1) "Adults attending Olympics may need vaccine" United Press International (June 14, 2012) - "People from all across the world will attend the Summer Olympics in London and many will bring a communicable disease with them, U.S. health officials say. Phyllis Kozarsky of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta said those attending the Summer Olympics should make sure they are up-to-date on vaccinations. 'Even if you had all routine vaccines as a child, ask your doctor if you need a tetanus, pertussis -- whooping cough -- diphtheria booster, commonly known as TDAP,' Kozarsky said in a statement. 'Even if not attending the Olympics, many adults have not had a tetanus, pertussis, diphtheria immunization in years. Adults should get a booster every 10 years.' Measles immunization is also worth checking, too, because Europe had several outbreaks last summer, Kozarsky said."
http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2012/06/14/Adults-attending-Olympics-may-need-vaccine/UPI-73931339730946/#ixzz1xrzEmIko
 
2) "Jeff Gordon's Race to Stop Pertussis" Parade (June 14, 2012) - "Jeff Gordon is used to-and good at-moving at high speeds. But there's one thing in particular he can't do fast enough: spread the word about preventing pertussis, or whooping cough, a sometimes-fatal respiratory infection that affects children too young to have completed a full course of vaccinations, as well as adults with compromised immunity. Gordon, father to Ella, 4, and Leo, 1, has partnered with the March of Dimes and Sanofi Pasteur, a vaccine maker, on the Sounds of Pertussis campaign, which aims to raise awareness about the disease and Tdap (tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis), the vaccine that can help prevent it. Parade.com spoke to Gordon, along with fellow advocate Felicia Dube, who in 2010 lost her 5-week-old son Carter to pertussis...'I hope that [parents] take away the need for all adults who are going to come in contact with your small children, your newborns, needs to have the adult Tdap booster vaccine, whether they're going to be around your children for a day; whether it's your grandparents, your caregiver-anyone who is going to come in contact with your small children needs to have this vaccine. It is something that we did not know anything about when our son Carter was born. And maybe if we would have, Carter would not have contracted whooping cough.'"
http://www.parade.com/health/2012/06/jeff-gordon-race-to-stop-pertussis.html
 
3) "Low Awareness of Meningococcal Disease and New Vaccination Recommendations Putting St. Louis Teens at Risk; School Nurses Rally Community in Response" Kansas City Business Journal (June 14, 2012) - "Parents in Missouri may be unaware that their adolescent children are at risk of contracting a serious, potentially fatal bacterial infection called meningococcal disease if they have not received the second (booster) dose of meningococcal vaccine now recommended by public health officials. The Missouri Association of School Nurses (MASN) has joined organizations and community leaders across the country on a national initiative to ensure that parents are aware of the current meningococcal immunization recommendations, and that both preteens and teens get vaccinated.  In bringing the National Association of School Nurses and Sanofi Pasteur's Voices of Meningitis "Boost Our Rates!" initiative to St. Louis, MASN and the Gateway Immunization Coalition are rallying local organizations committed to adolescent health to help raise awareness and 'boost' the area's vaccination rates...Many parents may be unaware of the importance of vaccination, which may have contributed to low immunization rates in Missouri, where only 49 percent of 13- to 17-year-olds have been vaccinated against meningitis."
http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/prnewswire/press_releases/Missouri/2012/06/14/NY24524
 
4) "Clark County tries to get more health care workers vaccinated" The Oregonian (June 14, 2012) - "While Washington's whooping cough epidemic has spurred Clark County health providers to vaccinate children and their families against the infectious disease, Clark County's public health department is also waging a campaign to get health care workers vaccinated. Pam Dykes, the department's communicable disease program manager, says the department noticed low immunization rates among health care workers when the department investigated infectious disease outbreaks. 'We often contact health care provider offices (and) child care facility staff,' Dykes says. 'What we found was, many times, they didn't know whether they were immune to a certain disease'...But neither the state of Washington nor health care facilities require health care workers to prove they've been immunized...For the past two years, Dykes has spearheaded an effort to contact all the health care and child care facilities in Clark County and help them with proving their employees' vaccinations are up to date or getting their workers vaccinated ...Some health care and child care providers are changing their vaccination policies in light of the public health department's campaign."
http://www.oregonlive.com/clark-county/index.ssf/2012/06/clark_county_tries_to_get_more.html
 
5) "Whooping cough in Kan. part of national trend" Associated Press (June 14, 2012) - "Health officials say Kansas and other parts of the United States are experiencing a cyclical peak in the number of cases of whooping cough. Since the beginning of the year, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment has recorded 56 confirmed cases of whooping cough...An epidemiologist from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta said the United States is in the midst of another peak outbreak of the illness...Health officials say the best prevention is to make sure young children are immunized between the age of 2 months and 6 years, with boosters during adolescence...Hunt said the department's main focus has been communicating the dangers of the spread of whooping cough and the importance of vaccinations. Dr. Gianfranco Pezzino, head of the Shawnee County Health Department, said one factor for fewer cases in Kansas - compared to Washington - was the state's policy that limits the ability of parents to opt-out of immunizations. The higher vaccination rates and lower number of school immunization exemptions means more of the population is protected from the illness and its spread is limited, he said."
http://washingtonexaminer.com/entertainment/health/2012/06/whooping-cough-kan-part-national-trend/730281
 
6) "Whooping cough cases increasing in both counties" Hudson Star-Observer (WI) (June 14, 2012) - "Pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough, is currently widespread, with 1,514 cases in Wisconsin and as of June 14, 35 cases in Pierce County and 29 cases in St. Croix County. Cases with Pierce and St. Croix counties have been widespread and involving individuals from age 6 months to 55 years...Public health officials in each county are encouraging those not vaccinated do so. 'The best defense against pertussis continues to be vaccination,' said Dr. Henry Anderson, State Health Officer.  'We recommend all Wisconsin residents check their vaccination status and schedule a visit to their healthcare providers if they have not yet been immunized against pertussis.' It should be noted that the vaccine does not guarantee that one will not get pertussis. If someone does experience pertussis after immunization, their case is usually milder."
http://www.hudsonstarobserver.com/event/article/id/102290/publisher_ID/19/
 
7) "Glaxo vaccine protects children as young as 6 weeks against 2 serious bacterial diseases" Associated Press (June 14, 2012) - "The first vaccine that protects children as young as six weeks against two potentially deadly bacterial infections has won approval from U.S. health regulators.The Food and Drug Administration approved Menhibrix, a combination vaccine for infants and babies that prevents meningococcal disease and haemophilus influenza. Those bacteria can cause potentially deadly illness, or lead to blindness, mental retardation and amputation. The FDA said the diseases are difficult to spot because their symptoms are similar to the common cold. The vaccine is given in a four-dose regimen beginning as early as six weeks of age. The fourth dose can be given as late as 18 months of age. The vaccine is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline PLC at facilities in Belgium."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/glaxo-vaccine-protects-children-as-young-as-6-weeks-against-2-serious-bacterial-diseases/2012/06/14/gJQA3uxEdV_story.html
 
8) "US approves Glaxo meningitis vaccine for children" Reuters (June 15, 2012) - "U.S. regulators on Thursday approved a new children's vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline PLC that targets two common causes of bacterial meningitis, which can be fatal. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said the vaccine, MenHibrix, is meant for children aged six weeks to 18 months and combines vaccines for meningococcal disease and Hib disease. The diseases are common causes of the infection. The FDA had rejected MenHibrix twice before, in 2010 and 2011, but GlaxoSmithKline said it had resolved regulators' questions about the vaccine's potency and efficacy...Dr. Karen Midthun, director of the FDA's center for biologics, said Menhibrix is the first meningococcal vaccine that can be given to children as young as six weeks...The vaccine's safety was tested in 7,500 children in the United States, Mexico and Australia. The vaccine is given in four doses, and common side effects included pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, irritability and fever."
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/06/15/us-approves-glaxo-meningitis-vaccine-for-children/#ixzz1xs2zCeA1
 
9) "Just Ask! A Simple Request to Save Your Baby's Life" Shot of Prevention Blog (June 14, 2012) - "I just read some interesting survey results in Health News Digest regarding the risk of pertussis in infants. 'A large majority of parents with children aged 2 years and younger - 83 percent - believe that vaccination is important for adults in contact with infants and young children to help protect against the spread of pertussis. Yet, only 19 percent reported asking friends and family in close contact with their child to get an adult pertussis vaccination'...based on the results of this survey, parents ARE aware of the risk.  However, they are just not willing to make a simple request of others. Why is that? Well, it appears that this kind of conversation makes parents feel uncomfortable. 'More than half (61 percent) of parents with children aged 2 years and younger said they would feel awkward asking a family member/caregiver to get an adult pertussis vaccine'...We have got to find a way to help make this conversation less awkward for new parents.  Especially since 80% of pertussis cases in children can be traced back to a family member... Nearly 45 percent of adults who don't have young children in their own homes, but who are around young children, would consider getting an adult Tdap booster vaccine if a family member asked.  And 83 percent would consider getting one if they were asked by their doctor or other health-care professional. So be sure to do your part and JUST ASK!"
http://shotofprevention.com/2012/06/14/just-ask-a-simple-request-to-save-your-babys-life/#more-3185
 
10) "The Curious Case of Autism and MMS" Huffington Post: Healthy Living Blog (June 14, 2012) - "I'm going to say something radical, something that may shock you. Brace yourself. Are you ready? Here goes: It's not a good idea to make children drink bleach...Unfortunately, in the autism community, where there are disagreements about everything, even this seemingly straightforward statement causes arguments...the Autism One presentation that may have gotten the most attention this year was this one, about a treatment called MMS. In it, Kerri Rivera, the founder of a 'Biomed-based Autism Clinic in Latin America,' explained 'how MMS (chlorine dioxide) has become the 'missing piece' to the autism puzzle' and how she has used it to recover 38 children in 20 months...MMS, in other words, is bleach. Rivera recommends giving it orally up to eight times a day. There's also a protocol for enemas, applied two to three times per week, and baths, which can be taken every other day...There is not a shred of scientific evidence that MMS is an effective treatment for autism...the presence of smart people at a conference that promotes quackery doesn't change the fact that it's promoting quackery...There are many things to argue about in the autism community. MMS isn't one of them."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/todd-drezner/autism-cure_b_1588498.html