Here are some selected news in brief for your quick update.
• FDA approves Acambis' smallpox vaccine
• Phasing Out CFCs in MDI Proposed
• Early TV Viewing Affects Attention Span: Study
• Psychiatrists Least Religious: Survey
• FDA approves Acambis' smallpox vaccine
A company based in Cambridge UK, Acambis, has gained US FDA approval for its ACAM2000 vaccine for protection against smallpox. The vaccine is intended for active immunization against smallpox disease for persons determined to be at high risk for smallpox infection, eg. bioterrorism attacks. Acambis developed ACAM2000 under contracts with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So far, 192.5 million doses of ACAM2000 have been supplied for the US Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), which was established to provide medicines to the American public in the event of a public health emergency, such as a terrorist attack.
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01693.html
• Phasing Out CFCs in MDI Proposed
FDA is proposing a rule that would phase out the use of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in metered-dose inhalers, which are used for temporary relief of mild asthma. Under the rule, epinephrine metered-dose inhalers containing CFCs would be removed from the market by the end of 2010.
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01706.html
• Early TV Viewing Affects Attention Span: Study
Children who watch more than 2 hours a day of television during early childhood are more likely to have attention problems when they become teenagers. Researchers from the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, conducted a 14-year study observing more than 1,000 children from ages 3 through 15. Researchers speculate that a possible explanation for the results may be that the world portrayed on TV makes real-life tasks seem boring in comparison, or that TV displaces the activities that encourage attention, such as reading and playing games.
Adapted from Fox News
• Psychiatrists Least Religious: Survey
A nationwide survey published in the journal Psychiatric Services, reveals that psychiatrists are the least religious of all physicians. Among nearly 2,000 practicing physicians surveyed, 17% of psychiatrists reported no religious affiliation. Researchers speculate that historical ties to psychoanalysis and the anti-religious views of early analysts may play a role in dissuading religious medical students from choosing to specialize in psychiatry.
Adapted from MSNBC
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