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Company Recalls Various Products Due To Potential Salmonella Contamination
Plainview Milk Products Cooperative, Plainview, Minn., is voluntarily recalling instant nonfat dried milk, whey protein, fruit stabilizers, and gums (thickening agents) that it has manufactured over the past two years, because they might be contaminated with Salmonella. The company sells these products to other industry customers, including distributors and manufacturers, who may have incorporated them into their own products. None of Plainview"s products were sold directly to the public.

Sens. Likely To Raise Abortion-Rights Issues At Hearings For Supreme Court Nominee Sotomayor
The confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor are scheduled to begin Monday, and members of the Senate Judiciary Committee are expected to question her about abortion rights and other "politically charged issues," the New York Times reports (Liptak, New York Times, 7/12). The hearing on Monday will include opening remarks from the 12 Democrats and seven Republicans on the committee, as well as an opening statement from Sotomayor. The questioning portion of the hearings is scheduled to begin on Tuesday (Sherman, AP/Houston Chronicle, 7/12). Although Sotomayor will be asked questions on abortion rights, race, foreign law and other contentious issues, she will "probably answer only a predictable few" and "will have little reason to deviate from the convention" of her predecessors, the Times reports. According to the Times, most Supreme Court nominees since former Justice Sandra Day O"Connor have followed the same strategy of speaking knowledgably about precedent and law without specifically saying how they would rule (New York Times, 7/12).According to USA Today, senators from both parties will use Sotomayor"s hearings not only to lay out their views but to "establish the tone for any future nominations" by President Obama (Biskupic, USA Today, 7/13). Because Sotomayor is replacing Justice David Souter, who retired in June, her addition to the court is not expected to change the balance of power (AP/Houston Chronicle, 7/12).Although committee members are expected to ask Sotomayor about her position on abortion rights, the issue is not likely to play as large a role as in previous Supreme Court nomination hearings, the Times reports. It is possible that Democrats will raise the issue as they seek reassurance that Sotomayor would uphold the tenets of Roe v. Wade if such a case were presented to her as a justice. While most court nominees have not explicitly said if they would uphold Roe, Sotomayor will probably "respond in a sort of code" and say that she respects precedent on court rulings related to abortion rights, according to the Times (New York Times, 7/12). Sotomayor has not ruled on a constitutional right to privacy, and the decisions she has written that briefly deal with abortion rights do not reveal a specific stance on that issue, according to USA Today. In one decision regarding the prohibition of federal funding from international family planning groups that support abortion rights, Sotomayor wrote that the government is "free to favor the antiabortion position over the pro-choice position, and can do so with public funds" (USA Today, 7/13).Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Freedom, said the group has pressed Democratic senators to ask Sotomayor about her views on abortion rights. Northup said, "Constitutional protection for abortion rights should not be treated differently than other important questions of constitutional law" (New York Times, 7/12). Some women"s rights groups have remained relatively quiet in expressing their support for Sotomayor, citing her limited record on abortion rights, the AP/Google.com reports. National Organization for Women Vice President Melody Drnach said that the group has been publicly focusing on the health care reform debate but that it would soon step up efforts behind the scenes to lobby support for Sotomayor. She added that despite Sotomayor"s limited ruling on abortion rights, the group feels it would be "very, very surprising if the president and his team would nominate somebody who was not going to believe in full equality for women and girls to be a part of the highest court in the land." NARAL Pro-Choice America officials said the group has focused its res on urging senators to ask Sotomayor questions about the right to privacy during the hearings. Marcia Greenberger of the National Women"s Law Center said women"s groups are not withholding support for Sotomayor but have been busy examining her record. The National Association of Women Lawyers rated Sotomayor as "highly qualified" but noted that
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British Medical Association Launches "Look After Our NHS"
The BMA is stepping up its activity to publicise its concerns about government reforms that have created a market in healthcare and allowed commercially run firms to provide NHS care.
Diagnostics

Wales Will Not Join National Pandemic Flu Service At This Stage

Health Minister Edwina Hart is reminding people that Wales will not be part of the National Pandemic Flu Service (NPHS) when it goes live in England. Wales, along with Scotland and Northern Ireland, will still be able to plug into the service if and when it is required. The NPFS will be made up of a dedicated website and a central call centre that assesses people on symptoms of swine flu and authorises antiviral treatments. It is being introduced in England in response to operational pressure. Mrs Hart said that existing primary care routes would continue to be used to manage treatment in Wales as this provides the opportunity for clinical engagement using familiar services. Mrs Hart said: "Wales is well behind the curve compared to areas of England in terms of the numbers of swine flu cases. "While there has been an increase in the number of swine flu cases over the last week, it is comparable to what we would see with normal seasonal flu. "In terms of access to advice and treatment, the advice remains the same in Wales. "If you have flu-like symptoms, stay home, and check symptoms on the NHS Direct Wales website at www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk or by phoning the swine flu information line on 0800 1 513 513. If you have these symptoms, follow good respiratory and hand hygiene - catch it, bin it, kill it. "If the symptoms are causing concern, or people are in an at-risk group such as those with a chronic condition like heart or lung disease, children under 5 or pregnant women, they should phone their GP or NHS Direct Wales on 0845 46 47 as they are a priority for early antiviral treatment. "For those who need antiviral treatment, there are plenty of supplies available across Wales. People in the high risk groups will benefit from antivirals most if taken within the first 48 hours of the onset of symptoms. "People with flu-like symptoms should not go to their A&E, local GP or pharmacy in case they spread the virus to others. Such visits cause undue pressure and potential delay for other patients who are in need of emergency services. "We will continue to focus on providing care and support to people through existing services that they are more familiar with and comfortable with using for as long as possible. "I want to thank NHS staff for their hard work. In an effort to reduce pressure on the NHS, particularly GPs, the local NHS in Wales is developing patient contact arrangements through GPs, out of hours and call centres to support GPs who are getting an increase in swine flu-related calls. "As of Monday, 20 July, we have improved the access to antiviral treatment by enabling GPs to write prescriptions which can be dispensed in Community Pharmacies in the normal way. Access to the solution for the treatment for the under one year infants remains via hospital pharmacy and the GP Out of Hours service for the time being. "As part of our preparation for further increases in cases, we are also training more call handlers for NHS Direct, as Scotland did to cope with their recent cases, and arrangements will be made to filter calls quickly when patients ring NHS Direct Wales so that people with swine flu symptoms - as well as those phoning in with other calls - are dealt with as effectively as possible. "In Wales, the local NHS has always planned on responding to a pandemic with up to 50 per cent attack rate, and we have no requirement to join the NPFS at this point in time." The Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Dr Tony Jewell, said: "We are seeing an increase in the number of cases in Wales as we would expect given the community spread in other parts of the UK. This will no doubt increase over the coming weeks and months. We estimate that up to 30 per cent of the population could catch swine flu at some point over the next 12-18 months. "The virus is proving to be mild for most people and so most can self-care and will recover without the need for antivirals within five to seven days. "In Wales, at the moment, the number of cases is comparable to what we would see in seasonal flu epidemic. We are therefore enhancing existing services that people know and understand. We are continually monitoring the situation closely." Swine Flu symptoms - Sudden fever - Sudden cough - Headache - Chills - Aching muscles - Limb or joint pain - Diarrhoea or stomach upset - Sore throat - Loss of appetite - Runny nose What to do If you have flu-like symptoms stay at home. You can check your symptoms by calling the Swine Flu Information Line on 0800 1 513 513 or by visiting the website at http://www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk Paracetamol can help with the aches and pains and reduce the temperature and fluids can help with the fever If you are still concerned, contact your or NHS Direct Wales on 0845 46 47 or your GP. If you are in the following risk groups and have flu like symptoms, please contact your GP practice for further advice: - People with chronic lung disease - People with chronic heart disease - People with chronic kidney disease - People with chronic liver disease - People with chronic neurological disease - People with weakened immune systems - People with diabetes mellitus - People who have had drug treatment for their asthma within the past three years - Pregnant women - Children under five years old In addition to the at risk groups, doctors will continue to use their clinical discretion and judgement and may prescribe antivirals to those they have specific concerns about, such as those with moderate or severe symptoms. If you have flu-like symptoms and need to collect medicines, please make arrangements for a healthy family member or friend to collect on your behalf or, where available, use the home delivery service. What not to do Do not go into your Accident and Emergency Department, GP or pharmacy unless you are advised to do so or are seriously ill, as you may spread the illness to others. Welsh Assembly Government


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