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Royal College of Physicians President Responds To The Public Accounts Committe Report Into Health Services For Harmful Drinkers, UK
Responding to the publication of the Public Accounts Committee"s report Reducing Alcohol Harm: Health services in England for alcohol misuse, Professor Ian Gilmore, President of the Royal College of Physicians said [of the report]:
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Merck's Gardasil Effective At Preventing HPV, Cervical Disease In Older Women, Study Finds
Merck"s human papillomavirus vaccine, Gardasil, was 90% effective in preventing infection with the virus and cervical disease in women ages 24 to 45, according to a study published Monday in the medical journal Lancet, Reuters reports (Fox, Reuters, 6/1). In the U.S., the vaccine currently is FDA-approved for girls and women ages nine to 26. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines recommend routine three-dose vaccination of girls ages 11 and 12 and for girls and women ages 13 to 26 who have not yet been vaccinated (CDC fact sheet, June 2008). It is designed to protect against HPV types 16 and 18, which cause about 70% of all cervical cancer cases, and HPV types 6 and 11, which cause genital warts.The new study, led by Nubia Munoz of the National Institute of Cancer in Bogota, Colombia, and funded by Merck, involved women ages 24 to 45 with no history of cervical disease or genital warts who either received the vaccine or a placebo injection. The study found that women who received the vaccine were significantly less likely to be infected with certain strains of HPV than those who received placebo shots. According to the researchers, four women out of 1,900 who received the vaccine developed HPV or cervical disease after two years, compared with 41 women out of 1,900 in the placebo group.Reuters reports that the results of the study could help Merck as it seeks approval for marketing Gardasil for use in older women. The researchers said in the study that older women might be at risk for HPV infection as "[c]hanges in sexual behavior during the past 30 years ... have led to more widespread premarital sexual intercourse and acquisition of new sexual partners around middle age." They added, "As the potential for HPV infection and disease exists in women in their third, fourth and fifth decades of life, these women could benefit from prophylactic HPV vaccination." According to Reuters, a mathematical model published in October 2005 showed that vaccinating older women could cut rates of cervical cancer in women through age 45 by half. Merck also has released data showing the effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing genital lesions in men.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide, and about 20 million U.S. residents are infected with it. The virus is the leading cause of cervical cancer, which causes about 3,870 deaths in the U.S. and 300,000 deaths globally every year, and it also can cause anal, penile, mouth and neck cancer (Reuters, 6/1).
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Health Visitors Reject Call For MMR To Be Made Compulsory
Health visitors are opposed to a proposal to make the MMR immunisation mandatory for young children.
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FDA: New Public Health Regulation To Improve Egg Safety And Reduce Salmonella Illnesses

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a regulation expected to prevent each year 79,000 cases of foodborne illness and 30 deaths caused by consumption of eggs contaminated with the bacterium Salmonella enteritidis. The final rule requires preventive measures during the production of shell eggs in poultry houses and requires subsequent refrigeration during storage and transportation. Egg-associated illness caused by Salmonella is a serious public health problem. Infected individuals may suffer mild to severe gastrointestinal illness, short term or chronic arthritis, or even death. Implementing the preventive measures would reduce the number of Salmonella enteritidis infections from eggs by nearly 60 percent. "Preventing harm to consumers is our first priority," said Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., Commissioner of Food and Drugs. "Today"s action will prevent thousands of serious illnesses from Salmonella in eggs." Salmonella enteritidis can be found inside eggs that appear perfectly normal. If the eggs are eaten raw or undercooked, the bacterium can cause illness. Eggs in the shell become contaminated on the farm, primarily because of infection in the laying hens. The rule requires that measures designed to prevent Salmonella enteritidis be adopted by virtually all egg producers with 3,000 or more laying hens whose shell eggs are not processed with a treatment, such as pasteurization, to ensure their safety. Producers with at least 3,000 but fewer than 50,000 laying hens must comply within 36 months after the rule"s publication. Producers with 50,000 or more laying hens must be in compliance with the rule within 12 months after its publication in the Federal Register. Under the rule, egg producers must: - Buy chicks and young hens only from suppliers who monitor for Salmonella bacteria - Establish rodent, pest control, and biosecurity measures to prevent spread of bacteria throughout the farm by people and equipment - Conduct testing in the poultry house for Salmonella enteritidis. If the tests find the bacterium, a representative sample of the eggs must be tested over an 8 week time period (4 tests at 2 week intervals); If any of the four egg tests is positive, the producer must further process the eggs to destroy the bacteria, or divert the eggs to a non-food use - Clean and disinfect poultry houses that have tested positive for Salmonella enteritidis - Refrigerate eggs at 45 degrees Fahrenheit temperature during storage and transportation no later than 36 hours after the eggs are laid. Egg producers whose eggs receive treatments such as pasteurization still must comply with the refrigeration requirements. Similarly, certain persons such as distributors, packers, or truckers holding or transporting shell eggs also must comply with the refrigeration requirements. To ensure compliance, egg producers must maintain a written Salmonella enteritidis prevention plan and records documenting their compliance. Producers (except those who have less than 3000 hens or who sell all their eggs directly to consumers) also must register with the FDA. The FDA will develop guidance and enforcement plans to help egg producers comply with the rule. The FDA estimated that the rule would provide $1.4 billion in annual public health benefits, at an annual cost of $81 million to the regulated industry, or less than 1 cent per dozen eggs produced in the United States. During the 1990s, the FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture implemented a series of post-egg production safety efforts such as refrigeration requirements designed to inhibit the growth of bacteria that may be in an egg. While these steps limited the growth of bacteria, they did not prevent the initial contamination from occurring. The new rule is part of a coordinated strategy between the FDA and the USDA"s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The FDA and the FSIS will continue to work closely together to ensure that egg safety measures are consistent, coordinated, and complementary. In addition to the new safety measures being taken by industry, consumers can reduce their risk of foodborne illness by following safe egg handling practices. The FDA reminds consumers to buy eggs that have been refrigerated, make sure eggs in the carton are clean and not cracked, and cook eggs and foods containing eggs thoroughly. U.S. Food and Drug Administration


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