• Executive Order Establishing the National Prevention, Health Promotion and Public Health Council 
• New Test Approved for Swine Flu
• Supreme Court Allows Farmers to Plant genetically Altered Seed by Monsanto
• Prescription Drug Abuse on the Rise
• Blood-Pressure Drugs Tied To Cancer Risk In Study
• Tough confirmation battle looming for Medicare nominee
• Eighty percent of the drugs entering the U.S. market tested overseas
• Navy bans tobacco use on its submarine fleet
• Johnson & Johnson Recalls More OTC Drugs 
• US surgery centers found to be lax on preventing infections
   

• FTC Investigates Rice Krispies Health Claims for Kids
• Toothbrushing less than twice a day linked to increased heart risk
• Did the drug industry influence WHOs decisions about the swine flu
• Dartmouth Study cited for health-cost cuts overstated upside
• FDA OKs wearable monitor
• Amgen Drug Wins FDA Approval for Osteoporosis
• Salt Industry Resists Health Issues
• 1000 people studied since birth
• One third of U.S. companies offer financial incentives for health
• Hospital errors rise despite efforts

• Pediatrician Says Spinal Adjustment in Kids Unnecessary 
• Expert Panel To View Confidential Swine Flu Papers
• FDA Transparency Task Force Unveils Draft Proposals on Agency Disclosure Policies
• More Disclosure for Drug Research
• Artificial life breakthrough announced by scientists - Synthetic Bacteria
• Pesticides in Breast Milk
• Research links pesticides with ADHD in children
• Pesticides and Food:What You and Your Family Need to Know
• Why Arent Doctors Allowed to Care About Money?
• Americas Gone Nuts on Prescription Drugs

• Major Recall of Drugs for Kids
• Research suggests flu vaccine doesn't prevent deaths among the elderly
• Almost half of US adults have diabetes, hypertension, or hypercholesterolemia
• Research findings from nonpharmaceutical intervention studies for pandemic influenza
• Drugmakers Fined $81 million
• FDA approves vaccine for prostate cancer - First of its kind.
• California county bans fast-food toys to stem child obesity
• Seasonal flu vaccinations suspended for children under 5 in Australia
• Too Fat to Fight
• This is How We Treat Our Children 

• Cesarean Births have risen more than 50 percent since 1996
• Association of intake of fruits and vegetables with risk of cancer is weak at best
• Conflicting economic incentives clearly at work in spine surgeries
• The Power of No in Medicine
• Pfizer pays largest criminal fine in U.S. history
• Feds found Pfizer too big to nail
• FDA approves computer chip for humans
• Measles Resurgence Blamed on Parents' Vaccine Fears
• Would You Outsource Your Womb?
• OK to Taser Pregnant Women - Just Three Times Though

• Companies start to react to health bill
• The patient centered outcomes research institute 
• FDA says millions were prescribed unapproved nitroglycerin last year
• Playtime is over
• Gardasil researcher speaks out
• More doctors giving up private practices
• Researchers puzzled by role of osteoporosis drug in rare fractures
• Scientist Who Claimed No Link Between Autism & Vaccines Disappears With University Money
• Capitals questioned about their ties to chiropractor in steroids inuiry
• Calorie data to be posted at all chains

NIH Panel Urges Groups to Reconsider Guidelines on Vaginal Birth After Cesarean

An NIH panel is urging professional societies to reconsider their recommendations around vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC), noting that for many women who've had C-sections, a trial of labor is a "reasonable option" in subsequent pregnancies.

In 1999, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommended that a trial of labor should be performed only at facilities capable of responding to emergencies and with physicians "immediately available" who could perform a cesarean if necessary. Not all hospitals could comply with the ACOG guidelines, causing 30% to stop offering VBAC.

NIH news release

NIH consensus statement 

• Current H1N1 Flu: Situation Update From CDC
• Panel Recommends Annual Flu Vaccinations for All
• FDA Approves Pneumococcal Disease Vaccine with Broader Protection
• Nannies who get flu shots may have an edge in the job market
• Add swine flu to regular vaccine for next year, WHO tells vaccine makers, pandemic not over
• Fighting Swine Flu Fatigue With Clever Marketing
• 1 in 5 Americans Had H1N1 Swine Flu
• The Cost of Failure to Enact Health Reform
• Ranking 37th — Measuring the Performance of the U.S. Health Care System
• Walgreens to buy rival drugstore Duane Reade for $1.1 Billion

In all honesty I didn't think I'd be reading much more about whole Swine Flu "thing" let alone writing about it once the new year began. As far as I was concerned it was over for me this year. The drug companies made their money, the government got to see just how far they could push the police state and the intrusion on civil liberties and a few million people got their vaccination against the boogeyman. 

But I was wrong.

What's that old saying about fooling some of the people some of the time etc...take a look at some of these recent headlines.

• Big pharma probed for ‘false’ swine flu pandemic
• Council of Europe accuses several major drug companies of 'false pandemic' to sell vaccine  
• WHO Scientist says Swine Flu was Completely Exaggerated 
• Drug companies manipulated the World Health Organisation
• Swine Flu Didn't Fly 
• Swine flu: it’s a goldmine for drug companies
• Sanofi's Profit Rises on Swine Flu Vaccine sales
• Just Get Your Damn Vaccine!
• Still haven't got your swine flu shot? There's plenty left