Benton County Health Department taking appointments for flu clinic Oct 3, 2008
Influenza vaccine can be given to individuals 6 months of age and older. It is recommended for anyone who wishes to reduce their risk of getting influenza; it is especially important for those who are at risk for complications from influenza and for those who live with or care for people at high risk ... People who should get influenza vaccine are. (Camden Chronicle, TN)
Stop & Shop offers flu clinic Oct 3, 2008
The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company, in partnership with Maxim Healthcare, will offer influenza and pneumonia vaccinations in the pharmacy departments of select stores, continuing through the end of the year or until supplies last ... Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is a contagious respiratory disease that peaks in the winter, typically December through March. (Woburn Advocate, MA)
Faster genetic test for flu virus approved Oct 3, 2008
CDC officials celebrated it as a potential lifesaver, especially if the nation is hit by a pandemic of bird flu or some other mutant influenza. "We'll now be able to detect influenza in the community faster, which allows us to take steps more quickly to protect and save lives," CDC director Dr. Julie Gerberding said in a prepared statement. (Chippewa Falls Chippewa Herald, WI)
100 years of crystal-clear recollections Oct 3, 2008
During the Spanish influenza epidemic, which lasted from 1918 until 1920, Boylan recalled how her mother helped their flu-stricken next-door neighbor deliver a baby. The mother was in labor and there was no way to find a doctor. (West Roxbury Transcript, MA)
Seniors and those at risk of flu reminded to get flu shots Oct 3, 2008
Influenza can cause significant problems for older adults and also for small children ... This year s vaccine contains three new influenza virus strains ... The 2008-09 influenza vaccine can protect you against these three viruses, or it can make your illness milder if you get infected with a related but different influenza strain. (Lake County News)
December 2005 Oct 3, 2008
December 30, 2005 President's Statement on Signing of H.R. 2863, the "Department of Defense, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations to Address Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, and Pandemic Influenza Act, 2006" ... President's Statement on the Department of Defense, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations to Address Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, and Pandemic Influenza Act, 2006. (White House News Releases)
November 2005 Oct 3, 2008
Fact Sheet: United States Leadership on Avian Influenza ... November 1, 2005 President Outlines Pandemic Influenza Preparations and Response. (White House News Releases)
Health Dept. offers flu shots Oct 3, 2008
Jarrell said that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researches the different strains of the influenza virus every year to determine which strain will be more dominant and cause the most problems that season. Last year, the flu vaccine that was developed was not as effective as in previous years because the strain of the virus changed before the flu season began. (Rockingham Daily Journal, NC)
Monkey bites lab technician at Pitt Oct 3, 2008
The university's Center for Vaccine Research in Pitt's School of Medicine uses primates to develop vaccines with a focus on dengue, influenza, avian flu and tuberculosis. The tuberculosis vaccine research is funded through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which awarded the center and other research groups a $11. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
AstraZeneca PLC Oct 3, 2008
has licensed its reverse genetics technology to the Research Foundation for Microbial Diseases of Osaka University in Japan (BIKEN) for use in influenza vaccine development and production. Reverse genetics, a method by which viruses such as influenza can be generated from segments of DNA, does not require manufacturers to work directly with potentially highly-infectious pandemic strains, but instead with segments of the virus s genome ... Since December 2006, Gaithersburg-based MedImmune has... (Baltimore Business Journal, MD)
Obstetricians Urge Pregnant Women to Get Flu Shots Oct 3, 2008
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - With flu season fast approaching, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) issued a statement today reminding women -- including those who are pregnant -- to get vaccinated against influenza now. Flu season runs from October through mid-May in the US, and, according to ACOG, flu vaccination should be a routine part of prenatal care and the best time for pregnant women to get a flu shot is October and November. (MEDLINEplus)
Anti-Obesity Drugs Could Fight Viral Infections Oct 3, 2008
To see if the drugs would impact the replication of other enveloped viruses, the researchers measured the replication of influenza A in the presence of the same drug. They found similar reductions in replication. (MEDLINEplus)
Many U.S. Kids Not Receiving Flu Vaccine Oct 3, 2008
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Just one in five children between 6 and 23 months of age were fully vaccinated against influenza during the 2006-2007 season, according to findings in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report released Thursday. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended vaccination for this age group in 2004, and currently recommends that children younger than 9 years of age receive two doses of the influenza vaccine, spaced 4 or more weeks apart, to achieve full... (MEDLINEplus)
Flu Vaccine Should Be More Effective Oct 3, 2008
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- With flu season fast approaching, U.S. health officials predicted Wednesday that this year's vaccine will be a better match for the circulating influenza strains than last year's vaccine proved to be ... "Flu viruses are constantly changing, and that's why we have to update the vaccine every year," Dr. Daniel B. Jernigan, deputy director of the CDC's Influenza Division, said during a morning teleconference Wednesday ... The new vaccine contains three new... (MEDLINEplus)
Vote & Vax Hopes to Boost Number Protected from Flu Oct 3, 2008
Infections of the influenza virus usually occur between October and April ... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend all U.S. citizens receive the influenza virus. (Dublin Courier Herald, GA)
Factors influencing psychological distress during a disease epidemic: Data from Australia's first outbreak of equine influenza. Oct 3, 2008
Factors influencing psychological distress during a disease epidemic: Data from Australia's first outbreak of equine influenza ... In 2007 Australia experienced its first outbreak of highly infectious equine influenza ... However, this study is the first to collect psychological distress data from an affected population during such a disease outbreak and has potential to inform those involved in assessing the potential psychological impacts of human infectious diseases, such as pandemic... (BioMed Central)
Nicola Roxon to stare down Senate on Medicare surcharge levy Sep 25, 2008
September 25, 2008 01:42pm AEST. HEALTH Minister Nicola Roxon will stare down the Senate, introducing redrawn Medicare legislation to deliver a $1200-a-year tax cut to thousands of middle-income earners. (The Australian)
74 horses to be re-tested for equine flu Sep 25, 2008
ALL 74 horses at a New South Wales quarantine station are being retested for equine influenza (EI) after one horse returned a positive result, federal Agriculture Minister Tony Burke says. While the horse in question at the Eastern Creek Quarantine Facility, in western Sydney, had returned a negative result after the same sample was re-tested, all the horses at the centre would be retested, Mr Burke said today. (NEWS.com.au)
Schools could star in battle vs. flu Sep 25, 2008
Now, Massachusetts health authorities are asking schools to again be at the center of an immunization campaign, this time aimed at influenza, not polio ... Pilot programs making the flu vaccine available in schools could start as early as influenza season this fall, said John Auerbach, the state's public health commissioner. (Boston Globe)
Pilgrim's Pride Corporation Issues Statement in Response to Recent Trading Activity in Its Common Stock Sep 25, 2008
Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements include: matters affecting the poultry industry generally, including fluctuations in the commodity prices of feed ingredients and chicken; compliance with covenants in credit facilities in a volatile and adverse market; additional outbreaks of avian influenza or other diseases, either in our own flocks or elsewhere, affecting our ability to conduct our operations and/or demand for... (PR Newswire)
Sydney horse flu outbreak fear Sep 25, 2008
It is just over a year since an outbreak of equine influenza (EI) crippled the racing industry in NSW, Mr Macdonald said. "To be quite honest, I was very worried because a national standstill, particularly at this time of the year, if it had got out of Eastern Creek, would be devastating," Mr Macdonald told reporters in Sydney. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Sport)
Time for flu shots, now for 6-month-olds too Sep 25, 2008
Until now, the annual influenza vaccination was recommended for children 2 years and older ... Officials say they can't predict how severe this year's influenza will be ... While the majority of flu deaths occur among seniors, last year 86 school-age children died of influenza. (San Francisco Chronicle)
US, China announce agreements after bilateral trade talks Sep 25, 2008
The US agricultural secretary said that China had left its avian influenza ban on two states. Agricultural officials at the meeting, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the US had reported a low-pathogenic form of the bird flu virus, which is not transmittable to humans, in poultry and poultry products as a matter of transparency. (Yahoo News -- Pharmaceutical Industry News)
Georgia biotech firms growing with help of federal grants Sep 25, 2008
NIH grants are nurturing research at UGA on medical conditions such as influenza and pancreatic cancer. A five-year, $10 million grant will help support a Southeast consortium for stem cell research, headquartered at UGA.. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Metro)
New Vaccine Element Could Generate Better Protection From Avian Influenza Sep 25, 2008
24, 2008) Current vaccines for influenza provide protection against specific seasonal influenza A strains and their close relatives, but not against more distant seasonal influenza A viruses and new avian influenza A viruses, such as H5N1, which still poses a real global health concern ... However, a team of researchers led by Tao Dong and Andrew McMichael, at Oxford University, United Kingdom, has now generated data that suggest adding a new component to vaccines for influenza might enable them... (Science Daily)
30 million more children should get flu shots Sep 25, 2008
The vaccine is 70 percent to 90 percent effective in healthy adults, said Dr. Dan Jernigan, deputy director of the CDC's influenza division ... This year's formulation consists of three viral strains: Influenza A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1), Influenza A/Brisbane/10-2007 (H3N2) and Influenza B/Florida/4/2006. (CNN -- US)
Suspected horse flu in Sydney's west Sep 25, 2008
A suspected case of equine influenza (EI) at Sydney's Eastern Creek quarantine station should not be cause for panic, experts say. In August last year there were devastating effects when EI escaped Eastern Creek and infiltrated the general horse populations of NSW and Queensland. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Thorpe moves to scuttle doping claims Sep 25, 2008
September 26, 2008 12:13am AEST. IAN Thorpe has provided the country's drug testing agency with medical evidence in an attempt to clear his name of doping. (Yahoo News -- Swimming)
Local banks will weather the storm - ANZ Sep 25, 2008
September 25, 2008 02:28pm AEST. ANZ chief executive Mike Smith says Australian banks are looking very strong, despite the current financial market turmoil. (The Australian)
Porterville may leave Lindsay animal shelter Sep 25, 2008
The groups claim that 12 dogs died within days of the rescue from a variety of diseases and illnesses including canine influenza, distemper, pneumonia, parvo, campylobacter, giardia, ehlicha and coccidian because they were not properly quarantined and vaccinated prior to transportation, a legal requirement for animals crossing state lines. Lindsay said that all of the animals had been properly vaccinated and cared for and had all the proper documentation to prove it. (The Exeter Sun, CA)
More American kids urged to have flu shot Sep 25, 2008
By increasing the target groups, health experts hoped, there will be a slash of the amount of time children and parents stay home from school and work, and a slash of the need for antibiotics to treat influenza. School-age children have the highest rate of influenza in the U.S., according to William Schaffner, president-elect of the National Foundation of Infectious Diseases ... While influenza usually breaks out the most between December and March, people should be better vaccinated this month,... (Xinhuanet, China)
Entire economy in danger, Bush address warns Americans Sep 25, 2008
September 25, 2008 03:43pm AEST. GEORGE W. Bush has warned Americans that their "entire economy is in danger", in a rare address to the nation. (The Australian)
Anthrax vaccine to be studied in Seattle Sep 25, 2008
The project aims to find better vaccines or drugs to protect against infectious diseases such as influenza, West Nile virus or bioterrorism agents such as anthrax. A major need for the military is to find a better vaccine against anthrax, a form of bacteria that can be used as an inhalation agent of warfare or terrorism. (Yahoo News -- Anthrax)
Officials Debut Flu Season Plan: Will it Work? Sep 25, 2008
With the onset of flu season, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, in conjunction with a number of other major health organizations, unveiled its plan to combat influenza this flu season, holding a conference this morning to discuss new vaccine recommendations and address how this year's flu vaccine will protect recipients ... Baker, the executive director of the Texas Children's Center for Vaccine Awareness and Research and a pediatrician at Baylor College of Medicine, said,... (ABC News)
Florida residents not so eager to get their flu vaccinations Sep 25, 2008
Plus, research increasingly shows that youngsters are key spreaders of influenza to the rest of us ... "It's a fact that the influenza vaccine saves lives," said Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Florida Times-Union)
With more young people on list for flu shots, state stocks up Sep 24, 2008
In addition to the Vaccines for Children Program, the state has received 110,000 influenza doses to go to regional health departments for immunization clinics, Palmer said. The Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department orders its own supply and has 7,500 doses, spokeswoman Carole Barasch said. (Austin American-Statesman)
UGA sees NBAF as hub for research Sep 24, 2008
Ralph Tripp, a UGA professor of medicine, is working with Emory to study one zoonotic disease, influenza. Tripp studies avian influenza in the lab, and his partners at Emory study the clinical effects of the flu on humans in hospitals, he said. (Athens Banner-Herald)
West Nile may be down, but is it out? Sep 23, 2008
"It's not like influenza where we just cough on each other, and it gets spread that way.". Instead, West Nile is a reflection of the intricate dance among human, mosquito, and bird, not to mention the vagaries of rain and heat. (Boston Globe)
Free flu shots at Catoosa County Health Department Oct. 2 Sep 23, 2008
Free flu shots will only be available while supplies last and if the health department s entire inventory of influenza vaccine for the upcoming flu season is depleted on Oct. 2, flu shots will not be available at the health department during the remainder of the 2008-2009 flu season, she said ... While not perfect, influenza vaccination is the best way to prevent influenza ... Getting a flu vaccination every year is the best way for people to protect themselves and the ones they care about from... (Catoosa County News, GA)
It's never too early for flu shot, health authorities agree Sep 23, 2008
Last flu season, Pima County recorded a record 782 influenza infections during an unusually long, nearly eight-week flu season that emptied out workplaces and strained emergency rooms ... "Vaccines are good, influenzas are bad," said Lewis, a pediatric-infectious-disease specialist who spent 20 years working in that field. (Arizona Daily Star)
Work Together Or Face 'Disastrous Consequences' For Health In Africa, Experts Warn Sep 23, 2008
28, 2004) The spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza in several areas in Asia is a threat to human health and a disaster for agricultural production, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the. . (Science Daily)
Healthy Habits for a Happy Family Sep 23, 2008
Schedule an appointment to receive the influenza (flu) vaccine because flu season is right around the corner. The new recommendation is for all children between 6 months of age up to 19 years old to get the vaccine (there are a few exceptions, so talk to the doctor). (Grants Cibola County Beacon, NM)
Japanese NIH Scientists Report Robust Cross-Protection With Hemispherx Drug Against Multiple Strains of Bird Flu Sep 23, 2008
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 23, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. (AMEX: - ) reported that at the Third European Influenza Conference in Portugal (September 14-17, 2008), members of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, reported on the expanded potential role of Ampligen(r) in preventing bird flu. The paper is entitled: ``The TLR3 agonist, poly I : poly C12U (Ampligen(r)) added to influenza vaccines as a nasal adjuvant induces a wide spectrum cross-protection against... (Primezone Releases)
A flu shot - or not? Sep 23, 2008
Associated Press filePublic health officials target the elderly for flu shots because they account for 80 percent to 90 percent of influenza-related deaths during the winter ... One of the most widely cited statistics has been that vaccinations reduce the chance of death from influenza complications by half among the elderly, a particularly at-risk group ... Public health officials target the elderly because they account for 80 percent to 90 percent of influenza deaths during the winter. (Florida Times-Union)
Turning a leaf from cancer-causer to flu-fighter Sep 23, 2008
A large amount of vaccine can be harvested from tobacco in about three weeks, he said, an especially important quality in the case of a fast-moving influenza outbreak. Philip Morris, which has been conducting its own biotechnology research to try to eliminate some of the carcinogens from tobacco, will likely have expertise that can contribute to Medicago's work, Mr. Sheldon said. (Globe and Mail)
* Viral sovereignty must be stamped out to save lives Sep 22, 2008
In this age of globalization, failure to make viral samples freely available risks allowing the emergence of a new strain of influenza that could go unnoticed until it is capable of exacting the sort of toll taken by the pandemic that killed tens of millions in 1918. As the world learned with the emergence of SARS X which first appeared in China in 2002 but was not reported by Chinese officials until it spread to four other nations X globally shared health risks demand absolute global... (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Food safety outcry grows Sep 22, 2008
"If any rancher sitting on the hills can't figure that out, they're out to lunch." Although traceability became a priority for the federal and provincial agriculture departments after the mad-cow crisis and emergence of avian influenza in poultry, it isn't yet mandatory in Alberta. Though many livestock producers have been reluctant to buy in, Groeneveld says, as of January verifying the age and origin of cattle will become a must. (Canada.com)
* Domestic influenza vaccine plan nixed Sep 21, 2008
Domestic influenza vaccine plan nixed ... A build-own-operate (BOO) project to manufacture influenza vaccine has been suspended after years of delays, delivering a setback to the nations ambitious plan to be the first to build an independent and self-sufficient vaccine manufacturing capacity, government and pharmaceutical industry sources said last week ... The dual-purpose project, set up amid concerns over an influenza pandemic triggered by a flu strain like H5N1, was aimed at building the... (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
NZ bird flu shock should worry Australia: scientist Sep 20, 2008
ANDRE VAN HALDEREN: What we found as part of a routine surveillance of our water fowl, which is two low pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza viruses ... As I say avian influenza viruses occur in many, many wild birds ... But you can't really rule these things out because we've had avian influenza, not of the H5N1 type before in water birds and also in poultry. (ABC Online)
Cocrystal Discovery raises $10M Sep 20, 2008
The Seattle company said its focus is on the discovery and development of anti-viral compounds that target replication enzymes and will target hepatitis and influenza diseases. Founders include Gary Wilcox, who used to be a member of the board at Icos Corp. of Bothell, which was bought by Eli Lilly & Co. last year. (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)
Back Off Bugs: Time to Take Back Your Yard Sep 20, 2008
In rare instances, it may also be an indication that Avian influenza may be in your area. Beware the Wily Tick. (Pekin Times, IL)
Area clinics offering ample opportunity for flu shots Sep 20, 2008
The influenza vaccine is not recommended for anyone younger than 6 months old, anyone with an egg allergy or anyone with a fever at the time they want the vaccine. Influenza is a viral infection of the nose, throat, bronchial tubes and lungs ... The following county health departments have announced their influenza vaccine clinics. (The Pantagraph newspaper)
Scott & White Will Vaccinate Thousands Of Children Against Flu Sep 20, 2008
The Vaccines for Influenza Prevention in Schools campaign offers free flu immunizations to students ages 4 and older at their schools ... The results reported from previous years of this community-based study and other school-based studies have already led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to make a new recommendation in 2008 that all school-age children get vaccinated against influenza, said Dr.Manjusha Gaglani, the local principal investigator of the study and associate... (KWTX.com, TX)
Emory to help evaluate bird flu vaccines Sep 20, 2008
Several worldwide influenza outbreaks ( pandemics ) have occurred during the past century, including Spanish Flu of 1918, Asian Flu of 1957, and Hong Kong Flu of 1968 ... The upcoming bird flu vaccine trial is an important part of our U.S. national preparedness for a future influenza pandemic, said Dr. Mark Mulligan, principal investigator of the Emory VTEU and executive director of the Hope Clinic of the Emory Vaccine Center ... The VTEU network clinical trial will involve 500 healthy persons... (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Health)
Behind the Scenes of the Flu Vaccine Sep 20, 2008
Each year, millions head to their doctors' offices for a shot to protect them from the strains of influenza that keep many in bed sick come the winter months ... Ultimately, three strains of influenza virus are chosen for the vaccine: a variant of H1N1, a variant of H3N2 (both influenza A viruses) and a strain of the influenza B virus ... Influenza A viruses are the strongest, and vary the most from year to year, while B viruses rarely make anyone but the most vulnerable people sick. (ABC News)
* Taiwan News Quick Take Sep 19, 2008
Free influenza inoculations will be offered starting on Oct. 1, with priority groups expanded to include third and fourth graders. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said in a statement that it has purchased 3. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
What to Do When Your HVAC System Breaks Down Sep 19, 2008
In addition, it removes more than 99 percent of the influenza A virus from the filtered air your family breathes. Ask about extended warranties and financing options. (Canton Daily Ledger, IL)
Infants Safer When Mother Gets Flu Shot Sep 19, 2008
Mom's Flu Shot Also Protects Newborns - Health News Story - KPRC Houston. Marketplace+++Extras++Site ToolsKPRC Local 2. (Click2Houston, TX)
Doctors focus on disaster medicine Sep 19, 2008
An expert on influenza pandemics and other public health disasters had to cancel his talk at the South Dakota State Medical Association's annual meeting Thursday because he was busy responding to one of those emergencies -- Hurricane Ike ... Although the odds of a terrorist attack or a hurricane are remote in South Dakota, any large public health crisis -- a pandemic of influenza, or large numbers of trauma patients caused by a tornado, flood or train derailment -- requires a similar approach,... (Rapid City Journal, SD)
Study: Flu shot aids mothers, babies Sep 18, 2008
Minnesota MINNEAPOLIS - Pregnant women can protect their newborns against deadly influenza infections by getting a flu shot, a study found. The study of 340 women in Bangladesh found the shot slashed the number of proven cases of influenza by 63 percent in infants under 6 months, according to the report in the New England Journal of Medicine. (Boston Globe)
Stop infectious diseases -- Wash your hands! Sep 18, 2008
Pandemic flu is a big topic today with federal, state and local public health workers formulating plans to deal with another pandemic influenza ... "And when flu season comes around, there are special door signs for influenza patients, alerting visitors and employees to wear a mask and wash their hands.The training -- and the hand washing -- never ends, she said. From the podiumThe following experts will give presentations at Tuesday's 2008 Infectious Disease Symposium:-- Dr. Stewart Johnson,... (Sioux City Journal, IO)
Seven Immunity Boosting Tips Sep 18, 2008
With flu season right around the corner, it is an ideal time to boost your immune system against influenza germs ... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states in its article , Influenza A (H1N1), A (H3N2), and influenza B strains are included in each year's influenza vaccine ... Getting a flu vaccine can protect against influenza A and B viruses. (Suite101.com)
One Flu Shot in Pregnant Women Can Save Both Mother and Baby Sep 18, 2008
Recent studies have finally found a way to help prevent infections in newborns, as they are more likely to be hospitalized for influenza than any other age group, but shots are only allowed after six months ... The leader of the research team, Dr. Mark C. Steinhoff, of Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health, in Baltimore states: "Our study shows that a newborn's risk of infection can be greatly reduced by vaccinating Mom during pregnancy. A single dose of maternal influenza... (eFluxMedia)
Officials call off controversial autism study Sep 18, 2008
Since 2001, with the exception of some influenza vaccines, the mercury-containing preservative has not been used in routinely recommended childhood vaccines, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "NIMH has decided that resources are better directed at this time to testing other potential therapies for autism spectrum disorders, and is not pursuing the additional review required to begin the study," the institute said. (Reuters)
Face Masks Analyzed As Aid in Flu Pandemic Sep 18, 2008
What little is known about masks and respiratory infections comes from research on tuberculosis and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), two infections that influenza may not mimic ... Influenza viruses range in size from 0. (Yahoo News -- Influenza)
