Could Hepatitis B Vaccine Be Harmful? Oct 8, 2009
The study became the centerpiece for an ongoing and nasty fight between vaccine safety advocates who embrace Wakefield's research and believe vaccines can be administered in a safer fashion, and public health and government officials who attack Wakefield and believe his ideas threaten international vaccination programs. Though the FDA and American Academy of Pediatrics have said thimerosal is safe in the doses it has been used in childhood vaccines, in 1999 they recommended that it be removed... (CBS News)
A Guide to the Swine Flu Vaccine Oct 6, 2009
Swine Flu Vaccine Safety. Since the swine flu vaccine was rushed out in record time, people have concerns over the safety of the product. (Suite101.com)
Not all vaccinations are reported Oct 6, 2009
Registry use during H1N1 is so terribly important for vaccine safety monitoring and reporting back to CDC on a weekly basis, Conner said. Any provider that wants to administer the H1N1 vaccine must participate. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Metro)
Medical Ethics Experts Identify, Address Key Issues In H1N1 Pandemic Oct 5, 2009
4, 2009) The anticipated onset of a second wave of the H1N1 influenza pandemic could present a host of thorny medical ethics issues best considered well in advance, according to the University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics, which today released nine papers for public discussion. Topics include duty of health care workers to work during a serious flu pandemic; government restrictions on individual freedoms and privacy and their responsibilities administering vaccination programs; how to... (Science Daily)
Ron Paul and Gloria Steinem, Unite! Oct 5, 2009
This isnt the time to pump air into a completely deflated argument about vaccine safety. . (Townhall.com)
Survey finds just 40 percent of adults 'absolutely certain' they will get H1N1 vaccine Oct 3, 2009
Major reasons people saying 'no' or 'maybe' to vaccine include belief they are at low risk of illness and concerns about vaccine safety. Boston, MAIn a new survey, Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers found that just 40% of adults are "absolutely certain" they will get the H1N1 vaccine for themselves, and 51% of parents are "absolutely certain" that they will get the vaccine for their children. (EurekAlert!)
Visalia may see cost cut on flood insurance Sep 30, 2009
"Every day, bad things happen to people. When you vaccinate a lot of people in a short period of time, some of those things are going to happen to some people by chance alone," said Dr. Daniel Salmon, a vaccine safety specialist at the Department of Health and Human Services. Visalia homeowners who buy flood insurance can look forward to lower premiums if the city gets lucky with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. (Fresno Bee)
Finally, a vaccine to combat HIV? Sep 25, 2009
WHO and UNAID said that while no vaccine safety issues were observed in the trial, licenser at this point in time may not be possible solely on the basis of this studys results. It remains to be seen if the two specific vaccine components in this particular regimen would be applicable to other parts of the world with diverse host genetic backgrounds and different HIV subtypes driving different regional sub-epidemics. (India Times)
Swine Flu Vaccine--Too Little, Too Late Sep 24, 2009
In 1985 an Institute of Medicine report, Vaccine Supply and Innovation, advanced several other options for safeguarding vaccine research and thereby vaccine safety and supplies. Few viable alternatives have been offered since. (Scientific American)
To Boost or Not To Boost Sep 18, 2009
So while the unboosted versions enjoy a historical edge in vaccine safety, that advantage is small, and it varies widely depending on the adjuvants used. Finally, even though the "safer," unboosted swine flu vaccine posted last week, there's still a chancetiny, but bigger than in the that it won't prove very effective in actual use. (Slate)
China stresses A/H1N1 prevention, control Sep 8, 2009
In addition, the State Council urged medical companies to stock vaccine and other medicines and ensure vaccine safety for human use. The meeting was presided over by premier Wen Jiabao. (Xinhuanet, China)
Medical groups may recommend procedure on boys, but opponents say benefits exaggerated Sep 3, 2009
The FDA's full statement is available here: ( Gardasil Vaccine Safety , posted: 8/20/2009). "We will continue our practice of effectively communicating the safety profile of GARDASIL -- it's a responsibility Merck takes very seriously," said Richard M. Haupt, MD, MPH, head of the GARDASIL clinical program. (Fresno Bee -- Lifestyle)
CDC Turns to Social Sites to Get Flu Message Out Sep 2, 2009
Vaccine safety groups argue that insufficient testing of swine flu vaccine could pose a risk to the public and say individuals will have little legal recourse if problems emerge. But paradoxically, public interest in the pandemic offers a chance to present concerns about vaccinations to a wider public, said Barbara Fisher, president of the National Vaccine Information Center. (MEDLINEplus)
AAN collaborates with US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on H1N1 vaccine safety monitoring Sep 1, 2009
It is not anticipated that the 2009 H1N1 vaccine will have an increased risk of GBS. However, out of an abundance of caution, and given that GBS may be of greater concern with any pandemic vaccine because of the association of GBS with the 1976 swine flu vaccine, the CDC and AAN are asking neurologists to report any potential new cases of GBS after-vaccination as part of the CDC's national vaccine safety monitoring campaign. The Academy plans to reach neurologists and other health care... (EurekAlert! -- Business News)
World braces for new A/H1N1 flu threat Aug 27, 2009
Besides uncertainty regarding vaccine safety, the likely vaccine shortage also raises worries around the world. The WHO has cut its initial estimates of 94 million doses a week beginning in October due to poorer than expected yields from the so-called "seed virus" strains developed by WHO-approved laboratories. (Xinhuanet, China)
Federal panel issues H1N1 vaccine guidelines Aug 25, 2009
Clinical trials to assess vaccine safety and efficacy are just getting under way at a handful of centers across the country. Dr. William Schaffner, a flu researcher at Vanderbilt University, which is running one of the clinical trials, played down safety concerns that have been raised because safety data are limited. (CNN -- Health)
Parents Fear HPV Shot Isn't Safe Aug 21, 2009
Parents Doubt Gardasil Vaccine Safety - ABC News. Hot Topics. (ABC News)
Gardasil Researcher Speaks Out Aug 20, 2009
Dr. Harper joins a number of consumer watchdogs, vaccine safety advocates, and parents who question the vaccines risk-versus-benefit profile. She says data available for Gardasil shows that it lasts five years; there is no data showing that it remains effective beyond five years. (CBS News -- Evening News)
Autism group softens stance on vaccines Aug 16, 2009
Dr. Neal Halsey, director of the Institute for Vaccine Safety at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, said the new position is "two steps in the right direction. This is a substantial change and improvement in Autism Speaks in acknowledging that vaccines do not cause autism, and that the evidence is overwhelming that neither the MMR vaccine nor thimerosal in vaccines causes autism.". Still, Dr. Halsey said he wishes Dr. Dawson would have emphasized that thimerosal no... (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
No mercury in most children's vaccines Aug 16, 2009
Dr. Neal Halsey, director of the Institute for Vaccine Safety at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, was one of the people who pushed for an investigation of thimerosal in vaccines in the late 1990s. "We weren't concerned about autism," he said. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Trial and error? Aug 7, 2009
"Why that happened has never really been understood - it's not really been observed with subsequent influenza vaccines," said Professor Smith, chairman of the global advisory committee on vaccine safety at the World Health Organisation. "There's been a lot of seasonal flu vaccines and they've not seen this same adverse effect at all and so that is a sort of lurking shadow in the US experience which I suspect influences the way in which they treat all new vaccines," he added. (BBC News -- Health)
Case Study: Autism and Vaccines Aug 5, 2009
Nonetheless, there's no denying that the court's decision to award damages to the Poling family puts a chink a question mark in what had been an unqualified defense of vaccine safety with regard to autism ... She suggests that parents who are concerned about vaccine safety ask their pediatricians to give fewer at a time. (Time.com)
Emory to seek swine flu vaccine testers Jul 23, 2009
Two pediatric clinical trials will be conducted at the Emory-Children s Center and will evaluate vaccine safety, tolerability and immune responses in infants older than 6 months, toddlers, children and adolescents up to 18 years. For more information, call 877-424-4673 about the adult and senior studies, or 404-727-4044 about the pediatric studies. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Health)
Emory University to test flu vaccines Jul 23, 2009
Two pediatric clinical trials will be conducted at the Emory-Children s Center and will evaluate vaccine safety, tolerability and immune responses in infants older than six months, toddlers, children and adolescents up to 18 years. The United States government declared the H1N1 outbreak a public health emergency in April and two months later, the World Health Organization classified the outbreak a pandemic, reflecting its widespread nature. (Atlanta Business Chronicle, GA)
Swine Flu Vaccine: When? Jul 22, 2009
The program will have to address issues of vaccine safety in a straightforward manner. "Public trust is crucial; we risk it at our peril. If we risk public trust with bad vaccination decisions, it will take us years to recover," Pavia warns. (CBS News -- Health)
Kids in school may get swine flu shots first Jun 22, 2009
So the Food and Drug Administration will closely track vaccine safety, Sebelius said. The secretary said: The worst of all worlds is to have the vaccine cause more damage than the flu potential. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Health)
Call to make MMR jab compulsory Jun 3, 2009
" In documents seen by the BBC, the Department of Health acknowledges that immunisation rates in London are consistently lower than the rest of the country. But officials said: "Our strategy is to maintain a voluntary immunisation system and invest efforts in educating parents about the benefits of vaccination and dispelling 'myths' about vaccine safety. " Serious consequencesRachel Whittle knows the consequences of not vaccinating her children. Lola May was hospitalised with measles Her... (BBC News -- UK)
Refusing Whooping Cough Vaccine Shown to Raise Risk May 28, 2009
They're more worried about vaccine safety," he said. Parents wrongly rely on "herd immunity" that assumes others will vaccinate their children so they do not have to, but the risk of an outbreak increases as more refuse to immunize, Glanz said. The "tipping point" to an outbreak may be if immunization rates drop below 90 percent, he said. Most U.S. states allow schools to give medical exemptions for not getting a child vaccinated, and some states give religious exemptions or simply allow parents... (MEDLINEplus)
Lessons From The Vaccine-autism Wars May 28, 2009
Now, more than ten years after unfounded doubts about vaccine safety first emerged, scientists and public health officials are still struggling to get the story out. Their task is made far more difficult by the explosion of misinformation on the Internet, talk shows, and high-profile media outlets, by journalists' tendency to cover the issue as a "debate," and, as Kaufman argues, by an erosion of trust in experts. (Science Daily)
Vaccine's for Africa May 16, 2009
Renowned paediatric infectious diseases specialist Hussey also serves on the World Health Organisation's global advisory committee on vaccine safety ... Websites that meet the standard are admitted to the Vaccine Safety Net, a network of sites providing information on vaccine safety. (iAfrica.com)
Africa: Tsetse Fly Costs Agriculture Billions May 14, 2009
2 VACCINATIONS FRAUD AND DANGERS Vaccine Safety Manual By Neil Z. Miller "for Concerned Familiesand Health Practitioners" ( 548 pages) [http://thinktwice. com. (allAfrica.com)
Health-care Providers Should Explain Vaccine Refusal Risks, Experts Urge May 12, 2009
Perceptions and concerns about vaccine safety have led to a jump in vaccine refusal in the United States over the last decade ... Research shows primary care providers for unvaccinated children were less likely to have confidence in vaccine safety and vaccines' benefits. (Science Daily)
Virginia Tech virologist developing more potent vaccine technology May 5, 2009
"Prior to being used as a human vaccine, these humanized FLU CYT-IVACs will have to undergo rigorous testing to ensure vaccine safety and this will require additional funding, which we are actively pursuing," Roberts said. "The significance lies in the versatility of the cell culture-based vaccine platform; you can custom make a vaccine to tailor to the present need such as swine flu," Roberts said. (EurekAlert!)
Flu Vaccine Given In Microneedle Skin Patches Proves Effective In Mice May 4, 2009
Patches also would increase vaccine safety by reducing the dangers of accidental or intentional hypodermic needle re-use. The project team plans future immunization studies in other animal models, including guinea pigs or ferrets, before initiating studies in humans. (Science Daily)
Vical Updates Lead Vaccine Programs At NFID Vaccine Research Conference and Addresses Potential Response to H1N1 Swine Influenza Outbreak Apr 28, 2009
The company's near-term goals are to confirm vaccine safety and immunogenicity in a larger number of subjects, optimize vaccine dose and adjuvant ratio, explore prime-boost regimens with different vaccines, and leverage the Phase 1 proof of concept for its DNA vaccine platform and Vaxfectin(r) adjuvant into additional indications. CMV. (Primezone Releases)
Stimulus funds go to veterans and kids Apr 14, 2009
The Department plans to provide more immunization clinics in alternative sites, increase the number of schools that participate in flu vaccination clinics, assist rural providers in gaining better access to the immunization registry and conduct outreach education on vaccine safety. New Mexico will also receive $2. (New Mexico Business Weekly, NM)
Blinders won't reduce autism Mar 13, 2009
As both parent and doctor, I cannot fathom turning my back on a child nor science, in order to avoid inconvenient questions about vaccine safety or any other reasonable environmental factor. President Obama has recognized that we ve seen just a skyrocketing autism rate and plans to appoint an autism czar to coordinate his policy efforts. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Opinion)
Anti-vaccine stand based on research Mar 10, 2009
Great books to read: Vaccinations: Deception and Tragedy by Michael Dye, What the Pharmaceutical Companies Don t Want You To Know About Vaccines by Dr. Todd Elsner and Vaccine Safety Manual For Concerned Families and Health Practitioners by Neil Z. Miller. A good Web site is. (Klamath Falls Herald & News, OR)
Anatomy of a Scare Feb 22, 2009
I love how people will be so quick to point out a conflict of interest for those who are questioning vaccine safety, but fail to point out the painfully obvious conflict of interest in the studies funded by vaccine manufacturers and the CDC.. Reply. (Newsweek)
Decision leaves autism activist unbowed Feb 17, 2009
The Department of Health and Human Services is the defendant in the vaccine injury cases, and at the same time is responsible for carrying out research on vaccine safety. The conflict of interest is glaring, and gives parents another reason to be worried about our National Immunization Program. (The Augusta Chronicle)
THE DEADLY TOLL OF VACCINE HYSTERIA Feb 16, 2009
Our system for monitoring vaccine safety after Food and Drug Administration approval (the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) is arguably the most advanced post-market surveillance program in place for any medical product. (Indeed, it's a model for what we should be doing when it comes to all drugs. (New York Post -- Opinions)
Despite ruling, vaccine-autism feud wont fade Feb 14, 2009
The head of a consumer group that questions vaccine safety said she still felt there were the possibility of a link. I think it is a mistake to conclude that because these few test cases were denied compensation, that its been decided vaccines dont play any role in regressive autism, said Barbara Loe Fisher, president of the National Vaccine Information Center. (MSNBC -- Health)
Federal Vaccine Court Rulings Against Autism Families Due to Government's Refusal to Fund Sound Science Feb 13, 2009
The denial of compensation was based on inadequate vaccine safety science available to the court. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the defendant in "vaccine court" and is also responsible for carrying out the very vaccine safety research that is used for the court's decisions ... Two HHS agencies, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), are responsible for vaccine safety research. (PR Newswire)
Vical Presents Pandemic Influenza Vaccine Results and Outlook At WHO Meeting Feb 13, 2009
The company's near-term goals are to confirm vaccine safety and immunogenicity in a larger number of subjects, optimize vaccine dose and adjuvant ratio, explore prime-boost regimens with different vaccines, and leverage the Phase 1 proof of concept for its DNA vaccine platform and Vaxfectin(r) adjuvant into additional indications. About Vical. (Primezone Releases)
Court Rules Against Parents In Autism Case Feb 13, 2009
But the head of one consumer group that questions vaccine safety, the National Vaccine Information Center, said the court's ruling will do little to change the minds of most parents who suspect a link between vaccines and autism. She said more studies are needed. (Click2Houston, TX)
More metro kids get shots after school crackdown Feb 11, 2009
Local school and health officials say problems with compliance are not because of parental concerns about vaccine safety. Finding time, money or transportation for medical appointments is the main issue, they said. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Metro)
Study adds to evidence of vaccine safety Feb 8, 2009
Updated Jan 30, 2009 - 08:05:57 CST. Web Search powered by YAHOO. (Chippewa Falls Chippewa Herald, WI)
Chickenpox Vaccine Not Tied to Strokes in Kids Feb 7, 2009
To shed light on this subject, Dr. James G. Donahue of the Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation, Wisconsin and colleagues analyzed data for the period 1991 through 2004 from the Vaccine Safety DataLink on 3. 2 million children, 35. (MEDLINEplus)
Heart & Vascular Feb 7, 2009
Concerns about health care, food and vaccine safety added to the anxieties Americans felt this year. But it wasn't all doom and gloom -- medical advances in stem cell research have scientists hoping for better transplant surgeries in the future. (CNN -- Health)
