CNY participates in bird flu vaccine study

[Guest guest]

Researchers are " very confident that it is safe, but it is not proven, "

Famous last words

Sheri

CNY participates in bird flu vaccine study

Monday, April 04, 2005

AMBER SMITH

HEALTH NOTES

Bird flu is coming to Central New York.

Inoculations for a vaccine study begin today at the University of

Rochester. Sites in Baltimore and Los Angeles also are enrolling healthy

volunteers from age 18 to 64.

It's part of a fast-track effort of the National Institute of Allergy and

Infectious Diseases to determine first the safety and second the proper

dose of a vaccine to protect humans from bird flu, widely feared to be the

planet's next pandemic.

Central New Yorkers may participate in the study by calling (585) 273-3990.

The first 40 volunteers are getting two injections four weeks apart,

starting this week. Their health will be monitored closely, requiring a

total of seven visits. They get $35 per visit.

Researchers are " very confident that it is safe, but it is not proven, "

says U of R spokesman Tom Rickey. Once proven safe, the vaccine will be

injected into another round of volunteers - including 113 in Rochester -

who will get different doses. They'll be monitored to see whether their

bodies are making antibodies against bird flu. They'll also get $35 per

visit but only require six visits.

The World Health Organization counted 69 cases of and 46 deaths from H5N1

avian influenza between January 2004 and March 11 of this year. So far, the

virus has a death rate much higher than that of regular influenza and seems

to be more lethal than SARS.

" The public health community is concerned that the virus will develop the

capability of efficiently spreading from human to human and thus create a

risk for a worldwide pandemic, " the national institute's director, Dr.

Fauci, says in a news release.

The vaccine comes from Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccine-making arm of French

drug-maker Sanofi-Aventis. Sanofi Pasteur has a plant in Swiftwater, Pa.

The United States has purchased 2 million doses but is waiting for the

study results before deciding how to formulate the doses.

End-of-life dilemmas

Hospice and Palliative Care Associates hosts this year's Hospice Foundation

of America's national bereavement teleconference April 20 at the Marley

Education Center, 765 Irving Ave., Syracuse.

The theme: " Ethical Dilemmas at the End of Life. "

The cost: $20, plus more if you want to collect continuing education credit.

ABC commentator Cokie is the moderator who will guide national

experts through a discussion on values, ethics and laws in health-care

settings and how cultural differences may influence choices. A panel of

local experts will also comment.

The event goes from 1 to 4:45 p.m. Register in advance by calling Meghan

Young-Brown at Hospice, 634-1100.

Staff writer Amber covers health and medicine for The Post-Standard.

Reach her at 470-2188 or by sending an e-mail to asmith@....

http://www.syracuse.com/living/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/living-1/1112434

55784840.xml & %3bcoll=1

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Sheri Nakken, R.N., MA, Classical Homeopath

Vaccination Information & Choice Network, Nevada City CA & Wales UK

$$ Donations to help in the work - accepted by Paypal account

vaccineinfo@... voicemail US 530-740-0561

(go to http://www.paypal.com) or by mail

Vaccines - http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccine.htm

Vaccine Dangers On-Line course - http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccineclass.htm

Homeopathy On-Line course - http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/homeo.htm

ANY INFO OBTAINED HERE NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS MEDICAL

OR LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION TO VACCINATE IS YOURS AND YOURS ALONE.

******

" Just look at us. Everything is backwards; everything is upside down.

Doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, universities destroy

knowledge, governments destroy freedom, the major media destroy information

and religions destroy spirituality " .... Ellner