*Cases reported by The World Health Organization (WHO) are as of March 14th, 2010
International News
Heath exposé triggers Chinese investigation
Investigative reporter Wang Weqin has produced an article for the China Economic Times that has sparked controversy over whether or not authorities knowingly administered ineffective vaccines to children. According to the story, the vaccines’ cold-chain was broken because processing labels would not stick to the vials when they were chilled. “I saw boxes and boxes of vaccines piled up high like a hill in a hot room without air-conditioning,” said one official who spoke out. China’s health authorities have said they will investigate the allegations, reminding reporters that they had already done so in 2008 and found no real problems. New York Times
US study calls for more rigorous analysis of non-pharmaceutical interventions
Do face masks, cough etiquette, and school closings help to fight the spread of disease? Perhaps, but, according to an article released in the American Journal of Infection Control, there hasn’t been enough hard scientific study to definitively say so. The report said the 11 studies they reviewed had several limitations including insufficient statistical power due to small sample size. The journal contributors say the question requires more rigorous laboratory- and community-based studies, and improved data collection. University of Minnesota CIDRAP
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