Vaccines and viruses have made national U.S. headlines in recent months. Outbreaks of common childhood diseases like measles in California have led to swift legislative action limiting exemptions for those who do not wish they or their children to be vaccinated. A dozen other states are considering similar laws. Some states like Mississippi and West Virginia have disallowed nonmedical exemptions yielding the highest...
fDo you know where your food has been before you ate it? No? You’re not alone. For many consumers, the questions of where their food originated from (and the travel route it took), was processed, or was handled, is not a consideration. There is a faction of consumers that will research the country of origin, but recent action by the U.S. Congress on meat products now discloses that information to the public.
Vaccines are truly miracle drugs. Polio has been effectively banished from the human population. In the U.S., the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends a regimen of vaccines for infants and children to protect them from otherwise common diseases such as chickenpox, Hepatitis A and B and polio. DTaP covers diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis.
The spotlights and microscopes are on Chipotle’s response to outbreaks of E. coli, salmonella and norovirus that continue to make national headlines. Early outbreaks led to the closing of affected stores, cleaning and employee training, and reopening. Continuing outbreaks have led to the company’s stock falling from highs over $700 per share to $400 over a three month period.
Sometimes regulations are perceived as being ahead of the curve of practice and development, and other times they’re playing catch up. Oregon’s Board of Pharmacy is the leader in updating regulations to reflect current technology and development.
When The New York Times headline reads U.S. Makes Final Array of Rules on Food Safety, readers pay attention. And when Fox News promotes the same topic in its piece FDA issues final rules on produce safety, imported foods, readers expect they won’t be reading about Salmonella outbreaks linked to imported cucumbers such as the multi-state warning issued by the FDA.
