MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'flu,'. Tue, 04 May 2010 18:19:37 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3504930&cid=t_315341_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FySwTGEYEC6s%2Fcoping_with_swine_flu_down_und.php What are we to make of the swine flu pandemic? The only thing I feel confident about is that it will be some time before we really know. A great deal of data and experience was gained in the year since the pandemic H1N1 took everyone by surprise but it will be a while before we can harvest all of it. Meanwhile I can say things were better than we thought they might be and certainly better than everyone's worst fears, but how much better -- better, how bad -- they were we just don't know. It was a very good year for people in my age category (over 65) as for reasons now becoming a bit clearer we were least susceptible. In ordinary flu years we are the most susceptible and we die in large numbers. This last year it was the young most at risk. The numbers of flu deaths overall don't tell the ... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3504930 Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:07:42 +0100 3504930 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3499311&cid=t_315341_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FgAQqzpPFA-Q%2F And so another work week is about to draw to a close. What are you planning for the weekend? Mowing the lawn? Riding a bike? A walk in the park? We look forward to spending time with our short and not-so-short people and running with the official Pharmalot mascot. While you ponder your own choices, here are a few items to help you round out the day. Have a nice time, whatever you do and see you soon… Australia Tells Docs To Stop Kids’ Flu Shot (Bloomberg News) J&J Shareholders Reject Say-On-Pay Proposal (Associated Press) EU Sees Genzyme Drug Shortage Through September (Reuters) Pfizer Ends Trial Of Sutent In Liver Cancer (Associated Press) EMA Backs Nycomed COPD Drug (Reuters) EU Approves Diovan For Children (Associated Press) Roche Files For New Herceptin Use In US (Reut... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3499311 Fri, 23 Apr 2010 11:43:46 +0100 3499311 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3494320&cid=t_315341_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2Fpz8i-YyH0cM%2Fa_year_ago_on_the_blog.php It was a year ago today we put up our first post about swine flu: "The California swine flu cases." I think we were the first blog to notice it, and it began this way: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3494320 Thu, 22 Apr 2010 11:25:02 +0100 3494320 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3487371&cid=t_315341_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FOyT2YYMmp-E%2F Rise and shine. Another day beckons. And this is a special one here on the Pharmalot corporate campus as one of the short people celebrates a birthday. An especially large cup of stimulation is in order…among other things. While we fuss, please enjoy these items and, of course, have a nice day… Acura Pharma Has FDA Panel Meeting (TheStreet) Biogen Profit Falls, Tysabri Sales Rise (Reuters) Boehringer-Ingelheim Considers More Takeovers (Bloomberg News) J&J Drug Sales Slump (Reuters) Novartis Profit Rises On Flu Vaccines (Bloomberg News) Roche Arthritis Drug Meets Goal, Safety Issues Linger (Reuters) Raloxifene And Tamoxifen Both Guard Against Breast Cancer (HealthDay) Array Signs $467M Deal With Novartis (Reuters) (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3487371 Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:58:36 +0100 3487371 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3479641&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fdavid-duchovny-and-demi-moore-sickened-by-a-smooch%2F David Duchovny and Demi Moore (photo: WENN.com/FayesVision) Word at Starpulse is that David Duchovny initially refused to kiss Demi Moore while filming their new movie The Joneses, because the actress had what he calls a “raging cold.” Duchovny eventually relented and locked lips with Moore to keep the filming schedule on track. The former X-Files leading man claims that he did get sick from the smooch, and he doesn’t seem happy about it. With a cold season this year that never seems to end, we’re wondering, how far do you go to avoid germs? If it were your job to tongue someone with the sniffles, would you do it? Do you steer clear of your loved ones when they’re sick? Drop us a note in the comments section, below, and let us know. Post from: BlissTree D... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3479641 Fri, 16 Apr 2010 20:14:36 +0100 3479641 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3472044&cid=t_315341_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FF27q-IJVyI0%2F The experts involved in the World Health Organization decision to declare a flu pandemic rejected accusations of undue influence from drugmakers, and insisted that “meticulous care” was taken to avoid conflicts of interest and to keep a distance from industry as much as possible, Agence France-Presse writes. David Salisbury, of the WHO’s standing Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on immunization and a director of immunization at the UK’s Department of Health, said candidates for the advisory body were vetted before they joined and those with conflicts of interest were excluded. “There has been no declaration of conflict from any SAGE member in our proceeding on A (H1N1) vaccine,” he told a probe investigating the international response to the pa... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3472044 Thu, 15 Apr 2010 11:59:57 +0100 3472044 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3463571&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F_ej3QmM0x-Y%2F It’s been almost a year since the headlines about the latest bout of H1N1 swine flu first began to appear — so now it’s time for the why-wasn’t-the-flu-as-bad-as-it-could-have-been and could-it-have-been-handled-better probes to begin. WHO Director General Margaret Chan today opened the first meeting of 29 experts looking into the response to what became the first pandemic of the 21th century. “We want to know what can be done better and ideally how,” she said. One speaker at today’s session said that international preparations for the swine flu were aided by the outbreaks of the more deadly bird flu in recent years, but then what turned out to be the relative mildness of the H1N1 pandemic worked against it. “It wasn’t that mild when yo... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3463571 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 17:56:39 +0100 3463571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3457791&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.rawvoice.com%2Fpmn_twiv%2Fwww.twiv.tv%2FTWiV077.mp3 Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Rich Condit Vincent, Alan, and Rich revisit circovirus contamination of Rotarix, then discuss poxvirus-like replication of mimivirus in the cell cytoplasm, and whether seasonal influenza immunization increases the risk of infection with the 2009 H1N1 pandemic virus. This episode is sponsored by Data Robotics Inc. Use the promotion code TWIVPOD to receive $50 off a Drobo or $100 off a Drobo S. Win a free Drobo S! Contest rules here. Download TWiV #77 (60 MB .mp3, 83 minutes) Subscribe to TWiV (free) in iTunes , at the Zune Marketplace, by the RSS feed, or by email. Links for this episode: Contamination of Rotarix vaccine with porcine circovirus 1 DNA Do you want to know what is in your vaccines? Take the poll Mimivirus replicates in the cell cytopl... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3457791 Sun, 11 Apr 2010 14:36:56 +0100 3457791 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3443983&cid=t_315341_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FPHedEVOSc7Y%2F Good morning, everyone. Hope your week is going well. We are on an altered scheduled, as it so happens, but have a nifty system to keep you abreast of developments. And so here are a few that we hope will ease your day. Meanwhile, we are grabbing the required cup of stimulation - we go nowhere without one - and invite you to do the same. Stay in touch… Prescription Drug Overdoses Rise In The US (Reuters) Sanofi Chemo Drug Pact Should Draw FTC Scrutiny (Seeking Alpha) AIDS Group Asks Bristol To Cut Drug Price (press release) UK Cuts Swine Flu Vaccine Order (Associated Press) Merck Drug Shows Promise In Pelvic Cancer Patients (Reuters) Clearstone To Close New Jersey Lab (OutsourcingPharma) (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3443983 Wed, 07 Apr 2010 12:16:20 +0100 3443983 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3441055&cid=t_315341_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FwHPKVX7Mulg%2F The drugmaker feared frequent visits by Canadian inspectors would slow production of its H1N1 vaccine, according to The Toronto Star, citing newly released documents. Emails between Paul Lucas, who heads Glaxo’s Canadian unit, and senior officials at Health Canada last November reveal Glaxo was frustrated over an extra visit by inspectors to its Ste-Foy, Que., facility, where it made the vaccine. In Nov. 1, 2009 email, Lucas was surprised that Health Canada planned to send inspectors the next day after having been there the previous day. “I understand the difficult position that everyone is in during this pandemic situation and the various pressures in the system,” Lucas wrote in the email sent to Morris Rosenberg, deputy minister at Health Canada. “However, I must... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3441055 Tue, 06 Apr 2010 13:03:53 +0100 3441055 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3429158&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FMTn04ez30vI%2F First the problem was getting enough vaccine to treat the first flu pandemic in decades. Now the problem is getting rid of millions of doses of the H1N1 vaccine before they go bad. An estimated 71.5 million of the 229 million doses of swine-flu vaccine bought by the U.S. have been put in vials and syringes and will have to be discarded if they aren’t used before their expiration date, the Washington Post reported this morning. That’s after 25 million doses bought by the U.S. are sent to poor countries, the paper said. Flu followers know that the latest pandemic hasn’t delivered the worst-case punch feared in the U.S. or in Europe, where governments also are trying to figure out how to unload unused vaccine supplies. Delivering the vaccine supplies was delayed by productio... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3429158 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 14:32:37 +0100 3429158 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420502&cid=t_315341_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FPlLITOITcfY%2Fflu_georgia_on_cdcs_mind.php A day or two after CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWR) released a report about risks to pregnant women from pandemic 2009 flu, CDC held a suddenly announced press briefing about the current H1N1 situation (I listened in but a transcript should be up on the site by the time you read this; check this page). The occasion for the briefing was a worrisome increase in hospitalizations and deaths in CDC's Georgia backyard. Despite housing CDC, Georgia has one of the lower flu vaccination rates in the country and now is experiencing an unexpected recrudescence of H1N1 flu, with numbers of hospitalizations not seen in the state since the height of the pandemic last October. The cases were described as "adults," many with pre-existing medical conditions, with a geographic distributio... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420502 Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:41:17 +0100 3420502 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3416057&cid=t_315341_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FJ32Z_b55i7I%2Fducks_chickens_bits_of_dna_and.php I'm an epidemiologist, not an immunologist or a virologist but I like reading immunology and virology. It's interesting, in some ways for me it's more interesting than reading epidemiology. In an epidemiological paper I can see pretty quickly where things are going (or going wrong) and there isn't much mystery. But the sheer number of moving parts in a cellular system is amazing and confounding. Navigating through the myriad bits and pieces that appear every week in the scientific literature is tough for experts and even tougher for the rest of us who aren't experts. Vincent Racaniello over at Virology Blog is a great source of information and I read him in an effort not to fall too far behind and help me understand new papers as they come out. One appeared the other day in the Proceedings... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3416057 Sun, 28 Mar 2010 20:27:33 +0100 3416057 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3412411&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.rawvoice.com%2Fpmn_twiv%2Fwww.twiv.tv%2FTWiV075.mp3 Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Matthew Frieman Vincent, Alan, and Matt review contamination of Rotarix with circovirus DNA, antigenic similarity between 1918 and 2009 H1N1 influenza, a collection of rabies reports, and chicken pox mistaken for smallpox in Uganda. This episode is sponsored by Data Robotics Inc. Use the promotion code VINCENT to receive $50 off a Drobo or $100 off a Drobo S. Win a free Drobo S! Contest rules here. Download TWiV #75 (57 MB .mp3, 79 minutes) Subscribe to TWiV (free) in iTunes , at the Zune Marketplace, by the RSS feed, or by email. Links for this episode: Contamination of Rotarix vaccine with porcine circovirus 1 DNA Beak and feather disease circovirus (BFDV) threatens parrots Antigenic similarity between 1918 and 2009 H1N1 influenza Presumptive ab... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3412411 Sun, 28 Mar 2010 13:19:43 +0100 3412411 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3408398&cid=t_315341_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FyLVet_GdJpo%2Fimmunity_and_the_1918_and_2009.php We continue to learn a great deal about influenza infection as researchers harvest information from the recent swine flu pandemic. The pork producers don't like to call it "swine flu" but it may well be that its long sojourn in that animal since 1918 (did we give Spanish flu to pigs or did pigs give it us?) may hold an important clue to why older people suffered less than younger ones. It seemed fairly likely that the difference was related to immunity, but since H1N1 came back in 1977 after being absent since 1957, it wasn't clear why younger people born after 1977 would be as immune as older ones born before 1957. Now two papers published in Science and Science Translational Medicine shed some light on this. Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effec... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3408398 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:17:21 +0100 3408398 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3389160&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.rawvoice.com%2Fpmn_twiv%2Fwww.twiv.tv%2FTWiV074.mp3 Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Adolfo Garcia-Sastre Vincent speaks with Adolfo Garcia-Sastre talk about the origin, pathogenesis, and prevention of the 2009 pandemic influenza H1N1 virus. This episode is sponsored by Data Robotics Inc. Use the promotion code VINCENT to receive $50 off a Drobo or $100 off a Drobo S. Win a free Drobo S! Contest rules here. Download TWiV #74 (34 MB .mp3, 47 minutes) Subscribe to TWiV (free) in iTunes , at the Zune Marketplace, by the RSS feed, or by email. Links for this episode: Influenza virus receptor specificity and disease PB1-F2 expression by 2009 H1N1 strain does not increase virulence Protection against 2009 H1N1 infection by immunization with older strains Passage in eggs changes influenza receptor specificity Association between D222G mutation and v... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3389160 Mon, 22 Mar 2010 01:14:21 +0100 3389160 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3382426&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2FVZEtRry8oHQ%2F Last year a mutation in the HA gene of the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus was identified in isolates from patients with severe disease. At the time I concluded that the emergence of this change was not a concern. Recently the Norwegian Institute of Public Health reported that the mutation, which causes a change from the amino acid aspartic acid to glycine at position 225 of the viral HA protein (D225G), has been identified in 11 of 61 cases (18%) of severe or fatal influenza, but not in any of 205 mild cases. Have these observations changed my view of the importance of this mutation? The cell receptor for influenza A virus strains is sialic acid. Human influenza A strains bind preferentially to sialic acids linked to galactose by an alpha(2,6) bond, while avian and equine strains prefer alpha... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3382426 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 03:14:01 +0100 3382426 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3359244&cid=t_315341_167_f&fid=38576&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drbriffa.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2F12%2Fvitamin-d-supplementation-found-to-help-prevent-flu-in-children%2F Back in February I wrote a post that was largely focused on my experience of supplementing with vitamin D, and specifically the fact that I had not had a single infection (e.g. cold or flu) since starting supplementation. I still, by the way, have not had an infection. Not even a hint of one. This [...] (Source: Dr John Biffa's Blog) Dr John Biffa's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3359244 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:54:33 +0100 3359244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3358616&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2Fd2XR0dpw4qY%2F The second RNA segment of some influenza virus strains encodes a protein called PB1-F2 that might contribute to virulence. Speaking about the 2009 pandemic H1N1 strain, Peter Palese noted that “If this virulence marker is necessary for an influenza virus to become highly pathogenic in humans or in chickens, then the current swine virus doesn’t have what it takes to become a major killer.” If the pandemic virus mutated so that the PB1-F2 protein is produced, would it become a killer? The PB1-F2 protein is not produced in cells infected with the 2009 H1N1 strain because there are three translation stop codons at nucleotide positions 12, 58, and 88.  To determine if this protein plays a role in virulence, the second RNA segment of the A/California/04/2009 H1N1 strain was genetically al... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3358616 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:32:15 +0100 3358616 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3354022&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2FpMBTGgqc1RQ%2F The World Health Organization and the US Food & Drug Administration have decided on the composition of the influenza virus vaccine that will be used during the 2010-2011 season in the northern hemisphere. The trivalent preparation will contain the following influenza virus strains: A/California/7/2009 (H1N1); A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2); and B/Brisbane/60/2008. The same trivalent vaccine is also being used to prepare for the upcoming winter in the southern hemisphere. The A/California/7/2009 (H1N1) virus is the pandemic strain that was used in the 2009 H1N1 monovalent vaccine. That virus has not yet undergone sufficient antigenic drift to warrant selection of a new strain for the vaccine. Note that a seasonal H1N1 strain from previous years will not be included in the vaccine. This chang... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3354022 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:10:31 +0100 3354022 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3342895&cid=t_315341_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F9mZdMGJ-j_o%2F Welcome to the working week. We hope your weekend was pleasant and relaxing. Now, though, the routine has returned - deadlines and meetings beckon. To prepare, we are brewing the required cup of stimulation. So grab one yourself, or perhaps a bottle of water is preferred, and get ready for the plunge. Meanwhile, here are a few items to help you along. Have a great day, everyone… Roche Suspends Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug Trial After Deaths (Reuters) AstraZeneca’s Colon Cancer Drug Fails Test (Bloomberg News) Pfizer’s Jeff Kindler Woos Ratiopharm (Reuters) A ‘Miracle’ Cancer Drug At $48,000 (Bloomberg News) Xenoport To Cut Staff By Half (San Jose Business Journal) Dutch Government Wants To Sell Flu Vaccines Back (Reuters) (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3342895 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:36:06 +0100 3342895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3322336&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F1Gy1esjrQls%2F Hundreds of thousands of Americans usually stay home at some point during the winter battling fever, aches and pains — all the result of a normal flu season. But this flu season is clearly marching to a different drummer. The H1N1 swine flu came and mostly went and seasonal flu has barely come at all in the U.S., the WSJ says in a survey of the flu front this morning. It’s a puzzle why there isn’t more swine flu around, given how many people haven’t been infected or vaccinated, according to the experts. That said, another H1N1 wave may be in the wings and could come soon. “We’ve had peaks [of flu] as late as May, so we’re not out of the woods yet,” a CDC influenza official told the WSJ. But future outbreaks aren’t likely to be as large... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3322336 Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:16:59 +0100 3322336 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3302290&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FqiZEx0Xkpz8%2F The method of making flu vaccines from chicken eggs is slow and expensive, but it has proved reliable for 60 years. So that’s what drug makers used last year in ramping up a new vaccine to offer protection from the sudden spread of the H1N1 virus. But “the response to H1N1 was a disaster,” said Brett Giroir, vice chancellor for research at Texas A&M University System, says in a WSJ report this morning on an unusual plan to use tobacco plants to make flu vaccines. That’s a technician soaking a tobacco plant in bacterial solution to make a plant-based vaccine in the picture. Texas A&M is part of a consortium getting $40 million from the U.S. Defense Department to test plant-based vaccines and to produce an initial 10 million doses to combat H1N1, otherwise k... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3302290 Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:20:07 +0100 3302290 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3283508&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Fterrance.who.int%2Fmediacentre%2Faudio%2Fpress_briefings%2FVPC_18FEB2010_Influenza_A_H1N1.mp3 The World Health Organization’s influenza experts have finished a four-day meeting and decided that protection against H1N1 swine flu should be included in the next regular flu-season vaccine. The virus causing the current swine-flu pandemic surfaced too late last year to be included in the most recent seasonal-flu vaccine, so a separate vaccine was ordered up. But next time around for the Northern Hemisphere flu season, WHO is recommending H1N1 to be one of the strains added to the new seasonal protection. The flu experts for the U.N. health agency get together about eight months in advance of each cold season to decide which three strains should go into the latest seasonal-flu vaccine. They decided in September that the next Southern Hemisphere cocktail should include swine-flu pro... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3283508 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:50:46 +0100 3283508 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3280215&cid=t_315341_167_f&fid=38576&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drbriffa.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2F17%2Fno-good-evidence-flu-vaccination-helps-the-elderly%2F Here in the UK it’s cold, and the cold weather tends to bring with it an upsurge in the rates of viral infections such as the common cold and flu. It has been suggested that one reason such infections surge in the winter is because we’re more likely to be cooped up with other people, [...] (Source: Dr John Biffa's Blog) Dr John Biffa's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3280215 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:32:55 +0100 3280215 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3269742&cid=t_315341_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2Fir7ymCdys2Y%2F The H1N1 virus, the so-called swine flu, hit 57 million Americans and was the cause of 257,000 hospitalizations and 11,690 deaths in the United States. Fifty seven million: that’s more than the population of Spain (46 million) and Canada (34 million). The number of people hospitalized because of the H1N1 influenza is just slightly more than the entire population of Barbados, or equal to half the state of Wyoming. That’s a lot of people. The flu is still around and vaccines are still being given. The US winter Olympic athletes were vaccinated last month if they’d not already been, giving the vaccine enough time to be effective when the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics begin tonight. What was it about the H1N1 flu that got the world so concerned and should it have been? It&#8... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3269742 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:36:00 +0100 3269742 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3266701&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2FNzr5kGw2Wnw%2F Influenza A viruses typically cause severe respiratory disease mainly in the very young or the elderly. The 2009 swine-origin H1N1 virus is unusual because it preferentially infects individuals under 35 years of age. We’ve previously noted that being older is a good defense against 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, in part because older people have antibodies that block infection. Experiments done in mice show that immunization with 1918-like or classical H1N1 swine influenza viruses protects against infection with 2009 H1N1 virus. When mice are inoculated intranasally with a high dose of the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, the virus replicates in the lungs and leads to significant weight loss and lethality. After a sublethal virus dose the mice develop protective antibodies that protect agains... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3266701 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:17:26 +0100 3266701 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3262839&cid=t_315341_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2141 Zelda Rubinstein Dead at 76 by Neal Broverman Posted on Advocate.com January 27, 2010 Zelda Rubinstein, the Poltergeist actress and HIV activist, died Wednesday at the Barlow Respiratory Hospital in Los Angeles. She was 76. The 4-foot, 3-inch actress had various health problems following a mild heart attack she suffered late last year. Rubinstein will be remembered by gays for being one of the first celebrities to lend her name and face to an HIV/AIDS public awareness campaign aimed at gay men. In a series of billboards and posters that blanketed Los Angeles in the mid ’80s, Rubinstein portrayed “Mother,” a sweet maternal figure who urged her “sons” to play safe. The posters soon spread nationally and then internationally. The actress spoke to Advocate.com rec... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3262839 Wed, 10 Feb 2010 23:47:10 +0100 3262839 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3250975&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.rawvoice.com%2Fpmn_twiv%2Fwww.twiv.tv%2FTWiV069.mp3 Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Rich Condit Vincent, Alan, and Rich review recent outbreaks of mumps in the UK, US, and Israel, protection of mice against 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus by 1918-like and classical swine H1N1 vaccines, and a virus-like particle vaccine for chikungunya virus. This episode is sponsored by Data Robotics Inc. Use the promotion code VINCENT to receive $50 off a Drobo or $100 off a Drobo S. Win a free Drobo S! Contest rules here. Download TWiV #69 (59 MB .mp3, 82 minutes) Subscribe to TWiV (free) in iTunes , at the Zune Marketplace, by the RSS feed, or by email. Links for this episode: Mumps outbreak in Israel (ProMedMail and Eurosurveillance; thanks Lenn!) and Iowa Retraction of Wakefield vaccines- autism study Immunization with 1918-like and classical sw... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3250975 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:22:28 +0100 3250975 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3244078&cid=t_315341_167_f&fid=38576&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drbriffa.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2F05%2Fcan-vitamin-d-keep-you-infection-free%2F On Wednesday morning I had a nice chat over coffee with Oliver Gillie, a writer and researcher with a particular interest in vitamin D. We spent much of our time talking about the role vitamin D may have in a wide range of conditions including role in a range of conditions including cancer, diabetes, [...] (Source: Dr John Biffa's Blog) Dr John Biffa's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3244078 Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:10:31 +0100 3244078 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3243979&cid=t_315341_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2134 This study examined the relationships between HIV-related stigma and a range of demographic, social, physical and health characteristics. A meta-analysis was conducted to assess the overall strength and direction of these relationships. Twenty-four studies of PLHIV, conducted in North America and published in peer-reviewed journals between January of 2000 and November of 2007, were examined and their findings integrated. The heterogeneity of reported results was also assessed and examined. Our review revealed substantial variability in the ways researchers measure participants’ HIV-related stigma as well as their physical, emotional and mental health. In spite of this variability, high stigma level was consistently and significantly associated with low social support (r = -0.369, p&l... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3243979 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:03:46 +0100 3243979 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3236037&cid=t_315341_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2131 Social determinants of the health by Mohammad Rajja February 3, 2010 chers— the discussion that follows concerns the social factors (determinants) driving poor health — poverty, malnutrition, gender and more. it’s a bit of a wrestling match with english, but all the more interesting because of that. think of it as a bit of a tone poem. and rajja’s english is way better than my bangladeshi. namaste —rk There are more than a few social determinants of the health of populations in the [bangladesh] region. These encompass eight major ones discuss[ed] below. Other connected factors include stress, the nature of work, service status, as well as social support. Poor countries and poor people suffer from multiple deprivations that translate into high levels of ill hea... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3236037 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:05:55 +0100 3236037 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3236038&cid=t_315341_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2128 Study predicts HIV drug resistance will surge By Enrique Rivero January 22, 2010 chers— there are several useful lilnks at the end of this post. namaste —rk New research based on a novel mathematical model predicts that a wave of drug-resistant HIV strains will emerge in San Francisco within the next five years. These strains could prove disastrous by hindering control of the HIV pandemic. In a study published Jan. 14 on the website of the journal Science, researchers from the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA and the University of California, San Francisco’s HIV AIDS Program at San Francisco General Hospital, developed a complex network model that tracks the transmission of multiple strains of HIV. The model can be used to predict drug resista... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3236038 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:28:44 +0100 3236038 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3220740&cid=t_315341_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fi-uFJZLh3Zw%2F And so another week draws to a close. We hope you survived. What will you do this weekend? Errands? Taxes? How about something relaxing? While you contemplate, another day beckons, so here are a few items to help you get by. Whatever you do this weekend, we hope you have time for something refreshing. Enjoy, everyone, and see you next week… Novartis Warns Countries Over Cancelled Vaccine Orders (AFP) Merck Helicopter Pad Site Approved (nj.com) Judge Rules Drugmakers Overcharged New York (Bloomberg News) Alberta, Canada To Save Millions On Generics (Edmonton Journal) Mississippi Senate Panel OKs Rx For Cold Meds (Associated Press) photo thx to tipiro on Flickr creative commons (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3220740 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:31:47 +0100 3220740 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3205117&cid=t_315341_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F8zWL0UIlaCQ%2F Welcome to the working week. We hope your weekend was refreshing and invigorating. Now, though, the time has come to return to the usual pile of meetings and deadlines. To arm ourselves, we are brewing the usual cup(s) of stimulation and scouring about for a few interesting items. We have uncovered this much so far. Hope your day goes well and stay in touch… Alcon Investor Expects Higher Novartis Bid (Reuters) China To Open Market To Indian Drugmakers (PharmaTimes) Venture Capitalists Reduced Biotech Funding (Boston.com) Japanese Market Forecast To Plummet (OutsourcingPharma) Welsh MP Slams Swine Flu Vaccine Makers (WalesOnline) Amylin Braces For Once-Weekly Diabetes Drug (Xconomy.com) PPD Sells Biomaker Biz To Caprion (OutsourcingPharma) Coffee thanks to chichcacha Flickr Common Cre... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3205117 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:35:08 +0100 3205117 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3197680&cid=t_315341_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FNvKti5cvj2I%2Fnew_data_on_how_much_infection.php It was some time after the pandemics of 1957 and 1968 that we were able to judge their severity and it will likely be some time after this one has finally burned itself out, most likely to become "just another" seasonal flu, that we will be able to gauge the 2009 swine flu pandemic. A lot of data is being generated but it will take time to harvest it and send it to the scientific market for consumption. A report in today's Lancet reminds us that we aren't seeing all there is to see, even with unprecedentedly rapid means of communication and better surveillance than ever in the history of our long battle with the influenza virus: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3197680 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 11:21:41 +0100 3197680 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3197839&cid=t_315341_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2118 Cut! Why did the Supreme Court ban videocasting of the Olson-Boies marriage trial? By Jenny Pizer, Marriage Project Director, Lambda Legal(on (left, pictured here with her wife Doreena Wong) January 14, 2010 Following the emergency appeal filed by the Prop 8 team, the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled 5-4 that the federal marriage trial may not be videocast for public viewing at other federal courthouses.  The earlier plan to upload trial video to the court’s website already had been nixed by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals’ Chief Judge Kozinksi, who decided there are technical problems to be worked out before webcasting will be possible. The high court’s majority decision is troubling in its accommodation of Prop 8’s proponents’ supposed fears of harm.  As the dissent ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3197839 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 06:12:34 +0100 3197839 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3193738&cid=t_315341_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FD03sVjQVhsc%2Fnew_tool_to_figure_out_what_th.php In my regular science trawling I noticed a fascinating paper in Nature (epub ahead of print) that I haven't seen anything about in the news. It seems to me it's worth a discussion, if for no other reason than it uses a relatively new approach, small interfering RNA (siRNA), to dissect the functions in the host cell the virus needs for the only thing it wants to do, make a copy of itself. It also lets me try out on you a new analogy I cooked up for a short talk on flu for high school students and their parents and teachers. It turns out that parts of it will be useful to explain the new siRNA paper. Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3193738 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:19:25 +0100 3193738 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3193664&cid=t_315341_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2F21%2F8597%2F Title: Swine flu and employment Skinny: Discusses the impact of swine flu (H1N1) on employment. The pandemic has raised some challenging issues in the workplace and the article addresses some of these issues. Most practices will have issues maintaining a service, and article encourages practice managers to carry out a staff audit to minimise the chances of being caught out by staff absences. Includes a background history to the outbreak of swine flu. Posted in Emergency Planning, General Practice, Influenza, Journals, Management Tagged: Audit, H1N1, Influenza, Practice Management, Swine Flu, Workforce Planning (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3193664 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:11:46 +0100 3193664 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3182194&cid=t_315341_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FPkLpPyoh6PU%2Fanother_swine_flu_virus.php There is an old vaudeville joke where a man goes to the doctor complaining about pain in his arm: Doctor: Have you ever had it before? Man: Yes, once before. Doctor: Well, you have it again. CDC reported on their weekly FluView website on Friday that the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported to CDC that in September a boy (age not stated) had a flu like illness from which he fully recovered and for which he hadn't required hospitalization. In November IDPH determined it was swine flu, but not the pandemic H1N1 but a swine-origin H3N2. According to CDC there was "no clear exposure" to swine, nor was there any evidence of sustained transmission. I checked the IDPH website and couldn't find any mention of this case so this is all the information we have. It sounds like CDC doesn'... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3182194 Sun, 17 Jan 2010 20:32:49 +0100 3182194 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3176134&cid=t_315341_154_f&fid=35946&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.canadianmedicinenews.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fin-news-is-h1n1-flu-pandemic-over.html H1N1 risk may have passedIt's unlikely 2010 will bring a feared third wave of the H1N1 flu, said Dr Yves Bolduc, Quebec's health minister. "Compte tenu du taux de vaccination contre la grippe A (H1N1) et étant donné que les personnes qui ont eu la grippe sont maintenant protégées, nous considérons fort peu probable l'arrivée d'une troisième vague," he told La Presse. ("Considering the vaccination rate against the H1N1 flu and given that people who've already had the flu are now protected, we consider a third wave very unlikely.") [La Presse]The national vaccination rate is between 40-45%, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. There are major variations among provinces, however: Quebec, the Atlantic provinces and the territories have all vaccinated greater than 50% of thei... Canadian Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3176134 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 05:00:00 +0100 3176134 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3175595&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.radiosandysprings.com%2Fpodcasts%2FInfectiousDiseaseJan04.2010.mp3 I was recently interviewed on Radio Sandy Springs by Sharon Sanders of FluTrackers. We talked about pandemic influenza H1N1 virus. Listen to the show below. Download Infectious Disease Hour January 4 2010 (20 MB .mp3, 57 minutes) Radio Sandy Springs 1620 AM is a low-powered Atlanta-based talk radio station that simulcasts on the Internet.  They broadcast a weekly ‘Infectious Disease Update’ with interviews with clinicians, scientists, researchers, and even historians. You can find an archive of recent Infectious Disease Hour shows here. (Source: virology blog) virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3175595 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:00:33 +0100 3175595 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3167447&cid=t_315341_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FkUGyOqgkCw8%2F Hello, everyone. For those struggling with the mid-week blues, we are reminded of that uplifting comment from the Morning Mayor: ‘Every brand new day should be unwrapped like a precious gift.’ So keep that in mind as you attempt to attack those meetings and projects. You will prevail. Meanwhile, we will arm ourselves with a cup of stimulation. Here’s to a good day… Novo Starts Testing Victoza Diabetes Pill (Reuters) FDA Send Warnings To Bayer, Lilly, Cephalon & Amylin (Associated Press) Will Novartis Raise Its Bid For Alcon? (Reuters) Charles River Labs To Cut 300 Jobs (OutsourcingPharma) WHO To Review Swine Flu Response (Bloomberg News) Coffee thanks to chichcacha Flickr Common Creative (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3167447 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:23:06 +0100 3167447 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3163750&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F4pjyX8mHFWY%2F A story in this morning’s WSJ cracks open what one government official calls a “secure system to protect these birds”: Secretive farms, classified as part of the nation’s “critical infrastructure,” where hens lay the hundreds of thousands of eggs needed to make swine-flu vaccine. The article put us in mind of another big job for chickens seeking a career in public health: serving as a sentinel bird . It’s a job that requires some sacrifice, as this WSJ story suggested back in 2003: Braving a burst of clucks and beating wings, a woman in a white Tyvek jumpsuit grabs a red-brown hen by the feet and holds it upside down until the flapping stops. Then she flips the bird over, tucks it between her knees, and pricks the hen’s comb with a tiny lanc... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3163750 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:36:27 +0100 3163750 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3163739&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2010%2F01%2F12%2Fdiabetes-patients-get-your-h1n1-vaccine%2F Filed under: ComplicationsIf you've been avoiding your annual flu shot, it's time to get a vaccine. Today has been designated the National Influenza Vaccination Week's vaccination day for people with chronic health conditions. This year, vaccinations against H1N1 or swine flu and regular influenza are recommended. It's extremely important that those with chronic conditions get the vaccine because they are at higher risk for serious flu-related complications like pneumonia. High-risk chronic conditions include asthma, diabetes, heart disease, kidney and liver disorders, neurological disorders, blood disorders, cancer and HIV or AIDS. A pneumococcal vaccine to prevent pneumonia is also recommended for people with diabetes. After you get your flu shot, remember to take any antiviral medi... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3163739 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3163739 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3159685&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FZSUyUaZ-40g%2F More action today on how governments are dealing with falling demand for the H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine. The U.S. cut its order from the Australian manufacturer CSL by more than half, to 14 million doses, Bloomberg reports. The U.S. is allowed to change the quantity of its order under its contract with CSL, a company spokeswoman told Bloomberg — though not all countries have similar terms in their contracts with the company. The U.S. placed orders with multiple manufacturers. Meanwhile, the U.K. is trying to recoup some of the £500 million it spent ordering H1N1 vaccine from Baxter and GlaxoSmithKline, the Financial Times reports. The government initially ordered enough vaccine to cover the entire population. But the relatively mild nature of the pandemic, among other factors, has led... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3159685 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:18:06 +0100 3159685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3149048&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2010%2F01%2Fcarbonmonoxide-poisoning-can-mimic-flu-symptoms-swine-flu-h1n1-flu-symptoms.html <br> Carbon-monoxide poisoning spikes in winter months, partly because common heating sources can produce the deadly colorless and odorless gas. As our Home blog noted this week, the symptoms, which include headache, dizziness, chest pain, nausea and vomiting, can mimic flu symptoms. But it’s important not to mistake it for the swine flu; the treatments couldn’t be more different.For typical flu symptoms most people should stay at home, rest, drink lots of fluids, and control fever and pain with acetaminophen (Tylenol and generics) or ibuprofen (Advil and generics). (Anyone with underlying health conditions should contact their health care provider about how best to proceed, and emergency symptoms always merit a trip to the ER.) But staying in a home with a carbon-monoxide lea... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3149048 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:49:39 +0100 3149048 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3149050&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2010%2F01%2Fhow-flu-spreads-swine-h1n1-symptoms-in-children-avoidance-care-deaths.html Swine flu has helped boost the sales of face masks and a recent video from the New England Journal of Medicine may make you want to mask-up. The video shows how an uncovered cough can transmit infection by propelling a strong turbulent jet of air a distance of 1 to 2 meters (a little over 3 to 6 feet), and how a standard surgical mask or N95 mask (or respirator) provides some protection for unmasked bystanders. How H1N1 spreads in a sample of households and in a high school were the subjects of two recently published papers in NEJM, both of which demonstrate that children have been the most susceptible to this epidemic. The first study traced exposure to H1N1 in 600 members of 216 U.S. households. The study, by epidemiological scientists at the Imperial College London, concluded that t... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3149050 Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:00:00 +0100 3149050 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3146211&cid=t_315341_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fg1TfFi2DmLU%2F Nice to see you again. Hope the day is getting off to a good start. It is the middle of the week, though, and after the holiday break, this can only mean one thing - lots of meetings, deadlines and projects to prepare. So as you dig in, here are a few things to help you along. As for us, the time has come for a cup of stimulation. May your day go well… Europe Seeks To Reduce H1N1 Vaccine Inventory (SwissInfo.ch) Glaxo Centralizes HR Functions (EmployeeBenefits.co) WARF Wins Patent Lawsuit Over Enzyme (Chicago Tribune) FDA Cancels Panel Review For Cymbalta (Reuters) Glaxo’s Witty Succeeds Higgins As EFPIA Chief (PharmaTimes) (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3146211 Wed, 06 Jan 2010 12:50:31 +0100 3146211 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3142507&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FST63RKILAaM%2F A bunch of European countries ordered too much swine flu vaccine, so after months of waiting around for the flu shots to show up, they now find themselves canceling orders. The French government had planned on using 94 million individual shots to give two doses of the swine-flu vaccine to most of the country’s 65 million people. But it said Monday that it was canceling 50 million orders as one shot has been found to be effective and swine-flu cases in France have been dropping sharply, according to Reuters and other news reports. France’s move follows similar steps this week by the Netherlands and last month by Germany, Spain and Switzerland, all of which could curb revenues for vaccine makers Sanofi-Aventis, GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis. The pharma companies face “signi... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3142507 Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:16:21 +0100 3142507 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3139244&cid=t_315341_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FBhRTdzgW53Y%2F That’s the contention by more than a dozen members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which reportedly plans to conduct an inquiry into the influence that drugmakers may have had on the World Health Organization, scientists and governments. A resolution was introduced last month by Wolfgang Wodarg, a member of Germany’s Social Democratic Party who chairs the PACE health committee, and it reads: “In order to promote their patented drugs and vaccines against flu, pharmaceutical companies have influenced scientists and official agencies, responsible for public health standards, to alarm governments worldwide. They have made them squander tight health care resources for inefficient vaccine strategies and needlessly exposed millions of healthy people to th... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3139244 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:09:04 +0100 3139244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3139055&cid=t_315341_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FFNWAUZLyfRs%2Fswine_flu_2009_what_went_right.php New York Times correspondent Don McNeil is an excellent medical reporter. He always asks intelligent questions at the CDC pressers and he writes good articles. And he's written one for The Times yesterday that I agree with, although his support for it seems to me less than objective. In essence he asked the country's flu establishment how well the US handled swine flu. None of his sources are CDC employees but all of them are deeply involved in flu and flu policy in one way or another. And they gave themselves a big pat on the back. I hope they didn't wrench their shoulders. That might be a bit snarky, because in fact I agree with everything they say. I just find it amusing they are being used as authorities: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3139055 Sun, 03 Jan 2010 18:48:43 +0100 3139055 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3138856&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.rawvoice.com%2Fpmn_twiv%2Fwww.twiv.tv%2FTWiV064.mp3 Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Rich Condit Vincent, Alan, and Rich discuss ten compelling virology stories of 2009. Download TWiV #64 (68 MB .mp3, 94 minutes) Subscribe to TWiV (free) in iTunes , at the Zune Marketplace, by the RSS feed, or by email. Ten virology stories of 2009: Pandemic influenza: Swine-origin H1N1 virus (TWiV 36) XMRV, prostate cancer, and chronic fatigue syndrome (TWiV 50, 55) AIDS vaccine ’success’ (TWiV 51) Colony collapse disorder (TWiV 46, 49) AIDS-like disease in wild chimps (TWiV 45) Diverse viral community in Antarctic lake (TWiV 58) Polyomavirus seroepidemiology in humans (TWiV 26) Poxvirus threatens UK red squirrels (TWiV 63) Polio spreads from Nigeria (TWiV 29) How mosquitoes survive Dengue virus infection (TWiV 21) Picture book on ... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3138856 Sun, 03 Jan 2010 17:03:44 +0100 3138856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3137649&cid=t_315341_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FIu_VuYVe7SE%2F Hello, everyone. Hope your holiday break was fun and while you continue to unwind, we thought it might be helpful to offer you a few minutes of interesting reading. Meanwhile, we hope to brave the brisk winds to walk our faithful friend shortly. So we’ll leave you with these items for now and resume the usual routine tomorrow. Hope your weekend is going well and you enjoy yourselves… James Goddard, a former FDA commish who was credited with overhauling the agency’s methods for evaluating drugs, died last week of a brain hemorrhage. From 1966 to 1968, he cracked down on exaggerated drug ads, delayed approval of new drug applications until drugmakers backed them up with more testing, and campaigned to take ineffective drugs off the market. A fly in industry’s ointment, he was... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3137649 Sun, 03 Jan 2010 14:30:31 +0100 3137649 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3136554&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2010%2F01%2Fswine-flu-shots-now-available-at-retail-stores.html While you’re out redeeming those gift cards or stocking up on food, why not get a flu shot? The H1N1 vaccine has become so widely available that many retailers, including pharmacies and supermarkets are offering it. In fact, the Wall Street Journal reports the swine-flu vaccine has become a valuable marketing tool for many retailers who are promoting it in hopes of attracting customers. “Rite Aid Corp. is placing signs that read, ‘Protect Yourself: H1N1 Vaccinations Are Available,’ on the front doors of its drugstores and hanging similar banners inside. Kroger Co. is promoting its H1N1 flu shots on the cover of the grocery chain's weekly ad circulars.” Starting in 2010, Walgreen Co. plans to advertise its supply of the vaccine in television sp... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3136554 Sat, 02 Jan 2010 10:00:00 +0100 3136554 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3136689&cid=t_315341_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2104 text of flyer after jump SAVE THE DATE! LA City Grassroots Elder HIV/AIDS Advocacy SUMMIT & new media TRAINING February 12, 2010 Tom Bradley Center (26th & 27th floors) LA City Hall 200 N. Spring Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 hosted by - LA 11th district City Councilmember Bill Rosendahl - the City of LA AIDS Coordinator’s Office - richard kearns publisher of http://AIDS-write.org & http://havvacc.wordpress.com [seal of city of los angeles ) FOR MORE INFORMATION: contact rk@aids-write.org or call 310-488-1328 “new tricks for old dogs & their allies” (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3136689 Sat, 02 Jan 2010 06:06:09 +0100 3136689 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3136690&cid=t_315341_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2101 Step into the GLM Time Machine by Maeve Maddox january 1, 2010 The Global Language Monitor (GLM) is an Austin, Texas-based entity that documents, analyzes and tracks trends in language and publishes a list of the year’s most used English words, names, and phrases. According to GLM’s algorithm, 2009’s most used word, both online and in print, is Twitter. GLM’s top ten for 2009: Twitter Obama H1N1 stimulus vampire 2.0 (as a suffix attached to the next generation of everything. Ex. Web2.0) deficit Hadron healthcare transparency A look at the Words of the Year for 2000-2008 recalls the prominent events and personalities of those years: 2000 chad 2001 GroundZero 2002 misunderestimate 2003 embedded 2004 incivility 2005 refugee 2006 sustainable 2007 hybrid 2008 change Taking the decad... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3136690 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 23:01:35 +0100 3136690 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3136691&cid=t_315341_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2098 2009 AIDS IN BLACK AMERICA City Sheet Los Angeles, California chers— this is a comprehensive resource list. print out all four pages and stick it on the frig. add phone numbers and email addresses on your contact lists, both phone and internet. use them. local & state stuff. links to officials after the jump. namasté —rk The CitySheet Series This CitySheet is a resource intended to provide Black community stakeholders that want to get involved in stopping the disease with AIDS information and potential partners. These numbers represent real people in your community who are impacted by HIV and AIDS. These organizations represent traditional Black leadership and have an important role to play in ending AIDS in the Black community. In our annual State of AIDS reports, we as... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3136691 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 22:27:21 +0100 3136691 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3133595&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F12%2Fdry-air-encourages-flu-virus-humidifier-germs-winter.html Keeping the air moist during home heating season helps ease dry skin, relieve itchy eyes and throats and reduce static electricity. Now, here’s another reason to consider using a humidifier or putting out pans of water near heating units to increase the moisture in your home: It may help curb the flu. How’s that? Scientific research has shown a link between the spread of the flu and low humidity so boosting the humidity in your home may hinder the ability of flu germs to spread. One just-released white paper, for example, suggests that homes with 40 to 60 percent humidity are likely to have fewer flu viruses lingering in the air or on common surfaces, such as computer keyboards, TV remotes or even the kitchen sink than in homes where the humidity is low, say around 20 percent. “Wh... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3133595 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:00:00 +0100 3133595 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3129497&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F12%2Fchildren-under-10-need-two-h1n1-shots.html “Just because a lot of people are taking off for the holidays does not mean that this flu virus will.” So says Anne Schuchat, M.D., director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Just before Christmas, Schuchat had some cheerful and some cautionary news about the H1N1 bug. The “disease is at a better state around the country than it had been,” she said in a press conference.  What’s more, about 111 million doses of vaccine had been made available around the country and an estimated 60 million people had been vaccinated. But all the flu the CDC is seeing is the H1N1 virus, “so its not gone at all,” Schuchat noted. Since “none of us know what the weeks and months ahead will bring,” she added, “it’s very important not to be c... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3129497 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 11:00:00 +0100 3129497 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3126581&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FQNYrJPqU9eI%2F After months of standing in line trying for adequate shipments of the H1N1 vaccine, pharmacies, supermarkets and other retailers with in-store clinics now are trying to make the most of an influx of supply now becoming more widely available. “Right now there’s probably more supply than demand,” Troyen A. Brennan, chief medical officer at drugstore chain CVS Caremark, told the WSJ this morning. CVS is offering the swine-flu vaccinations in 23 states, while Rite-Aid has them in 30 states and Wal-Mart in 48 states. Walgreens, the No. 1 pharmacy chain by number of stores, will have them available in 49 states by year end, the WSJ says. Of course, this ramp-up is happening while flu activity continues to decline in the U.S., according to the CDC. But the government push for pe... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3126581 Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:09:29 +0100 3126581 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3126477&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2F9F6kjjjpdzY%2F In healthy individuals, the first encounter with a virus leads to a primary antibody response. When an infection occurs with the same or a similar virus, a rapid antibody response occurs that is called the secondary antibody response. Antibodies are critical for preventing many viral infections, including influenza. But reinfection may occur if we encounter the same virus before the primary response is complete. Recently three cases of confirmed infection with 2009 influenza H1N1 were reported in Chile. The first patient had laboratory confirmed infection; treatment with oseltamivir resolved symptoms after 48 hours. Twenty days later the patient developed a second bout of laboratory confirmed influenza which was treated with amantadine. The second patient acquired laboratory confirmed i... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3126477 Mon, 28 Dec 2009 21:09:44 +0100 3126477 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3123415&cid=t_315341_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FNolJ6_Tk678%2F FDA Approves A High Dose Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Specifically Intended for People Ages 65 and Older Accelerated approval process used in vaccine approval Press Release The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Fluzone High-Dose, an inactivated influenza virus vaccine for people ages 65 years and older to prevent disease caused by influenza virus subtypes A and B. People in this age group are at highest risk for seasonal influenza complications, which may result in hospitalization and death. Annual vaccination remains the best protection from influenza, particularly for people 65 and older. Fluzone High-Dose was approved via the accelerated approval pathway. FDA’s accelerated approval pathway helps safe and effective medical products for serious or life-threatening diseases beco... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3123415 Sun, 27 Dec 2009 13:20:39 +0100 3123415 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3118870&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F12%2Fsanta-wash-your-hands.html You might want to leave a hand sanitizer as well as cookies for Santa. Winter holiday gatherings are an ideal place to catch a bug, and more specifically, pneumonia, according to a study by researchers at the CDC just published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study of pneumonia data between 1995 and 2006 makes several points: Rates of invasive pneumonia increase dramatically during the winter holidays. Older adults, especially women, were disproportionately affected. The strain of pneumonia suggests that the older adults probably got sick through close contact with children. Seasonal spikes of pneumonia have become less frequent since the pneumonia vaccine was introduced in 2000. The findings underscore the need for getting the pneumococcal vaccine—or booster if ... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3118870 Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:15:00 +0100 3118870 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3111640&cid=t_315341_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2096 Sunnie Rose says: January POZ Weekend Seminar - Jan 23rd and 24th! Reservation Page is now open! The Next POZ Life Seminar is Jan. 23 and 24 in the West Hollywood area. Download the PDF Flyer Registering for the POZ Life Weekend Seminar can be easy! You can either drop us a note at registration@thelifegroupla.org or call us TOLL FREE at (888) 208-8081 and we will contact you, or you can simply follow this link to the registration form. (Source: aids-write.org) aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3111640 Tue, 22 Dec 2009 04:27:21 +0100 3111640 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3108450&cid=t_315341_117_f&fid=37824&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.doctorkalitenko.com%2Fblog%2Fgeneral-health%2Fhome-remedies-for-the-flu Medication, vaccination, be careful, stay away, stay home, wear a mask, wash your hands. It seems like this season, you can’t even go one day without being bombarded with swine flu information. This is the time of the year when every kid comes home from school covered in germs. You intend to wash your hands enough and maybe even do, but then notice your co-worker, or person near you on the train, filthy, wiping their nose with their hands, touching the rail.  Just the thoughts can make you sick. Well, I have some advice that you may already know…your mom’s. In this case (as in so many) mom knows best. Chicken soup can really make you feel better. It is a warm liquid. It works to suppress the inflammation, it works as a detoxifying agent the vitamins help the immune system and it ju... Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3108450 Mon, 21 Dec 2009 04:44:25 +0100 3108450 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3105004&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F12%2Fswine-flu-tackles-the-rams.html You may think the swine flu is over—after all, new government stats show that “flu activity” continued to decline during the second week of December. But you’d think otherwise if you were a St. Louis Ram player or fan. The team canceled practice on Thursday—just three days before their home game against the Houston Texans—after flulike symptons hit a number of players. So score one for yourself—and get your flu shots if you haven't already done so. (Source: Consumer Reports Health Blog) Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3105004 Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:02:16 +0100 3105004 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3101065&cid=t_315341_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FESz8h25b33Q%2F And so another week is about to draw to a close. And not a moment too soon, yes? What will you do this weekend? Take a brisk walk? Catch up on sleep? Stimulate the economy by doing a little shopping? We will be shuttling assorted short people to and from all sorts of things, as always. But there is hope we can catch up on some paperwork and reading. While you ponder your own possibilities, here are a few items to help you start the day. Have a great weekend, everyone… Low Demand For Flu Vaccine Hurts Suppliers (The Financial Times) USPTO Upholds Merck’s Singulair Patent (Reuters) Eisai Buys AkaRx For $255 Million (Reuters) Photo courtesy of Flickr tipiro (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3101065 Fri, 18 Dec 2009 11:38:56 +0100 3101065 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3092688&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F12%2Fdont-forget-a-flu-shot-for-the-holidays.html Holiday gatherings can be an ideal place to catch an infection.  Folks may have flown or driven in from diverse areas, bringing who knows what germs with them. Then there's the kissing, hugging, food sharing--all part of having a good time, of course, but also great ways for germs to spread. So now's not the time to be complacent about the H1N1, even though government stats show it may be on the wane. Here are three good reasons to get an H1N1 and seasonal flu shot (or nose spray) right now. 1. Had trouble finding the vaccine? It’s easier now... Despite yesterday's voluntary recall of some batches due to potential potency issues, H1N1 vaccine supplies continue to grow—85 million doses have now been made available since October. That means it’s getting easier than ev... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3092688 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:00:00 +0100 3092688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3111536&cid=t_315341_123_f&fid=38598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpediatricsnow.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F12%2Fa-dose-of-dr-gwenn-podcast-returns-tomorrow-night%2F Show 16, The Return of Dr. Gwenn and Healthy Holidays 09, airs tomorrow night at 8pm ET. Wondering how to have happy, healthy and sane holidays with your kids? Any linger questions about H1N1, especially with some breaking news about the H1N1 vaccine and kids this week? And, what was up with Dr. Gwenn being off air for so long? How did that 3 month summer hiatus become the entire fall? Tune in tomorrow, Thursday, December 17, 2009 at 8pm ET and Dr. Gwenn will catch you up news you can use, news you’ve been wondering about, and get you ready for a healthy holiday season! In case you’re rusty at this, when show time arrives, you can listen in a number of ways:1. From my show page here 2. From any phone at: (347) 237-5194 3. By clicking this button when show time arrives: Listen to Dr. G... Dr. Gwenn Is In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3111536 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:41:00 +0100 3111536 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3092710&cid=t_315341_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FYF0hbJkuyFU%2Fmild_pandemic_bite_your_tongue.php A spot-on column in CIDRAP Business Source [subscription] by Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy's (CIDRAP) Director, Mike Osterholm, reminded me to say something I've wanted to say for a long time. We should banish the word "mild" from the influenza lexicon. There's no such thing as a mild case of influenza, any more than there are "mild" auto accidents. There are cases that for reasons we don't understand don't make you very sick (or sick at all), and there are cases that can lay you lower than you ever want to be, including six feet under. What Osterholm does with great cogency is put paid to the idea this is a mild pandemic. His reasons will be familiar to readers here, but he says them extremely well. Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Sou... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3092710 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:44:01 +0100 3092710 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3092668&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F5uZZR8dj5sk%2F Here’s a quick tour of drug and vaccine news from around the globe: Sanofi-Aventis is recalling 800,000 doses of swine flu vaccine sold in the U.S. for use in infants and toddlers. The vaccine is safe, but it appears to have to have fallen “slightly below” the specified potency, the CDC said. The recalled lots are still strong enough to reduce the risk of catching the disease, according to the agency. Officials have recommended all along that children under 10 receive two shots, at least a month apart. For more information, see this recall Q&A from the CDC. Pfizer will sell the diabetes drug Actos in China through a partnership with Japanese pharma outfit Takeda, which makes the drug. China is a growing market that global drug makers see as key to long-term growth. W... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3092668 Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:38:26 +0100 3092668 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3089283&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F12%2Ftamiflu-seasonal-swine-flu-complications-pneumonia-pros-and-cons.html We’ve written before about pharmaceutical companies not releasing all the data from their trials. Previously, we’ve written about how this can mean delays in identifying potential dangers from drugs. This time, it’s about whether they work as well as their manufacturers claim. This week, British researchers questioned research into the benefits of the antiviral drug Tamiflu (generic name oseltamivir), widely used around the world since the outbreak of the swine flu pandemic, because the full results of studies have not been published. The researchers, from the internationally-respected Cochrane Collaboration looked again at previous studies that had concluded Tamiflu could prevent complications such as pneumonia in people who got seasonal flu. Avoiding complications is one of the ... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3089283 Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:00:00 +0100 3089283 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3084724&cid=t_315341_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F12%2F14%2Fbmj-2009-vol-339-no-77312%2F BMJ 2009 (Vol 339, No 7732) content page Fade Fave: First cases of spread of oseltamivir resistant swine flu between patients are reported in Wales Fade Skinny: The first cases in the world of person to person transmission of a strain of swine flu that is resistant to oseltamivir (Tamiflu) seem to have emerged in a Welsh hospital. (NHS Athens is required to access this article online) Posted in Athens Password, Current Awareness, E-Journals, Journals Tagged: Athens Password, Current Awareness, E-Journals, Influenza, Oseltamivir, Swine Flu, Tamiflu (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3084724 Mon, 14 Dec 2009 11:42:56 +0100 3084724 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3084712&cid=t_315341_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F12%2F13%2Fweekly-news-round-up-1213%2F The DVD for “A Walk to Beautiful,” fistula documentary I’ve written about here in the past, is on sale through the 24th. @vuglobalhealth has a bunch of tweets from a lecture on women and reproductive health in resource-limited settings from UCSF’s Dr. Purnima Madhivanan. One key line from a piece in The Nation on proposed cosmetic surgery tax, NOW’s opposition to it, and feminism: “Feminism is about fighting a discriminatory society, not about accepting that discrimination and making it more cost-effective for women to capitulate to it.” The Joint Commission has resources on preparing for doctor visits. Aunt B points to the Swedish renaming of the hymen to “vaginal corona.” Every Day, Good Women Choose Abortion – at RHRC. Laure... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3084712 Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:49:49 +0100 3084712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3082990&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.rawvoice.com%2Fpmn_twiv%2Fwww.twiv.tv%2FTWiV062.mp3 Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Alan Dove On episode #62 of the podcast This Week in Virology, Vincent, Dickson, and Alan discuss STEP HIV-1 vaccine failure caused by the adenovirus vector, presence of West Nile virus in kidneys for years after initial infection, adaptation of the influenza viral RNA polymerase for replication in human cells, and the significance of the D225G change in the influenza HA protein. Download TWiV #62 (47 MB .mp3, 66 minutes) Subscribe to TWiV (free) in iTunes , at the Zune Marketplace, by the RSS feed, or by email. Links for this episode: HIV vaccine failure probably caused by adenovirus vector used Persistence of West Nile virus in kidneys for years (JID and ProMedMail) (thanks, Lenn!) Adaptive strategies of influenza RNA polymerase for rep... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3082990 Sun, 13 Dec 2009 14:20:58 +0100 3082990 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3078960&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2FjEBJUSa75y0%2F Before the development of cell culture, many viruses were propagated in embryonated chicken eggs. Today this method is most commonly used for growth of influenza virus. The excellent yield of virus from chicken eggs has led to their widespread use in research laboratories and for vaccine production. In fact the vast majority of influenza vaccines – both inactivated and infectious – are produced in chicken eggs. How is influenza virus propagated in eggs? The illustration below shows a cutaway view of an embryonated chicken egg. The different routes of inoculation into the egg are shown, as well as the different compartments in which viruses replicate. For propagation of influenza virus, pathogen-free eggs are used 11-12 days after fertilization. The egg is placed in front of a ... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3078960 Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:51:51 +0100 3078960 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3075470&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F5es88tr4QYo%2F Swine-flu shots are going begging in Germany, and the government is selling some of its vaccine on the foreign market, NPR’s Shots blog notes. Only 5% of the overall population and 15% of doctors have gone to the trouble of getting vaccinated. It’s one of a few European countries where demand for the vaccine has been low. Meanwhile, in the U.S., about 70 million doses of swine (H1N1) flu vaccine had been shipped to the states as of Tuesday, according to new figures posted by the CDC. But getting that vaccine out to the public is a labor-intensive task that’s forcing some public-health agencies to cut back on everything from restaurant inspections to home visits by nurses, the WSJ reports this morning. Even before the pandemic, the recession had already pinched many public... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3075470 Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:23:39 +0100 3075470 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3066736&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2Fmi1H3VMeQDU%2F If you have been reading this blog you know I believe that those who write about viruses must always make sure that they get the science right. I’m always on the lookout for violations. Are there any problems with the plush toys produced by Giant Microbes? I came across the influenza plush toy in my desk this weekend. The color – green – and the two eyes are gratuitous additions that have nothing to do with reality. Of course, virus particles are too small to have color, but a colorless – or eyeless – toy line would have little appeal to children. What about that elongated shape? Influenza virions are pleomorphic; they are generally spherical, but filamentous particles are often observed in fresh clinical isolates. So the shape is acceptable. But the soft velv... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3066736 Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:19:43 +0100 3066736 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3067037&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F12%2Fnational-handwashing-awareness-week-swine-flu-prevention-facts-about-h1n1-handwashing-howto-video.html The dozen or so hand-sanitizer dispensers around my office building are a constant reminder that preventing infections can be as quick and painless as reaching out your hand. Lately I’ve spied these dispensers in numerous public places—at my local library, museums, the gym, supermarkets, the waiting area of my doctor’s office, and even at a business conference I recently attended. But, despite the popularity and convenience factor of hand-sanitizer, a recent study in the Annals of Improbable Research showed most patients—and most medical personnel, too—disregard instructions to use them. When faced with the sanitizer dispensers, only 3 percent of health-care workers and 6 percent of patients sanitized. But another survey showed that overall Americans are taking hand hygie... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3067037 Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:24:09 +0100 3067037 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3063327&cid=t_315341_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FOItBagnTUMw%2F Influenza is still in the news, be it H1N1 or the seasonal flu. But even when the flu isn’t newsworthy, we still need to be aware of it, particularly over the winter season. With the holiday season quickly taking hold, I interviewed, Payam Hakimi, D.O., American Board of Family Physicians, Medical Director Body of Harmony Institute of Health & Healing, Teaching Faculty Center for Education & Development of Clinical Homeopathy. Dr. Hakimi suggests that everyone have a flu plan, allowing them to be prepared should they be hit with influenza, whatever type. Dr. Hakimi: The most important thing a person should know is what actions to take in case they have the signs and symptoms of the flu, which are outlined below.  It is important to know that most of these signs and symptoms ... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3063327 Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:03:29 +0100 3063327 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3061372&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.rawvoice.com%2Fpmn_twiv%2Fwww.twiv.tv%2FTWiV061.mp3 Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier On episode 61 of the podcast “This Week in Virology”, Vincent and Dick muse about the symbiotic bacterium, Wolbachia, that protects flies from viral infection, the origin of 2009 influenza H1N1 virus, and the lure of original antigenic sin. Download TWiV #61 (45 MB .mp3, 62 minutes) Subscribe to TWiV in iTunes, by the RSS feed, or by email Links for this episode: Variation in antiviral protection mediated by different Wolbachia strains in Drosophila simulans Wolbachia induces resistance to RNA virus infections in Drosophila Wolbachia reduces blood-feeding success in Dengue mosquito Did 2009 H1N1 influenza come from a laboratory? Influenza original antigenic sin in mice but not in humans Dengue outbreak in Mexico (thanks Swiss co... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3061372 Sun, 06 Dec 2009 14:35:07 +0100 3061372 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3059364&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2FnChi-DNuUM4%2F When will the 2009 swine-origin influenza virus become a seasonal strain? While prediction is very hard, especially of the future (at least according to Yogi Berra), examining past pandemics can be informative. The 1968 pandemic began with the emergence of a novel H3N2 influenza virus in Hong Kong in July 1968. First isolates (stars) were obtained globally throughout the summer. The previous seasonal H2N2 strain was last isolated in August 1968 in Australia and was subsequently not seen again. There were sporadic H3N2 outbreaks for several months (hatched lines). Epidemic spread (solid lines) ensued in the northern hemisphere throughout the winter, and then ceased in the spring of 1969. In the southern hemisphere the first epidemic occurred from January through October. There were second ... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3059364 Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:17:32 +0100 3059364 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3059822&cid=t_315341_123_f&fid=39037&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.drgreene.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F12%2F04%2Fnot-all-hand-sanitizes-are-the-same%2F One of the best ways to keep your toddlers healthy during flu and cold season is to keep their hands clean. A good washing with soap and water is very effective in reducing the spread of contaminants that may make your kids sick. But frankly it can be tough to get our little ones to [...] (Source: Conversations with Dr Greene) Conversations with Dr Greene blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3059822 Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:56:25 +0100 3059822 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3089429&cid=t_315341_123_f&fid=39037&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.drgreene.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F12%2F04%2Fnot-all-hand-sanitizes-are-the-same%2F One of the best ways to keep your toddlers healthy during flu and cold season is to keep their hands clean. A good washing with soap and water is very effective in reducing the spread of contaminants that may make your kids sick. But frankly it can be tough to get our little ones to [...] (Source: Conversations with Dr Greene) Conversations with Dr Greene blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3089429 Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:11:38 +0100 3089429 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3056633&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F12%2Fphishing-for-swine-flu.html We’ve seen it before. Just as some less-than-scrupulous companies push fraudulent swine-flu products, Internet scammers continue to try to hook their prey through email. The Centers for disease Control and Prevention announced this week that it has received reports about fraudulent "phishing" emails asking the recipients to provide personal information as part of a mandatory state vaccination program. But don't be fooled: There is no such program requiring users to register their personal information into a “vaccination profile" on the CDC’s website, as the email claims. The CDC says that, "Users that click on the email are at risk of having malicious code installed on their system." Visit the CDC’s site for more on this scam and for a sample email. I... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3056633 Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:30:00 +0100 3056633 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3056688&cid=t_315341_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fswine-flu-watch.html Somehow got my family enlisted on the UK’s FluWatch program. The scheme, which has members of the public monitoring their colds, sore throats, and flu symptoms is being run by University College London with various eminent medical organisations as partners. Having been invited to join by our family doctor, I registered online and within a few days a package of information, nasal swabs, viral media, mini thermometers, and consent forms with a nice pen all arrived safely in the post today. They’ll send us an email each Sunday to report on the previous week’s symptoms and to let them know if any of us have had a flu vaccination that week. So, the first week I had nothing to report, but today I received the H1N1 vaccination (asthma-related approval) of Pandemrix (left me with... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3056688 Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:35:16 +0100 3056688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3056597&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fsanta-not-welcome-at-childrens-hospital%2F Bah Humbug might be the new motto at Ottawa, Canada’s 150-bed Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. The powers-that-be have decided that having Santa visit was too risky considering the H1N1 flu virus that is making the rounds. Poppycock, rubbish, and every other non-offending word from me. This is not necessary – a visit from Santa has no more of a chance of increasing illness than the video link-ups with Santa that the hospital is planning – with immunosuppressed children being the exception. The administrators said that each child will be receiving a personalized video greeting from the man himself. It’s understandable that we want to keep our children safe. The spread of a virus like H1N1 is scary because of the severity of effects it can have on some childr... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3056597 Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:13:34 +0100 3056597 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3056636&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F12%2Fswine-flu-prevention-h1n1-vaccine-swine-flu-reaches-2nd-peak.html Two waves down, is a third coming? Visits to doctors’ offices for flu-like illness have declined for the fourth week in a row, and only 32 states are now reporting widespread activity—down from 43 last week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The New York Times interprets these numbers as a confirmation that swine flu has passed it’s second peak—the first being the outbreak last spring, before the summer’s decline. But, as we reported last week, even at a declining rate, this year’s flu has already outpaced a typical flu year, which generally doesn’t get going until December and can last until May. "Even when a peak has occurred," says Anne Schuchat, M.D., director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, "half... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3056636 Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:09:20 +0100 3056636 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3052402&cid=t_315341_154_f&fid=35946&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.canadianmedicinenews.com%2F2009%2F12%2Fwhats-in-news-dec-3-whos-new-hiv.html WHO revises ART recommendationsThis week, the World Health Organization issued new recommendations on anti-retroviral therapy for adult and adolescent HIV patients. The new recommendations are a major departure from what had previously been in place. For instance, the WHO is now advising that physicians begin ART when the patient is presympomatic, at a CD4 count of 350 cells per cubic milliliter rather than 200 cells per cubic milliliter. The 200 figure was included in WHO recommendations in 2006, but research over the last three years found that earlier ART showed large enough improvements in reducing morbidity to be worthwhile. [World Health Organization news release] [Medscape]Some Canadian guidelines were ahead of the WHO's. In February 2009, the widely respected BC Centre for Excellen... Canadian Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3052402 Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:00:00 +0100 3052402 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3056284&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.virology.ws%2FCUvaccines2009.mov Today I lectured on viral vaccines in the Immunology course at the Morningside Heights campus of Columbia University. I used poliovirus and influenza virus vaccines to illustrate general principles of immunization. My thanks to the engaged students who asked excellent questions! Here is a video of my lecture. Thanks to ScreenFlow, I was able to record my audio along with the slides and post it here the same day. Next semester I’ll be teaching a new undergraduate virology course at Columbia University, and I plan to upload similar videos of each lecture – 26 in all. I’ll post more information here about that course in early 2010. Download ‘Vaccines’ video. 67 MB .mov video file 247 MB .wmv video file (Source: virology blog) virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3056284 Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:18:04 +0100 3056284 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3051916&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2FfDN_4oUQc-c%2F Today I lectured on viral vaccines in the Immunology course at the Morningside Heights campus of Columbia University. I used poliovirus and influenza virus vaccines to illustrate general principles of immunization. My thanks to the engaged students who asked excellent questions! Here is a video of my lecture. Thanks to ScreenFlow, I was able to record my audio along with the slides and post it here the same day. Next semester I’ll be teaching a new undergraduate virology course at Columbia University, and I plan to upload similar videos of each lecture – 26 in all. I’ll post more information here about that course in early 2010. Get the Flash Player to see this video. // Download ‘Vaccines’ video. 67 MB .mov video file 247 MB .wmv video file (Source: virolog... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3051916 Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:18:04 +0100 3051916 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3052141&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F12%2Fh1n1-swine-flu-concerns-and-prevention-home-products-claiming-to-prevent-or-eliminate-swine-flu-.html As of the end of November, 32 states were reporting widespread influenza activity at this time, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and nearly all of the influenza viruses identified so far this flu season are the H1N1 (swine flu) virus.Manufacturers looking to capitalize on H1N1-induced maladies and concerns have introduced home products that they claim will keep you from getting sick or at eliminate the virus in your home. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Fraudulent 2009 H1N1 Influenza Products List details Web sites marketing "unapproved, uncleared, or unauthorized products in relation to the 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus." The products fall into a range of categories such as air system, antiseptic, gloves, hand sanitizer, inhaler, mask, and spray. A... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3052141 Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:27:28 +0100 3052141 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3048123&cid=t_315341_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2Fo3dnfeRGGWo%2Fstudying_how_many_are_infected.php While I was otherwise occupied with family matters last week there was news on the flu front that got past me. Declan Butler at Nature News reported on the extensive efforts to get a handle on the prevalence of swine flu infection in various populations by looking for evidence the immune system has reacted to the presence of the virus. All of the studies mentioned are still underway or being peer reviewed so Butler didn't report results, but Fergus Walsh did report some preliminary but leaked results from one of the smaller studies in the UK. Both reports have interesting information, but I'll start with Walsh's first: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3048123 Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:55:01 +0100 3048123 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3047871&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2FfPQVRzxWswg%2F The New York Times has published an editorial entitled “The Swine Flu, as of Now” which presents their views of the current influenza pandemic. The piece covers the number of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths; the distribution of vaccines, and lists those most at risk for severe disease. It begins with a positive view: So far, the news about swine flu is better than expected. The pandemic may have reached its peak and is heading downward in all regions of the country; weekly deaths from the swine flu have started to decline; the virus remains relatively mild; there seem to be few claims of serious side effects from the vaccine; and despite widespread complaints about shortages, vaccine supplies are steadily building up. The wording suggests that the pandemic is over, but... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3047871 Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:25:35 +0100 3047871 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3044766&cid=t_315341_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FPObpsCOYn5o%2Fswine_flu_in_the_ukraine_and_w.php I don't know what happened in the Ukraine regarding swine flu (or some other illness) and without any hard facts we refrained from speculating on it (we did post once on the lack of clarity and WHO's reponse). We still don't know what to say about what did or didn't happen, although it appears others are now talking: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3044766 Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:09:06 +0100 3044766 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3039814&cid=t_315341_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FUQz1bj2xpsk%2Fdogs_cats_and_swine_flus_promi.php Swine flu started in pigs (although we don't exactly when or where), adapted to and passed to humans who returned the favor and passed it back to pig herds. Then we heard that turkeys in Chile had contracted the virus, followed by ferrets and a house cat. We can infect animals cross species with flu in the laboratory, but all of these are cases acquired in the natural world by animals interacting with humans. Once cats were on the menu, the next question was dogs, another population "companion animal" (aka, pet) in the US and Western Europe (and literally a menu item in many parts of Asia). In recent years there have been periodic outbreaks of "dog flu," an H3N8 subtype that didn't seem to infect humans but produced "kennel cough" like symptoms in dogs. Now we get reports out of China that... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3039814 Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:45:21 +0100 3039814 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3037062&cid=t_315341_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2071 [november 24, 2009] good morning president pro tem perry, distinguished council members. i have given the clerk copies of my prepared remarks. my name is richard kearns. i am a 58-year- old gay man living with AIDS in los angeles for more than 20 years — a long-term survivor & AIDS activist, a medical cannabis patient & advocate, a poet & journalist. an angelino. my intent in addressing you this morning is to comment on the character of the meetings i missed last week: monday’s joint PLUM & public safety committee meeting & the city council meeting that followed it wednesday. i was too sick to make it downtown last week — i wish medical cannabis cured everything, but it doesn’t. however, i did listen & watch on the internet (thank you for making tha... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3037062 Sun, 29 Nov 2009 04:23:47 +0100 3037062 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3037064&cid=t_315341_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2058 Global Fund Approves $2.4 Billion For Global HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Programs By Nora Proops Nov 21, 2009 On November 12, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria approved grants worth $2.4 billion to support treatment of these diseases worldwide. Although it is the second largest amount ever approved by the Global Fund, the number of accepted grants fell by 35 percent from the year before. The Global Fund is an organization that attracts aid from wealthy governments and the private sector for distribution among poor countries to prevent and treat people with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. These diseases account for 12.5 percent of deaths in low-income nations, according to 2004 World Health Organization estimates. Since its inception in 2002, the Global ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3037064 Sun, 29 Nov 2009 02:36:32 +0100 3037064 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3033602&cid=t_315341_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FlpeELRSxCVE%2Fnot_unexpected_in_swine_flu_is.php It seems swine flu is full of surprises that turn out not to be surprises. Or so it's claimed. Or not. Here is CDC's Dr. Anne Schuchat, the agency's chief health officer and spokesperson on swine flu, responding to NPR's Melissa Block's question about what has been her biggest surprise: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3033602 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:25:57 +0100 3033602 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3030105&cid=t_315341_154_f&fid=35946&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.canadianmedicinenews.com%2F2009%2F11%2Fwhats-in-news-nov-26-second-wave-of.html H1N1 flu newsAmid reports that the second wave of the H1N1 flu pandemic has peaked in most of Canada and the number of new cases seen each day has begun to plateau, there is now speculation about whether a third wave could sweep its way through the as-yet-unvaccinated population in early 2010. [Montreal Gazette] [Sudbury Star]GlaxoSmithKline, Canada's H1N1 flu vaccine supplier, last week recalled a batch of 170,000 doses from across the country after two deaths in Manitoba and several more severe adverse reactions. No causality was proven, but Glaxo asked doctors not to use vaccines from that batch in order to err on the safe side. [CTV News]The World Health Organization is investigating the emergence of a group of drug-resistant H1N1 flu cases in Wales [Reuters] and eight cases of H1N1 fl... Canadian Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3030105 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:00:00 +0100 3030105 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3026669&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F11%2Fswine-flu-h1n1-travel-tips-for-staying-flufree-during-holiday-travel-thanksgiving-influenza.html You may have heard that the swine (H1N1) flu outbreak has potentially peaked in the U.S. It’s possible—the CDC noted recently that flu-like activity has declined in every region of the country, though some areas are still seeing increases. But even at a declining rate, this year’s flu activity already outpaces a typical flu year, which generally doesn’t get going until December. “Even when a peak has occurred,” says Anne Schuchat, M.D., director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, “half of the people who are going to become ill haven't gotten ill yet.” And there’s always the possibility of a second wave during a flu pandemic. Officials also warn that holiday travel could lead to a bump in flu activity. So don’t let your guard down just ... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3026669 Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:23:27 +0100 3026669 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3026652&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FTsKJt3lp0Eg%2F Flu vaccine is grown in chicken eggs — a powerful symbol for how old and clunky the manufacturing process is. As it turns out, though, figuring out how to grow vaccine without the eggs doesn’t do a whole lot to get vaccine out the door more quickly, the WSJ reports this morning. A new Novartis plant, built in the U.S. with a big funding assist from the feds, will grow the vaccine in cultured cells rather than chicken eggs. But that process still takes many months, and it can still be stymied by uncooperative strains of virus that don’t grow quickly in the lab. Sanofi-Aventis received a grant from the U.S. a few years back to develop a cell-culture vaccine, but found the improved production time was “modest,” while the increase cost was considerable, a spokeswo... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3026652 Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:43:51 +0100 3026652 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3026694&cid=t_315341_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FCSADOu69chc%2Fthanksgiving_and_swine_flu.php In the US we are about to embark on the Thanksgiving holiday, a 4 day period where families get together for a celebratory meal (at least celebratory unless you are one of the original inhabitants of the continent). There is lots of intergenerational visiting (grandparents to great grandchildren and lots of mingling of people from disparate geographic areas). In the midst of a swine flu pandemic, the obvious question is the epidemiologic implications. Ordinarily there is some effect. Ordinarily. Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3026694 Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:15:58 +0100 3026694 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3022728&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2FR2_2kJHRwx0%2F The Norwegian Institute of Public Health recently identified a mutation in 2009 H1N1 influenza virus isolated from two patients who died and one with severe disease. It has been suggested that this mutation, which causes a change from the amino acid aspartic acid to glycine at position 225 of the viral HA protein (D225G), could make the virus more likely to infect deeper in the airways and cause more severe disease. What is the basis for this concern and does it have merit? Attachment of all influenza A virus strains to cells requires sialic acids. There are a number of chemically different forms of sialic acids, and influenza virus strains vary in their affinity for them. Human influenza A strains bind preferentially to sialic acids linked to galactose by an alpha(2,6) bond, while avian a... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3022728 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:57:49 +0100 3022728 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3023414&cid=t_315341_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fcuc_inec6oM%2F Hello, again. Gray skies are hovering over the Pharmalot corporate campus this morning and are expected to remain here awhile. Just the same, our outlook is sunny. And why not? This is a short week. So here are a few items to help you keep your own spirits high. Have a nice day, everyone… BioCryst Blames Conspiracy For Stock Decline (TheStreet.com) Pfizer Waffles On La Jolla Incubator (San Diego Business Journal) Glaxo Blames Admin Error For Yanking Avodart sNDA (PharmaTimes) Glaxo Holds Some Swine-Flu Shots In Canada (Bloomberg News) (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3023414 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:24:03 +0100 3023414 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3018938&cid=t_315341_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F22%2Fweekly-news-round-up-1122%2F Assorted things of interest from the previous week. It’s not nearly as controversial as the USPSTF’s breast cancer screening recommendations, but ACOG released a new practice bulletin on cervical cancer screening. The New York Times has coverage of the change, which is basically that women can wait until up to 21 years of age to start getting Pap tests, and then can get Paps every 2-3 years instead of every year once they’ve had a few normal tests. This is not entirely new – the USPSTF’s 2003 recommendations are very, very similar. (so, 6 years from now, we’ll be cool w/ the breast cancer recs?) Some lots of Vick’s Sinex nasal spray are being recalled due to bacterial contamination. The FDA has tips on holiday food safety. Presented without commen... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3018938 Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:40:16 +0100 3018938 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3016915&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.rawvoice.com%2Fpmn_twiv%2Fwww.twiv.tv%2FTWiV059.mp3 Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, Gustavo Palacios, and Mady Hornig A TWiV panel of five considers the finding of Streptococcus pneumoniae in fatal H1N1 cases in Argentina, hysteria in the Ukraine over pandemic influenza, and human vaccinia infection after contact with a raccoon rabies vaccine bait. Download TWiV #59 (58 MB .mp3, 80 minutes) Subscribe to TWiV in iTunes, by the RSS feed, or by email Links for this episode: Argentine flu death mystery H1N1 influenza outbreak in Ukraine (article one and two, and WHO statement) Human vaccinia infection after contact with rabies vaccine bait Agrippal S1 inactivated H1N1 vaccine (pdf – thanks Ariel and Ayelet) Nick’s letter on are viruses and life Take the poll: are viruses alive? Weekly Science Picks Rich Longitu... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3016915 Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:45:28 +0100 3016915 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3019008&cid=t_315341_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F9fen72kF5-s%2Ftrying_to_understand_the_norwe.php The Norwegian Institute of Public Health is reporting sporadic occurrences of a mutation in a portion of the flu virus that is involved with the process by which it attaches to cells. I use the word "sporadic" because at this point there is no evidence that the cases where the genetic change has been found are epidemiologically linked. Therefore we don't see it spreading from person to person but rather arising in people after they have been infected. At least that's how it appears from reports, but we have only preliminary information at this point. According to WHO, the mutation has been seen before, again sporadically and as early as April, in Brazil, China, Japan, Mexico, Ukraine, and the US. Should we be worried about it? Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post.... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3019008 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:03:38 +0100 3019008 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3015297&cid=t_315341_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F9fen72kF5-s%2Ftrying_to_understand_the_norwe.php The Norwegian Institute of Public Health is reporting sporadic occurrences of a mutation in a portion of the flu virus that is involved with the process by which it attaches to cells. I use the word "sporadic" because at this point there is no evidence that the cases where the genetic change has been found are epidemiologically linked. Therefore we don't see it spreading from person to person but rather arising in people after they have been infected. At least that's how it appears from reports, but we have only preliminary information at this point. According to WHO, the mutation has been seen before, again sporadically and as early as April, in Brazil, China, Japan, Mexico, Ukraine, and the US. Should we be worried about it? Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post.... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3015297 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:03:38 +0100 3015297 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3015437&cid=t_315341_136_f&fid=36162&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.myelomablog.com%2F2009%2F11%2F20%2Fh1n1-flu-thats-resistant-to-tamiflu%2F I just read about a strain of H1N1 flu that’s resistant to Tamiflu. Four of these cases have been reported at Duke Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina.  I wondered if it has possibly infected people in the transplant clinic? A friend had her SCT at Duke one year when the flu was rampant in the transplant clinic.  She said that a few of the patients became quite ill.  She had the flu herself. She recovered and had a second stem cell transplant. “All four of the North Carolina patients were hospitalized and were very ill with underlying severely compromised immune systems and multiple other complex medical conditions, according to researchers from the Duke University Medical Center. Three of the four died. No details have been released about how the patients caught the re... beth's myeloma blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3015437 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:52:45 +0100 3015437 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3016916&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2FKbH818sflWc%2F As week 46 of 2009 comes to a close, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that influenza has peaked in the US. That conclusion is based on the agency’s influenza surveillance program, summarized in this figure: Does this mean that pandemic influenza is over? Absolutely not. This is just the second wave, sparked when school began in the fall. Recall the the first wave of H1N1 infections that took place during the spring and summer: It’s interesting to note that seasonal H1N1 and H3N2 strains are nearly gone. Of the 10,803 specimens tested by the CDC during week 45, 3,106 were confirmed as novel H1N1, one was seasonal H1N1, and no H3N2 strain was detected. There will be more influenza to come in the winter. A catalyst might be increased travel as we come upon... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3016916 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:01:14 +0100 3016916 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3015160&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.virology.ws%2F2009%2F11%2F20%2Fsecond-h1n1-peak-in-us%2F As week 46 of 2009 comes to a close, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that influenza has peaked in the US. That conclusion is based on the agency’s influenza surveillance program, summarized in this figure: Does this mean that pandemic influenza is over? Absolutely not. This is just the second wave, sparked when school began in the fall. Recall the the first wave of H1N1 infections that took place during the spring and summer: It’s interesting to note that seasonal H1N1 and H3N2 strains are nearly gone. Of the 10,803 specimens tested by the CDC during week 45, 3,106 were confirmed as novel H1N1, one was seasonal H1N1, and no H3N2 strain was detected. There will be more influenza to come in the winter. A catalyst might be increased travel as we come upon... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3015160 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:01:14 +0100 3015160 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3015268&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FjKqR1HuCIqI%2F Here are a few threads from around the world on what’s happening with the H1N1 swine-flu pandemic. Four patients in the past six weeks had Tamiflu-resistant flu at Duke University Hospital. In at least two of the cases, patients contracted the resistant bug before they had been treated with Tamiflu, a Duke infection-control doctor told the Health Blog. All of the patients were on a cancer ward, and had suppressed immune systems. Norway reported finding a mutated strain of H1N1 in three patients, two of whom had died from the disease. The mutation might make the more likely to move deep into the airways and cause more serious disease, but the mutation is unlikely to alter the effectiveness of drugs or vaccines. A CDC official said that the mutation has been seen in some cases elsewher... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3015268 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:00:21 +0100 3015268 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3012458&cid=t_315341_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FPDbm2kwjI2w%2F Children who have asthma are at higher risk of developing problems if they contract the H1N1 flu, more so than if they have the seasonal flu, say researchers. Researchers in Toronto, Canada, investigated the differences between 58 children with H1N1 who were admitted to the Hospital for the Hospital for Sick Kids, in Toronto, and 200 who had been admitted to the same hospital with complications from the seasonal flu, between 2004 and 2008. The researchers found that 22% of the children who were admitted because of H1N1 had asthma, while only 6% of those with seasonal influenza were asthmatic. In addition, about 50% of those children with H1N1 who had to be admitted to the intensive care unit had asthma (study). Other differences included: Older children were admitted with H1N1 than with t... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3012458 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:37:45 +0100 3012458 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3016918&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2FUuO7_bq9S78%2F A number of readers have asked when we would have information about the safety of the influenza 2009 H1N1 vaccine. The World Health Organization has just released briefing note #16 “Safety of pandemic vaccines” in which they summarize vaccination information from 16 countries in which 80 million doses of vaccine have been administered. Side effects commonly reported include swelling, redness, or pain at the injection site, which usually resolve soon after vaccination. Fever, headache, fatigue, muscle aches, and a variety of allergic reactions, occurring shortly after vaccine administration, have also been reported less frequently. There have been fewer than ten cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome reported in H1N1 vaccine recipients. These numbers are consistent with normal backgro... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3016918 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:22:20 +0100 3016918 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3012008&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.virology.ws%2F2009%2F11%2F19%2Fsafety-of-influenza-2009-h1n1-vaccine%2F A number of readers have asked when we would have information about the safety of the influenza 2009 H1N1 vaccine. The World Health Organization has just released briefing note #16 “Safety of pandemic vaccines” in which they summarize vaccination information from 16 countries in which 80 million doses of vaccine have been administered. Side effects commonly reported include swelling, redness, or pain at the injection site, which usually resolve soon after vaccination. Fever, headache, fatigue, muscle aches, and a variety of allergic reactions, occurring shortly after vaccine administration, have also been reported less frequently. There have been fewer than ten cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome reported in H1N1 vaccine recipients. These numbers are consistent with normal backgro... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3012008 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:22:20 +0100 3012008 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3008085&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F11%2Fh1n1-swine-flu-vaccine-and-guillainbarr%25C3%25A9-syndrome-facts-about-the-h1n1-vaccine.html Should I get the swine flu (H1N1) vaccine if I’ve had Guillain-Barré syndrome? —J.M., Irvington, N.Y. That depends in part on your risk of getting swine flu and becoming seriously ill if you do. It’s true that some studies have associated flu vaccines with a slight increase (about one person per million) in the risk of developing Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a neurological disorder. And some evidence suggests that a previous case of GBS increases your risk of getting it again. But the flu itself can also cause GBS as well as such complications as pneumonia and in rare cases, death. If you’re among the priority groups for H1N1 vaccination—including pregnant women, health-care workers, and people ages 25 to 64 with underlying conditions such as diabetes and heart or lung disea... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3008085 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:06:28 +0100 3008085 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3029801&cid=t_315341_88_f&fid=35612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftheknifeman.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F11%2Fduty-of-care.html If you're sick, I have to look after you.Does this exist for dentists?A friend of mine, a redoubtable Lemon, probably had the flu recently. It thus might have been H1N1. She managed this very sensibly, with self isolation and OTC remedies, and without the need to traipse down to the ED.However, as she was on the mend, she began to develop worsening pain around an impacted wisdom tooth. Now, generally, this will settle, and can be treated symptomatically.BUT...Sometimes, there may be infection, and in the presence of some constitutional symptoms, it would seem reasonable to have a dentist take a look and opine as to the need for antibiotics. I'd have done it myself, but distance presents a problem.HOWEVER...Once she raised the possibility of infuenza, the local dentists shut up shop, and re... The KnifeMan blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3029801 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:13:00 +0100 3029801 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3008103&cid=t_315341_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FPkc624CqHQg%2Fthe_rapid_flu_test_and_coin_fl.php The Director of Loyola University Medical Center's clinical microbiology laboratory is reported as saying that rapid flu tests are a public health risk. Here's some of what he said and then my explanation as to why it is misleading or just plain wrong: Rapid influenza diagnostic tests used in doctors' offices, hospitals and medical laboratories to detect H1N1 are virtually useless and could pose a significant danger to public health, according to a Loyola University Medical Center researcher. "At Loyola, we determined four years ago that the rapid tests for influenza detected only 50 percent of the patients who were positive," said Paul Schreckenberger, Ph.D., director of Loyola's clinical microbiology laboratory. "I can flip a coin and get the same results as I could with those tests. S... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3008103 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:07:10 +0100 3008103 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3016919&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2F_cPMuuWH1d0%2F Although the influenza 2009 H1N1 vaccine produced by Novartis, Fluvirin, was previously approved for use in the US, the clinical data supporting its safety and immunogenicity had not been released. The company has now issued a media release containing interim clinical data on the effects of the vaccine in humans. According to the company, testing of the vaccine in 4,080 adult and elderly (>65 years) US individuals has revealed that a half dose (3.75 micrograms) without adjuvant “fulfilled immune response criteria associated with protection”. I assume that the latter statement means that hemagglutination inhibition titers of 1:40 or greater were observed, but this is not explicitly stated.  Current US guidelines for the 2009 H1N1 2009 vaccine stipulate that adolescents, adul... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3016919 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:08:19 +0100 3016919 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3007727&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.virology.ws%2F2009%2F11%2F18%2Fnovartis-influenza-a-h1n1-vaccine-clinical-dat%2F Although the influenza 2009 H1N1 vaccine produced by Novartis, Fluvirin, was previously approved for use in the US, the clinical data supporting its safety and immunogenicity had not been released. The company has now issued a media release containing interim clinical data on the effects of the vaccine in humans. According to the company, testing of the vaccine in 4,080 adult and elderly (>65 years) US individuals has revealed that a half dose (3.75 micrograms) without adjuvant “fulfilled immune response criteria associated with protection”. I assume that the latter statement means that hemagglutination inhibition titers of 1:40 or greater were observed, but this is not explicitly stated.  Current US guidelines for the 2009 H1N1 2009 vaccine stipulate that adolescents, adul... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3007727 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:08:19 +0100 3007727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3004039&cid=t_315341_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2049 D.A. chides L.A. council, says he’ll target pot dispensaries Steve Cooley insists sites that sell marijuana are violating state law and will be prosecuted. Of the City Council’s effort to pass an ordinance, he says: ‘Quite frankly we’re ignoring them.’ By John Hoeffel November 18, 2009 With the Los Angeles City Council poised to take up a medical marijuana ordinance after two years of contentious debate, L.A. County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley warned Tuesday that he intends to prosecute dispensaries that sell the drug even if the city’s leaders decide to allow those transactions. “The L.A. City Council should be collectively ashamed of their failure to grasp this issue,” Cooley said, arguing that state laws do not allow medical marijuana to be ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3004039 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:46:19 +0100 3004039 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3004041&cid=t_315341_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2045 In rebuff to city attorney, council committees support pot dispensaries Rejecting advice that Los Angeles must ban sales, lawmakers endorse patients’ cash contributions to outlets, which cannot make a profit. By John Hoeffel November 16, 2009 Two Los Angeles City Council committees rejected the advice of the city attorney and voted Monday to approve an ordinance that allows marijuana dispensaries to continue to sell the drug to people with a doctor’s recommendation. The city attorney’s office has maintained for a year and a half that Los Angeles has no choice but to ban sales because state law and court decisions are clear that collectives can only cultivate marijuana. That opinion had stalled the council’s deliberations because dispensary operators insisted it wou... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3004041 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:11:28 +0100 3004041 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3004042&cid=t_315341_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2043 West Hollywood’s medical marijuana success story The small city enforces a strict ordinance and eliminates the drama that plagues L.A. By John Hoeffel November 16, 2009 A few miles from Los Angeles City Hall, a small experiment in marijuana regulation has been underway for years. While the state’s largest city passed a flawed moratorium, failed to enforce it, debated proposed rules endlessly and watched flummoxed as dispensaries multiplied, West Hollywood pressed ahead. Confronted with its own dispensary explosion in 2005, the city surrounded by L.A. imposed a moratorium on dispensaries, clamped interim rules on the ones that were open, passed a strict ordinance and capped the number allowed at four, all within two years. When the West Hollywood City Council updated its ordina... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3004042 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:54:25 +0100 3004042 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3004098&cid=t_315341_154_f&fid=35946&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.canadianmedicinenews.com%2F2009%2F11%2Fwhats-in-news-nov-18-will-feds-permit.html Trying to make crack saferVancouver may get a supervised crack-smoking clinic. PHS Community Services, which also operates the supervised injection site Insite, would like to set up the crack-smoking clinic but federal officials would have to provide an exemption to the relevant drug-control laws. [Globe and Mail] Needless to say, the idea is a controversial one. [Vancouver Courier]Emergency military mental-health team formedThe Canadian Forces created an emergency mental-health squad to respond to soldiers' urgent psychological problems. Major Rakesh Jetly, mental health adviser to the Forces' surgeon general, said they will study soldiers' suicides to find out how to prevent more from occurring. [Toronto Star] This tacit admission by the military should go some way to appeasing members o... Canadian Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3004098 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 +0100 3004098 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2999546&cid=t_315341_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FwWe3VpVLbL8%2Fswine_flu_and_bird_flu_and_les.php The blogosphere (DemFromCT at DailyKos) and the main stream media (Alan Sipress at the Washington Post) brought us the two faces of the current flu pandemic. Like Janus, one took lessons from the present and past, the other looked worriedly to the future. Dem's piece on flu at DailyKos (a regular feature of the world's biggest political blog) is superb. Most everyone who regularly reads about flu in the blogosphere (and it is a huge readership) knows that DemFromCT is the blog handle of an expert who has been writing about pandemic flu for years (as long or longer than we have and we are coming up on our 5th blogiversary), knows the landscape intimately from both the policy and scientific perspective, and is himself a practicing pediatric pulmonologist, so in his daily practice he is in t... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2999546 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:38:09 +0100 2999546 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3016921&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2FuT27EUkmad4%2F The emergence of oseltamivir (Tamiflu)-resistant 2009 H1N1 influenza virus in a Canadian family illustrates the basic concept that viral loads depend on the dose of antiviral drug. Neuraminidase inhibitors like Tamiflu and Relenza are used to treat severe illness caused by the 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus. The antiviral drugs may also be used to prevent infection in high-risk persons, a use called postexposure prophylaxis. For Tamiflu, that means taking 75 mg a day, compared with the same dose twice a day for treating a confirmed infection. Unfortunately, using sub-optimal levels of an antiviral drug is a recipe for disaster. In this case, a boy with asthma developed confirmed H1N1 influenza and was given Tamiflu twice a day. Tamiflu was also prescribed once a day for all members... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3016921 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:00:37 +0100 3016921 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2999247&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.virology.ws%2F2009%2F11%2F17%2Ftamiflu-resistant-pandemic-influenza-h1n1-virus-selected-by-prophylaxis%2F The emergence of oseltamivir (Tamiflu)-resistant 2009 H1N1 influenza virus in a Canadian family illustrates the basic concept that viral loads depend on the dose of antiviral drug. Neuraminidase inhibitors like Tamiflu and Relenza are used to treat severe illness caused by the 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus. The antiviral drugs may also be used to prevent infection in high-risk persons, a use called postexposure prophylaxis. For Tamiflu, that means taking 75 mg a day, compared with the same dose twice a day for treating a confirmed infection. Unfortunately, using sub-optimal levels of an antiviral drug is a recipe for disaster. In this case, a boy with asthma developed confirmed H1N1 influenza and was given Tamiflu twice a day. Tamiflu was also prescribed once a day for all members... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2999247 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:00:37 +0100 2999247 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3016922&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2FbhhPsUBNuM4%2F GlaxoSmithKline’s inactivated 2009 influenza H1N1 vaccine has been approved by the US Food & Drug Administration and by Health Canada. This action completes the list of pandemic H1N1 vaccines which I previously summarized for the US and Canada. Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccine is produced by ID Biomedical Corporation of Quebec, a wholly-owned subsidiary of GlaxoSmithKline. The US package insert can be found here (pdf) and the Canadian package insert here. Dosing recommendations for Canada are listed here. Health Canada has also posted a FAQ on the H1N1 vaccine. The ID Biomedical vaccine is available only in multi-dose vials which contain thimerosal. Each 0.5 ml dose contains 15 micrograms of viral antigen. Other components of the vaccine listed at Health Canada include ... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3016922 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:24:08 +0100 3016922 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2995528&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.virology.ws%2F2009%2F11%2F16%2Fglaxosmithkline-influenza-h1n1-vaccine-approved%2F GlaxoSmithKline’s inactivated 2009 influenza H1N1 vaccine has been approved by the US Food & Drug Administration and by Health Canada. This action completes the list of pandemic H1N1 vaccines which I previously summarized for the US and Canada. Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccine is produced by ID Biomedical Corporation of Quebec, a wholly-owned subsidiary of GlaxoSmithKline. The US package insert can be found here (pdf) and the Canadian package insert here. Dosing recommendations for Canada are listed here. Health Canada has also posted a FAQ on the H1N1 vaccine. The ID Biomedical vaccine is available only in multi-dose vials which contain thimerosal. Each 0.5 ml dose contains 15 micrograms of viral antigen. Other components of the vaccine listed at Health Canada include ... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2995528 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:24:08 +0100 2995528 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2995700&cid=t_315341_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F16%2Fnew-england-journal-of-medicine-2009-vol-361-no-20%2F This article assesses the level of preexisting immunity in humans of the H1N1 virus and to evaluate seasonal vaccine strategies by measuring the antibody response to the pandemic virus resulting from previous influenza infection or vaccination groups. (Print subscription held at Fade Library) Posted in Journals Tagged: H1N1, Swine Flu (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2995700 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:20:00 +0100 2995700 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2995529&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.rawvoice.com%2Fpmn_twiv%2Fwww.twiv.tv%2FTWiV058.mp3 Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dick Despommier, Alan Dove, and Joshua Stillman In episode 58 of the podcast “This Week in Virology”, Vincent, Dick, and Alan are joined by emergency medicine physician Dr. Joshua Stillman to talk about passive antibody therapy for Nipah infection in ferrets, annual influenza immunization of children, facemasks to prevent influenza, predicting dengue outbreaks by the weather, and the amazing viral communities in an icy Antarctic lake. Download TWiV #58 (52 MB .mp3, 73 minutes) Subscribe to TWiV in iTunes, by the RSS feed, or by email Links for this episode: Post-exposure passive antibody therapy for Nipah virus in ferret Image above left shows Nipah viral antigen (red) in ferret brain ependymal epithelium Is yearly influenza vaccination of children ... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2995529 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:55:11 +0100 2995529 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2995747&cid=t_315341_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FNZ5w8bcTFBc%2Fwho_swine_flu_in_the_ukraine_a.php We were asked repeatedly offline and in the comments for our views on what was or was not going on in the Ukraine, but we steadfastly declined to post on it. We didn't know any more than you can find out from news sources, so we had nothing to add in the way of hard information, We did know there was a WHO team on the ground and we thought it best to wait to find out more. We still don't know much, except that news reports are suggesting that the health care system in the Ukraine is a shambles and its likely the chaos and panic were self-inflicted more than virally inflicted. Mike Coston over at Avian Flu Diary has a great run down and we agree with the way he approached it -- gingerly, cautiously but with the right amount of anxiety that something could be happening but it was best to wai... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2995747 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:23:26 +0100 2995747 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2995748&cid=t_315341_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2Fl1WuFBw5pEE%2Fswine_flu_conspiracy_theories.php Any article entitled "On swine-flu conspiracy theories" should have an automatic warning label, but the one noted below, in the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail is really terrific (h/t ML). Conspiracy theories are all over the internet and they even show up here in the comments from time to time, but I'm glad to say our readership is saner than some. Like scientific theories, conspiracy theories aren't hard to formulate (humans being an inventive and imaginative species), but like good science, conspiracies aren't so easy to implement. It's not that conspiracies don't exist, the philosopher of science Karl Popper observed in The Open Society and Its Enemies: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2995748 Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:15:23 +0100 2995748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2993910&cid=t_315341_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2018 Medical marijuana gets a boost from major doctors group The American Medical Assn. changes its policy to promote clinical research and development of cannabis-based medicines and alternative delivery methods. By John Hoeffel November 11, 2009 The American Medical Assn. on Tuesday urged the federal government to reconsider its classification of marijuana as a dangerous drug with no accepted medical use, a significant shift that puts the prestigious group behind calls for more research. The nation’s largest physicians organization, with about 250,000 member doctors, the AMA has maintained since 1997 that marijuana should remain a Schedule I controlled substance, the most restrictive category, which also includes heroin and LSD. In changing its policy, the group said its goal was to cl... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2993910 Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:37:16 +0100 2993910 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2993854&cid=t_315341_123_f&fid=39037&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.drgreene.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F11%2F14%2Fwhen-should-you-go-to-the-doctor-or-emergency-room-for-the-flu%2F 540 children in the US have died so far this year from known or suspected H1N1 flu. This tragic number is more than six times higher than in an entire typical flu year, and the current flu season may only be getting started. This tragic number is very low, however, compared to the more than [...] (Source: Conversations with Dr Greene) Conversations with Dr Greene blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2993854 Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:21:56 +0100 2993854 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2992679&cid=t_315341_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FcZhefCbPbp0%2Fthe_common_cold_and_influenza.php We've talked aplenty about how much we still need to understand about influenza. Not just its basic biology but its dynamics. How does it spread over space and time and how existing infection rates affect future infection rates and how each are related to the number of susceptibles in the population. It's even more than that. There are other viruses perhaps competing for or perhaps cooperating with the flu virus in its sole job, to make copies of itself, using the host's (i.e., our own) biological machinery. You can imagine a scenario whereby once a lot of cells are infected by one virus, monopolizing the protein and genetic replication machines of an infected cell, gives another virus a harder time getting a purchase. Maybe that's how an influenza strain becomes dominant in a flu season. ... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2992679 Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:39:35 +0100 2992679 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2992827&cid=t_315341_137_f&fid=35426&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheAlzheimersReadingRoom%2F%7E3%2FnilEuhunJaY%2Fh1n1-22-million-ill-3900-deaths.html In children under 18, we estimate 8 million children have been ill with influenza, 36,000 hospitalized, and 540 children have died from this pandemic influenza. From the Weekly CDC H1N1 Flu Media Briefing -- November 12, 2009 We estimate the 22 million people have become ill from pandemic influenza We estimate 98,000 people have been hospitalized so far through October 17 We estimate that 3,900 people have died so far in the first six months of the pandemic from this virus In children under 18, we estimate 8 million children have been ill with influenza, 36,000 hospitalized, and 540 children have died from this pandemic influenza In the first six months of the pandemic for adults 18 to 64 years of age, we estimate 12 million cases, 53,000 hospitalizations, and 2900 deaths For people 65 a... Alzheimer's Reading Room, The blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2992827 Sat, 14 Nov 2009 06:39:21 +0100 2992827 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3016923&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2F5Tc0pJIJEx4%2F We’ve made no secret of our enthusiasm for the vaccine against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. To help you find locations near you for obtaining both the seasonal and 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine, Google has developed a feature for the US called the flu shot finder at www.google.com/flushot. Google notes on their blog that this project is just beginning and information has not yet been received about flu shot clinics for many locations. Many locations that are shown are also out of stock. Google has been working with HHS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local health agencies to gather information on flu vaccine locations across the country for both the nasal-spray vaccine and the inactivated vaccine shot. Data for locations of flu vaccine are currentl... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3016923 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:24:37 +0100 3016923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2992500&cid=t_315341_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.virology.ws%2F2009%2F11%2F13%2Fgoogle-influenza-vaccine-finder%2F We’ve made no secret of our enthusiasm for the vaccine against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. To help you find locations near you for obtaining both the seasonal and 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine, Google has developed a feature for the US called the flu shot finder at www.google.com/flushot. Google notes on their blog that this project is just beginning and information has not yet been received about flu shot clinics for many locations. Many locations that are shown are also out of stock. Google has been working with HHS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local health agencies to gather information on flu vaccine locations across the country for both the nasal-spray vaccine and the inactivated vaccine shot. Data for locations of flu vaccine are currentl... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2992500 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:24:37 +0100 2992500 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3111543&cid=t_315341_123_f&fid=38598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpediatricsnow.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F11%2Fswine-flu-h1n1-update%2F   Do you really have to worry about H1N1, Swine Flu? Where is the infamous H1N1 vaccine and do you really need to get it for you and your kids? Is the H1N1 illness really “mild”? Despite how long we’ve been talking about this year’s flu season and H1N1 there are still many questions and a great deal of confusion. I’m going on WBUR Radio’s Radio Boston hosted by Jane Clayson, David Boeri at Noon ET today with a panel of incredible health experts to help sort out the issues and bring up the latest information. Tune in…and call in! This is a live show and we want to help you get your questions answered. (Image) ©2009 Pediatrics Now. All rights reserved. PEDIATRICS NOW® is a registered trademark of Pediatrics Now. (Source: Dr. Gwenn Is In) Dr. Gwenn Is In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3111543 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:44:00 +0100 3111543 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2989289&cid=t_315341_123_f&fid=38598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drgwennisin.com%2F2009%2F11%2Fswine-flu-h1n1-update.html   Do you really have to worry about H1N1, Swine Flu? Where is the infamous H1N1 vaccine and do you really need to get it for you and your kids? Is the H1N1 illness really “mild”? Despite how long we’ve been talking about this year’s flu season and H1N1 there are still many questions and a great deal of confusion. I’m going on WBUR Radio’s Radio Boston hosted by Jane Clayson, David Boeri at Noon ET today with a panel of incredible health experts to help sort out the issues and bring up the latest information. Tune in…and call in! This is a live show and we want to help you get your questions answered. (Image) ©2009 Pediatrics Now. All rights reserved. PEDIATRICS NOW® is a registered trademark of Pediatrics Now. (Source: Dr. Gwenn Is In) Dr. Gwenn Is In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2989289 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:44:00 +0100 2989289 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2989163&cid=t_315341_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FF9X7Bn5Z9bE%2Fconfusion_between_h1n1_and_swi.php We're writing this at an altitude of 20,000 feet, being on the road again and except for a few minutes here or there, without access to the internet most of the day. This means a lot of comments will probably go unanswered, so we'll say what we usually do in circumstances like this: talk amongst yourselves. Lots of smart people read this blog. Help each other. A quick look at today's flu news tells me that CDC has updated its estimates, using the methodology we discussed in a previous post. And a survey at Arizona State University (ASU) released Monday shows the expected: that opting to call swine flu "H1N1" instead of swine flu has done nothing but confuse people. Predictable. Mrs. R. works in a health department and one of her colleagues was heard to say you could get H1N1 over and ove... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2989163 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:24:45 +0100 2989163 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2989127&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FJboZGRsWvq4%2F The CDC put out new estimates today on the first six months of the swine flu (H1N1) pandemic in the U.S. A few quick numbers: 22 million cases, 98,000 hospitalizations, 3,900 deaths. So what do those numbers mean? First of all, because so many cases of swine flu go unreported — patients often don’t go to the doctor, and when they do, doctors often don’t test for H1N1 — there’s a lot of uncertainty around the figures. The CDC actually presents a wide range of numbers around their estimates; the possible number of total cases, for example, ranges from 14 million to 34 million. Uncertainty aside, how do the estimates for H1N1 compare to seasonal flu? At first blush, it looks relatively minor. While 22 million sounds like a very large number (7% of the entire popu... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2989127 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:09:34 +0100 2989127 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2989358&cid=t_315341_135_f&fid=35246&url=http%3A%2F%2Faids-write.org%2F%3Fp%3D2007 chers— this is my favorite essay on the term “namasté,” which belongs in the mix before we go too much further along. i make no claims about divinity here, because nothing can really be verifiably known about divinity. but we all share & perceive & express greatnesses whose roots reach into an inner invisible realm of spirit. namasté —rk . . . while we are singing the praises of namasté, it should be observed how efficient a gesture it is in an age of mass communication. A politician, or performer can greet fifty thousand people with a single namasté, and they can return the honor instantly. In such a situation a handshake is unthinkable . . . “Shake hands and come out fighting.” It’s the referee’s final counsel to two pugilists ... aids-write.org blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2989358 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:17:18 +0100 2989358 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3111544&cid=t_315341_123_f&fid=38598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpediatricsnow.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F11%2Fwhere%25e2%2580%2599s-the-flu-shot-ask-dr-google%2F   Finding the flu shot lately, seasonal or H1N1, has become a modern day game of Where’s Waldo! In typical fashion, Dr. Google has come to the rescue with a new tool, www.google.com/flushot: Simply type in your location and up comes results for both seasonal and H1N1 clinics in your area, whether they have the vaccines now and when they will have them, if that information is available. For example, if I type in “Boston” in the “Find Flu Shots Near” field, the map looks like this: Most communities are still reporting extreme shortages in the H1N1 vaccine and don’t expect that to change for a few more weeks. It’s amazing to me that some many high risk people, myself including, can’t get this vaccine. At least we now have a tool to help track it down once it finall... Dr. Gwenn Is In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3111544 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:11:00 +0100 3111544 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2984918&cid=t_315341_123_f&fid=38598&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drgwennisin.com%2F2009%2F11%2Fwheres-flu-shot-ask-dr-google.html   Finding the flu shot lately, seasonal or H1N1, has become a modern day game of Where’s Waldo! In typical fashion, Dr. Google has come to the rescue with a new tool, www.google.com/flushot: Simply type in your location and up comes results for both seasonal and H1N1 clinics in your area, whether they have the vaccines now and when they will have them, if that information is available. For example, if I type in “Boston” in the “Find Flu Shots Near” field, the map looks like this: Most communities are still reporting extreme shortages in the H1N1 vaccine and don’t expect that to change for a few more weeks. It’s amazing to me that some many high risk people, myself including, can’t get this vaccine. At least we now have a tool to help track it down once it finally... Dr. Gwenn Is In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2984918 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:11:00 +0100 2984918 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2984816&cid=t_315341_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F6X4snHyXaoA%2Fswine_flu_and_us_sick_leave_po.php I don't know if the rest of the world laughs at the US, but I feel quite sure they at least shake their collective heads when they hear how we lack one of the most important non-pharmaceutical measures against pandemic flu: paid sick leave. Of course only those countries with a policy of paid sick leave would be shaking their heads. It turns out, though, that's just about everybody: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2984816 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:05:44 +0100 2984816 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2984756&cid=t_315341_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fof-course-anti-h1n1-holy-water-dispenser%2F Necessity is the mother of invention and all that stuff, right? Maybe we can also say that desperate times call for desperate measures? Or how about, He will provide if we just ask? What am I talking about? An anti-H1N1 (Swine flu) holy water dispenser for church. Roman Catholics who enter a church usually dip their fingers into a small bowl filled with Holy Water. They make the sign of the cross and then proceed to enter the main part of the church. Many repeat this motion when they leave the church. Because of the H1N1 fears, many churches have removed their holy water, leaving some Catholics upset, unable to perform this important tradition or ritual. No matter, because an Italian inventor has come to the rescue with an automatic holy water dispenser. The set up is designed like touchle... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2984756 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:33:07 +0100 2984756