Free Republic

George Washington's military genius is undisputed. Yet American independence must be partially attributed to a strategy for which history has given the infamous general little credit: his controversial medical actions. Traditionally, the Battle of Saratoga is credited with tipping the revolutionary scales. Yet the health of the Continental regulars involved in battle was a product of the ambitious initiative Washington began earlier that year at Morristown, close on the heels of the victorious Battle of Princeton. Among the Continental regulars in the American Revolution, 90 percent of deaths were caused by disease, and Variola the small pox virus was the...

Harper: Controversal Drug Will Do Little To Reduce Cervical Cancer Rates Dr. Diane Harper, lead researcher in the development of two human papilloma virus vaccines, Gardasil and Cervarix, said the controversial drugs will do little to reduce cervical cancer rates and, even though they’re being recommended for girls as young as nine, there have been no efficacy trials in children under the age of 15. Dr. Harper, director of the Gynecologic Cancer Prevention Research Group at the University of Missouri, made these remarks during an address at the 4th International Public Conference on Vaccination which took place in Reston, Virginia...

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Infants and toddlers given two doses of the influenza vaccine are less likely to contract flu, pneumonia and influenza-like illnesses, but one dose does not appear to have any effect, according to findings published in the Journal of Pediatrics. Dr. Mandy A. Allison, of the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, and colleagues examined the effectiveness of the currently recommended two-dose influenza vaccine for young children, as well as the effect of one dose of the vaccine, in preventing visits to the doctor for influenza-like illness. They analyzed data for 5193 healthy children between the...

New York City was the site of the largest mass murder in American history. On September 11, 2001, more than 2000 citizens and guests were slain simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time: the World Trade Center buildings between 8:47 am and 10:30 am. The Republican National Committee, planned an act of solidarity with the people of New York City and the families of the casualties by convening their delegates to renominate President Bush for his second term. Just as a side note, an overwhelming majority of those casualties, it's as if they never existed.Prior to...

SAFE Citizen Brief #2: Biological Weapons Threats Citizen Briefing Biological Weapons TechnologyWhat are Biological Agents? Biological Agents are microorganisms, or toxins derived from them, which cause disease in humans, animals or plants, or which cause the deterioration of material. Biological agents are naturally occurring microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi) or toxins. Agents can cause disease and death in a target population. Agents can also attack the food supply and/or materiel of a nation. Most biological weapons consist of living organisms (toxins are the exception) and, thus, can replicate once disseminated. Can Biological Agents easily be made into weapons? Yes. A...

Feds Prepare for Smallpox Quarantine Federal Officials Ready Plan for Quarantine in Case of Smallpox The Associated Press A T L A N T A, July 8 — Federal health officials are quietly making plans for quarantining Americans who might be exposed to a highly contagious smallpox patient, addressing sensitive questions of how to hold people, possibly against their will, in case of a bioterror attack. The planning, still in draft form, addresses complex logistical and policy questions, including where people would be kept while waiting for officials to confirm a smallpox case and, if necessary, administer vaccinations."It's not pretty...

Published SaturdayMay 18, 2002Pentagon to cut back anthrax program   WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon wants to abandon its policy of anthrax vaccinations for all troops and limit shots to those at the highest risk, officials said Friday. A planned announcement of the new policy two weeks ago was delayed because of questions about how much vaccine U.S. civilians might need in case of a bioterrorist attack. In trying to rebuild a program hobbled for two years by a drug shortage, officials are considering such issues as intelligence assessments, dosing requirements and other national- security considerations, said Jim Turner, the...