The seventh edition of the Canadian Immunization Guide was developed by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), with the support ofthe Immunization and Respiratory Infections Division, Public Health Agency of Canada, to provide updated information and recommendations on the use of vaccines in Canada. The Public Health Agency of Canada conducted a survey in 2004, which confi rmed that the Canadian Immunization Guide is a very useful and reliable resource of information on immunization.
In 1900, for every 1,000 babies born in the United States, 100 would die before their first birthday, often due to infectious diseases. Today, vaccines exist for many viral and bacterial diseases. The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act, passed in 1986, was intended to bolster vaccine research and development through the federal coordination of vaccine initiatives and to provide relief to vaccine manufacturers facing financial burdens. The legislation also intended to address concerns about the safety of vaccines by instituting a compensation program, setting up a passive surveillance system for vaccine adverse events, and by providing information to consumers. A key component of the legislation required the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to collaborate with the Institute of Medicine to assess concerns about the safety of vaccines and potential adverse events, especially in children. Adverse Effects of Vaccines reviews the epidemiological, clinical, and biological evidence regarding adverse health events associated with specific vaccines covered by the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), including the varicella zoster vaccine, influenza vaccines, the hepatitis B vaccine, and the human papillomavirus vaccine, among others. For each possible adverse event, the report reviews peer-reviewed primary studies, summarizes their findings, and evaluates the epidemiological, clinical, and biological evidence. It finds that while no vaccine is 100 percent safe, very few adverse events are shown to be caused by vaccines. In addition, the evidence shows that vaccines do not cause several conditions. For example, the MMR vaccine is not associated with autism or childhood diabetes. Also, the DTaP vaccine is not associated with diabetes and the influenza vaccine given as a shot does not exacerbate asthma. Adverse Effects of Vaccines will be of special interest to the National Vaccine Program Office, the VICP, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccine safety researchers and manufacturers, parents, caregivers, and health professionals in the private and public sectors.
The Toxicology of Radioactive Substances, Volume 5: Zinc-65 deals with the toxic properties of the radioisotope zinc-65 as well as its biological effects. Emphasis is placed on the role of stable zinc in the reaction of the body to the administration of zinc-65. Some of the results of laboratory studies on the toxic effects of zinc-65 on animals, primarily rabbits, are presented. This volume is comprised of 18 chapters and opens with an overview of certain aspects of the toxicology of radioactive zinc-65, followed by a discussion on the behavior of zinc-65 in the rat body. Subsequent chapters explore the distribution of zinc-65 in the body of rabbits following chronic oral administration; bioelectrical activity of the cerebral cortex in rabbits in conditions of prolonged administration of radioactive zinc; the effect of prolonged internal irradiation with G5ZnCl2 on the functional state of the rabbit heart; and aspects of hemopoiesis following chronic intake of radiozinc. Morphological changes in experimental animals following chronic exposure to radioactive zinc are also considered. This book will be of interest to chemists and toxicologists.
Cancer and Chemotherapy, Volume III: Antineoplastic Agents is a collection of articles that deals with the treatment of cancer using drugs. The collection describes the various drugs that are used, the therapeutic approaches being taken, and agents that are being developed. Part I is a general review of anti-cancer drugs as regards their action mechanisms, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, known toxicities, and clinical utility. These drugs include alkylating agents such as mitomycin C and nitrosoureas; plant alkaloids such as maytansine; antibiotics such as anthracyclines; platinum-containing complexes; antimetabolites; and hormones. Part II examines the molecular pharmacology of some major drug classes, namely, bleomycin and anthracycline. The text also discusses the chemistry, mechanism, and any structure-activity relationships found in these drug classes. Part III discusses in detail the clinical pharmacology of some antitumor drugs, for example, cisplatin and nitrosoureas. The text includes the clinical applications, biochemistry, metabolism, and the use of mathematical models in interpreting or describing resulting data. The book is helpful for pharmacologists, molecular biologists, and scientists involved in cancer-research.
This volume of Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology covers diverse topics related to intradermal immunization. The chapters highlight the effectiveness of intradermal immunization in experimental animal models or in clinical practice, all supporting the view that intradermal immunization is at least as good as other immunization routes. Keeping in mind that current vaccines are not specially designed for intradermal immunization, but show comparable efficiency even at reduced dosages, this underlines the great potential for the skin as a vaccination site. Hopefully, the overview in this volume will encourage vaccine designers to focus on this promising immunization route, and in addition, to inspire them to develop vaccines that are especially optimized for intradermal immunization.
