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Only 40% of parents will get their child vaccinated against H1N1?

The latest C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health finds only 40 percent of parents indicate they will get their children vaccinated against H1N1 flu -- while 54 percent of parents indicate they will get their children vaccinated against seasonal flu. Among parents who do not plan to get their children vaccinated against H1N1 flu, 46 percent indicate they are not worried about their children getting H1N1 flu, while 20 percent believe H1N1 flu is not serious.

25 Sep 2009

H1N1 influenza pandemic could present a host of medical ethics issues: JCB

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.

25 Sep 2009

Customized prosthesis from Custom-fit

Custom-fit is a European funded project, coordinated by Delcam, which has developed a new and cost effective way to manufacture fully customised products, individually designed starting from body geometries and putting together rapid manufacturing, information technologies and material science.

24 Sep 2009

Commitments announced at the Clinton Global Initiative

The second day of the Fifth Annual Meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) came to a close with a special session on Northern Ireland, following afternoon plenary and breakout sessions that focused on harnessing innovation for development.

24 Sep 2009

Clinton Global Initiative to raise awareness and funding for NTD control and elimination

At the Clinton Global Initiative today, the Inter-American Development Bank joined with the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases to announce their commitment to mobilize $30 million from the public and private sectors to raise awareness and funding for NTD control and elimination in the Americas, supported by technical assistance from the Pan American Health Organization, regional office of the World Health Organization for the Americas.

24 Sep 2009

Millennium Development Goals strive to reduce malnutrition by half by 2015

Ninety per cent of older persons in rural Bangladesh displayed either overt or risk for malnutrition in a collaborative study presented in a dissertation by Tamanna Ferdous from Uppsala University Sept 22, 2009. The results, which are part of a larger international study, challenge the Millenium Development Goals.

24 Sep 2009

Jean-Pol Tassin honored with the ECNP Neuropsychopharmacology Award

The European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) is pleased to announce Jean-Pol Tassin as the recipient of the 2009 ECNP Neuropsychopharmacology Award in Basic Science Research in recognition of his pioneering and innovative research into the neurochemical basis of substance addiction.

24 Sep 2009

Regence offers coverage to meet the costs associated with H1N1

To remove financial barriers associated with administration of the H1N1 vaccine and to encourage members to seek vaccination, Regence BlueCross BlueShield will provide coverage for the costs associated with the administration of the H1N1 vaccine during the 2009-2010 flu season, waiving co-pays and deductibles for all members covered by its insured plans. Regence will strongly encourage self-insured employers to cover the full cost to ensure that the greatest number of people are protected.

24 Sep 2009

New poll shows bipartisan support to Americans for alcohol and drug addiction treatment

As the debate over health care reform continues on Capitol Hill, a new national poll shows broad, bipartisan support for ensuring that all Americans have access to alcohol and drug addiction treatment.

24 Sep 2009

Research study links cancer to excess body weight

At least 124,000 new cancers in 2008 in Europe may have been caused by excess body weight, according to estimates from a new modelling study. The proportion of cases of new cancers attributable to a body mass index of 25kg/m2 or more were highest among women and in central European countries such as the Czech Republic, Latvia, Slovenia and Bulgaria.

From The University of Manchester 24 Sep 2009

Merck, QIAGEN to collaborate to increase access to HPV vaccination and HPV DNA testing in developing countries

Merck & Co., Inc. and QIAGEN N.V. today announced their intent to collaborate on a new program to increase access to HPV vaccination and HPV DNA testing in some of the most resource-poor areas of the world.

From QIAGEN Manchester Limited 24 Sep 2009

Phase III efficacy trial of two AIDS vaccine candidates shows promise

The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) greeted with excitement today’s announcement by the U.S. Military HIV Research Program and the Thai Ministry of Public Health that, according to an initial analysis, a prime-boost combination of two AIDS vaccine candidates has shown partial efficacy in a phase III efficacy trial in Thailand. The prime-boost combination appeared to be about 31% effective at preventing infection with HIV.

24 Sep 2009

CEL-SCI Corporation engages a CRO for clinical trial of its investigational LEAPS-H1N1 treatment

CEL-SCI Corporation (NYSE AMEX: CVM), a developer of vaccines and therapeutics for the treatment of infectious diseases and a late-stage oncology company, announced today that it has hired a full-service Clinical Research Organization (CRO) with an office in the Washington, D.C./Baltimore area to support its conduct of the upcoming clinical trial of its investigational LEAPS-H1N1 treatment.

24 Sep 2009

Governor Howard Dean to sign copies of his new book and discuss about health care reform

Governor Howard Dean will be in Philadelphia, PA and New York City on Thursday, September 24th to discuss health care reform and sign copies of his new book, Howard Dean's Prescription for Real Healthcare Reform (www.deanshealthcare.com).

24 Sep 2009

Obama addresses U.N. General Assembly, calls for 'new era of engagement'

In his first U.N. General Assembly address, President Obama on Wednesday "called for 'a new era of engagement' ... with the world, pledging to work together with other countries while defending the interests of the United States," Reuters reports (9/23).

24 Sep 2009

It is possible to reduce the risk of HIV infection with a vaccine: AVAC

"Today marks an historic milestone in the search for an AIDS vaccine; we now have evidence that it is possible to reduce the risk of HIV infection with a vaccine," said AVAC executive director Mitchell Warren, reacting to the results of the first AIDS vaccine trial to ever show efficacy at preventing HIV. "It will take time and resources to fully analyze, understand and validate the data, but there is little doubt that this finding will energize and redirect the AIDS vaccine field as all of us begin the hard work to translate this landmark result into true public health benefit."

24 Sep 2009

G20 preview: Obama to propose phasing out of fossil fuel subsidies; HIV/AIDS protesters take to streets in Pittsburgh

During the G20 summit opening Thursday in Pittsburgh, President Obama will propose countries around the world phase out government subsidies that promote the production and use of fossil fuels "that spew carbon dioxide, the chief greenhouse gas," the Associated Press reports (Borenstein, 9/23).

24 Sep 2009

Results of Phase III clinical trial of HIV vaccine released

A Phase III clinical trial involving more than 16,000 adult volunteers in Thailand has demonstrated that an investigational HIV vaccine regimen was safe and modestly effective in preventing HIV infection. According to final results released by the trial sponsor, the U.S. Army Surgeon General, the prime boost combination of ALVAC(R)( )HIV and AIDSVAX(R) B/E( )lowered the rate of HIV infection by 31.2% compared with placebo.

24 Sep 2009

IOM study to examine premarket notification program for medical devices

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced that it has commissioned the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to study the premarket notification program used to review and clear certain medical devices marketed in the United States.

24 Sep 2009

Two Yale faculty members awarded a MacArthur "genius" grant for extraordinary commitment to research

Two Yale faculty members have been named MacArthur Foundation Fellows for 2009, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced. Mary Tinetti, M.D., the Gladys Phillips Crofoot Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology and Public Health and Richard O. Prum, the William Robertson Coe Professor of Ornithology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology will each receive a five-year, $500,000 "genius" grant to spend as they see fit.

24 Sep 2009