November 2005
November 30, 2005
“The Science of
Obesity" Briefing
ACPM Staff attended
the CDC meeting “The
Science of Obesity. A briefing for health
organizations. Sponsored by: Coalition for Health
Funding, Partnership for Prevention”The
distinguished speakers for this meeting included Janet
Collins, PhD; Director, National
Center for Chronic
Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC; and
William Dietz, MD, Director, Nutrition and Physical
Activity Division, CDC. Dr. Dietz discussed trends in
overweight and obesity, the consequences of obesity and
potential approaches to treating obesity. The now
well-known quote by Larry Green, “To obtain more
evidence-based practice we need more practice-based
evidence” exemplifies the need for continued work and
emphasis on experience at the local level. Follow-up
websites include:
http://cdc.gov/nccdphp,
http://VERBnow.com and
http://healthierus.gov/steps.
Dr.
Janet Collins discussed the impacts of obesity and the
CDC’s approach to obesity prevention which includes:
November 30, 2005
PhRMA
Alliance Development Briefing on Avian
Flu
ACPM staff attended the PhRMA Alliance Development
Briefing “Avian Flu. When? Where? How? …and What We
Can Do About It.” Welcome
and Introductions were by Marie Vodicka, Assistant Vice
President, Biologics and Technology, PhRMA. The panel
of speakers included Niranjan Bhat, MD, Medical
Epidemiologist, CDC, Dominick Iacuzio, PhD, Medical
Director, Marketing Department at Roche Laboratories,
Inc., and Jeffrey Levi, PhD, Senior Policy Advisor at
Trust for America’s Health.
Dr. Bhat’s talk on influenza detailed the virus, its
health impact and the nature and history of yearly
seasonal epidemics. He then discussed the Avian flu
virus and the number of infected individuals since its
emergence in 1997 (over 130) and the number of deaths
(just over half). Discussing influenza pandemics, he
explained the concern about avian flu as a possible
pandemic. The H5N1 subtype fits two requirements of a
pandemic; it is a new Influenza A subtype (so people are
not immune) and it causes serious illness. The third
criteria, easy spread from person-to-person has not
occurred but it is felt that each new human infection
increases the possibility. HHS’s Strategic Pandemic
Plan was discussed including surveillance, health system
plans, clinical care and antivirals, vaccine development
and production, quarantine and travel guidance,
education and communication, and legal aspects. Further
information may be obtained at the CDC’s website for
H5N1,
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/professional/ and at
the WHO website,
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/avian_faqs/en/index.html
(frequently updated).
Dr. Iacuzio spoke about oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and its
unique utility for influenza and avian influenza and its
inhaled counterpart; indications, mechanism of action,
and current availability and distribution. Also
discussed the president's plan to fund infrastructure
for vaccine production to help improve flu vaccine
shortage problems. Dr. Levi discussed the challenges
facing US policy makers in the face of pandemic flu, the
bills in Congress for funding, and the need for funding
and planning.
In
summary, there is no guarantee of a pandemic of any type
of influenza but the H5N1 type is the leading virus
besides the regular influenza virus should one occur.
Preparation with vaccine and antivirals and a plan for
distribution and treatment is a focus at the CDC.
November 18, 2005
“Influenza Summit” Conference Call
ACPM staff participated in the “Influenza Summit”
Conference Call.
Ray Strikas, L. J. Tan, and Dennis O’Mara led the
discussion with over 65 callers including health care
providers, distributors, vaccine manufacturers and other
stakeholders. During the introduction, Ray and L.J.
explained that they are aware of many frustrations
related to this years’ shortage of vaccine experienced
by some providers and that the vaccine is on the way;
over 80 million doses are expected by the end of
November. One major manufacturer experienced
difficulties and delays have ensued. They recommend
targeting priority patients and checking with local or
state health departments for other locations to obtain
vaccine. Remember that it can be used in December and
that FluMist is entirely equivalent for patients age
5-49 who are healthy and non-pregnant. Many groups are
evaluating supply and activity and the Summit meeting
will be moved up to January in order to meet objectives
for timely recommendations to health care providers,
distributors and the government for this and,
especially, next season.
Preliminary objectives and the format for the January
summit meeting were discussed and then the meeting was
opened for questions. Many questions centered around
the format of the January meeting and ideas to ensure
that it best utilizes information on distribution and
supply challenges and that all voices are heard.
Several questions arose about frustrations with the
current delivery system and possible prioritization of
delivery to large customers as well as concerns about
the current tiering system that limits vaccine to
high-priority patients until October 24.
For more information please visit
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/0506supply.htm.
November 14, 2005
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
ACPM staff attended the November 14 meeting of the U.S.
Preventive Services Task Force at the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality. Task force members reviewed and provided
recommendations on screening for Chlamydia, skin cancer
and drug misuse. The task force also held sessions on
motor vehicle occupant injury and hearing impaired in
the elderly.
November 9, 2005
Kaiser Family Foundation Forum: “Sex on TV”
The
ACPM staff attended the Kaiser Family Foundation Forum
“Sex on TV."
According to
Sex on TV 4,
a biennial study released by the Kaiser Family
Foundation, the number of sexual scenes on television
has nearly doubled since 1998. The study found that 70%
of all shows include some sexual content, and that these
shows average 5.0 sexual scenes per hour, compared to
56% and 3.2 scenes per hour respectively in 1998, and
64% and 4.4 scenes per hour in 2002.
The forum included
opening remarks by Kaiser Family Foundation President
and CEO Drew Altman, a keynote speech by Senator Barack
Obama, and a roundtable discussion featuring Federal
Communications Commission Commissioner Kathleen
Abernathy; Fox Television Networks President and CEO
Tony Vinciquerra;
Law & Order: SVU
Executive Producer Neal Baer; behavioral scientist and
RAND Corporation Researcher Rebecca Collins; and
National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Executive
Director Sarah Brown.
A
webcast of the event will be available after 5 p.m. ET
today at
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/healthcast/kff/09nov05
.
November 9, 2005
“Preparing for
Pandemic Flu at the County Level”
The ACPM staff attended the Montgomery County meeting
“Preparing for Pandemic Flu at the County Level."
Measures are being undertaken to prepare for pandemic
flu from the federal government, state, and various
counties across the nation. An example of county
preparation efforts was revealed on November 9th,
at the Montgomery County newly developed Emergency
Operations Center (EOC) in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Attendance included most of the County Department
Directors with Gordon Aoyagi, Homeland Security Director
presiding over the meeting. Dr. Ulder Tillman, Pubic
Health Officer for Montgomery County, and Richard
Helfrich, Deputy Sheriff, were also present.
The potential health impact of a mid-level influenza
impact in the US was emphasized with deaths estimated to
be over 500,000, hospitalizations over 2,000,000 and
number of cases estimated to be close to 67,000,000. It
was noted that a high-level influenza impact would
involve even more deaths and hospitalizations. Planning
questions in the event of a pandemic flu included:
-
How will each agency and its partners maintain
essential functions in face of widespread absenteeism
(e.g.35% of staff absent for more than 8 weeks)?
-
Who will be the target groups for vaccine and
antiviral agents and how will delivery and
administration occur?
-
How will existing public-private disaster response
system be supported to ensure that basis needs (e.g.,
food, water, medicine, etc.) are provided to persons
who are ill, homebound, or cannot care for themselves?
Charles Thompson, the County Attorney, followed with a
speech addressing the legal aspects of pandemic flu,
strategies to manage or contain, and the legal
considerations for voluntary compliance of public health
directives. Educating the public, quarantine, isolation,
restriction of travel, and the economic impact of a
pandemic flu were discussed.
After the presentations, brainstorming of policy issues
with department heads took place and various thoughts
and ideas were entertained. Department Directors were
then asked to give input at future meetings as
preparation plans for pandemic flu tend to evolve.
November 3, 2005
“Adolescence:
Neurobehavioral characteristics, differential alcohol
sensitivites and intake”
The ACPM staff attended the NIH Lecture
“Adolescence: Neurobehavioral characteristics,
differential alcohol sensitivites and intake”
Dr. Linda Spear, Distinguished Professor of Psychology
at the State University of New York at Binghamton,
received the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and
Alcoholism's Mark Keller Award and delivered the
accompanying lecture, “Adolescence: Neurobehavioral
characteristics, differential alcohol sensitivities and
intake,” on November 3, 2005 at the National Institutes
of Health (NIH).
The Keller award
is given annually to "an outstanding alcohol researcher
who has made significant and long-term contributions to
our understanding of how alcohol affects the body and
mind, how we can prevent and treat alcohol abuse and
alcoholism, and how today's scientific advancements can
provide hope for tomorrow."
Dr. Spear has explored the relationship between alcohol
and neurobehavioral development with a particular focus
on alcohol sensitivity during adolescence. Using a
rodent model of adolescence, her work has shown that
adolescents are less sensitive to numerous ethanol
effects that may serve as cues to limit intake as well
as during the "hangover" phase following a period of
ethanol use. In these studies, the often attenuated
sensitivity of adolescents to ethanol was found not to
be simply related to developmental pharmacokinetics, but
rather due in part to ontogenetic declines in acute
tolerance and differential rates of development of
neural systems underlying different actions of ethanol.
It is also observed in the studies marked
ethanol-induced social facilitation during adolescence
that is not evident in adults. From such work, Dr. Spear
has posited that the relatively high levels of alcohol
intake often seen during adolescence may be related not
only to an attenuated sensitivity of adolescents to cues
that normally serve to limit drinking, but also to the
greater sensitivity of adolescents to social effects of
ethanol.
Knowledge of adolescent neurodevelopment and the
intersection between development and risk for problem
drinking has much to contribute not only to
understanding and preventing problem drinking in youth,
but understanding the origins and developmental course
of alcohol dependence over the lifespan. Thus
Dr Spear’s findings are helping scientists understand
how alcohol affects the developing brain during
adolescence contributing to alcohol-related problems
later in life.
