Category: A.M. Vitals: HPV Vaccine Now Recommended for Boys, Too

MEwens
Recommending Wider Vaccination: The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended yesterday that boys be vaccinated against the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus, a measure previously recommended only for females, the WSJ reports. The group recommends boys ages 11 and 12 receive Gardasil, Merck’s HPV vaccine. HPV can cause cancers of the cervix and […]

MEwens
XMRV Theory Dealt a Blow: Scientists are backing off a controversial paper that linked a retrovirus called XMRV to chronic fatigue syndrome, and a working group looking at the issue says there’s now no reason to screen the blood supply for the virus, the WSJ reports. Two authors of the original 2009 study, […]

MEwens
Nearly two in three people plan to get a flu shot this year and more health-care pros are recommending their patients get them, according to a National Foundation for Infectious Diseases survey released on Wednesday.
At a news conference in Washington D.C., public health officials and other medical experts provided coverage estimates for the […]

MEwens
Nearly two in three people plan to get a flu shot this year and more health-care pros are recommending their patients get them, according to a National Foundation for Infectious Diseases survey released on Wednesday.
At a news conference in Washington D.C., public health officials and other medical experts provided coverage estimates for the […]

MEwens
Boosting Demand for Flu Shots: Even as manufacturers have produced a record amount of flu vaccines, medical facilities and retailers are trying to drum up interest in the shots following weak demand last year, the WSJ reports. CVS Caremark has stopped requiring reservations for the shots, Walgreen is aiming TV ads at the […]

MEwens
Poison Protection?: Pharmacy-services provider PharMerica said it adopted a poison-pill provision to prevent unwanted takeover bids, Dow Jones Newswires reports. Earlier this week the company rejected a $15-per-share bid from Omnicare, saying it undervalued PharMerica and that regulatory risk was too high. Omnicare said it was still willing to talk with PharMerica about […]

MEwens
Certain vaccines have been linked to rare health problems, but in general, immunizations don’t carry many side effects, an analysis of more than 1,000 studies finds.
The report is by the Institute of Medicine, an independent federal advisory group. A committee including pediatricians, epidemiologists and experts in certain diseases was charged with evaluating the […]

MEwens
By Timothy W. Martin
More flu shots than ever will be produced for the upcoming influenza season, as public-health officials keep trying to spur more Americans — particularly health-care workers and pregnant women –  to get vaccinated.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on a media teleconference today that it expects about 166 […]

MEwens
When you make drugs or other medical products, unwanted contaminants that can fall into the mix — say, beetle parts (in baby formula) or glass flakes (in anemia drugs).
The latest pharma world example of wow-that-really-shouldn’t-be-in-there comes from Merck. As the WSJ reports, the company says charred bits of plastic shrink wrap have been […]

MEwens
For the Health Blog, the major trauma of the chickenpox was breaking out in itchy blisters mere weeks before the senior prom. But in rare cases, chicken pox can actually kill people, and new research shows how vaccination has helped curb the number of annual deaths from the disease.
Writing online in the journal […]