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Washington Update
*After months of deliberation, President Bush announced a national smallpox vaccination plan that will focus on the military and "first responder" health care providers in its first phase. About 500,000 members of the military will be the first to receive the vaccine in late December. In late January, a voluntary program of vaccination will begin for about 430,000 emergency health care workers across the nation. The federal government does not recommend the vaccine for the general public, but will make it available to individuals who want to be vaccinated by late spring or summer of 2003. Many health care workers have expressed concern about a potential backlash against vaccination in general if the smallpox plan leads to numerous or highly visible side effects among the first wave of vaccinated individuals. Two hospitals, Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta and Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond have refused to vaccinate their workers, saying that the vaccine's ris!
ks outweigh the risk of a bioterror attack. To read more, go to the HHS' new comprehensive site, www.smallpox.gov.
*Former heart surgeon Sen. Bill Frist of Tennessee is set to take the reins as the new Senate Majority Leader after Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi stepped down from the post in late December. As a ranking member of the Senate's Subcommittee on Public Health, Frist is expected to work closely with the Bush administration on health care issues, including prescription drug benefits and stem cell and cloning research. Frist co-sponsored this summer's Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity Act, a bill supported by the Center for the Advancement of Health and numerous other health organizations, that addresses the obesity epidemic.
*"You don't have to be a marathon runner or starve yourself to prevent diabetes," HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson declared at the launch of the HHS "Small Steps, Big Rewards" program, announced at the end of November. The program touts modest lifestyle changes, like 30 minutes of brisk walking each day, as a way to prevent type 2 diabetes in most people. As part of the Secretary's Prevention Campaign, the program joins other HHS initiatives that target smoking, nutrition and exercise changes as the key to improving public health. For more information on the program, go to ndep.nig.gov
*And ... it's never too late to break a bad habit, say the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. They announced the launch of a pilot program in seven states to study ways to get Medicare seniors to stop smoking. The study, which will take place in Alabama, Florida, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma and Wyoming, will test various smoking cessation strategies from counseling to prescription drugs. Senior Medicare beneficiaries who smoke and want to quit can call 1-866-652-3446 to find out if they are eligible for the study.
*HHS has proposed regulations that discuss how religious organizations may operate when they use HHS funds to deliver community health services. The regulations were announced as part of President Bush's Faith-Based and Community Initiative. The rules confirm that these organizations must serve all eligible individuals equally, regardless of religious affiliation, but also make it clear that they aren't obligated to make changes that affect their "religious character" when delivering these services. The regulations could affect biobehavioral researchers working in several HHS programs, including the Administration for Children and Families and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. To read more about faith-based initiatives and HHS, head to www.hhs.gov.
*Revisions to a federal rule that regulates prescription drug ads have made it easier for misleading ads to stay on the air, according to a new report by the General Accounting Office. Before the Bush administration made a revision in January 2002, the FDA was required to notify drug companies of any ad violations within two weeks. The new rule increases this notification time to 11 weeks to allow government lawyers to review the violation notices. The result? "Some regulatory letters may not be issued until after the advertising campaign has run its course," the GAO writes. You can read the full report at www.gao.gov
*As reported in last month's HABIT, the Federation of Behavioral, Psychological and Cognitive Scientists nominated four people for membership on the new HHS Secretary's Advisory Committee on Human Research Protections. Celia B. Fisher, one of these nominees, was selected for committee membership in early December. Fisher is the Director of the Fordham University Center for Ethics Education and Professor of Applied Developmental Psychology.
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