* ►December 8, 2008 - German scientists warn cervical cancer vaccine may be ineffective - Deutsche Presse-Agentur via Monsters and Critics - "Thirteen researchers at the Public Health Institute at the University of Bielefeld have urged the German Standing Vaccination Committee, which advises the German government on vaccination practices, to re-examine the vaccination against human papilloma virus.... 'I would like to read a serious publication that claims cervical cancer has been reduced in any country due to the vaccination,' says Professor Martina Doeren of Berlin's Charite Hospital. Doeren is one of the researchers who signed the statement questioning the vaccine's effectiveness and said there was a 'huge discrepancy' between the results of scientific studies and hitherto-published figures."
 
* ►December 8, 2008 - Half-dose flu jabs fine for young people - Half-doses of flu vaccine could be used to treat young and healthy individuals during shortages in vaccine supply, a US study suggests. - Archives of Internal Medicine via Healthcare Republic - "‘Reduced dosing could have a significant impact on the response to vaccine shortages, particularly at a local level when faced with considerable delays in vaccine supply delivery,’ they add. ‘In view of the trend toward reduced side effects, reducing the dose may improve vaccine acceptability in some populations.'"

* ►December 8, 2008 - CDC urges families to vaccinate kids for flu (requires registration) - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - "The push is kicking into high gear to encourage families to get flu vaccines, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dubbing this week 'National Influenza Vaccination Week' and Tuesday in particular 'Children’s Flu Vaccination Day.'"

►December 8, 2008 - Tainted Heparin's Link To Reactions - Study shows adulterant caused adverse effects in patients - Chemical & Engineering News

►December 8, 2008 - Interferon As Long-term Treatment For Hepatitis C Not Effective - Use of the drug interferon as a long-term maintenance strategy to slow the progression of liver disease associated with the hepatitis C virus is ineffective, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers and their colleagues from nine other institutions have found in a multicenter study. -  UT Southwestern Medical Center via ScienceDaily

►December 8, 2008 - Immunisation: Emir Bayero gives directives to district, village heads - Daily Triumph

►December 8, 2008 - 28 vehicles handed over to EPI co-ordinators - Daily Times, Pakistan - "Shah said that only EPI coordinators were entitled to use the vehicles for immunisation purposes."

►December 8, 2008 - `Research ayurvedic treatment for autism' - Times of India

►December 8, 2008 - Autism program funding blocked - The Canberra Times

* ►December 7, 2008 - Vote for Bodies In Rebellion on Change.org - Adventures in Autism

* ►December 7, 2008 - 50% of College Age Youth have a Psychiatric Disorder - Alliance for Human Research Protection

* ►December 7, 2008 - More Evidence for the Need of an FDA Overhaul - Alliance for Human Research Protection

* ►December 7, 2008 - Scientists Back Brain Drugs for Healthy People - Beyond disease, brain-boosting drugs should be available for healthy people, scientists say - AP via ABC News - "Healthy people should have the right to boost their brains with pills, like those prescribed for hyperactive kids or memory-impaired older folks, several scientists contend in a provocative commentary. College students are already illegally taking prescription stimulants like Ritalin to help them study, and demand for such drugs is likely to grow elsewhere, they say. 'We should welcome new methods of improving our brain function,' and doing it with pills is no more morally objectionable than eating right or getting a good night's sleep, these experts wrote in an opinion piece published online Sunday by the journal Nature."

* ►December 7, 2008 - No more pens from drug reps - Pharmaceutical group limits gifts to doctors, staffs - The Journal Gazette - "Dr. Aaron Carroll hopes the changes will make a difference. He said many patients don’t know about the interactions drug reps have with their doctors – and the perks they dish out – and wouldn’t be pleased to know that these can influence which medications doctors prescribe. 'I’m a researcher, and the evidence (shows) pretty clearly that even small inducements work,' said Carroll, associate professor of pediatrics and director of the Center for Health Policy and Professionalism Research at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. The physician says items as small as pens, pads and paperweights can have an effect; a steak dinner even more so."

* ►December 7, 2008 - A Letter to the NJ Health Commissioner By Barbara Majeski - Age of Autism

* ►December 7, 2008 - Grandfather Warrior: Robert Emmett 1921-2008 By Adriana Gamondes - Age of Autism

* ►December 7, 2008 - N.J. audit of child program lagging - Only 1 home therapy outfit fully investigated and fined - Star-Ledger via NJ.com

* ►December 7, 2008 - Britain's NICE -- A Model for Reforming US Healthcare (?) - Alliance for Human Research Protection

►December 7, 2008 - Life Without Limits - Bleacher Report - "McElwain also talks about how autism affects his life and the loved ones in his life, but encourages others with autism that they are 'not alone.'"

►December 7, 2008 - Billings Boy Wins Award - KULR-TV - "One Billings couple was once told their son would never be able to speak clearly, but Sunday he's winning awards with his words. Scott Benton, is in many ways just like any other eleven year old, spending his free time playing video games, or reading the latest best seller."

►December 7, 2008 - Striking the special needs balance of child, family, work - The Buffalo News

►December 7, 2008 - Child Abuse Central Index offers no way out, even for the innocent - An accusation is enough to land people on California's list of child abusers, but only long legal battles can clear their names. (requires registration) - Los Angeles Times

►December 7, 2008 - Lawmakers favor establishment of national vaccine fund - Central News Agency via eTaiwan News

* ►December 7, 2008 - Ask the Mayo Clinic: Whatever happened to 'jet injectors?' - Seattle Post-Intelligencer - "A: Using an air gun -- also called a jet injector -- is a fast way to deliver vaccines. But jet injectors were discontinued for mass vaccinations about five years ago because of possible health risks. ... In some cases, however, jet injectors could bring blood or other body fluids to the surface of the skin while the vaccine was being administered. Those fluids could contaminate the injector, creating the possibility that viruses could be transmitted to another person being vaccinated with the same device."

* ►December 7, 2008 - Media blamed for negative response - A medical researcher blames local media for making people wary of the anti-cervical cancer vaccine, Gardasil. - Radio Fiji

►December 7, 2008 - PA Department of Health Kicks Off National Influenza Immunization Week With Free Flu Shots at Hershey Bears Game - press release - Pennsylvania Department of Health via PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX via MarketWatch

►December 7, 2008 - Health officials say this year’s vaccine should better target the flu - GateHouse News Service via Utica Observer Dispatch

►December 7, 2008 - Bottle up some recession vaccine - St. Joseph News-Press

►December 7, 2008 - Tripura, Mizoram sound bird flu alert after Assam outbreak - IANS via Hindustan Times

►December 7, 2008 - Pregnant women are at special risk and should get flu shot - Lexington Herald-Leader via Kentucky.com

►December 7, 2008 - More than 100 get flu shots at South High School in Cleveland - The Plain Dealer via Cleveland.com

►December 7, 2008 - Have You Gotten Your Flu Shot? - WIBW.com

►December 7, 2008 - Spreading the measles vaccine - Charleston Post Courier

►December 7, 2008 - 30 polio cases reported at Farukhabad in U.P. - PTI via The Hindu

►December 7, 2008 - 2 reflect on effort to wipe out polio among India's poor - The Huntsville Times via al.com

►December 7, 2008 - Stanford blood scanner detects even faint indicators of cancer - Nanotechwire.com

►December 7, 2008 - C.difficile outbreak continues at Greater Niagara General Hospital - Niagara Falls Review

►December 7, 2008 - Virus hunter looks to make more medical breakthroughs at UCSF (requires registration) - Sacramento Bee

►December 7, 2008 - Global Fund chief seeks to calm fears of AIDS funding cuts - AFP via Google

* ►December 7, 2008 - The Week in Review: New AIDS Vaccine Leads China Biopharma News - China Bio Today via iStockAnalyst.com

►December 7, 2008 - Monitoring Atlanta's Economic Health: The Health Care Industry: No vaccination for recession - Hospitals, doctors offices, surgeons in financial pain as bills go unpaid or patients postpone treatment (requires registration) - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

►December 7, 2008 - Merck using RNA as powerful research tool - Reuters

* ►December 7, 2008 - EPA, FDA Conclude Genetically Engineered Cotton Incident Poses No Risk - Occupational Health Safety

* ►December 7, 2008 - Contaminated Irish pork recall: 'very high levels' of toxic substance - "Very high levels" of a toxic substance led to the recall of Ireland's pork products, the country's Europe Minister has disclosed. - The Telegraph, UK

* ►December 7, 2008 - "Made in China" label battered by product scandals - Reuters

►December 7, 2008 - Lack of sleep has genetic link with type 2 diabetes - Large genomic studies show body rhythms, melatonin may influence sugar levels in the blood - Science News

►December 6, 2008 - Daily News: Groups Focus on Adult Vaccinations - Nurse.com

►December 6, 2008 - Cervical cancer vaccine safe, Australian study indicates - 380,000 shots caused just 35 allergic reactions - Los Angeles Times via Houston Chronicle

►December 6, 2008 - Vanderbilt researchers help re-create SARS virus - Study looks at how illness evolved from bats to humans - The Tennessean

►December 6, 2008 - Are We Safer From Bioterrorism?--ProPublica - Anthrax Vaccine -- posts by Meryl Nass, M.D.

* ►December 6, 2008 - New Midwest lab would close Plum Island disease center - Newsday

►December 5, 2008 - FDA Bucks Scientific Evidence of BPA's Toxicity - Southern Maryland Online

►December 4, 2008 - New vaccine plant at the Finlay Institute - ‘We want to serve more’ - Granma International, Cuba

* ►December 4, 2008 - The Military and Autism - Living With Autism in Central PA

►December 4, 2008 - Site Near Kansas State U. Tops List for Major National Biodefense Lab - Chronicle of Higher Education

►December 4, 2008 - Police: Woman approaching school buses, kids in Friendswood works for CDC - KHOU.com

►December 4, 2008 - Help me understand why the CDC was in my small town! - TimeBomb 2000

►December 4, 2008 - Woman approaching school bus worked for CDC - Friendswood parents can breathe easier after police sorted out the details surrounding a woman asking to speak with children on a school bus. - KTRK ABC 13

►December 3, 2008 - Police seek woman who tried to pick up school kids - Houston Chronicle

►December 3, 2008 - Google Tool Predicts Influenza Activity - 'Flu Trends' May Heighten Physician Awareness - AAFP News Now

* ►December 3, 2008 - Teen Treated - Milton Ulladulla Times, Australia - "All school students are vaccinated against the meningococcal c strain at school. The student was diagnosed with the meningococcal b strain but, thanks to early detection and treatment, is expected to make a full recovery."

* ►December 3, 2008 - UN immunizing kids despite Muslim protests - UNICEF, with help from WHO and other partners, is embarking on polio vaccinations for 30 million children in Nigeria. Muslim clerics protest and theorize that this is a US plot to depopulate Africa by causing infertility in girls. - Spero News

* ►December 2, 2008 - Renowned MRI Expert Alerts Public to New Concerns About Possibly Exposing Infants to Superbug Infections - Infants Taped to Torn and Contaminated Pads When Undergoing MRI - press release - Patient Comfort Systems via Market Wire via Comtex via MarketWatch

►December 2, 2008 - Health Tip: Allergies to the Flu Shot - Who may have a reaction and shouldn't get the vaccine - HealthDay via U.S. News & World Report

►December 2, 2008 - Zicam® Launches “Cold & Flu Companion” Mobile Application - Application Uses Location-Based Technology to Help Consumers Stay One Step Ahead of Cold and Flu - Centre Daily Times

►December 2, 2008 - Measles timebomb fears in Nottingham - This is Nottingham

►December 2, 2008 - Gardasil effective for men - New research has shown Gardasil is effective in protecting men as well as women against the human papilloma virus, which causes genital warts and cervical cancer. - Radio Fiji

►December 2, 2008 - Best autism special education program in NYC public schools - Examiner.com

►December 2, 2008 - The Evidence Gap - British Balance Benefit vs. Cost of Latest Drugs (requires registration) - The New York Times

►December 1, 2008 - Measles outbreak forecast - Irish Medical News

►December 1, 2008 - Hospitals face shortage of vaccines - The Standard, Kenya

►December 1, 2008 - Newport teen bounces back from killer disease - South Wales Argus

►December 1, 2008 - Singing the praises of vitamin C - if used right - Chicago Daily Herald

* ►December 1, 2008 - White Paper Addresses FDA Approval Challenges Facing Combination Product Manufacturers - press release - Microtest via PRNewswire via COMTEX via MarketWatch

* ►November 30, 2008 - Butler-Jones says docs and nurses should walk the walk and get a flu shot - Canadian Press via Yahoo! Canada - "But despite those facts, health-care professionals have shown a remarkable reluctance to embrace flu shots. Public health and infection control officials have tried a variety of tacks, including offering the chance to win prizes for staff who take flu shots. Some in the field have even raised the notion of making flu shots mandatory for health-care workers - a suggestion that meets with instant push-back from unions representing health-care professionals. A bid by the Ontario government to require paramedics to get an annual flu shot led to labour disruptions in 2002, with the government of the day eventually backing down."

►November 30, 2008 - As hospital infections spread, so do medical-malpractice lawsuits - Dolan Media Newswires via Maryland Daily Record

►November 26, 2008 - New Cancer Vaccine May Hold Promise For African-American Lung Patients - National Cancer Institute via The Seattle Medium

* ►November 26, 2008 - GAVI Alliance to vaccinate an additional 6.6 million children against three killer diseases: Alliance commits US$ 134 million but warns of funding challenges to introduce new support against cervical cancer, typhoid, Japanese Encephalitis and rubella - The GAVI Alliance via MaximsNews Network

* ►An Open Letter to President Elect Barack Obama - Bodies in Rebellion

Posted December 6, 2008

* ►January 1, 2009 - Bone Pain, Growth Failure, and Skin Rash After an Upper Respiratory Illness in a Boy with Autism: Possible Association with Altered Retinoid Metabolism - journal article (Clinical Pediatrics)

►January 1, 2009 - Food Refusal as an Unusual Presentation in a Toddler With Duodenal Web - journal article (Clinical Pediatrics)

►January 1, 2009 - Clinical Spectrum of Shiga Toxin–Producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in Adults and Children - journal article (Clinical Pediatrics)

►January 1, 2009 - Management of Infantile Colic: A Review - journal article (Clinical Pediatrics)

►January 1, 2009 - Outcome of Functional Constipation in Childhood: A 10-Year Follow-Up Study - journal article (Clinical Pediatrics)

* ►December 20, 2008 - Imagination Medicine - Brain imaging reveals the substance of placebos. Expectation alone triggers the same neural circuits and chemicals as real drugs - Science News

►December 15, 2008 - Leukotrienes Are Potent Adjuvant during Fungal Infection: Effects on Memory T Cells - journal article (The Journal of Immunology)

* ►December 9, 2008 - Vaccines and Internet: Characteristics of the Vaccine Safety Net Web sites and suggested improvements - journal article (Vaccine)

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

* ►December 9, 2008 - First generation leishmaniasis vaccines: A review of field efficacy trials - journal article (Vaccine)

►December 9, 2008 - Effective and safe immunizations with live-attenuated vaccines for children after living donor liver transplantation - journal article (Vaccine)

* ►December 7, 2008 - Tenn. parents resist shots after toddler series - Knoxville News Sentinel - "Another potential pitfall: Many immunizations recommended today are newer. As shots are added every few years, parents get 'vaccination fatigue,' Buchanan said - and she's sympathetic to their concerns. 'We have parents saying, 'Enough already - I'm tired of my kids getting shots. I'm tired of my kids getting chemicals thrown at them,' ' she said."

* ►December 7, 2008 - Vaccination debate: Parents' choice or public health threat? - Knoxville News Sentinel - "Maryville mother Shaina Cutler believes her son, Brant, 9, had a genetic predisposition to autism, and that heavy metals, such as aluminum and mercury, in vaccines he got when he was between 18 and 24 months of age taxed his immune system to the point of permanent damage. Cutler said Brant was a bright and bubbly baby, but that with each shot, he ran a high fever and was 'glassy-eyed and lethargic' for days. By the time he was 2, she said, no trace of the happy, alert baby remained. 'You just kind of lose them,' she said. 'They're more distant. They don't look at you. They don't hear.'"

* ►December 7, 2008 - Unvaccinated children at center of outbreaks - Scripps Howard News Service via Knoxville News Sentinel - "Today, all the Lacek kids are fully vaccinated. Kelly Lacek is part of a national network called Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases, urging families to immunize."

►December 7, 2008 - India No.1 in children not protected against measles - Times of India

►December 7, 2008 - Flu death risk for vulnerable Scots - The Scotsman

* ►December 7, 2008 - The IoS Christmas Appeal: First cholera. Now it's malaria and anthrax - Our special correspondent reports from Mashonaland West, where Zimbabwe's hard-pressed doctors are doing all they can to stop the spread of disease - The Independent, UK

* ►December 7, 2008 - ‘75 pregnant women die every day in UP’ - Indian Express

* ►December 6, 2008 - Tom Daschle is Asking For Your Health Care Stories - Adventures in Autism

* ►December 6, 2008 - Daschle asks Americans for health care stories - AP via Yahoo!

* ►December 6, 2008 - Tom Daschle, Here are Our Autism Healthcare Stories - Age of Autism

* ►December 6, 2008 From the magazine issue dated Dec 15, 2008 - Tracking a New Generation - Recruiting starts next month for the largest long-term study of children's health ever conducted in the U.S. - Newsweek - "At the baby's birth, umbilical cord blood and a piece of placenta will be collected. And from that day forward until the child's 21st birthday, researchers will gather medical information through questionnaires and in-home visits: Did the baby receive her vaccines? Has she been diagnosed with anything? Autism? Asthma?"

* ►December 6, 2008 - Fiji media blamed for anti-vaccine move - Fijilive - "A medical researcher has blamed the Fiji media for making people wary of the anti-cervical cancer vaccine, Gardasil. The International drug manufacturer, Merck, has donated the vaccine, and Fiji officials are rushing to give more than 30,000 girls between nine and 12 years all three injections needed before it expires in June."

* ►December 6, 2008 - Expect vaccine to inhibit HIV within 5 years: Nobel winner - CBC

* ►December 6, 2008 - Expert or Pharma Shill? - Alliance for Human Research Protection

* ►December 6, 2008 - SSRIs Not Recommended for Youth_4, 000 Australian Kids--48 Babies Rx SSRIs - Alliance for Human Research Protection

* ►December 6, 2008 - FDA Sets Melamine Safety Standard for Baby Formula - Alliance for Human Research Protection

►December 6, 2008 - Parents Meet with NJ’s Health Commissioner by Louise Kuo Habakus - New Jersey Coalition for Vaccination Choice

►December 6, 2008 - John Robison On Aloneness, Social Failure and Asperger's - Age of Autism

►December 6, 2008 - Kathleen's House in Flint Township provides outlet for families touched by autism; organization seeks Wish List donations - The Flint Journal via MLive.com

►December 6, 2008 - LLRIB Health Services encourage immunization of children - La Ronge Northerner - "The Lac La Ronge Indian Band Health Services presented baskets and gifts to the mothers and children, who are up to date with immunization."

►December 6, 2008 - Vaccine still plentiful for flu shots in Franklin County - Anderson Independent Mail

►December 6, 2008 - Pediatricians say kids need flu shots now - WTOCtv.com

►December 6, 2008 - Elderly urged to get the flu jab - Filey & Hunmanby Mercury

►December 6, 2008 - EAC prepares against bird flu outbreak - TheCitizen

►December 6, 2008 - Swine influenza reported in Texas - East Texas Review

►December 6, 2008 - Measles outbreak ‘a matter of time’ - This Is Lancashire

►December 6, 2008 - Cold sore virus could cause Alzheimer's - The virus that causes cold sores may be a major cause of Alzheimer's disease and existing drugs could be used to treat the degenerative condition, researchers have claimed. - The Telegraph, UK

* ►December 6, 2008 - Girl in Seemapuri slum found infected with polio - Times of India - "A one-and-a-half-year-old girl from a congested slum in Seemapuri has become the city's latest victim to be infected with polio....Experts in the state's health department told TOI that Alisha had received just four doses of polio vaccine since her birth. 'In fact by now, she should have received at least 12 doses,' an expert said."

►December 6, 2008 - World winning battle with measles: report - Daily Nation

►December 6, 2008 - Grading Progress on Food Safety - editorial (requires registration) - The New York Times

►December 6, 2008 - Off Topic: Egalitarian Approach to Improving the Health Care System - Anthrax Vaccine -- posts by Meryl Nass, M.D.

►December 6, 2008 - FDA Calendar: A Weekly Update - Motley Fool

►December 6, 2008 - A reminder of risks supplements pose - Vikings case illustrates tainted products problem. - Minneapolis Star Tribune

►December 6, 2008 - America needs a strong FDA - op-ed (requires registration) - Boston Globe

►December 6, 2008 - Release health-care plan details - The Daily Advertiser

►December 6, 2008 - Remedy for a closed process - Medical board chief pitches plan to give patients a voice in discipline cases - Las Vegas Sun

►December 6, 2008 - Mercury pollution plagues Lone Star state - East Texas Review

* ►December 6, 2008 - Flu threat negligible, but shots still urged - Reno County Health Dept. says inquiries on children's vaccinations are on the rise. - Hutchinson News Online

* ►December 6, 2008 - A long-awaited answer - Report identifies physical reasons for illnesses suffered by Gulf War veterans - Las Vegas Sun

* ►December 6, 2008 - Clear drug labels key to good health care - South Florida Sun-Sentinel

* ►December 6, 2008 - Nigeria-Bird Flu-Rebuttal - Nigeria refutes reports of new bird flu outbreak - African Press Agency

►December 6, 2008 - New Volume In Emerging Infections Series - American Society for Microbiology via Medical News Today

* ►December 5, 2008 - Lawmakers Divided Over Next FDA Head, Fixing Safety Issues - The Wall Street Journal - "The agency has come under fire from both parties in Congress in recent years for problems related to pharmaceutical safety, and Dr. Woodcock, director of the drug-safety division, has been involved in several controversies. They include contamination of the blood thinner heparin from Chinese ingredients; the 2004 withdrawal of the painkiller Vioxx, which was tied to heart attacks; and the FDA's delay in approving the Plan B contraceptive for over-the-counter sale amid political pressure."

* ►December 5, 2008 - Asthma Drugs Too Dangerous For Kids: FDA - Pharmalot

* ►December 5, 2008 - Warning Given on Use of 4 Popular Asthma Drugs, but Debate Remains (requires registration) - The New York Times

►December 5, 2008 - Disturbance of Cerebral Neuronal Migration following Congenital Parvovirus B19 Infection - journal article (Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy)

►December 5, 2008 - Awards ceremony celebrates treatments to repair hearts, fill bones, and match drugs - journal article (BMJ)

* ►December 5, 2008 - SWAT team raids an Ohio organic coop - OpEdNews - "Bush administration in a last minute gift to our disappearing farmers, just made it mandatory by ordering vets to sign people on who bring animals for vaccinations even if they refuse to do so themselves.  Those who refuse are given a special number indicating they didn't "volunteer." 

►December 5, 2008 - ‘No reason to panic’ about bacteria in water - The Galveston County Daily News

* ►December 5, 2008 - Texas Covers Up Beef and Deer Dangers to Help Industry - Best Syndication - "No wonder state and federal health agencies continue to protect the identity of the Texas farm where the first domestically produced mad cow was raised in 2005. Why should a meat operation suffer just because it risked the lives of people who ate its product?  Why shouldn't it be able to continue selling its wholesome products? Nor did Texas officials release names when a herd of 1,000 head of cattle "in Texas" were quarantined and 46 carcasses tested for mad cow in 2001 after eating banned animal meal that contained meat and bone. Who ate those wholesome products? "This is not a public health issue, it is a violation of an FDA rule, and the rule is a precautionary rule," said Dr. Konrad Eugster, executive director of the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory at the time--using the same wording officials used earlier this year when meat at risk for mad cow disease from the Hallmark Meat Company was found in federal school lunch programs."

►December 5, 2008 - Tulane's primate center to study airborne contaminants - The Times-Picayune via NOLA.com

►December 5, 2008 - Biotechnology leaders call for government support - The London Times

►December 5, 2008 - Cameroon: Pharmacologist Says Common Medicinal Plants Are Curative - The Postnewsline.com via allafrica.com

►December 5, 2008 - Health Highlights: - WHO Sets Standards for Melamine Contamination in Foods - Alzheimer's Drug May Help Brain Cancer Patients - Bed Sore-Related Hospitalizations Up 80%: Report - Medicare, Social Security Said to Owe $52 Trillion - Americans' Health May Decline: Report - Cleveland Clinic to Disclose Doctors' Business Ties - Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay

►December 5, 2008 - Vaccines: Not Just For Kids (includes video) - WFTV Orlando

►December 5, 2008 - Millions Immunized Against Polio in Bangladesh - OneWorld.net

►December 5, 2008 - Whooping cough remains a maybe - The Richmond Register

►December 5, 2008 - Predators Fans Can Help Children’s Hospital and Get Free Flu Shots - Vanderbilt University News

►December 5, 2008 - Primary care nurses' MMR drive aims to tackle Cheshire measles outbreak - Primary care nurses are taking part in a mass MMR catch-up campaign in Cheshire in a bid to halt an outbreak of measles. - Nursing Times

►December 5, 2008 - AstraZeneca Was Aware of Seroquel Risks in 2000, Records Show - Bloomberg

* ►December 5, 2008 - Police: ‘Suspicious’ women conducting CDC survey - The Galveston County Daily News - "Witnesses came forward Wednesday, telling police the incidents could have involved surveyors, who were going door to door in the Houston area, obtaining information for a national health report. Friendswood Police Chief Robert Wieners said he was concerned about vehicles with out-of-state license plates being used by those conducting the survey. 'These vehicles are in our neighborhoods without being conspicuously marked with say, magnetic signs, to let the public know their purpose for being in the area,' Wieners said in a statement. Friendswood police later said some of the vehicles were marked. The CDC might need to review its survey practices, Peterson said."

* ►December 5, 2008 - To Immunize or Not (includes videos) - WQAD.com - "This story has been updated to correct quotation attributions.  The correct attributions have been highlighted in red."

►December 5, 2008 - Girl Scouts find room for autistic girl - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

►December 4, 2008 - Derailing a disease - With new infections here far outpacing the national average, routine HIV testing should be a priority. - Houston Chronicle

* ►December 4, 2008 - Pfizer Case...Justice Outside the Court - The legal battle on the payment of compensation to the affected victims of the 1996 Pfizer Trovan drug test in Kano may soon come to an end with an out-of-court settlement of $50 million settlement for the victims. Ibrahim Shuaibu writes on the controversy that trailed the test and the seeming out-of-court resolution - ThisDay Online

* ►December 4, 2008 - GMC changes guidance on fitness to practise after High Court ruling - journal article (BMJ)

►December 4, 2008 - Notice: Guidance for Industry: Cooperative Manufacturing Arrangements for Licensed Biologics; Availability - Food and Drug Administration, HHS via www.pharmcast.com

* ►December 4, 2008 - Discrepancies in sample size calculations and data analyses reported in randomised trials: comparison of publications with protocols - journal article (BMJ)

* ►December 4, 2008 - Glaxo To Argue Against New Patent Rules In US Court Hearing - DowJones via CNNMoney

* ►December 4, 2008 - Antioxidant fights ALS, study finds - Salk team discovery may be springboard - San Diego Union-Tribune - "The antioxidant apocynin, which is found in many plants, stopped both oxidation and inflammation, protecting the motor neuron from death, according to the journal article."

►December 4, 2008 - Gene may open door for new sickle cell therapies - Reuters

►December 4, 2008 - Spoonful Of Sugar? Barriers That Prevent Children From Taking Medicines - The widespread problem of children failing to take their medication for a range of life-threatening illnesses is to be tackled as part of a new university research project. - University of Nottingham via ScienceDaily

* ►December 3, 2008 - Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection in children and adolescents - journal article (European Journal of Pediatrics)

►December 3, 2008 - A Neisseria meningitidis NMB1966 mutant is impaired for invasion of respiratory epithelial cells, survival in human blood and for virulence in vivo - journal article (Medical Microbiology and Immunology)

►December 3, 2008 - Final Rule: Import and Production Quotas for Certain List I Chemicals - Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Justice via www.pharmcast.com

* ►December 3, 2008 - Stress-Related Disorders Affect Brain’s Processing of Memory - Radiological Society of North America via Biocompare

►December 3, 2008 - Patients with Schizophrenia have a Reduced Neural Response to Both Unpredictable and Predictable Primary Reinforcers - journal article (Neuropsychopharmacology)

►December 3, 2008 - Pfizer Selects Exco InTouch to Enhance Patient Communication in Clinical Trials - Exco InTouch via PharmiWeb

►December 2, 2008 - Hypersensitivity reactions to human papillomavirus vaccine in Australian schoolgirls: retrospective cohort study - journal article (BMJ)

►December 2, 2008 - What can we learn from drug marketing efficiency? - journal article (BMJ)

* ►December 2, 2008 - Health secretary asks commission to look into role of four NHS trusts in Baby P case - journal article (BMJ)

* ►December 2, 2008 - Eli Lilly encouraged patients to ask for a prescription only drug, says industry watchdog - journal article (BMJ)

* ►December 2, 2008 - Charity sets up fund to defend researcher being sued for libel - journal article (BMJ)

* ►December 2, 2008 - Notice (B): Government-Owned Inventions; Availability for Licensing - National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service, HHS via www.pharmcast.com - "HIV gp41-Membrane Proximal External Region Arrayed on Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Particles for HIV Diagnostic and Vaccine Applications - Applications: HIV vaccines; HIV diagnostics."

►December 2, 2008 - Notice: Proposed Substances To Be Evaluated for Set 23 Toxicological Profiles - Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) via www.pharmcast.com

* ►December 2, 2008 - Doctors’ health Treating doctors’ distress - journal article (BMJ)

* ►December 2, 2008 - Doctors’ health Support for London doctors - journal article (BMJ)

* ►December 2, 2008 - Doctors’ health Researching students’ wellbeing - journal article (BMJ)

* ►December 2, 2008 - Care in hospitals often lacks compassion, says report - journal article (BMJ)

* ►December 2, 2008 - Serum-soluble receptor for advanced glycation end product levels in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - journal article (Acta Neurologica Scandinavica)

►December 2, 2008 - Government strategy on HIV and AIDS in developing countries lacks detail, say MPs - journal article (BMJ)

►December 2, 2008 - Persulphate challenge in female hairdressers with nasal hyperreactivity suggests immune cell, but no IgE reaction - journal article (International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health)

* ►December 1, 2008 - India considers new polio vaccine, kindling debate on strategy - journal article (BMJ)

* ►December 1, 2008 - Cases of measles in England and Wales are highest for 13 years - journal article (BMJ)

* ►December 1, 2008 - Report sparks controversy over cause of children’s psychiatric symptoms - journal article (BMJ)

* ►December 1, 2008 - Scientist is denied renewal of licence to carry out research on primates - journal article (BMJ)

* ►December 1, 2008 - Legal tactics to delay launch of generic drugs cost Europe 3bn, report says - journal article (BMJ)

* ►December 1, 2008 - Notice: Guidance for Sponsors, Clinical Investigators, and IRBs; Data - Food and Drug Administration, HHS via www.pharmcast.com

* ►December 1, 2008 - Claudin 11 Stops the Leaks in Neuronal Myelin Sheaths - Rockefeller University Press via Biocompare

►December 1, 2008 - Person centred care or public health improvement? - journal article (BMJ)

►December 1, 2008 - Canada’s doctors award governments a D grade for workforce planning - journal article (BMJ)

►December 1, 2008 - Anaphylactic Reaction to Camomile Tea (pdf) - journal article (Allergology International)

* ►December 2008 - Impaired prioritization of novel onset stimuli in autism spectrum disorder - journal article (Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines)

►December 2008 - Verbal short-term memory span in children: long-term modality dependent effects of intrauterine growth restriction - journal article (Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines)

►December 2008 - Impaired conflict resolution and alerting in children with ADHD: evidence from the Attention Network Task (ANT) - journal article (Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines)

►December 2008 - Hospitalists and Patient Care - journal article (Virtual Mentor American Medical Association Journal of Ethics)

►December 2008 - Real-Time PCR with an Internal Control for Detection of All Known Human Adenovirus Serotypes - journal article (Journal of Clinical Microbiology)

►November 28, 2008 - Rise whooping cough triggers vaccination calls - AAP via The West Australian

►November 27, 2008 - Medicago announces 2008 Third Quarter Results - Medicago Inc. via Canada NewsWire via COMTEX via FOXBusiness.com - "Medicago is currently conducting all the necessary preclinical work for its H5N1 VLP pandemic vaccine to enable it to file a CTA with Health Canada in 2009 which would then, pending feedback from Health Canada, allow it to proceed into human clinical trials."

►November 26, 2008 - Four week vaccination cut-off worries GPs - GPs are confused and concerned about proposed Medicare rules that will deem children to be overdue for vaccination just four weeks after the eligible date. - 6minutes.com.au

►November 26, 2008 - Changing Turkeys' Diets Can Prevent Food Poisoning - LiveScience.com

►November 25, 2008 - Australian scientists discover a way to stop meningitis - Australian scientists have discovered a bacteria which could stop meningitis - the scientists at the University of Western Australia believe their discovery will help researchers understand how the meningitis bacteria infects cells and could lead to the prevention of infections such as meningitis. - News-Medical.net

►November 24, 2008 - CDC reports swine flu virus in Texas patient - CIDRAP News

►November 23, 2008 - New types of immunotherapy in children - journal article (Current Allergy and Asthma Reports)

►November 23, 2008 - Subcutaneous and sublingual immunotherapy in children: Complete update on controversies, dosing, and efficacy - journal article (Current Allergy and Asthma Reports)

►November 20, 2008 - Generation X’d Out: An end to the human race as we've known it? - Babies born to GENERATION X-RAY may be on the fast track to humanity's genetic DEAD END. - The Idaho Observer

* ►November 18, 2008 - Title: Enhanced immunization and suppression of oral tolerance - Mount Sinai School of Medicine (New York, NY), McGill University (Montreal, Quebec, CA) via www.pharmcast.com

* ►November 18, 2008 - Title: Immunogenic complex - Arexis AB (Molndal, SE) via www.pharmcast.com - "Together, the results are encouraging evidence that by combining the distinctive adjuvant properties of iscoms and the novel, non-toxic CTA1-DD derivative, it may prove possible to construct effective, safe and stable subunit vaccines which are active by mucosal routes."

►November 18, 2008 - Title: Use of ADNF polypeptides for treating peripheral neurotoxicity - Ramot at Tel-Aviv University, Ltd. (Tel Aviv, IL) via www.pharmcast.com

►November 18, 2008 - Title: Method of screening prion disease infection factor - Japan as represented by president of Tohoku University (Miyagi, JP) via www.pharmcast.com

►November 18, 2008 - Title: Compositions and methods of use of targeting peptides against placenta and adipose tissues - Board of Regents, the University of Texas System (Austin, TX) via www.pharmcast.com

►November 14, 2008 - X-linked mental retardation. - journal article (Medical Science Monitor)

►November 13, 2008 - Austrian Government Study Confirms Genetically Modified (GM) Crops Threaten Human Fertility and Health Safety - Advocates Call for Immediate Ban of All GM Foods and GM Crops - Institute for Responsible Technology

►November 10, 2008 - Psychotropic prescriptions for children soar; conflicts of interest, informed consent under scrutiny - AAPS News of the Day

►November 2008 - Efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of pediatric atopic dermatitis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - journal article (Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology)

* ►October 15, 2008 - Delayed recognition of Guillain-Barré syndrome in a child: A misleading respiratory distress - journal article (Journal of Emergency Medicine)

* ►September 2008 - Human Case of Swine Influenza A (H1N1) Triple Reassortant Virus Infection, Wisconsin - EID/CDC

* ►December 6, 2008 - Over 10,000 sign online petition for cancer vaccination - Irish Times

* ►December 6, 2008 - Bad science: It's not what the papers say, it's what they don't - Comment is free via The Guardian, UK

►December 6, 2008 - Worst flu in 5 years hits late and hard - Flu season has hit South Australia late, and it is not yet over, SA Health warns. - AdelaideNow, AU

►December 6, 2008 - Red Reflex Examination in Neonates, Infants, and Children - AAP Policy

* ►December 5, 2008 - Out With the Old Shots, In With the New: Xconomy Forum To Explore Disruptive Changes in Vaccines - xconomy

* ►December 5, 2008 - Geron Announces Initiation Of Phase I Clinical Trial Of Vaccine Candidate Targeting Telomerase By Merck & Co., Inc. - Geron Corporation via Medical News Today

* ►December 5, 2008 - NIH & Financial Conflicts Of Interest: Watch Here - Pharmalot

* ►December 5, 2008 - U Penn Med School To Disclose Pharma Ties - Pharmalot

►December 5, 2008 - Cutting The Cord To Determine Babies' Health Risk From Toxic Exposure - Despite the well-known dangers of first- and secondhand smoke, an estimated ten percent of pregnant women in the U.S. are smokers. Exposure of a developing baby to harmful cigarette byproducts from mothers who smoke affects an estimated 420,000 newborns each year and poses a significant health care burden. - Arizona State University, via EurekAlert! via ScienceDaily

►December 5, 2008 - Will Pfizer Pay Fictitious Trovan Victims In Nigeria? - Pharmalot

* ►December 5, 2008 - AstraZeneca Knew Seroquel Risks For Years - Pharmalot

►December 5, 2008 - Glaxo And US Patent Office Square Off Again - Pharmalot

►December 5, 2008 - AstraZeneca Rep Pitched Seroquel For Depression - Pharmalot

* ►December 5, 2008 - New Antipsychotics Offer No Advantage: Study - Pharmalot

* ►December 5, 2008 - FDA: Long-Acting Asthma Drugs Increase Asthma Risks - The Wall Street Journal

►December 5, 2008 - New superbug raises alarm - The Straits Times

►December 5, 2008 - Maas Biolab SBIR Enters Phase 2 For Cyclosporin ALS Treatment - NeuroVive Pharmaceutical via Medical News Today

►December 5, 2008 - Stupak To Obama: Just Say No To Woodcock - Pharmalot

►December 5, 2008 - U.S. health report card ranks Washington at No. 10 - The Seattle Times

►December 5, 2008 - Good Luck in 2010, Merck - The Motley Fool

►December 5, 2008 - Roche: Nature Study Uses 454 Sequencing To Reveal Surprising New Clues Into The Role Of Microbial Communities In The Human Gut - Roche via Medical News Today

►December 5, 2008 - Immune System More Effective in HIV-Resistant People - Their T cells kill HIV-infected cells very effectively - Immunity via HealthDay News via Modern Medicine

►December 5, 2008 - Quid pro PhD (requires registration) - The Scientist

* ►December 5, 2008 - AAP Addresses Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine CME/CE (requires registration) - Pediatrics via Medscape Medical News

►December 5, 2008 - Health Highlights: - Melamine Found in More Chinese Eggs - Bed - Bed Sore-Related Hospitalizations Up 80 Percent: Report - Medicare, Social Security Said to Owe $52 Trillion - Americans' Health May Decline: Report - Cleveland Clinic to Disclose Doctors' Business Ties - Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay

►December 5, 2008 - New alert on measles - The Star, UK

* ►December 5, 2008 - Chance of measles epidemic 'very high indeed', Government admits - The Department of Health has warned the likelihood of measles epidemic is 'very high indeed' as new figures obtained by Pulse show the MMR catch-up having little impact on uptake. - Pulse, UK

* ►December 5, 2008 - MMR and the Inquest into the Death of Toddler George Fisher - Age of Autism

* ►December 5, 2008 - Coroner, Parents Disagree on Vaccine's Role in Baby's Death - A coroner ruled Friday that a common childhood vaccination was not responsible for a baby's death, but the boy's parents disagree, the Guardian reported Friday. - FOX News

* ►December 5, 2008 - Mothers Act Promotes Pregnancy as New Cottage Industry By Evelyn Pringle - www.scoop.co.nz - "...the most sinister plot ever developed is a bill moving for approval in the US Senate right now called the 'Melanie Blocker-Stokes Mother's Act,' to set up the screening of all pregnant women for mental illness."

* ►December 5, 2008 - Anderson Cooper Feels a Chill? - Age of Autism

* ►December 5, 2008 - Autism’s False Proffit - Absolutely Underdof

* ►December 5, 2008 - Mercury in fish: Childbearing women at risk - letter - Florida Times-Union via Jacksonville.com

* ►December 5, 2008 - Parents vow to keep up autism fight - Families plan next steps in battle for better services after Supreme Court refuses to hear their appeal (requires registration) - Toronto Star

* ►December 5, 2008 - Watch Toni Braxton's New Autism PSA (includes video) - People.com

►December 5, 2008 - The Parthenon Becomes Set For Autism PSA - NewsChannel5.com

►December 5, 2008 - The Black Balloon (2008) - Autistic Son Reveals Family Shame and Strength - movie review (requires registration) - The New York Times

►December 5, 2008 - Autistic Children Become Autistic Adults: Don't Forget - iReport.com

* ►December 5, 2008 - Disagreeing with doctor about vaccine dangers - letter - Indianapolis Star

►December 5, 2008 - Child Safety: Are FDA Decisions Made In America? - InjuryBoard Des Moines

►December 5, 2008 - U.S. lawmaker urges fresh face at FDA's helm - Reuters

►December 5, 2008 - Smallpox Vaccine Effective for Decades - Voice of America

►December 5, 2008 - Health Tip: Vaccinations for Adults - Who should get them, and when - HealthDay via U.S. News & World Report

►December 5, 2008 - Vandalia Research to Present DNA Manufacturing Technology at Two Major Vaccine Conferences during December - Centre Daily Times

►December 5, 2008 - It's not too late to get a flu shot, health department says - Special clinics will be held across the state as part of the Ban the Bug campaign. "By getting your shot now, you will be almost fully immune by the holidays," an official said. - Minneapolis Star Tribune

►December 5, 2008 - Health Department Reports North Central Region's First Lab-Confirmed Flu Case of the Season - Pennsylvania Department of Health via PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX via MarketWatch

►December 5, 2008 - Still Need A Flu Shot? Raid Your Cupboard - Tampa Bay Online

►December 5, 2008 - Iowa Observes National Influenza Vaccination Week - WOWT.com

►December 5, 2008 - Baby Boomers Need Flu Vaccine - HealthNewsDigest.com

►December 5, 2008 - CDC's Children's Flu Vaccination Day is Dec. 9 - Quad-Cities Online

►December 5, 2008 - Are your shots up to date? - Reading Eagle

►December 5, 2008 - Ban the Bug campaign urges Minnesotans to get their influenza vaccinations - Alexandria Echo Press

* ►December 5, 2008 - New meningitis guidance for Irish GPs - Irish Medical News - "The last decade saw cases of meningococcal disease rise to a 50-year high, pointed out the Foundation, saying that despite the resounding success of the recent vaccination programme against Group C meningococcal disease, the number of cases of Group B and recent outbreaks of Group W135 meningococcal disease are still a cause for concern. There still is no vaccine available to prevent MenB."

►December 5, 2008 - Recent Releases in Health Disparities | NFID Releases Call for Action To Address Meningitis Inoculation Disparities Among Minorities - www.kaisernetwork.org

►December 5, 2008 - VOX tries to prevent HPV - Central Florida Future

►December 5, 2008 - More on Measles - UN Dispatch

►December 5, 2008 - Roche wins European approval for hepatitis drug - Roche has announced that the European Commission has approved Pegasys plus Copegus for the re-treatment of hepatitis C patients who were not successfully treated with an initial course of interferon alpha, either alone or in combination with ribavirin. - Pharmaceutical Business Review

►December 5, 2008 - Health Officials Confirm Whooping Cough Outbreak in Greene - www.charlottesvillenewsplex.tv

►December 5, 2008 - Whooping cough cases up - AP via Lexington Herald-Leader via Kentucky.com

►December 5, 2008 - Norwegian Research Council Names Bionor Immuno "Most Innovative Company of the Year" - Researchers Hope Bionor Immuno's Immune Modulating Investigational Treatment Gives HIV Patients a Safe Break From Anti-Retroviral Therapy - press release - Bionor Immuno via Market Wire via Comtex via MarketWatch

►December 5, 2008 - Tetanus shots urged for Sister Islands - Cayman Net News

►December 5, 2008 - Health workers say close to eradicating Guinea worm - Reuters Africa

►December 5, 2008 - Legionnaires' disease bacteria found at UTMB - AP via Houston Chronicle

►December 5, 2008 - High Mercury levels? It was a typo! - Count on News 2

►December 5, 2008 - Mercury rules are needed - commentary - Columbia Daily Tribune

* ►December 5, 2008 - Push to replace mercury thermometers is going global - Old mercury thermometers have just about vanished in the U.S. and Europe. But they remain in many other countries. Now, a new global effort, part of a UNEP program to reduce mercury emissions, is spreading the word about viable alternatives for health care. - Environmental Health News

* ►December 5, 2008 - Health Care Without Harm, WHO Announce Partnership for Global Reduction of Mercury-Based Medical Devices - press release - Health Care Without Harm via PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX via MarketWatch

* ►December 5, 2008 - Zimbabwe cholera: A plague of Robert Mugabe's own making - Zimbabwe's cholera epidemic is a deadly symptom of the corruption of the country's rulers. - The Telegraph, UK - "'No matter how much medicine they bring, they are not going to contain this cholera, because they are treating the symptoms rather than the disease,' says Tongesai, a well-educated man in his mid-30s whose younger brother was admitted earlier in the day."

►December 5, 2008 - US FDA sees asthma drug risks, seeks panel advice - Reuters

►December 5, 2008 - FDA, WebMD Form Public Health Information Partnership - Occupational Health & Safety

►December 5, 2008 - Grant funds Illinois mad cow prevention efforts (requires registration) - Chicago Tribune

►December 5, 2008 - EU Hosts Global Health Security Initiative Talks - Delegation of the European Commission to the United States via Business Wire via MarketWatch

►December 5, 2008 - La. pediatricians, health chief clash on merits of lawsuit - Doctors group accused of pulling ‘stunt’ - 2theadvocate.com

►December 4, 2008 - Malaria, West Nile virus vaccines sought - United Press International

* ►December 4, 2008 - Parents warned as measles outbreak hits Cheshire - Chester Chronicle - "There are now 68 reported cases in Cheshire and 19 have been confirmed by laboratory tests. The majority of the remaining cases are 'probable' measles."

* ►December 4, 2008 - Measles outbreak seems to have been stopped in its tracks - Evesham Journal, UK - "Health officials warned last week that Worcestershire was ‘on the cusp’ of a measles epidemic but with only one new case reported in the county during the past seven days the prognosis for the future looks brighter."

* ►December 4, 2008 - Pets get a better deal than children - Reading Evening Post, UK - "To me it would seem entirely reasonable to require any child entering the state education system to be vaccinated against measles, mumps, rubella and the rest.  Parents would still have a choice. If they choose to act in such an antisocial and irresponsible manner why should they expect the rest of us to fund their child’s education?"

* ►December 4, 2008 - Got your flu shot? Less than half of health care workers do (includes video) - Gainesville Times

* ►December 4, 2008 - PATH, Lentigen ink $3M pandemic influenza vaccine partnership - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle) - "PATH will pay the Gaithersburg, Md.-based company $3 million over 27 months to work on the vaccine, which will be based on a virus-like particle (VLP) prototype."

►December 4, 2008 - Kids can see Santa, get flu vaccine - MaineToday.com - "HomeHealth Visiting Nurses is offering preservative-free FluMist at a special children's clinic at their headquarters from 9 a.m. to noon."

►December 4, 2008 - Guest essay: Local physician discusses ins and outs of flu shots - Chambersburg Public Opinion

►December 4, 2008 - Does The Vaccine Really Work? (includes video) - KEYC.com

* ►December 4, 2008 - Merck outlook misses view as dollar strengthens - Reuters - "Merck's forecasts for Gardasil and Singulair were particularly disappointing, said Bannister of Edward Jones, adding that Gardasil growth will be critical for Merck to survive looming patent expirations."

►December 4, 2008 - Hepatitis C Treatment Reduces the Virus but Liver Damage Continues - National Institutes of Health

►December 4, 2008 - CHP warns of peak season for chickenpox - A spokesman for CHP said that although cases of chickenpox in the past few weeks remained low compared with the corresponding periods in past years, people should maintain personal and environmental hygiene to prevent infection as winter was the traditional peak season for the disease. - Media-Newswire.com

►December 4, 2008 - Families warned to never dilute baby formula - KOLD.com

►December 4, 2008 - IOM Cites Poor Preparedness for Brain Injuries of Iraq and Afghanistan Vets - Institute of Medicine via MedPage Today

►December 4, 2008 - Approximately One-third of Human Genes Have Monoclonal Antibodies and a Half of Human Genes Have Polyclonal Antibodies - ExactAntigen.com releases antibody summaries indicating 13311 genes including 7352 human genes have monoclonal antibodies and 30434 genes including 12988 human genes have polyclonal antibodies - press release - ExactAntigen.com via PRWeb

►December 4, 2008 - Powerful Immune Cells Block HIV Progression - Immunity via MedPage Today

►December 4, 2008 - West Nile DNA Vaccine Available for Horses - Veterinary Practice News

* ►December 4, 2008 - Incorporation of LpxL1, a detoxified lipopolysaccharide adjuvant, in influenza H5N1 virosomes increases vaccine immunogenicity - journal article (Vaccine)

►December 4, 2008 - Fat cells also linked to prion infection - Disease-causing misfolded proteins at home in a growing list of tissues, organs - ScienceNews

* ►December 4, 2008 - Measles Deaths Worldwide Fall by 74 Percent - Voice of America

►December 4, 2008 - Influenza case confirmed in Deer Lodge County - AP via KULR-8 Television

* ►December 4, 2008 - Psychiatric drugs force queried - The practice of forcing psychiatric patients to take medication is not backed by evidence, say UK researchers. - BBC

►December 4, 2008 - New volume in emerging infections series - American Society for Microbiology via EurekAlert!

►December 4, 2008 - Highlights of the 2008 U.S. Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress CME (requires registration) - U.S. Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress via Medscape

►December 4, 2008 - Marketing Causes Death: the Link Between Black Friday and Black Boxes - Pharma Marketing Blog

►December 4, 2008 - Can Anti-Oxidants Prevent Alzheimers? - NBC Los Angeles

►December 4, 2008 - Fiber, Antispasmodic Agents, and Peppermint Oil for Irritable Bowel Syndrome - journal article (Journal Watch General Medicine)

* ►December 4, 2008 - American Values Blamed For U.S Health-care Crisis - To heal our ailing health care system, we need to stop thinking like Americans. That's the message of two articles by UCLA's Dr. Marc Nuwer, a leading expert on national health care reform, published this week in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology. - University of California - Los Angeles, via EurekAlert! via ScienceDaily

* ►December 3, 2008 - Simplifying paediatric immunization with a fully liquid DTP–HepB–Hib combination vaccine: Evidence from a comparative time-motion study in India - journal article (Vaccine)

* ►December 3, 2008 - Factors conditioning effectiveness of a reminder/recall system to improve influenza vaccination in asthmatic children - journal article (Vaccine)

►December 3, 2008 - True Hypersensitivity to HPV Vaccine Is Uncommon, Say Australian Researchers (requires registration) - BMJ via Medscape Medical News

►December 3, 2008 - Gleevec, the cancer drug, stars in clinical trials - Promising results indicate uses against an array of other diseases - The Oregonian

►December 3, 2008 - Section 912 should not impede innovations in research, AHPA tells FDA - American Herbal Products Association via Chiropractic Economics

►December 3, 2008 - Tenofovir Outperforms Adefovir in Chronic HBV - NEJM via MedPage Today

►December 3, 2008 - Roche’s Pegasys Fails to Curb Hepatitis C Progression in Study - Bloomberg

►December 3, 2008 - South African dies of suspected deadly virus in Rio - Reuters South Africa

►December 3, 2008 - Autism spot to film at Parthenon - The Tennessean

►December 3, 2008 - Experimental Vaginal Gel Doesn't Ward Off HIV - South African women using Carraguard had no decrease in infections, trial found - HealthDay via Forbes

►December 2, 2008 - Students, that flu shot could help your grades - A U of M study shows that vaccinated students not only miss fewer classes but also do better on tests and classwork. - Minneapolis Star Tribune

►December 2, 2008 - NFID Expands Educational Efforts To Reach Racial, Ethnic Families About Dangers of Meningitis - Newly Published Call to Action Highlights Need to Reduce Disparities in Meningococcal Vaccination; Increase Educational Efforts - press release -  National Foundation for Infectious Diseases via PRNewswire

►December 2, 2008 - Anadys wins FDA fast track designation for hepatitis drug - Anadys Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, has announced that the FDA has granted fast track designation to ANA598 for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection. - Pharmaceutical Business Review

►December 2, 2008 - Alzheimer’s Disease: Natural Prevention is the Key - NaturalNews.com

►December 2, 2008 - Illinois Autism Insurance - WIFR.com

►December 2, 2008 - New Report Recommends Strategies To Reduce Medical Resident Fatigue-related Errors and Improve Training - Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

* ►December 1, 2008 - Antibiotics make up single largest class of drugs causing liver injury - ZNI via Yahoo!

►December 1, 2008 - In the test tube: three decades of HIV vaccination - Dr. Kenneth Mayer is a professor of Medicine and Community Health and the Director of Brown University AIDS Program. The Daily had a chance to sit down with him before his keynote address at McGill’s World AIDS Week last Friday. - McGill Daily

►December 1, 2008 - RSNA: Brain Waves May Measure Autism Severity - Radiological Society of North America via MedPage Today

►December 1, 2008 - Special Series: Adults With Autism - Unique Challenges Face Adults With Autism And Their Parents - WISC Madison Channel3000.com

* ►December 1, 2008 - Another Pesticide Linked To Diabetes - Precaution.org

►December 1, 2008 - Stanford blood scanner detects even faint indicators of cancer - Stanford Report

* ►December 1, 2008 - Amanzi Tea offers free, natural 'Flu Shots' to New Yorkers - press release - Amanzi Tea via PRNewswire via COMTEX via MarketWatch - "In a recent study, immunologists at Harvard University discovered that people who drank five cups of tea a day for 2 weeks transformed their immune system T cells into "Hulk cells" that pumped out 10 times more cold and flu virus-fighting interferon than did the immune systems of those who didn't drink tea."

►December 1, 2008 - Flu study confirms recommendations for kids (includes video) - Capital News 9

►December 2008 - Developing community-based intervention strategies to save newborn lives: lessons learned from formative research in five countries - journal article (Journal of Perinatology)

►December 2008 - Neurodevelopmental outcome of infants with meconium aspiration syndrome: report of a study and literature review - journal article (Journal of Perinatology)

►December 2008 - Care-seeking practices in South Asia: using formative research to design program interventions to save newborn lives - journal article (Journal of Perinatology)

►November 30, 2008 - Get a Flu Shot - Think of it as a public service - opinion - The Harvard Crimson

►November 30, 2008 - A sweet new entry in bitter food fight - Shrub-derived sugar substitute could be sodamakers' Holy Grail (requires registration) - Chicago Tribune

►November 25, 2008 - MorphoSys to get US patent covering key antibody - Reuters

►November 24, 2008 - What is Killing The Bees? By Dr. James Howenstine, MD. - www.newswithviews.com

►November 23, 2008 - Starts today Cuban campaign of vaccination remedy for the flu - El Habanero

* ►November 1, 2008 - Position Statement on VITAMIN D (pdf) - American Academy of Dermatology and AAD Association - "Vitamin D should be obtained through foods, beverages, and supplements — and not through unprotected exposure to sunlight — according to a position statement from the American Academy of Dermatology. Unprotected exposure should be avoided, the groups says, to help reduce ultraviolet-related cancers. The academy also advises physicians to actively discuss with patients how to get adequate vitamin D."

►Autism One 2009 Conference May 20-24, 2009, Chicago, IL

►Autism Speaks' Autism Tissue Program Reports from the Society for Neuroscience Meeting - Autism Speaks

►IAN Research Report: Special Diets - Autism Speaks

* ►Shots in the Dark - A film by Lina B. Moreco - Following the onset of side effects such as autism or multiple sclerosis in some people, shouldn’t we question current large-scale vaccination policies? While many recognized doctors and scientists are sounding the alarm, public health authorities and pharmaceutical companies continue to ignore the problem. - Theatrical release in Quebec: Winter 2009 - NFB.ca