Wednesday, January 07, 2004

From the Globe and Mail:
Nasal-spray flu vaccine proves as effective as needle, study shows
As influenza continues to cut a swath across Canada, particularly among children, there is some good news on the horizon. New research shows that administering the flu vaccine to children with a nasal spray can be just as effective as with a needle.

The study, published today in the latest edition of the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, is the first to examine the effectiveness of a spray vaccine during a flu outbreak, and will likely bolster use of the product.

The vaccine, known as FluMist, is currently available in the United States, but not in Canada.

From the Telegraph (UK):
Glaxo takes on smugglers by changing drug's colour
GlaxoSmithKline, the world's biggest manufacturer of Aids drugs, is changing the colour of the tablets it sells to the developing world in an attempt to prevent widespread drug smuggling.

The colour change marks a fresh approach to a growing problem. Because drug companies sell their products at cost in countries where HIV is widespread, such as Uganda, they are often reimported illegally to the developed world, where they normally retail for a much higher price.

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