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Changing Residences Associated With Increased Risk Of Suicidal Behavior Among Children
Danish children who move frequently appear to have an increased risk of attempted or completed suicide between ages 11 and 17, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
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Washington Post Columnist Gerson Critical Of Justice Ginsburg's Comments On Abortion In NYT Magazine Interview
"There was a scandal this week" involving Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg"s comments on abortion rights during an interview with the New York Times Magazine, according to Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson. In response to a question on access to abortion and restrictions on Medicaid coverage of the procedure, Ginsburg said, "Frankly I had thought that at the time Roe [v. Wade] was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don"t want to have too many of. So that Roe was going to be then set up for Medicaid funding for abortion." According to Gerson, the "context surrounding this passage is a simplistic, pro-choice rant." He adds, "Abortion, in Ginsburg"s view, is an essential part of sexual equality, thus ending all ethical debate." Ginsburg in the interview also said, "There will never be a woman of means without choice anymore. That just seems to be so obvious." She added, "So we have a policy that affects only poor women, and it can never be otherwise, and I don"t know why this hasn"t been said more often."Gerson writes, "Given this context, can it be argued that Ginsburg -- referring to "populations that we don"t want to have too many of" -- was merely summarizing the views of others and describing the attitudes of the country when Roe v. Wade was decided?" He continues, "It can be argued -- but it is not bloody likely. Who, in Ginsburg"s statement, is the "we"? And who, in 1973, was arguing for the eugenic purposes of abortion?" According to Gerson, "It is more likely that Ginsburg is describing the attitude of some of her own social class -- that abortion is economically important to a "woman of means" and useful in reducing the number of social undesirables."Gerson writes, "The entire Ginsburg interview is a reminder of the risks of lifetime appointments to the Supreme Court." He continues, "Immune from criticism, surrounded by plump cushions of deference, the temperament of a justice can become exaggerated over time." He adds that her statements "would have been disqualifying" had they been made during her own confirmation hearing. "Now she doesn"t give a damn," Gerson says.He continues that Ginsburg"s "timing ... is instructive" because she made the remarks as Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is "emphasizing her low-income and minority roots." According to Gerson, "It is estimated that the Hyde Amendment limiting Medicaid abortions has saved one million lives since its passage in 1976 -- some, no doubt, became criminals and some, perhaps, lawyers and judges." He concludes, "It is a defining question for modern liberalism: Are these men and women "populations that we don"t want to have too many of," or are they citizens worthy of justice and capable of contribution?" (Gerson, Washington Post, 7/17).
News of the day
Swine Influenza Daily Update: 16 July 2009, Wales
The NPHS influenza surveillance scheme, which records reports of diagnoses of flufrom more than 300 GP practices across Wales, shows low but increasing levels of influenza activity across Wales. Further detail can be found on the NPHS website.
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Flu Shot May Be Less Effective After Transplant

Kidney transplant patients have a weaker response to influenza immunization than healthy individuals, especially in the first six months after receiving a transplant, according to a study published in the July issue of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation. Respiratory viral infections are common among transplant patients, and are cause for concern because they can be particularly harmful to people with suppressed immune systems, noted Kelly A. Birdwell, MD, MSCI, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee in her report. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends influenza vaccine for kidney transplant patients, but little is known about what kind of antibody response they are able to mount to a flu shot. What"s more, no studies have looked exclusively at patients on tacrolimus, now the most commonly used immunosuppressant in kidney transplant patients. The researchers looked at the response to influenza vaccine in 53 kidney transplant recipients and 106 healthy controls during the 2006-2007 flu season. All of the patients were receiving tacrolimus for immunosuppression. Dr. Birdwell and her team checked vaccine response by testing study participants" levels of antibodies to three different influenza strains--A/H1N1, A/H3N2, and B--before they received the vaccine and again one month later. The researchers used two criteria to gauge the effectiveness of the vaccine: seroresponse, defined as a four-fold increase in levels of antibodies against a viral strain; and seroprotection, meaning levels of antibodies adequate for protection against infection. A smaller percentage of the transplant patients achieved seroresponse or seroprotection than the healthy controls. But the differences were statistically significant only for one strain, A/H3N2; among controls, 62.3% achieved seroresponse, compared to 34% of the transplant patients, while 91.5% of controls and 69.8% of transplant patients were seroprotected. Patients who had undergone transplants within the last six months were significantly less likely than the healthy controls to show seroresponse or seroprotection to any of the three viral strains contained in the flu shot. Dr. Birdwell and her team point out that during the first six months after transplant, patients are typically on the highest doses of immunosuppressant medication to prevent their bodies from attacking the transplanted organ. This translates to a weaker immune system, and a weaker response to the flu vaccine. There are several possible approaches to providing additional protection against the flu to kidney transplant patients, Dr. Birdwell said. "Possibilities include the provision of a booster dose of the influenza vaccine, or the use of an adjuvant, or substance given along with a medication or vaccine to enhance its effects," the researcher said. "In addition, the live intranasal vaccine may provide a more vigorous protective response, though the use of a live vaccine in this immunosuppressed population certainly requires formal investigation for safety and efficacy. As always, routine hand washing is one of the best defenses." Any new influenza vaccines-including those targeting H1N1, also known as the swine flu-may not provoke the same protective response in kidney transplant patients, she added, and this should be taken into consideration. "Kidney transplant recipients should still be immunized against influenza, as recommended by the CDC," said Dr. Kerry Willis, Senior Vice President for Scientific Acitivies, National Kidney Foundation. "There are several promising approaches to providing additional protection against the flu for these patients, but more research is necessary before any can be recommended." The National Kidney Foundation is dedicated to preventing and treating kidney and urinary tract diseases, improving the health and well being of individuals and families affected by these diseases and increasing availability of all organs for transplantation. Ellie Schlam Director of External Communications National Kidney Foundation


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