Sally Fields’ Boniva ads are the latest target of Consumer Reports’ terrific AdWatch series – this the sixth in a series that could go on forever if drug ad practices continue as we’ve seen.
This one has a special message about the costs of expensive drugs (Boniva is ten times the cost of a generic) – and the hidden costs of all of those “free trials” that drug companies offer so often.
Researchers at Schepens Eye Research Institute have observed that the growth factor known as TGF-and#946; is essential to the health of blood vessels in the retina and that blocking it can cause retinal dysfunction. These findings, reported in the April 2 issue of PLoS ONE, may have an important impact on the prevention and therapy of diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration……..
The World Health Organization raised the alert for swine flu to level five. This is one level short of a full pandemic and suggests a pandemic is imminent.
Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO’s director-general, said, “It really is all of humanity that is under threat during a pandemic.”
There are at least 91 cases in the United States and one death. There are also a growing number of countries with mounting swine flu cases. Schools are closing in the United States in an attempt to stop the spread of the swine flu.
A vaccine is in the works but won’t be available until September, at the earliest. You can find links to some swine flu resources here.
Permalink | Recent Headlines | News Feeds
U.S. congressional 6th district Republican Michele Bachmann is a piece of work.
This week, on TV, she said:
“I find it interesting that it was back in the 1970s that the swine flu broke out then under another Democrat president Jimmy Carter. And I’m not blaming this on President Obama, I just think it’s an interesting coincidence.”
Michele, you’re once again on the wrong side of the facts. That took place in Republican Jerry Ford’s presidency. And the relevance of the party affiliation of the president in office at the time of a flu outbreak would be — what, exactly?
But since you brought up coincidence, how ironic that Minnesota’s first reported swine flu case is — IN YOUR DISTRICT!!!!
Some of your followers think it’s an interesting coincidence.
The ShopTalk newsletter today describes the ugly TV news “shoving match” in Orlando over “the first report that a case of the swine flu was confirmed in Orlando.” ShopTalk writes:
“Pity the poor viewers, who have to sort through all the hype and hysteria to find the facts.”
Baltimore Sun TV critic David Zurawick writes:
“Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the CNN and CBS medical correspondent, was reporting from outside a hospital in Mexico City using such terms as “ground zero” and “chaos” to describe the situation.
Tuesday morning, on NBC’s top-rated Today show, Dr. Nancy Snyderman, the show’s health expert, was reporting “a couple of unconfirmed cases in New Jersey.” …
I can’t imagine why Snyderman and Today were reporting unconfirmed cases. That seems to me one of the worst things a journalistic enterprise — and Today is produced by NBC News — should be doing. Wait for confirmation when reporting such data. …
Even though Gupta is primarily known as the lead medical correspondent on CNN, he also works for CBS News, and I saw him Monday night on The CBS News with Katie Couric standing in front of a Mexico City hospital. He had his own mask — down about his throat. Overly dramatic? Maybe.
I hated Gupta describing his location as “sort of ground zero” and reporting what he described as a lack of basic supplies for medical workers at the Mexican hospital as “sort of the chaos here,” but he was the reporter on the ground. I just wish the language he used would have been prudent and less sensational.”
Kudos to the Wall Street Journal, for including some perspective I’ve not seen anyone give quite this way:
“Many people assume a pandemic is a deadly scourge, but two of three flu pandemics that circled the globe in the 20th century were relatively mild. “Pandemics can range from being relatively mild to being extremely severe,” said Keiji Fukuda, the World Health Organization’s acting assistant director for health security and environment. “My own sense right now is it too early to make a call.”
We’re involved in another health journalism-related event on the University of Minnesota campus this week.
The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a new swine flu update today. New countries confirming cases of A/H1N1 include Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Israel and Spain. There are suspected cases in several other countries.
The situation continues to evolve rapidly. As of 19:15 GMT, 28 April 2009, seven countries have officially reported cases of swine influenza A/H1N1 infection. The United States Government has reported 64 laboratory confirmed human cases, with no deaths. Mexico has reported 26 confirmed human cases of infection including seven deaths.
The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths – Canada (6), New Zealand (3), the United Kingdom (2), Israel (2) and Spain (2).
Further information on the situation will be available on the WHO website on a regular basis.
WHO advises no restriction of regular travel or closure of borders. It is considered prudent for people who are ill to delay international travel and for people developing symptoms following international travel to seek medical attention, in line with guidance from national authorities.
A YouTube classic.
Thanks to graduate student Jennifer Moore for giving me this flashback.
As a young TV reporter at WFAA-TV in Dallas, I remember doing early “mini-cam live shots” from the public health department with people lined up for their swine flu shots.
I don’t watch much TV news anymore. As I wrote yesterday, I haven’t watched ANY TV coverage of the flu story.
But Howard Kurtz has, and he writes today about some of the pitfalls of the “fever pitch” coverage as he calls it.
Only a comment because I’ve been asked: I’ve been favorably impressed by most of the flu news coverage I’ve read.
Haven’t watched any TV coverage – generally a healthy habit.
Of course, if any readers have seen any examples they want to bring attention to, the forum is open.
The Knight Science Journalism Tracker offers a nice overview of news coverage.