New Report Finds Smoking Even More Dangerous

By James Gerstenzang, Times Staff Writer WASHINGTON — In some of its most comprehensive work in three years on the dangers of tobacco, the federal government said today that smoking is increasingly a habit of the poorest Americans, and that tobacco use harms nearly every human organ. Forty years after the publication of the groundbreaking surgeon general’s study that alerted Americans to the cancer risk of cigarettes, the current surgeon general, Richard H. Carmona, issued a new report that found…

Lung Association Applauds U.S.

Lung Association Applauds U.S. For Signing Global Tobacco Treaty Urges Bush Administration to Submit to Senate for Ratification New York, NY (May 11, 2004) – The American Lung Association today applauded the U.S. government for taking the important step of signing the world’s first treaty aimed at curbing the death and disease caused by tobacco use and urged the Administration to quickly submit it to the Senate for ratification. “Signing the treaty is good public relations; ratifying it will be…

TDH Issues Measles Advisory

The Texas Department of Health (TDH) has issued an advisory asking Texas doctors and others to be alert for possible cases of measles, especially along the state’s border with Mexico. Mexico has recorded 64 measles cases this year, including a recent case in Ciudad Acuña across the border from Del Rio, and 44 cases last year. There have been no confirmed cases of measles in Texas since 2002 when one case contracted in China was recorded. The TDH advisory recommends…

United States Joins International Vaccination Effort

For Immediate Release April 19, 2004 Contact: CDC Office of Communications Curtis Allen, 404-639-8487office 404-353-6558 cell United States Joins International Vaccination Effort National Infant Immunization Week Crosses the United States-Mexico Border El Paso, Texas—National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) and Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA) will be launched in El Paso later this month in an international effort that crosses borders with the message that infants and children should be fully immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases. The U.S. Department of Health…

National Infant Immunization Week Urges Parents to Vaccinate

United States Joins International Vaccination Effort The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today announced they will be participating in an unprecedented multi-national Western Hemisphere campaign to promote immunization in all countries of the Americas starting April 25th. HHS and CDC will partner with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission (USMBHC) and more than 35 other nations for Vaccination Week in the…

“STOP WHOOPING COUGH” EVENT TO BE HELD APRIL 28

“STOP WHOOPING COUGH” EVENT TO BE HELD APRIL 28 Event to Focus on Importance of Immunizations in Protecting Kids’ Lungs In recent years, pertussis (whooping cough) cases have reached their highest levels in decades in San Diego County. To educate people about the importance of infant and toddler immunizations, local public and private health organizations are holding a Stop Whooping Cough event on April 28, during National Infant Immunization Week (April 25-May 1). The threat to children’s health posed by…

Cover the Uninsured Week 2004

There are nearly 44 million Americans living without health coverage – including 8.5 million children. In 2002, the number of people without health coverage increased by more than 2 million, the largest one-year increase in a decade. Unfortunately, the problem won’t get better soon. Rising health care costs continue to undermine the ability of individuals, businesses and state governments to purchase health care coverage. Reversing this disturbing trend, elevating this issue on the national and local agendas, educating Americans about…

Robot allows physicians to examine patients from remote locations

Physicians at the University of California-Davis currently are participating in a multi-hospital clinical trial to evaluate outcomes for patients treated by specialists in a remote location using an innovative robotic device, the Sacramento Bee reports. The device, dubbed “Rudy” by UCD staff, is manufactured by Santa Barbara-based In-Touch Health and uses wireless technology that allows physicians working in their offices or homes to examine patients in the hospital. Using a remote workstation, physicians can direct Rudy around the hospital and…

Vaccination Week in the Americas Targets 40 Million People

Washington, D.C., March 16, 2004 (PAHO)-Health workers in every country in the Western Hemisphere will target millions of children, many in isolated areas, during a historic Vaccination Week in the Americas, starting April 24. Coordinated by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the weeklong events, April 24-30, will focus on the children normally left behind, those living in rural border regions, and the most vulnerable groups, including women and the elderly. While most of the countries will vaccinate against measles,…

Every Country in the Americas Joins Vaccination Week

Washington, DC, February 9, 2004 (PAHO)—Countries from Canada to the tip of South America and throughout the Caribbean plan to take part in an unprecedented Vaccination Week in the Americas, set for the end of April. Millions of children, young women, and some seniors, mostly in remote areas, will be the beneficiaries. “This is a tremendous effort,” said Dr. Mirta Roses, director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). “It is a show of true Pan Americanism, a demonstration of…