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In a bizarre turn of events, some American parents are not only refusing to vaccinate their children against dangerous diseases, but they re actually actively trying to get their kids sick. Parents across various states are sending and receiving live viruses in the mail, often from complete strangers, in a misguided attempt to give their children immunity via actual infection, without vaccinations.

In a typically misguided effort, the organization Health Care Without Harm (HCWH), which purportedly advocates for public health, testified to the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee that there should be more stringent regulation of the supposedly dangerous chemicals in our environment.

Treatment for HIV-infected patients is more effective than ever before, the United Nations AIDS program (UNAIDS) has just reported. Thus, while the number of new HIV infections worldwide is over 20 percent lower than during the peak of the epidemic, as countries become more successful at keeping these patients alive, more people than ever are living with the virus: 34 million in 2010.

Though most of her recent article for the online magazine Fast Company is dedicated to criticizing genetically modified (GM) foods, writer Ariel Schwartz does bring up some poignant facts. For instance, she draws attention to the dire agricultural situation in sub-Saharan Africa, a region continuously on the brink of famine. As Schwartz explains, over 200 million residents in this area rely on the staple food cassava.

Although there was some concern that taking medications, such as Ritalin, for ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) might increase cardiovascular risks for adults, the results of a new study should help to allay these fears. Researchers from Kaiser Permanente Northern California found that there is no increased cardiovascular risk among adults who take these medications.

Recent research is raising questions about the benefits of regular aspirin for the prevention of cardiovascular problems in people who have never had such problems. Yet new research is suggesting that, when considering the benefits of daily aspirin, maybe it s not only cardiovascular disease that we should be looking at.

As crop growers endeavor to meet the increasing global demand for food, fuel, and livestock feed, a longstanding debate has intensified: Do the higher levels of herbicides, insecticides, and fertilizers used in agriculture today pose an environmental hazard? Groups ranging from the Union of Concerned Scientists to the Natural Resources Defense Council are lobbying both Congress and the EPA to address these concerns.

While it s long been clear that there are strong genetic components to autism, it has remained, for the most part, a mystery as to what exactly these genetic components might be. And with new numbers showing that one in every 88 American children will be diagnosed with autism, it has become an even more urgent priority to identify the causes of this condition.

The FDA decided to stand up for science by rejecting alarmist hype that BPA (bisphenol A) is a dangerous threat to our health. Putting an end to years of speculation regarding the future of this chemical, the FDA rejected a petition by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) to ban the use of BPA in food packaging.

People with type 2 diabetes will benefit from a more individualized approach to their treatment, according to a joint statement from American and European diabetes societies. Both groups now recommend that target blood sugar levels (as measured by glycated hemoglobin levels) and drug treatments be tailored to each patient's needs and preferences, rather than the previous policy of a fixed algorithm of treatment progressions.

Yes, they are a man s best friend, but dogs may have an added benefit when it comes to kids, too. Published in the journal Pediatrics, new research found that children who have contact with dogs during their first year of life are generally healthier, reporting less frequent ear infections, fewer fevers, and fewer courses of antibiotics for otitis, as compared to children without dog contact.

I couldn't let this one go by. Just too slanted and inaccurate. And it's all over the news today.
"Aspirin Isn't a Wonder Drug," is a fine piece of science fiction by "The People's Chemist," Shane Ellison. Ellison also wrote "Over-The-Counter Natural Cures." His credentials, such as they are, consist of a Masters degree in organic chemistry .
Sounds impressive, but it really isn't. Pretty much anyone with the intellectual capacity of plankton can get one.

We d like our readers to take note of a recent speech by ACSH colleague Jon Entine, who authored our publication Scared to Death: How Chemophobia Threatens Public Health. Mr. Entine is a senior research fellow at the Center for Health and Risk Communication at George Mason University and director of the Genetic Literacy Project.

Last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued new Guidelines for Child Passenger Safety. These include the recommendation that kids remain in a rear-facing car seat until at least the age of two, and in booster seats until they reach about 57 tall the average height of an 11-year-old. Though such protective measures may seem stringent to some, it s important for parents to remember that, in the U.S., motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for kids older than three and are responsible for sending over 140,000 children to the emergency room each year.

In yesterday s Dispatch we reported on a piece by ACSH trustee Dr. Paul Offit, in which he criticized the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). The NCCAM has devoted vast resources to the study of alternative treatments, and yet, despite the fact that many supplements and other products have been shown to be entirely ineffective (and even harmful), regulation of these products remains lax. Dr. Stan Young, of the U.S. National Institute of Statistical Sciences, wrote to us in response:

For the first time, an advisory committee to the FDA has recommended that the agency approve a drug to prevent the transmission of HIV. The drug Truvada, a combination of two antiretroviral drugs, is not new and has actually been in use to treat HIV since 2004. However, this would be the first pharmaceutical method used in HIV-negative people to reduce an individual s risk of contracting the virus.

A new report presented to the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the WHO s decision in 2008 to endorse the use of thimerosal as a preservative for multidose childhood vaccines in the developing world is indeed scientifically valid. Some had previously claimed that there was a connection between thimerosal in vaccines and autism, but that link has since been debunked. And, as Dr.

Here's more evidence that people tend to worry most about risks that are small or nonexistent, instead of paying attention to the risk factors that they can and should control: Injuries are actually the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of one and 44, and the third leading cause of death overall.

Whether you are traveling around the world or relaxing at home, a safe, healthy vacation will add to your enjoyment.
Here are some health and safety tips to keep in mind when planning your summer vacation.

ACSH staffers cringed while perusing the first fusillade of a three-week series launched by PLoS Medicine on what its editors call "Big Food." The series is introduced by an editorial that calls for greater public scrutiny of the role that the so-called multinational food and beverage industry plays in the obesity epidemic.

In contrast with the overall declining rate of lung cancer in the U.S., the rate of death from the disease among women has actually remained steady, or even risen, in some areas of the country.

Combining vitamin B3 (niacin) with current antibiotics may help to better treat staph infections, according to new research published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
For the study, scientists from Oregon State University found that mice and human blood cells treated with large doses of vitamin B3 combated staph infections more effectively, compared to control samples.

ACSH staffers couldn t help but shake their heads in disappointment this morning at a recent New York Times article questioning the safety of our furniture. The piece, entitled How Dangerous is Your Couch, is an extremely long recounting of Dr. Arlene Blum s crusade against the toxic chemicals found in furniture.

Even as California finds itself in the midst of a whooping cough epidemic, more parents are actually foregoing some or all vaccines for their children at great risk to public health.

The nicotine patch has been found no more beneficial in helping pregnant women quit smoking than it is for smokers in general, according to a study just published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The study, which was intended to investigate both the efficacy and safety of nicotine patches during pregnancy, was able to assess only the former given the extremely low compliance rate of the study participants.