NEWSWORTHY
Rubella infection spikes in Japan, with many cases in Tokyo area
The number of rubella patients reported in the nation this year stands at 362, nearly four times the number seen the previous year, with many of the cases located in Tokyo and its vicinity, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases said Tuesday. The institute is ...
Experimental Ebola vaccinations to begin Wednesday in eastern Congo
Vaccinations against a new outbreak of Ebola virus in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are due to begin on Wednesday, a senior official at the health ministry said on Sunday. The experimental vaccine, which is manufactured by Merck, proved successful during its first wide-scale usage ...
China orders medical institutions not to use recalled Huahai-made drug due to cancer risk
China's health regulator said Monday all domestic medical institutions must cooperate with authorities and not use the valsartan blood and heart drug made by Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical that could pose cancer risks. The bulk manufacturer of the drug said earlier this month that it is ...
Citizens are being needlessly left exposed to infectious diseases.
Superstition keeping Ebola victims from seeking medical care
Health workers fighting Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo have run into an invisible but powerful hurdle — a belief system that deems the disease to be a curse or the result of evil spirits. Some people are refusing medical care and turn instead ...
Japan may face a shortage of influenza vaccines this winter due to a production delay. The supply volume is currently projected at some 25.28 million units, about 1.14 million units lower than the estimated amount used in the last flu season.
The Australian government has ramped up pressure on parents who oppose vaccination by threatening to withhold child care and other payments from families that fail to immunize their children. The government announced this week that families could lose up to 15,000 Australian dollars ($11,400) per ...
Measles cases seen almost doubling in Ebola epidemic countries
Measles cases could almost double in countries hardest hit by the West African Ebola outbreak as overwhelmed health systems are unable to maintain child immunizations, scientists said on Thursday. For every extra month that health care systems are disrupted, international researchers said up to 20,000 ...
Child dies of measles in Berlin; Germany vows to boost vaccinations
An 18-month-old boy who was not vaccinated against measles has died of the virus in Berlin, health officials said on Monday, adding they would try to boost vaccination rates and increase checks on children's status. The German capital has seen about 600 cases of measles ...
Two leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives said on Tuesday all children should be vaccinated, joining a debate that has become a national political flashpoint, as a measles outbreak rekindles a discussion on safety and the right of parents to forgo inoculation of ...
Pediatricians urge measles vaccinations amid Disneyland-linked outbreak, movement against shots
The leading U.S. pediatrician group on Friday urged parents, schools and communities to vaccinate children against measles in the face of an outbreak that began at Disneyland in California in December and has spread to more than 50 people. The American Academy of Pediatrics said ...
This year's flu season could be especially severe, U.S. health authorities warned Thursday, adding that genetic mutations mean the vaccine won't be as effective against some of the most prevalent flu strains. So far this season, most flu patients in the United States have contracted ...
