Genetic research and the prevention and treatment of food allergy

Mount Sinai School of Medicine has announced that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has renewed its funding of the Consortium of Food Allergy Research (CoFAR), providing an additional $29.9 million toward genetic research and the prevention and treatment of food allergy . Mount Sinai is the primary research site for CoFAR, leading seven other institutions around the country.

Under the renewed grant, Mount Sinai researchers will continue several clinical trials evaluating immunotherapies for peanut and egg allergy. In two of the studies, researchers are determining whether an extract of peanut protein under the tongue or ingesting increasing amounts of egg protein improves tolerance. In another trial, researchers administer gradually increased doses of peanut protein to patients in a suppository to treat the allergy. The Mount Sinai team will also initiate a new trial studying the use of a peanut protein patch applied to the skin to treat peanut allergy. CoFAR is also conducting an observational study that has enrolled more than 500 infants to determine what factors worsen or improve their allergies.

"We are excited about the progress we have made in understanding food allergy in children over the last five years," said Hugh Sampson, MD, Professor, Pediatrics, Chief, Division of Allergy & Immunology, Director of the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine and lead investigator on CoFAR. "With the renewal of this grant, we will expand our research and hopefully move closer toward ending the widespread impact of food allergy ."

The grant will also fund new genetic research on eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGIDs), a new group of allergic diseases. According to the NIH, the most common EGID is eosinophilic esophagitis. The main symptoms in children include nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain after eating. Three new CoFAR trial sites at Cincinnati Children's Medical Center Hospital, University of Colorado at Denver, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia will conduct the research.

Dr. Sampson will remain principal investigator of the five original CoFAR sites: The Mount Sinai Medical Center, Duke University Medical Center, Johns Hopkins University, National Jewish Health in Denver, and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. CoFAR is currently enrolling patients for the trials evaluating treatment with peanut protein administered orally and through the skin patch.

Funding for CoFAR is provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, components of NIH.

Should you still test your own body fat even if you have other methods available?

Should you still test your own body fat even if you have other methods
available?
Having a personal trainer or fitness professional measure your body fat with a
multiple site skinfold test is great, as long as you have regular access to that
person (you need frequent feedback to track your results), and you're certain your
tester is experienced. I have no idea how many people I have tested over the last
15 years, but if I had to guess, I would say it's at least a few thousand, and that's
why my accuracy and consistency are so good.
At our health clubs, and with my personal coaching clients, I use the Skyndex I, a
very accurate digital caliper that uses the "Durnin" 4-site pinch test formula. If you
have access to this type of testing, you can certainly continue using it and an
experienced tester will give you very accurate and consistent results. However, I
still believe the Accu Measure is a handy device to learn how to use and keep
around, just in case your official fat tester "skips town" on you.
If you have a friend, husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, roommate, training
partner, etc. who can test you with traditional multi-site methods, that's an option
too. Just remember, your tester will have to go through the learning curve and
their accuracy will be dubious in the beginning until they are experienced.
If you prefer to have someone else test you, you can use the Accu Measure (most
economical), or you can invest in a professional health club grade electronic caliper
such as the Skyndex I ($350 - $500), the Lange ($200-$300), The Harpenden
($350 to $450) or the economical, (yet still accurate), The Slimguide ($30), which
is plastic, but quite heavy duty. All these calipers are available from Creative
Health Products. Their website is www.chponline.com and their phone number is
800-742-4478, email: sales@chponline.com. The charts you need to convert
skinfolds (in millimeters) to body fat percentage come with the calipers when you
purchase them. (Except the digital Skyndex I, which has a nifty built in
microprocessor that converts your skinfolds to body fat percentage automatically)

VitoSlim Best Herbal pill to increase metabolism

VitoSlim ™ is an all-natural diet supplement including 100% pure thermogenic extracts. This slimming pill helps in maximum weight loss in the shortest space of time possible.

Is Dietary Fat Related to Cancer?

Is Dietary Fat Related to Cancer?
Eating a diet with a higher percentage of the calories derived from fat
appears to place people at greater risk of many cancers. This may partly
be explained by the association between a high fat diet and the develop-
ment of obesity. However, some researchers believe that a high fat diet
exerts an independent effect as well. In addition, diets containing higher
amounts of linoleic acid, an essential omega-6 PUFA, have been reported
to place people at a greater risk of various cancers.
an oral chemotherapy drug used for the treatment of cancer.

What Is the Element Composition of Our Body?

What Is the Element Composition of Our Body?
The late, great Carl Sagan in his personal exploration of the cosmos said
that we are made up of "star stuff." What he meant was that our body is
made up of many of the very same elements that make up planets and
other celestial bodies in the universe. We humans, as well as other life-
forms on our planet, have simply borrowed these elements. Interestingly,
four of these elements, namely oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen,
make up greater than 90 percent of our body weight. Since the majority
of these elements are found in our body as part of substances such as
water, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA),
it only makes sense that these substances must be the major chemicals of
Table 1.1 Elements of Our Bodies
Major Elements          Percentage of  Minor Elements        Percentage of
(>0.1% Body Weight)     Body Weight    (<0.1% Body Weight)   Body Weight
Oxygen (O)              63             Iron (Fe)             <0.1
Carbon (C)              18.0           Selenium (Se)         <0.1
Hydrogen (H)             9.0           Copper (Cu)           <0.1
Nitrogen (N)             3.0           Cobalt (Co)           <0.1
Calcium (Ca)             1.5           Fluoride (F)          <0.1
Phosphorus (P)           1.0           Iodine (I)            <0.1
Potassium (K)            0.4           Molybdenum (Mo)       <0.1
Sulfur (S)               0.3           Manganese (Mn)        <0.1
Sodium (Na)              0.2           Vanadium (V)          <0.1
Chloride (Cl)            0.2           Chromium (Cr)         <0.1
Magnesium (Mg)           0.1           Boron (B)             <0.1
                                       Zinc (Zn)             <0.1
                                       Aluminum (Al)         <0.1
                                       Tin (Sn)              <0.1
                                       Silicon (Si)          <0.1
                                       Arsenic (As)          <0.1

Nature cure is based...

Nature cure is based on the realisation that man is born healthy and strong and that he can stay
as such as living in accordance with the laws of nature. Even if born with some inherited
affliction, the individual can eliminate it by putting to the best use the natural agents of healing.
Fresh air, sunshine, a proper diet, exercise, scientific relaxation, constructive thinking and the
right mental attitude, along with prayer and meditation all play their part in keeping a sound mind
in a sound body.
Nature cure believes that disease is an abnormal condition of the body resulting from the
violation of the natural laws. Every such violation has repercussions on the human system in the
shape of lowered vitality, irregularities of the blood and lymph and the accumulation of waste
matter and toxins. Thus, through a faulty diet it is not the digestive system alone which is
adversely affected. When toxins accumulate, other organs such as the bowels, kidneys, skin and
lungs are overworked and cannot get rid of these harmful substances as quickly as they are
produced.
Besides this, mental and emotional disturbances cause imbalances of the vital electric field
within which cell metabolism takes place, producing toxins. When the soil of this electric filed is
undisturbed, disease-causing germs can live in it without multiplying or producing toxins. It is
only when it is disturbed or when the blood is polluted with toxic waste that the germs multiply
and become harmful.

THE CALORIE MYTH

THE CALORIE MYTH

The theory of slimming based on the low-calorie approach is without doubt the greatest scientific "fudge"of the twentieth century.

It is nothing more than a snare, a deception, a dangerous and simplistic hypothesis, lacking any real scientific basis. And yet it has dictated our eating habits for over half a century.

You have only to look around you to see that the more well upholstered, plump, fat or even obese people are, the more religiously they count the calories they consume.

With very few exceptions, anything which has passed for a "diet" since the beginning of the century, has essentially been based on the low-calorie theory.

How misguided can you be! No serious or long-term success can be achieved from such a method. Not to mention the side effects, which can be devastating.

At the end of this site I will have more to say on the scandalous socio-cultural phenomenon, which has built up around the subject of calories in food. For we have reached a point where what has happened can only be described as mass brainwashing.

Oral diseases

Oral diseases, including dental caries, periodontal disease, and tooth loss, affect the majority of the population and can affect a person's overall health. Raisins contain polyphenols, flavonoids, and high levels of iron that may benefit human health. However, their oral health benefits are less well understood. We hypothesized that raisins contain antimicrobial phytochemicals capable of suppressing oral pathogens associated with caries or periodontal diseases and thus benefit oral health. Through antimicrobial assay-guided fractionation and purification, compounds identified with growth inhibition against oral pathogens were oleanolic acid, oleanolic aldehyde, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, betulin, betulinic acid, 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furfural, rutin, beta-sitosterol, and beta-sitosterol glucoside. Oleanolic acid suppressed in vitro adherence of cariogenic Streptococcus mutans biofilm. When the effect of raisins and raisin-containing bran cereal on in vivo plaque acidogenicity was examined in 7- to 11-y-old children, it was found that raisins did not reduce the plaque pH decline below pH 6 over the 30-min test period. Compared with commercial bran flakes or raisin bran cereal, a lower plaque pH drop was noted in children who consumed a raisin and bran flake mixture when no sugar was added (P < 0.05). Grape seed extract, high in proanthocyanidins, positively affected the in vitro demineralization and/or remineralization processes of artificial root caries lesions, suggesting its potential as a promising natural agent for noninvasive root caries therapy. Raisins represent a healthy alternative to the commonly consumed sugary snack foods.

Some women report a decrease in their migraines during pregnancy

• Migraines affect approximately 28 million Americans, and women experience them three times more often than men. The hormones estrogen and progesterone, which play key roles in regulating the menstrual cycle and pregnancy, may affect headache-related chemicals in the brain as well, the Mayo Clinic said on its Web site. Higher estrogen levels may improve headaches, while lower estrogen levels can make headaches worse, according to the Mayo Clinic. That's why women taking birth control pills may have an increase in migraines, and a woman may experience migraines around the time of her period. However, some women report a decrease in their migraines during pregnancy.
• How Medications Work

• Review Ampicillin

Garlic supplements in the treatment of hypercholesterolaemia

Garlic supplements may have an important role to play in the treatment of hypercholesterolaemia. To determine the effect of garlic on serum lipids and lipoproteins relative to placebo and other lipid lowering agents, a systematic review, including meta-analysis, was undertaken of published and unpublished randomised controlled trials of garlic preparations of at least four weeks' duration. Studies were identified by a search of MEDLINE and the ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE electronic databases, from references listed in primary and review articles, and through direct contact with garlic manufacturers. Sixteen trials, with data from 952 subjects, were included in the analyses. Many of the trials had methodological shortcomings. The pooled mean difference in the absolute change (from baseline to final measurement in mmol/l) of total serum cholesterol, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol was compared between subjects treated with garlic therapy against those treated with placebo or other agents. The mean difference in reduction of total cholesterol between garlic-treated subjects and those receiving placebo (or avoiding garlic in their diet) was -0.77 mmol/l (95% CI: -0.65, -0.89 mmol/l). These changes represent a 12% reduction with garlic therapy beyond the final levels achieved with placebo alone. The reduction was evident after one month of therapy and persisted for at least six months. In the dried garlic powders, in which the allicin content is standardised, there was no significant difference in the size of the reduction across the dose range of 600-900 mg daily. Dried garlic powder preparations also significantly lowered serum triglyceride by 0.31 mmol/l compared to placebo (95% CI: -0.14, -0.49).

Arthritis in dogs treatment

Older dogs are very prone to developing arthritis. Inactive and overweight dogs are the most likely candidates for this health concern. Arthritis in dogs is very much similar to arthritis in humans. It is a degenerative disease that causes stiffness in the joints and muscles. The disease is very common in older dogs because the joints sustain wear and tear with continued use. The pain associated with this condition can be very intense for some dogs.

However, dog arthritis is not limited to older dogs. Younger dogs can acquire this disease as well. Some of the causes of arthritis in young dogs are injuries and accidents. If your dog has sustained severe damage in its legs during its younger years, it is very possible that the condition will lead into arthritis later on in its life. Certain infections or diseases may give rise to dog arthritis as well. A condition called canine hip dysplasia is one disease that may leave your dog crippled with arthritis.

There are different types of arthritis . However, the most common one is osteoarthritis. This is the type of arthritis associated with the normal jagging of cartilages due to overuse. All dogs in their senior years will go through these stages. Expect them to have problems with their vision and their sense of hearing, as well as with their joints.

Dogs that suffer from arthritis are going to need the help of a veterinarian. This is not only because the condition can be very painful for them – it can also restrict your pets from living a normal live. Whenever dog arthritis strikes, it is a must that you try to alleviate the pain associated with it with the use of the right medicine.

Exercise is very important for dogs with arthritis . While exercise forces your dog to move and possibly worsen the condition of the cartilage, it does them good in such a way that regular movement triggers the release of a lubricating fluid for the joints. These fluids can help greatly in the joint's regular movements.

There are many things a dog owner can do to help relieve the arthritis pain affecting dogs. While cures and remedies play a very important role, there is little you can do to fully treat this disease . The only solution to dog arthritis is the proper management of the disease. Try to keep the symptoms of the disease at a minimum.

Let the veterinarian assess the current condition of your dog. There are several over-the-counter medications for dog arthritis that need to be administered to your pet in order to achieve immediate relief. There are also natural cures and medicines that you can use to keep your dog in optimum health at all times.

However, prevention is always better than cure. Safeguarding your pet's health is still the best way to fight dog arthritis and other similar diseases. Older dogs need a lot more medical attention. Dogs have a regular lifespan of 15 years. So if your pet is 10 years old and above, it is at a high risk of arthritis. As its owner, you should know the things you have to do to ensure that the disease and the pain will occur as rarely as possible.

Athletes are taking supplements to strengthen body systems.

Over the past 20 years, a growing body of research (mostly conducted in Europe) points to the therapeutic potential of a variety of herbs.  Many athletes are taking these supplements to strengthen body systems, promote recovery, and help balance overall health.

According to Jermaine Primus of St. John's Herbs and Wellness in Seymour, TN, popular supplements for athletes in the Knoxville area are:

*Co-enzyme Q10 is an antioxidant that is structurally similar to vitamin E.  It plays a crucial role in the generation of cellular energy, is a significant neurological stimulant, increases circulation, and is beneficial for the cardiovascular system.

*Inflamma-Less is a combination herbal/mineral supplement for tissue and mobility.  It supports the body's natural inflammatory response.  This formula is especially good for athletes both in preventing and calming inflammation in the joints and tissues, thus reducing pain.

*Myo-tone helps to maintain the integrity of ligaments, tendons and muscles, as do hyaluronic acid, glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM (Methyl-sulfonyl-methane).

*Bromelain helps digest protein debris in areas of the body and can be used as an anti-inflammatory agent.

*Supplemental vitamin D reduces risk of fractures and improves muscle strength.

Before using herbal supplements, it's always smart to do your own research.  Check with your physician to prevent interactions with any medications.

VITAMIN B12 (cyanocobalamin) Helps prevent anemia

VITAMIN B12 (cyanocobalamin) Helps prevent anemia. Protects nervous system, improves concentration, aids digestion. HERBAL SOURCES: Alfalfa, bladder wrack, hops.

arthritis herbal cure

best herbs for liver

best supplements for diabetes

Siberian ginseng Chinese medicine

The term ginseng refers to several species of the genus  Panax . For more than 2,000 years, the roots of this slow-growing plant have been valued in Chinese medicine. The two most commonly used species are Asian ginseng ( Panax ginseng  C. A. Meyer), which is almost extinct in its natural habitat but is still cultivated, and American ginseng ( P .  quinquefolius  L.), which is both harvested from the wild and cultivated.  Panax ginseng  should not be confused with Siberian ginseng ( Eleutherococcus senticosus ). In Russia, Siberian ginseng was promoted as a cheaper alternative to ginseng and was believed to have identical benefits. However, Siberian ginseng does not contain the ginsenosides found in the  Panax  species, which are believed to be active ingredients and have been studied.
herbal medicine  herbal supplements help weight loss   acai

Over smokeless products

The Food and Drug Administration is saying in letters to two tobacco companies that flavored, dissolvable tobacco products — that the agency compares with candy and says contain a lot of nicotine — could be particularly appealing to kids and young adults.

The FDA's Center for Tobacco Products wrote to R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., maker of Camel cigarettes, and the smaller Star Scientific Inc. on Monday voicing concern over smokeless products that are consumed like breath mints but made from finely milled tobacco.

"CTP is concerned that children and adolescents may find dissolvable tobacco products particularly appealing, given the brightly colored packaging, candy-like appearance and easily concealable size of many of these products," Dr. Lawrence Deyton, director of the Center for Tobacco Products, told the companies.

Deyton said regulators are worried the products' nicotine content and rapid dissolution could cause nicotine dependence and addiction and be especially dangerous to children and young adults.

He asked the two best known makers of dissolvable tobacco products to provide their research and marketing information on how people under age 26 perceive and use the products.

Exercising new power to regulate tobacco that the FDA was granted in June, Deyton also requested research on misuse of the products, including potential accidental nicotine poisoning.


Regulators also want a summary of user demographics, including at what age "tobacco-naive consumers" start using the products.

The products are available in few markets and account for a small share of the tobacco industry.

Star Scientific, based in Petersburg, Va., markets its Ariva and Stonewall tablets in wintergreen, coffee and tobacco flavors. The first versions appeared about nine years ago.

R.J. Reynolds, which is owned by Reynolds American Inc. in Winston-Salem, N.C., is test-marketing dissolvable tablets, strips and a toothpick shape under the names Camel Orbs, Camel Strips and Camel Sticks in mint and other flavors.

The Orbs last about 15 minutes, the strips dissolve in five minutes or less and the sticks, which are slightly bigger than toothpicks, last 15 to 20 minutes.

The FDA is seeking the information as its Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee prepares to study the issue later this year.

Reynolds spokesman David Howard said that company is reviewing the FDA's request and plans to help regulators evaluate the products.

"Our products are made for, and marketed to, adult tobacco consumers," Howard said. He said dissolvable items are sold on the same shelves as other tobacco products and carry the same warnings and age restrictions.

Stop smoking NATURAL

Safe Sex and Women

Sex is totally natural, great fun and an interesting exercise as well. Having said this, it needs to be emphasized that sexual intercourse involves certain health risks because of the exchange of bodily fluids among partners.

Any kind of sexual activity— penile-vaginal sex, genital-oral sex or anal sex can lead to sexually transmitted diseases (STD) if those involved have multiple partners, or have unprotected sex with people who may be infected with STDs such as genital herpes, genital warts, Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and many others. It also increases the risk of protracting deadly diseases such as AIDS, Hepatitis B and C.


STDs Can Ruin You Forever

Media reports suggest that there is gross ignorance among many young people who believe sexually transmitted diseases are easily curable. Truth is, only some STDs like Chlamydia can be cured. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) can only be managed with medication and there is a serious danger that HIV will eventually lead to AIDS, the killer disease. According to a recent UNICEF survey, more than half of fresh HIV cases all over the world happen to be that of young people aged 15-25 years—which simply means, young and sexually active people are currently at a higher risk of becoming HIV positive.

Likewise, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) causes genital warts and can lead to the fatal cervical cancer in women. British model and Reality TV star Jade Goody's swan song as she died a painful death from cervical cancer is a sad reminder that the clock cannot be set back once the damage is done.

Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) causing Genital Herpes can be managed but cannot be cured. Though HSV 2 is generally associated with Genital Herpes, HSV1 known to cause cold sores is also known to cause genital herpes. Since there is no known cure for genital herpes, the infected person has to suffer painful lesions in and around the genital area during each outbreak and also the possible transmission of the herpes virus to a partner for the rest of their life. Moreover Herpes infection outbreak makes a person more vulnerable to HIV infection because the virus can easily enter the body through the herpes lesions.

Those who have multiple sex partners and who indulge in unprotected vaginal, oral or anal sex can contract and transmit Hepatitis B and C, which are deadly viral diseases that cause hepatitis. Chronic infections can lead to cirrhosis and even liver cancer, which has a poor outcome. More recently it has been discovered that hepatitis C virus has serious implications on the lung too.

Condoms are not known to prevent Hepatitis viral infection, but their proper use can minimize infection.

Keep Condoms Handy

A condom prevents the intermingling of body fluids (saliva, blood, semen or vaginal fluids) from one person to another during sexual intercourse. These body fluids can contain disease-causing germs that can cause syphilis, gonorrhea, hepatitis, genital herpes, genital warts and even AIDS. If a condom is not used, an infected partner can pass on the disease to an unsuspecting, uninfected partner. Though condoms are not entirely dependable in their protection against all STDs, they still offer the best protection against most sexually transmitted diseases.

Safe Sex and Women

STDs can be dangerous for anyone, but women are known to suffer the consequences more than men. For instance, many STDs can seriously damage a woman's reproductive organs rendering her infertile. Women are prone to cervical cancer caused by HPV. Worldwide statistics prove that women belong to the vulnerable group that is getting increasingly infected with HIV.

Additionally, if a woman has an STD while she is pregnant, she can pass on the infection to her baby. Women who have an outbreak of herpes virus while they are pregnant, risk entering premature labor and passing on the virus to the infant that can in turn lead to the baby's nerve damage and death. So it is with AIDS, Hepatitis B and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Women who engage in prostitution are generally open to risks of sexually transmitted diseases. Though they are aware that condoms can prevent STDs to some extent, they are rarely in a position to dictate terms to a customer. Female condoms are expensive and often not user-friendly. Surveys done among sex workers, especially in under developed and developing countries, suggest that female sex workers would say 'No' to condoms and 'Yes' to customers, rather than insist on using condoms and risk losing customers who demand the "natural feel."

Safe Sex Today is Abstinence

"There is no such thing as safe sex for someone contemplating sex with an HIV-positive person." Dr. Michael Gottlieb (his was the first original report to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on gay-related immune deficiency (GRID). It was later renamed AIDS.)

With increasing health risks in sex, many people agree that abstaining from sex—especially of the casual, sexual play is the only sure way that can guarantee freedom from unwanted pregnancy and sexual disease infections. Sexual abstinence is practiced by many people all over the world who wait until marriage or until they have established a permanent relationship with another and then get sexually intimate with the partner.

Abstinence can fail on two counts. For many, sex is an uncontrollable basic instinct and when caught in a passionate moment, all vows of abstinence are forgotten. Secondly, abstaining from sex is not often a choice for women and girls in underdeveloped countries reeling under male domination.

The ABC Approach

The three key behaviors that can control sexually transmitted diseases summed up as the ABC approach are: Abstinence or delaying sexual initiation among youth, Being faithful to a single sexual partner (avoiding multiple partners) and correct and consistent use of condoms especially in high-risk groups.

The USAID reports a remarkable decline in HIV in countries like Uganda, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Thailand, Cambodia, India, by implementing the ABC approach and other preventive behaviors.

Safe Sex Tips

• Postpone your sexual experimentation or sexual initiation till you are out of your teens or really mature enough to have safe sex

• Avoid reckless sexuality and take precautions before you become sexually intimate with a person

• Refrain from wild partying that involves alcohol, drugs and risky sexual behavior

• Beware of irresponsible partners who can lace your drink with ketamine drug and exploit you sexually when you are senseless

• Talk with your partner about his/her sexual history and it is safer for both of you to get tested for STDs if you are frequently changing partners

• Never have any type of sexual intercourse without condoms

• If using sex toys make sure you clean them always with disinfectant before and after use each time

• Avoid anal sex because it involves a greater amount of friction and other stress that can induce the condom to tear. Even otherwise, anal intercourse is too risky because rectal tissues can tear and bleed and disease germs can be easily transmitted from one person to another through the wounds.

The only safe sex that is truly safe is lovemaking in a mutually faithful relationship where both partners are HIV negative and free from sexually transmitted diseases.

Sex is a great stress buster and a powerful expression of love. It is important that a man and a woman stay faithful to each other for life in a sexual relationship in order to ensure that the wonderful fun doesn't become the worst nightmare.
http://www.medindia.net/patients/lifestyleandwellness/safe-sex.htm

Third wave of swine flu is unlikely

Quebec's public health institute says the H1N1 vaccination campaign last fall cost nearly $146 million, but that the price tag was lower than expected.

Dr. Alain Poirier, director of the program, said in a statement Thursday that 4.4 million people were inoculated against the flu strain.

"We had estimated that this large public health operation could have cost up to $200 million," he said. "We were therefore able to contain costs while achieving 57 per cent vaccination coverage."

Extra doses

There had been concerns that the swine flu could mutate and become more dangerous, but the last wave was fairly mild.

What's more, the government claims the mass vaccination was so successful that a third wave of swine flu is unlikely.