WASHINGTON – A new report, Adult Immunization: Shots to Save Lives, released today by the Trust for America’s Health, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, found that more than 30 percent of adults ages 65 and older had not been immunized against pneumonia in 36 states as of 2008.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other physicians recommend that seniors should be vaccinated against pneumonia, which is a one-time shot for most individuals, since seniors who get the seasonal flu are at risk for developing pneumonia as a complication. See the report at healthyamericans.org

Other health safety trends include:

• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s efforts to prepare for and respond to man-made and naturally occurring calamities would receive $1.53 billion under the fiscal 2011 budget of its parent agency, the Health and Human Services Department. That report according to Nuclear Threat Initiative.
• Government Health IT reports that the Federal Communications Commission will promote mobile applications in its new broadband plan.

WASHINGTON – A just released study conducted by U.S. Department of Agriculture says that pigs exposed to two strains of the 2009 novel pandemic H1N1 virus did not contain the virus. The results were published in the Public Library of Science’s online journal, PLoS ONE.

The study was conducted by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service at the agency’s National Animal Disease Center, part of the USDA National Centers for Animal Health in Ames, Iowa.

ARS scientists received samples of the 2009 H1N1 virus in May from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus samples came from humans in California and Mexico who had become infected.

Other Health Safety and Recall News headlines today include two Consumer Product Safety Commission recalls:

• Graco Children’s Products Inc., of Atlanta is recalling about 1.5 million Graco’s Passage, Alano and Spree strollers. The hinges on the stroller’s canopy pose a fingertip amputation and laceration hazard to the child when the consumer is opening or closing the canopy. Call Graco at (800) 345-4109 or visit www.gracobaby.com.
• Dorel Asia is voluntarily recalling several models of cribs to replace slatted panels and drop-side hardware. A total of 635,000 units are involved. Call Dorel Asia at (866) 762-2304 or visit www.dorel-asia.com.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – This Friday, an independent panel of scientists will evaluate current research on soy infant formula to determine whether exposure to is a risk to human development. The panel will also search for data gaps and research needs.

The panel is convened by the Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program of the Department of Health and Human Services. Meanwhile, a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that soy consumption appears to help breast-cancer survivors.

Other health safety headlines for today include:

• National Institutes of Health scientists said today that the incidence (new diagnoses) for all types of cancer combined decreased, on average, almost 1% per year from 1999 to 2006. Cancer deaths (mortality) also fell 1.6% per year from 2001 to 2006. These drops were driven largely by declines in rates for the 3 most common cancers in men—lung, prostate and colorectal cancers—and 2 of the 3 leading cancers in women—breast and colorectal cancer.
• Salt Lake City-based 3M Health Information Systems said that it had released 3M Mobile Dictation Software, which combines a smartphone and a dictation system. The technology makes it possible for physicians to view patient lists, search patient IDs, and display the most current patient information on a 3G smartphone.

GENEVA - The World Heath Organization reports that cases of the H1N1 flu have peaked in the U.S. Disease activity is declining in North America and has either recently peaked or is currently peaking in much of western and northern Europe. See WHO Pandemic Update Number 77.

Other news of interest in the world of health safety and recall: (more…)