals found in Ayurvedic medicines sold on Internet (requires subscription) - AAP News

►December 2008 - NCE keynote address • Special Olympics chair seeks ‘medical justice’ for children with special needs (requires subscription) - AAP News

►December 2008 - Shining moments: Dr. Jenkins gives final address, reviews year as AAP president (requires subscription) - AAP News

►December 2008 - Pediatricians play vital role in child death review process (requires subscription) - AAP News

►December 2008 - FDA continues gathering information on cough medicine use in children (requires subscription) - AAP News

►December 2008 - Answers to questions on immunization administration coding (requires subscription) - AAP News

►December 2008 - Improving influenza vaccine rates (requires subscription) - AAP News

►December 2008 - Vaccine Q&A fact sheets (requires subscription) - AAP News

►December 2008 - Three FAAPs elected to Institute of Medicine (requires subscription) - AAP News

►November 30, 2008 - The Growing Planetary Threat from Biological Weapons and Terrorism - Tribune of India via Worldmeets.us

* ►November 30, 2008 - Kingsport veteran closer to proving he has Gulf War Syndrome - Kingsport Times News - "The small white pills hadn’t been approved for nerve agent protection at the time, but the Food and Drug Administration had given the military a temporary waiver for their use to protect troops in case they were exposed to nerve gas....Sanders said he believes it was a combination of both the pills and the anthrax vaccine, with exposure to nerve agents also a potential factor. Sanders said he believes the squalene — used to make the immune system quickly develop immunity — in too large doses made the immune system attack itself....Dr. Meryl Nass, a doctor in Bar Harbor, Maine, in October diagnosed Sanders with Gulf War Syndrome, but the couple said a local doctor once shouted at them to leave his office, saying he received the vaccinations and pills for his own good and he simply was trying to milk the government for money."

* ►November 30, 2008 - World AIDS Treatment Day (MP3) - Robert Scott Bell Show via Switchpod - "Please welcome returning guests Professor Peter Duesberg, Celia Farber, David Rasnick, and first time guest David Crowe of Rethinking AIDS."

►November 30, 2008 - Vaccines figure prominently in Time's "Year in Medicine" - VaccineEthics.org

►November 30, 2008 - Confessions of an autism mother: I am not a warrior mom, revisited - Examiner.com

►November 30, 2008 - Nanosilver Disinfects — But at What Price? - ScienceNews

►November 30, 2008 - Lafayette brings HIV/AIDS to light - City to participate in World AIDS Days - WLFI.com

* ►November 29, 2008 - Dalton: Water worker fired for opposing fluoridation - North Georgia Times Free Press

►November 27, 2008 - Judge allows civil suit over co-worker's perfume - AP via The Detroit News via The Denver Post

►November 26, 2008 - Basic health center reaches out to students - Las Vegas Sun - "One of the health center's focuses is on immunizations, an effort that has been recognized."

►November 25, 2008 - Fighting a round with rotavirus - Vaccine slowing outbreaks of diarrhea - Jackson Clarion-Ledger

* ►November 25, 2008 - Applicability, reliability, sensitivity, and specificity of six Brighton Collaboration standardized case definitions for adverse events following immunization - journal article (Vaccine)

* ►November 25, 2008 - Cervical cancer vaccination: The real meaning of cross-protection and its impact on the prevention - journal article (Vaccine)

* ►November 25, 2008 - Vaccine injection technique and reactogenicity—Evidence for practice - journal article (Vaccine)

* ►November 25, 2008 - A SARS DNA vaccine induces neutralizing antibody and cellular immune responses in healthy adults in a Phase I clinical trial - journal article (Vaccine)

►November 24, 2008 - Health chief issues measles epidemic warning - Cotswold Journal, UK

►November 24, 2008 - Get a flu shot -- for everyone in your family - Muskegon Chronicle

►November 24, 2008 - AGEN: Presents Positive Phase 1 Data re Oncophage(R) Cancer Vaccine - Trading Markets

* ►November 23, 2008 - 7-year-old Austin gets a new family, and a perfect fit (includes video) - News 8 Austin - "'Seeing this little boy and knowing that we could help him. I just knew that I would wonder every day whatever happened to him if I didn't help him,' Austin's adopted mother Laurie Jepson said. It was an emotional moment when Bryan Jepson described the family's affection for Austin. Her husband, Bryan Jepson, is an autism expert by profession and experience, as the family's middle son, Aaron, is also autistic."
 
►Autism Calendar of Events - December 2008 - Schafer Autism Report