Office of Public Affairs

DAILY PRESS REPORT

July 29, 2004

Information compiled from IHS and HHS press sources

 

 

Press Releases

HHS will announce today that the nation’s childhood immunization rates are at record high levels, including significant increases in rates of immunization for chickenpox and pneumococcal pneumonia, the two most recent additions to the childhood immunization schedule. 

 

SAMHSA will issue a release today regarding a new report showing that 4 million people have co-occurring serious mental illness and substance abuse disorder.

 

Administration for Children and Families has released a new paper -- entitled “A Comprehensive Framework for Marriage Education” -- designed to spark a more thorough, systematic and creative exploration of how marriage education can contribute to the goal of promoting healthy marriages in the United States.

 

CDC issued a release Wednesday regarding the advancement of identifying and the measuring of chemical agents in Humans. 

 

Secretary’s Schedule

The Secretary will be continuing his travel in Alaska.

 

Special Alert

The HHS Message of the Day (attached) is on immunizations.

 

The Orange County Register, California district attorney held a press conference Friday about adulteration of baby food in Irvine.  FDA provided expert backup

 

Major Media Contacts

AP's Lauran Neergaard contcted FDA regarding the panel meeting on safety of allowing defibrillators to be sold over the counter.  FDA provided comment

 

AP's Clark Canfield contacted FDA regarding its approval of robotic devices for heart surgery. Background was provided

 

AP’s Theresa Agavino interviewed OHRP’s Bern Schwetz on the difficulties of getting patients into clinical trials and the possibility that government and industry are competing for the same pool of potential candidates. 

 

AP and HealthDay interviewed CDC’s Dr. Rosemarie Kobau about the article in the July 29 issue of Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, “Sad, Blue or Depressed Days, Health Behaviors and Health-Related Quality of Life, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 1995-2000.”

 

CNBC interviewed NIH/OD’s Dr. James Battey for background about stem cells.

 

New York Sun Andy Bush spoke to the about potential TANF penalties that NY state could incur for non-compliance with TANF data match requirements.

 

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel interviewed CDC’s Dr. Richard Wolitski about Project START, an effective intervention that reduces HIV risk behavior among young men who have been released from prison.

 

Dallas Morning News provided background information on carbohydrate label. Explained that nutrient content claims had to be defined through rulemaking and that it is prohibited to use a nutrient ontent claim with carbohydrates.