|
|
 |
|
| | Procter & Gamble recalls 120,000 Vicks nasal sprays. | | | Friday, November 20, 2009 (10:29 AM)
(I'm feeling awake) | | Procter & Gamble has announced it is recalling 120,000 bottles of Vicks Sinex nasal spray after small traces of bacteria were found in the product.
Bottles shipped to the US, the UK and Germany are being recalled after traces of the B. cepacia bacteria were found at a German plant in Gross Gerau.
The firm said no illnesses had been reported, but the bacteria can affect people with lung problems.
It added that consumers who have the medication should no longer use it.
WHAT IS B. CEPACIA?
Stands for Burkholderia cepacia
Found in soil and water
Causes pneumonia in people who have weakened immune systems or chronic lung diseases, particularly cystic fibrosis
Is often resistant to common antibiotics
Can be spread by person to person contact - careful hand hygiene can reduce the risk
The consumer products giant stressed the recall was just a precautionary measure, but added that "the bacteria could cause serious infections for individuals with a compromised immune system, or those with chronic lung conditions, such as cystic fibrosis."
In the UK, lot 9224028832 of Vicks Sinex Micromist Aqueous Nasal Spray solution in 15ml bottles is being recalled.
This is not the first time B. cepacia has contaminated medicines.
In 2005 in the US, there was an outbreak of pneumonia and other infections caused by a contaminated mouthwash, while in 2004 supplies of an over-the-counter nasal spray were withdrawn because of contamination. | | | 22 Views | 2  Thumbs Up | 1 Comment |  |
|
|
| | Swine flu vaccine to be offered to healthy young children | | | Thursday, November 19, 2009 (8:51 AM)
(I'm feeling awake) | | Healthy children and toddlers aged six months to five years are to be offered vaccinations against swine flu in an extension of the national immunisation programme.
More than 14 million people in priority groups — including young children with asthma or diabetes — are already being vaccinated, but the Government will announce today that children with no underlying health issues should also get the jab.
The UK-wide policy was officially confirmed by the Scottish government today before a similar announcement in England, expected later.
Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish Health Secretary, said: “I am able to announce today that the next group in the population that will be vaccinated, or offered vaccination, is children aged over six months and under five years.”
NHS figures show that children under 16 are the age group most likely to be admitted to hospital with swine flu, and 21 per cent of deaths in England are among under-14s.
The move to vaccinate children was widely expected, although some people had suggested it would start among school-age children.
The Conservatives have already said that all under-25s should get the jab next. However, on the advice of its vaccination experts, the Government decided to concentrate on the youngest age groups.
Immunisation of the existing priority groups is expected to be completed by mid-December, but it is understood that the first healthy children could be offered vaccines at GPs’ surgeries before that.
Sir Liam Donaldson, the Chief Medical Officer for England, is expected to reveal more details and give an update on the progress of the pandemic this afternoon. | | | | 19 Views | 2 Thumbs Up | 1 Comment | |
|
|
| | Has Baxter International released a biological weapon? | | | Friday, November 6, 2009 (9:30 AM)
(I'm feeling awake) | | In February of 2009 Bloomberg reported that Baxter “accidentally” send vaccine material containing both live Avian bird flu and seasonal influenza to multiple laboratories worldwide. A laboratory decided to test the vaccine on it’s ferrets, but the ferrets all unexpectedly died. It must be noted that Baxter has made a “mistake” like this before. Blood products produced by Baxter once containd HIV. Thousands of haemophiliacs died due to this, and many went on to infect their spouses.
Later in the year, a bizarre story emerged on the internet. The Huffington Post reported on a a man named Joseph Moshe who was arrested after a hours long standoff with the police because he had supposedly made threats against the White House. The man was able to withstand multiple rounds of tear gas.
However, the internet community was very skeptical of the true reasons behidn this man’s arrest. Comments on the Huffington Post website immediately began pouring in about an unreported side to this story, namely that Joseph Moshe was a Mossad Agent specialized in biological warfare who called into a radio show to warn people about a biological weapn that was being made by Baxter international that would be spread through vaccine and would cause a plague upon it’s release.
Although anyone can make a doomsday claim and we should never believe anyone (and it must be said that the Truth movement handled this well, the message was spread without being proclaimed as gospel) the amazing part about Moshe’s claim was the location where Moshe said the biological weapon was being produced.
Moshe claimed that Baxter’s laboratory in the Ukraine out of all places was creating this biological weapon. All of this came out in the beginning of August, which is more than 2 months before the situation that is currently unfolding. For Moshe to correctly name the country where a new epidemic would be unleashed, requires either inside information, or an incredible coincidence as anyone with a basic knowledge of statistics can confirm for himself.
Let us assume for a moment that every person on our planet has an equal chance of giving rise to a new lethal epidemic due to a virus that mutates as it spreads through his body. The Ukraine has 46 million inhabitants. The current estimated global population is about 6.7 billion. This means that if a new epidemic were to arise, the chance of this epidemic starting in the Ukraine would be 0.69%. However, it appears that this virus is a form of flu. This makes the odds of being right when guessing that a deadly flu is going to break out in the Ukraine even smaller. The reason for this is that back in early August the vast majority of influenza infections were found in different countries than the Ukraine. In fact, on 30 Oktober, Earthtimes reported that Ukraine had officially reported only two cases of swine flu, and no deaths, until last Friday. This deadly epidemic appears to have arrived out of nowhere in the Ukraine.
Moshe’s biomed profile appears to confirm his position as a microbiologist. Furthermore, this page with Baxter’s contact information for it’s Ukraine office confirms that Baxter has a presence in the Ukraine.
It must also be noted that massive numbers of microbiologists have been dying bizarre deaths. This case of what appears to be a brave man who sacrificed it all to bring us this message may explain why so many microbiologists have been murdered. The fact that this man managed to predict an outbreak of highly lethal influenza in a place where we would least expect it, 2 months before it a actually occured, lends credence to his claim that Baxter International is responsible for the outbreak and shows that top microbiologists can pose a problem to the people responsible for this ongoing disaster.
This is a developing story, expect to see possible updates on David Rothscum Reports as more information on what is happening in Ukraine becomes available.
Comments on the Huffington post website on an article about Moshe’s arrest documenting his claim that the Influenza virus in a vaccine manufactured by Baxter in Ukraine replicates RNA from the 1918 flu and is meant as a bioweapon: | | | | 21 Views | 2 Thumbs Up | 1 Comment | |
|
|
| | Official disclosure of extraterrestrial life is imminent ! | | | Sunday, October 25, 2009 (2:46 PM)
(I'm feeling awake) | | An official announcement by the Obama administration disclosing the reality of extraterrestrial life is imminent. For several months, senior administration officials have been quietly deliberating behind closed doors how much to disclose to the world about extraterrestrial life. Dissatisfaction among powerful institutions such as the U.S. Navy over the decades-long secrecy policy has given a boost to efforts to disclose the reality of extraterrestrial life and technology.
The impending disclosure announcement follows upon the secret implementation of a year long openness policy on UFOs and extraterrestrial life. Over the period February 12-14, 2008, the United Nations held closed doors discussions where approximately 30 nations secretly agreed on a new openness policy on UFOs and extraterrestrial life in 2009. The openness policy was implemented but never publicly announced due to threats against UN diplomats not to disclose details of the secret agreement. h The secret UN agreement was based on two conditions. First, UFOs would continue to appear around the world; and second, the openness policy would not lead to social unrest in liberal democracies. Both conditions have been satisfied making it possible for the next stage to begin – official disclosure of extraterrestrial life.
Obama’s September 24, 2009 chairing of the UN Security Council meeting on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, signaled his emerging leadership role in tackling major global issues such as nuclear weapons. The Nobel Peace Prize was an important step in giving global legitimacy to President Obama in making an extraterrestrial disclosure announcement. Obama is therefore poised to play a prominent role in the increased global governance that will be necessary after an extraterrestrial disclosure announcement. The timing would most likely coincide sometime soon after his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech on December 10, 2009 in Oslo, Norway. | | | | 36 Views | 0 Thumbs Up | 0 Comments | |
|
|
| | Goldman Sachs workers to get £500,000 bonuses EACH | | | Thursday, October 15, 2009 (10:58 AM)
(I'm feeling awake) | |
Goldman Sachs sparked fresh outrage over City pay today when it revealed that its staff are in line for bonus payouts averaging £500,000.
Workers at the US investment bank, which has around 5,500 employees in London, will be rewarded from a share and bonus pool worth £3.3billion, which only covers the most recent quarter.
Across the year as a whole, workers are expected to share a whopping £14billion pot - the highest in its history - and take home an average of £500,000 each.
That 'business as usual' has returned with such a vengeance in the Square Mile was greeted with anger by politicians tonight
John McFall, a Labour MP, said: 'There's a lot government money sloshing around the system, which firms like Goldman are gorging on.'
'The industry has said it is going to change, but in actual fact it's back to business as usual,' said McFall, who chairs the influential Treasury Select Committee.
Vince Cable, the Treasury spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, said: 'People will be rightly furious to see Goldman Sachs paying out bumper bonuses just 12 months after it was bailed out by the US government.'
'It is farcical that so soon after the reckless greed of bankers brought the world economy to its knees, we are seeing a return to business as usual.'
So far, with another three months before the year comes to an end, the Wall Street bank has set aside a mammoth £10.3billion for its pay and bonuses packages.
The projected rewards would eclipse the £412,000 pay and bonuses the firm lavished on staff at the height of the credit boom in 2007.
The figures came after fellow U.S. banking giant JP Morgan posted an unexpected six-fold surge in profits yesterday.
This leaves its estimated 5,500 UK workers in line for an average of nearly £300,000 each in pay and bonuses.
The revival of the banking bonus gravy train will alarm the Government, which has pledged to end the profligate pay that sowed the seeds of the credit crunch and left many families struggling.
| | | | 18 Views | 0 Thumbs Up | 0 Comments | |
|
|
| | girl dies after cervical cancer vaccine | | | Tuesday, September 29, 2009 (6:02 AM)
(I'm feeling awake) | | Health officials paused a vaccination program in the English city of Coventry on Tuesday after a 14-year-old girl died a few hours after being vaccinated against the virus that causes cervical cancer.
NHS Coventry said it stopped the program for two days to give staff administering the vaccine training in how to answer questions from anyone concerned about its safety.
"We fully expect to resume the program in the coming days," the health authority said in a statement.
Natalie Morton died in a hospital Monday, a few hours after being the given the Cervarix vaccine, which protects against two strains of the human papilloma virus that causes cervical cancer. She was vaccinated at her school in Coventry.
Morton appeared to be healthy before being given the jab. Caron Grainger, director for public health at Coventry City Council, said an autopsy will be carried out to see if there is any link between Morton's death and the vaccine. Health officials also said they had quarantined the batch of vaccine given at the school.
The school principal, Julie Roberts, said a few other girls also reported being unwell after receiving the vaccine and some were sent home.
Britain's publicly owned National Health Service began offering the Cervarix vaccine to teenage girls last year, and over 1.4 million doses of the vaccine have been given out so far under the program. The virus is often transmitted through sexual intercourse and authorities wanted to give the vaccine to girls as young as 13 so they are protected by the time they become sexually active.
The cervical cancer vaccine is routinely administered to millions of young girls across Europe and North America. No safety concerns about the vaccines have been raised elsewhere.
"As with any medical intervention ... one can, on rare occasions, see tragic consequences," said Professor Malcolm McCrae, virologist at the University of Warwick. "But overall this is an extremely well-tested vaccine which has been produced in response to a critical health issue — cervical cancer — a disease responsible for almost 1,000 deaths annually in the UK."
Dr Pim Kon, medical director at GlaxoSmithKline UK which manufactures Cervarix, said it was working with the Department of Health and health regulators to investigate the case.
The cervical cancer vaccination program sparked controversy in Britain when it was first introduced. Some critics argued it would encourage girls to become sexually active at a younger age.
"The vaccination program may give young people a false sense of security and lead them to think that, because they have been vaccinated, they are protected against the worst effects of sexual promiscuity and can, therefore, engage in casual sex without consequence," said Norman Wells of the Family Education Trust charity.
Morton's death comes as doctors begin to give children a vaccine against swine flu in a clinical trial. Doctors across England have begun administering one of two vaccines to 1,000 children between the ages of 6 months and 12 years. One of the vaccines is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline and the other by Baxter. The trial aims to see which one is most effective on children.
| | | | 26 Views | 2 Thumbs Up | 1 Comment | |
|
|
| | First swine flu vaccine given go-ahead in UK | | | Friday, September 25, 2009 (9:54 AM)
(I'm feeling awake) | | The first swine flu vaccine was approved for use in the UK today.
European regulators gave the go ahead for Pandemrix, made by GlaxoSmithKline, to be used in adults and children over six months old and pregnant women. A second vaccine, made by Baxter, is still being considered.
Both vaccines contain adjuvants - chemicals that enhance the immune response so that less viral material can be used in each vaccine dose. The European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA) said adjuvants were widely used in vaccine manufacture and have a good safety record. The benefit of adjuvants is that they make the available vaccine go further - which means more of the world’s population can be protected.
However, US regulators have rejected the use of adjuvants for swine flu vaccine. Jesse Goodman, chief scientist at the US Food and Drug Administration, told the New York Times: “These are products that potentially can be given to millions of healthy people. There is not a known, specific safety danger or issue. There's just more uncertainty.”
American public health specialists are worried that using adjuvants could raise fears about vaccine safety among the public just at the time when they are trying to roll out a vaccination programme as widely as possible. As swine flu is mild in most people, but causes serious illness in a few, it may prove difficult to persuade people to accept it - without the added disincentive of the adjuvants.
Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said: “If you add what the public would perceive as another unknown, there's a concern that people would be reluctant to get vaccinated.”
The European Medicines Agency said the adjuvant used in Pandemrix had been tested in clinical trials in “several thousand subjects.” A second vaccine approved today, Focetria made by Novartis, but which will not be used in the UK, contained an adjuvant used in another flu vaccine since 1997 in 45 million doses
However, Dr Fauci said Novartis's adjuvant had been used mainly among the elderly, who tended to have weaker immune systems, and there was less data on its use among children, younger adults and pregnant women.
Having won approval from the European Medicines Agency, the Pandemrix vaccine now awaits licensing by the European Commission, removing the last regulatory barrier allowing the vaccination programme to get underway.
Time is short because latest figures showing a doubling in the number of swine flu cases last week indicate the second wave of the pandemic is already underway.
A spokesman for the Department of Health said the granting of approval for Pandemrix was “a step forward” but they were still dependent on manufacturer’s delivering sufficient vaccine to allow the programme to be begin.
“We plan to start vaccination in October, subject to vaccine being licensed and manufacturers' delivery schedules.This is not the Department of Health's schedule - it is led by the manufacturers.”
The UK has bought 60 million doses of Pandemrix.
The EMEA said: “As with all medicines, rare adverse reactions may only be detected once the vaccines are used in large numbers of people. The Agency has requested that vaccine manufacturers implement plans to actively investigate and monitor the safety of vaccines as soon as they are used across the EU, so that action can be taken as early as possible if a safety issue emerges. As part of this, the manufacturers have committed to carry out post-authorisation safety studies in about 9,000 subjects for each vaccine.” | | | | 25 Views | 0 Thumbs Up | 0 Comments | |
|
|
| | Four New Jersey police officers shot in Ocean County while serving search warrant | | | Thursday, September 24, 2009 (3:06 PM)
(I'm feeling awake) | | Gunfire erupted as a police tactical squad executed a no-knock search warrant in a New Jersey suburb this morning, leaving four officers and a suspect shot.
One Lakewood police officer who was shot in the face and another who was shot in the foot were taken to a hospital, Deputy Chief Michael Mohel of the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said. Two others sustained minor injuries when they were struck in their bulletproof vests.
The suspect, Jamie Gonzalez, 39, was taken to a hospital with multiple gunshot wounds, Mohel said. There was no word on their conditions and the names of the officers have not been released.
Police had planned to search the home in the town about 35 miles east of Trenton for narcotics and weapons, Mohel said.
The shooting comes more than two months after Jersey City police Detective Marc DiNardo was shot in the face storming an apartment where two armed robbery suspects were holed up. Four other officers were wounded in the gun battle and the suspects were killed. | | | | 35 Views | 0 Thumbs Up | 0 Comments | |
|
|
| | Deal 'close' over swine flu jabs. | | | Friday, August 14, 2009 (11:41 AM)
(I'm feeling awake) | | Doctors' leaders say they are hopeful that an agreement can soon be reached in negotiations with government over the swine flu vaccination programme.
Ministers unveiled plans on Thursday to vaccinate over 13 million people in the first wave of the UK programme.
But officials were forced to admit GPs had still not signed up to the deal.
The British Medical Association has asked for extra funds to administer the two-shot jab, which some campaigners have dubbed ludicrous.
The government had hoped to have the GPs on board by the time it announced its plan this week.
Talks with the government remain ongoing and we are hopeful that these discussions will conclude shortly
Dr Laurence Buckman, of the British Medical Association
But negotiations have taken longer than expected. Doctors are paid £7.51 for each seasonal flu vaccine and other jabs, such as travel inoculations.
They are not expecting that amount for what may turn out to be a mass vaccination programme, but have argued in talks that they need extra money to cover staffing and administration costs and the overtime they may need to do.
They have also asked for their bonus payments to be protected if work such as blood pressure checks is affected.
Under the programme put forward, people with health conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, pregnant women, those with weakened immune systems and frontline health and social care workers will be the first to receive the jab.
This amounts to more than 13 million - about a fifth of the UK population.
It has not been decided whether the rest of the population will then be immunised, although the government has ordered enough vaccine to do so.
There is still time to broker a deal as the vaccination programme will not be started until regulators have approved the vaccine. This is not likely to happen until the end of September at the earliest.
'Ludicrous'
Dr Laurence Buckman, chairman of the British Medical Association's GPs committee, said: "Talks with the government remain ongoing and we are hopeful that these discussions will conclude shortly.
"Currently, the health service is working well in response to this enormous challenge and all doctors will continue to work hard on behalf of all their patients."
But Susie Squire, political director at the Taxpayers' Alliance, said: "It is the job of GPs to provide frontline healthcare - and they are well paid by taxpayers for this service.
"To pay them extra to administer swine-flu injections is ludicrous. As doctors they should understand that public health is unpredictable and sometimes there are epidemics or accidents that have to be dealt with, and this can mean unpaid overtime."
A Department of Health spokesman said: "We are now working with BMA and NHS organisations to reach a comprehensive swine flu vaccine implementation plan for this first stage of the programme."
Doses of the vaccine have already been produced. A total of 300,000 doses from the two firms the UK has contracts with are due to be delivered this month.
Human trials are now getting under way and if they go well regulators could approve the jabs by the end of September.
Like seasonal flu vaccines, the jabs can be licensed under a fast-track procedure.
The vaccines have already been tested with a different strain of flu and proven to be safe.
So they just need limited testing with the correct strain to get the green light.
This means the process can take just a month or so, unlike new drugs which can take years to get approval.
The government is still in negotiation with GPs about how the programme will be delivered.
But the vaccine requires people to be given two doses, three weeks apart.
That would mean the first phase of the programme will take until at least early December to complete.
The government said it will make a decision on this during the winter.
It will eventually have enough vaccine for the whole population, but in most cases it has remained a relatively mild infection.
However, Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson has warned that it could still become more deadly and while the death toll remains low, a fifth of cases have involved previously healthy people. | | | | 35 Views | 0 Thumbs Up | 0 Comments | |
|
|
| | Don’t give children swine flu drugs. | | | Tuesday, August 11, 2009 (12:32 AM)
(I'm feeling awake) | | CHILDREN should not be given the antiviral drug Tamiflu to combat swine flu, researchers have warned.
The experts from Oxford University said their research, based on the drug’s effect on seasonal flu, suggests the risks to children outweigh any benefits.
But the National Public Health Service in Wales (NPHS) today said it believed a “safety-first” approach of offering Tamiflu to all children under five was sensible. All children under five and older children who have underlying chronic conditions and swine flu symptoms are offered Tamiflu in Wales in a bid to prevent complications.
The policy of offering Tamiflu during the swine flu pandemic was called into question yesterday following the publication of the research.
It warned that Tamiflu can cause vomiting in some children, which can lead to dehydration and the need for hospital treatment. The researchers said children should not be given the drug if they have a mild form of flu, although they urged parents and GPs to remain vigilant for signs of complications.
The study, published on bmj.com, found Tamiflu and another antiviral, Relenza, had little or no effect on asthma flare-ups, ear infections or the likelihood of a child needing antibiotics.
And they said, although it was difficult to know the extent to which the findings could be translated to children affected by swine flu, based on current evidence, the effects of antivirals on reducing the course of illness or preventing complications might be limited.
Dr Carl Heneghan, a GP and clinical lecturer at Oxford University, said the current policy of giving Tamiflu for mild illness was an “inappropriate strategy”.
He added: “The downside of the harms outweigh the one-day reduction in symptomatic benefits.”
And he advised GPs “not to rely on Tamiflu as a treatment to reduce complications” or to think of it as a “magic bullet”, warning its widespread use could result in the H1N1 virus becoming resistant to the drug.
Dr Matthew Thompson, a GP and senior clinical scientist at Oxford University, said: “The current swine flu is generally a mild flu illness – it does not seem that different from current seasonal flu. We would be happy to say our results apply to the current swine flu strain.”
Wales’ approach to the use of Tamiflu has been more conservative to that in England, which has experienced higher levels of swine flu in the past three months.
Some 300,000 doses of Tamiflu have been prescribed in England, mainly through the National Pandemic Flu Service.
It is not yet known how many doses of Tamiflu have been prescribed in Wales – it is thought that the 99 people who have been confirmed with swine flu have been offered the antiviral.
Dr John Watkins, a consultant in public health medicine for the NPHS, said: “As the authors themselves note, the extent to which the findings can be applied to the current pandemic is questionable and no children with H1N1 have been tested as part of this research.
“We already know that swine flu behaves differently to seasonal flu, and past pandemics have hit younger people hardest.
“While there is concern about how swine flu affects children, we believe a safety-first approach of offering antivirals to symptomatic children in Wales remains a sensible and responsible way forward.
“The BMJ research is correct to say that many people with swine flu only have mild symptoms, and we advise that people who do not fall into at-risk groups and are experiencing mild symptoms should treat themselves at home with bed rest and over-the-counter flu remedies.
“But for those in at-risk groups and those who experience severe symptoms, the best scientific advice tells us that antivirals should still be taken as soon as possible and that the course should be completed even if the patient feels better.”
Dr Jane Wilkinson, Wales’ deputy chief medical officer, said: “We welcome research into influenza as the findings may help us tackle this pandemic influenza outbreak.
“It is important to point out, however, that the BMJ review is based on seasonal flu and not swine flu.
“For most people this illness is mild and they will get better within five to seven days.
“However, for those who experience severe symptoms and those who are in at-risk groups – such as those with chronic conditions, pregnant women or children under five – antivirals are provided to help reduce the symptoms of the virus.
“The advice still remains to get antivirals to these groups within 48 hours to maximise their effectiveness.
“If parents have any concerns about whether their children should take Tamiflu, they should discuss this with their GP.” | | | | 26 Views | 0 Thumbs Up | 0 Comments | |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
