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While childhood vaccination rates are well over 90%, adults are far more likely to be behind on vaccinations http://www.hhs.gov/nvpo/national_adult_immunization_plan_final.pdf Think you're up to date on your vaccinations? You might be surprised at how many vaccinations are now recommended for American adults -- and the federal government plans to start tracking which of those vaccines you're behind on. The Department of Health and Human Services released its preliminary draft of a new five year plan to increase adult vaccinations this month. The newly revised 52-page National Adult Immunization Plan says: While the NVP provides a vision for improving protection from vaccine-preventable...

Today's young parents are confronted with a dilemma; should they obey the clear, strict instructions of the neighborhood school and make sure their child is vaccinated before school starts, or should they 'just say no'. Some folks on side of receiving immunization shots are quick to point out the worrying resurgence of various diseases most Americans thought were almost wiped out. Diseases such as measles, mumps and whooping cough have largely been held in check because of available immunization injections. In 2011 there were 167 cases of Whooping Cough reported. In 2013 there have been 352 so far. These almost...

CINCINNATI — One of Cincinnati’s largest employers fired approximately 150 employees Wednesday for failing to get a required flu shot. TriHealth offered all of its 10,800 employees free flu shots. Employees had a month to get the flu shot. The deadline was Nov. 16. Employees who did not get the shot were terminated Wednesday, a company spokesperson said...

Bear with me, this isn’t a “sound bite” subject. The Human Papilloma Virus is an infection, and should not be a moral issue. In contrast, the vaccine against four strains of the virus, Gardasil, has become a political issue, even though the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now recommends it for all boys and girls. Governor Rick Perry has been criticized for his February, 2007 Executive Order that made the vaccine mandatory for girls before entering the 6th grade. Very little is said about the part of the EO that affirmed the right of and facilitated parents who wish...

Well, hm. I've never heard this angle before, but it makes total, creepy sense. An EPA study published February 16 in Environmental Science & Technology (pdf of study here) found that a marked increase in the incidence of autism began in 1988. See its table above; click to enlarge. The study found, "Although the debate about the nature of increasing autism continues, the potential for this increase to be real and involve exogenous environmental stressors exists." According to the April newsletter of the Sound Choice Pharmaceutical Institute, this is the year the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices added a 2nd...

OTTAWA, August 14, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Critics say that the reasons to avoid using the HPV vaccine, Gardasil, continue to pile up in the form of thousands of instances of severe side effects, including numerous deaths. In response to the mounting evidence that the vaccine may not be safe for widespread use, the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) is slated to release a study in October that will attempt to determine the validity of these reports. Judicial Watch, a public interest group, has closely monitored Gardasil since it was released by creator Merck in 2006, periodically detailing statistics on the...

Jackie and Dunlap give out some health tips for Nascar-curious Democrats-- both of 'em

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional Democrats on Wednesday introduced legislation that would repeal a law that gives vaccine, drug and medical device makers broad protection against lawsuits in a public health or bioterror emergency. Democrats generally agree there should be some legal protections for certain vaccines but say the Republican version defined health emergency too broadly and did not compensate people who were injured. The liability provision, strongly favored by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee, was added to a defense bill enacted in December. Democrats would have an uphill struggle trying to repeal it.

Gian Paul Gonzalez stands with his mother, Catherine, outside of Grace Bible Church in North Haledon. Gian Paul Gonzalez was 11 years old when his mother told him a story that forever changed his life.They were discussing miracles, and whether or not they ever happened. Gian Paul, now an All-New Jersey Athletic Conference forward on the Montclair State basketball team, said he doubted that they did, and Catherine Gonzalez told her son that he needed to sit down and hear about the miracle that was his own life.When Catherine was first pregnant with Gian Paul in late 1982, she...

NEWARK, N.J. -- An infant died Thursday after being stricken at a downtown office of the state child welfare agency, police said. The month-old boy, who has been in foster care since birth, had just arrived about noon at an office of the state Division of Youth and Family Services from a doctor's visit. He had received immunizations for hepatitis B and polio at the doctor's, said DYFS spokesman Andy Williams. (snip) "It appears the baby had a reaction to an immunization," Williams said. An autopsy is to be done to determine the cause of death, police said. (snip)

FDA should take closer look at Thimerosal When you think of the Food and Drug Administration, what image comes to mind? For some, it is a bloated bureaucracy that tries to regulate every substance entering our bodies. For others, it is a necessary administration that keeps us safe and healthy. Taking the latter into consideration, did you know that the FDA has issued 87 product recalls, market withdrawals and safety alerts since January? Almost daily, some food or drug is either mandated or voluntarily recalled by the FDA, often without a single case of a health problem. The FDA just...

SEATTLE - Rod Watson had to cancel 1,000 flu-shot clinics in four states when the national vaccine shortage cut off his supply two months ago. Now Watson has flu shots aplenty - and he can't give them away. "My biggest fear is I'm gong to end up with a lot of serum, and there's a national shortage," said Watson, president of Prevention MD, a medical screening and immunization company. He offers $20 flu shots Monday through Friday at his Seattle-area office. Public health officials in California, Colorado and other states have voiced similar fears. Some are relaxing the rules to...

Scene by disheartening scene, the spectacle of a severe shortage of flu vaccine is unfolding across the country. Last week, elderly and chronically ill people waited in line for hours to get flu shots; some were turned away. One died after hitting her head when she passed out or fell while waiting. Price gougers demanded $800 for $60 vials of vaccine. States threatened to fine or jail doctors and nurses who gave shots to anyone not in the high-risk groups. Congress, the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission began investigations into how the nation has been left, on...

CDC Vaccine Data Leads Scientists to Shocking DiscoveryMonday February 9, 9:20 am ET CHILDREN 27-TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DEVELOP AUTISM WITH EXPOSURE TO MERCURY- CONTAINING VACCINES, FINDINGS REVIEWED AT TODAY'S IOM MEETING IN DC WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Institute of Medicine will hold a one-day meeting to review important new research on the link between thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative in vaccines, and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. One of the larger studies under review comes from the CDC's own Vaccine Safety Datalink. Under independent investigation, CDC's data concludes children are 27-times more likely to develop autism...

The military's anthrax and smallpox immunizations are safe to administer to service members, a senior military medical officer told 2004 Tricare conference attendees here Jan. 28. "The vaccination programs we operate are designed to keep troops healthy, to help troops get back home safely," said Army Col. John D. Grabenstein, deputy director of clinical operations for the Military Vaccine Agency. Concerns about the safety of the vaccines, Grabenstein said, have been thoroughly checked, with findings provided to federal health officials and civilian physicians. Service members, he explained, are medically screened before receiving the vaccines. Very few serious ill effects have...

<p>SHREVEPORT - Gubernatorial candidate Kathleen Blanco took her gloves off in a debate here Friday, openly criticizing what she said were failures during Bobby Jindal's terms as head of the Department of Health and Hospitals and as head of the University of Louisiana System.</p>

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 25, 2003 Contact: Debi Vinnedge, Executive Director Children of God for Life (727) 538-5558 Email: debi@cogforlife.org http://www.cogforlife.org MERCK REQUESTS SHAREHOLDERS VOTE AGAINST RESOLUTION TO STOP THE USE OF ABORTED FETAL TISSUE IN VACCINES (Clearwater, FL; Front Royal, VA) Pro-life organizations, Children of God for Life and Human Life International charged today that pharmaceutical giant, Merck & Co. has betrayed their stockholders by refusing to include language in Shareholder Proposal No. 7. that would have revealed: - An organized boycott of all Merck products - A resolution by the Catholic Medical Association to use alternatives to their...

- The stomach virus ripping its way through New York City appears to be the same disease that ravaged the cruise ship industry, health officials told The New York Sun.The outbreak of what they believe is the Norwalk virus was first detected in early autumn, the officials said. They are still awaiting final confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that the virus is the same.“We noticed an increase in hospitalizations,” Dr. Thomas Frieden said. “But we are still waiting to make sure it is the Norwalk virus. The results are not back yet.”Officials told the Sun...