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Two health care providers argue about making flu vaccination mandatory for health care workers

Should flu vaccines be mandatory for health care workers? That's the question raised this week in the British Medical Journal to two health care providers, including Penn Medicine's Amy J. Behrman, MD, in a "Head to Head" piece that argues both sides of the debate.

15 Nov 2013

Diagnosing influenza with rapid tests leads to more efficient care

When patients in the emergency department (ED) are diagnosed with influenza by means of a rapid test, they get fewer unnecessary antibiotics, are prescribed antiviral medications more frequently, and have fewer additional lab tests compared to patients diagnosed with influenza without testing, according to a new study. Published online in the Journal of the Pediatrics Infectious Diseases Society, the findings suggest that diagnosing influenza with a rapid diagnostic test leads to more appropriate, specific, and efficient care.

14 Nov 2013

AMGA honors Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group with Acclaim Award

The Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group is the Honoree the American Medical Group Association's Acclaim Award.

6 Nov 2013

Safe sleep environment can reduce risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

On the cover of a popular consumer magazine, the latest celebrity mom holds her adorable newborn. The centerfold is emblazoned with images of the baby's nursery with a crib filled with soft, frilly bedding, pillows and stuffed animals. Barbara Ostfeld cringes; the photos perpetuate a message she is trying to dismantle. The overstuffed crib, with all its beautiful accessories, is an unsafe sleeping environment for an infant.

30 Oct 2013

New DNA vaccine effective against plaques in mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

Amyloid-beta (Aβ) active immunization in Alzheimer's disease can increase the rate of Aβ clearance, and delay cognitive dysfunction, but it is easy to induce meningoencephalitis, which may be related to activation of Th1 lymphocytes.

30 Oct 2013

Phase 3 study shows STELARA inhibits structural damage in patients with active psoriatic arthritis

New findings from two integrated Phase 3 Janssen Research & Development, LLC (Janssen)-sponsored studies showed treatment with STELARA- (ustekinumab) resulted in significantly greater inhibition of structural damage in patients with active psoriatic arthritis compared with placebo.

29 Oct 2013

Merck provides overview of clinical trial program for HPV vaccine V503

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today provided an overview of the clinical trial program for V503, the company's investigational 9-valent human papillomavirus vaccine, to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in the United States.

25 Oct 2013

BCG asthma effects are lost in adolescence

Any beneficial effects of the neonatal Bacillus Calmette–Guérin vaccine on childhood asthma symptoms and outcomes are likely to be transient, disappearing by adolescence, show follow-up findings from the Manchester Community Asthma Study.

23 Oct 2013

Influenza vaccination linked with reduced risk of adverse cardiovascular events

Receiving an influenza vaccination was associated with a lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events such as heart failure or hospitalization for heart attack, with the greatest treatment effect seen among patients with recent acute coronary syndrome (ACS; such as heart attack or unstable angina), according to a meta-analysis published in the October 23/30 issue of JAMA.

23 Oct 2013

Parental perceptions pose major barrier to acceptance of HPV vaccination

A Mayo Clinic physician and two other pediatric experts say that parental perceptions pose a major barrier to acceptance of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination — and that many of those perceptions are wrong.

22 Oct 2013

KidsLink enters into healthcare market

KidsLink, an online family management platform used to organize important documents, events, and milestones, announces its entry into the healthcare market in partnership with Piedmont Medical Center, a Tenet Healthcare hospital based in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

18 Oct 2013

European Commission approves updated label of Prevenar 13 for high risk pneumococcal disease

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) announced today that the European Commission approved updates to the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) for the company's pneumococcal conjugate vaccine Prevenar 13* (pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine [13-valent, adsorbed]), regarding its use in certain populations at high risk of pneumococcal disease.

18 Oct 2013

State highlights: Calif. Gov. Vetoes 'biosimilars' bill; health data gateway opens in Calif.; L.A. health workers required to get flu shots

A selection of health policy stories from California. A bill that would have allowed "biosimilar" drugs to be substituted for biologic drugs was vetoed over the weekend by Gov. Jerry Brown (D), who said it was premature to pass the law until the Federal Drug Administration has worked out standards for the new drugs.

17 Oct 2013

Measles-containing vaccines administered at 12-5 months of age associated with reduced risk of fever, seizures

Children receiving measles-containing vaccines at 12-15 months of age have a lower increased risk of fever and seizures than those who receive them at 16-23 months of age, according to a new Kaiser Permanente study published in JAMA Pediatrics.

15 Oct 2013

Evidence shows vaccination pilot campaigns highly successful during 2010 cholera epidemic

The deadly cholera epidemic that rocked earthquake-shattered Haiti in 2010, claiming 8,000 lives and counting, has rallied the public health community to seek water and sewer improvements that, combined with vaccination, could prevent some 89,000 future cholera infections.

11 Oct 2013

WHO prequalifies affordable vaccine to protect children against Japanese encephalitis

An affordable vaccine to protect children against deadly Japanese encephalitis has been prequalified by the World Health Organization, paving the way to reach millions more children across Asia at risk for the disease.

10 Oct 2013

McMaster vaccine offers new hopes for global fight against TB

A tuberculosis vaccine developed at McMaster University offers new hopes for the global fight against tuberculosis.

3 Oct 2013

Research recommends that pediatricians respect parents' rights in making case for immunization

Controversy about the risks of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines has been rumbling in the United States for years -- and now it's Israel's turn. After finding traces of the polio virus in sewage, Israel's Ministry of Health launched a national vaccination campaign that reached more than half a million children. Surprisingly, dissenting voices flooded social media and the mainstream news, calling for a halt to the campaign.

2 Oct 2013

New research shows no increased danger for egg allergic children who take flu shots

All children should have flu shots, even if they have an egg allergy, and it's now safe to get them without special precautions. This finding is from the latest update on the safety of the flu vaccine for allergic patients, published in the October issue of the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the official journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.