Illegal Silicone Butt Injections New Trend For BLACK Strippers! Kim Smedley Pleads Guilty

Due to this lingering Recession, more BLACK Women are Working as Strippers, thus more BLACK Women are paying for Illegal, Risky Silicone Butt Injections.

The Subject of this Status Update has become a Dangerous Trend among Women in the American BLACK Community.

In this Recession a Girl has to make a Living right?

Well apparently looking like Nicki Minaj & Kim Khardashian is the New Trend among Strippers & Escorts.

Why am I reporting on something so seemingly unrelated to Politics?

Because it bothers me when I see Girls & Women using their Bodies as Sex Objects to make Money, even if it cost them their Lives.
i.e. Exploitation!

Is it Safe to assume that Women working as Escorts, Prostitutes & Strippers are more than likely in many cases being Forced by Drug Dealers, Madams & Pimps to get those Body Distorting, Illegal Silicone Butt Injections?

YES!

Because Women with BIG Butts attract Rappers & Men from Corporate America with a Fetish for Big Butts, regardless of what those Women may have done to get such Unnaturally looking Big BUTTS.
i.e., being Injected with Store Bought Silicone, Cement, Super Glue, Fix-a-Flat, etc.,

Strippers & Escorts are paying $1,000 CASH per Procedure, and risking their Lives by allowing other Women with NO Medical Training, nor Medical License to Illegally Inject Silicone into their Buttocks & Hips.

I am NOT referring to FDA-Approved Silicone used by Licensed Physicians & Plastic Surgeons.

NO!

Instead I'm referring to Silicone, Cement & Fix-a-Flat Products sold in Lowe's & Home Depot Stores!

YES!

These Chemicals are being Injected into the Bodies of Strippers & Escorts to give them appearance of Nicki Minaj's & Kim Khardashian's BIG Behinds!

Can You Say "CRAZY"??

I Can!

That is CRAZZZZZZZYYYYYY!!!!!!!

Is this trend about Body Image issues?

NO!

This is about using Your Female Body as a Sex Object to make More MONEY even if it cost Your LIFE!

i.e. Exploitation!

Once that Silicone & other Mess is Injected into the Human Body it can NOT be Removed!

NOT even by a REAL Physician!

Some Women have DIED from Complications after receiving these Illegal Silicone Butt Injections!

Such Corrupt, Dangerous, Illegal Medical Procedures Must STOP!

If Necessary Get the Feds Involved!

BLACK Women Please STOP!

Padge Windslowe (the "Black Madam") 42, of Philadelphia, has been ordered to stand Trial for Illegally Administering Silicone Butt Injections to Strippers during "Pumping Parties".
Padge Charged $1,000. Per Procedure.

Kimberly Smedley, 45, Of Atlanta, Pleaded Guilty to Federal Felony Charges for administering Silicone Butt Injections to Strippers without a Medical License.
Kimberly Charged $1,000. Per Procedure.

Oneal Ron Morris, 30, a Florida Transgender "Woman", was Arrested last Fall for giving Illegal Silicone Butt Injections to Strippers.
Oneal Charged $1,000. Per Procedure.



Bum Rap: Woman Who Injected Silicone Into Buttocks Of Strippers Nationwide Pleads To Federal Felony Charge


A Georgia woman who traveled the country administering silicone buttocks injections to female clients--including many strippers--pleaded guilty today to a federal felony charge stemming from her illegal business.

During an appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, Kimberly Smedley copped to a conspiracy charge. A criminal information filed this month alleged that Smedley, 45, “traveled frequently” to Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Detroit, Philadelphia, and New York City to inject silicone “into the buttocks of customers for larger and fuller buttocks in exchange for money.”

Smedley faces a maximum five-year prison term when sentenced in mid-July. A plea agreement indicates that federal prosecutors will seek a $250,000 fine, in addition to about $8000 in restitution (that Smedley has agreed to pay).

Pictured above, Smedley is not a licensed medical practitioner. She also falsely represented to customers that the silicone she injected (which was stored in a plastic water jug) was medical grade. Instead, prosecutors disclosed, she used a substance intended for “metal or plastic lubrication, as an additive for paint and coatings, and furniture or automotive polishes.”

Food and Drug Administration agents determined that Smedley ordered “over 4920 pounds” of the substance “from one manufacturer alone” since 2003.

Smedley was arrested last year at a Washington hotel, where she was apparently preparing to see clients.

Federal agents began investigating her months earlier after an exotic dancer from Baltimore became seriously ill and was hospitalized following silicone treatments by Smedley.

As part of her plea deal, Smedley acknowledged illegally administering silicone injections over an eight-year period ending late last year. She operated out of hotel rooms, where she used “super glue with cotton balls to cover the point of injection in an effort to prevent the silicone from leaking out,” according to a court filing. Smedley admitted charging between “$500 and $1600, always in cash, for each session where she typically injected silicone in 9 places on each side of the buttocks.”

Smedley was the subject of a March 2008 New York Post story that quoted her saying her injections were “illegal here but legal in Mexico.” She also acknowledged, “I’m not a doctor and I’m not a nurse.”


'Black Madam' gave illegal butt injections, used Krazy Glue, say Pa. cops

A judge has ordered a Philadelphia woman dubbed the 'Black Madam' to stand trial for allegedly performing illegal cosmetic surgeries, including buttocks enhancement procedures using silicone from Thailand and Krazy Glue.

Padge Windslowe, 42, is charged with aggravated assault, practicing medicine without a license and theft by deception.

At a preliminary hearing Wednesday, an exotic dancer named Shurkia King testified that she suffered severe respiratory problems and spent two weeks in the hospital after a "pumping party" for which Windslowe charged $1,000 per session and performed injections on a dining table.

A doctor testified that he found silicone particles on King's lungs that could have killed her.

Police also believe Windslowe injected 20-year-old Claudia Aderotimi, who died after a pumping party at a Philadelphia airport hotel last year. Aderotimi complained of chest pain and difficulty breathing following the procedure. No charges have been filed in that case as detectives await extensive autopsy test results.

King, 23, said she learned about the Black Madam through fellow dancers and thought Windslowe was a certified nurse. After the first pumping party went well on New Year's Eve, King said she went back for more in February.

One of the injections seemed to go in wrong and left her leg shaking, but Windslowe told her to just breathe and that everything is OK, King said.

King's oxygen level was "dangerously low" when she arrived at a hospital two days later, a doctor testified. She spent about a week in intensive care and used an oxygen tank to breathe until she returned to work, the doctor and King both testified.

Dr. Arka Banerjee of Lankenau Medical Center testified that the silicone particles attached to King's lungs were diffused and too small to remove surgically. On cross-examination, the doctor acknowledged that medical records show King to be a daily smoker and marijuana user.

Philadelphia police believe Windslowe performed at least 14 cosmetic surgeries, moving locations to avoid detection. She remains in jail on $750,000 bail.



Accused Florida Butt Injector Appears To Have Tried Her Own Product

The Transgender Florida Woman arrested yesterday for giving illegal buttocks injections--using a mixture of cement, super glue, mineral oil, and “Fix-a-Flat” sealant--appears to have tasted her own product.

Charged with practicing medicine without a license, Oneal Ron Morris, 30, posed for the above full-body booking photos (click each to enlarge), which seem to show her rear has been artificially enhanced (is there a better way to advertise your services?).

Morris was nabbed in connection with her treatment earlier this year of a client who was subsequently hospitalized due to the enhancement procedure (the injection site was sealed with super glue).

Morris is jailed in lieu of $7500 bond.


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Sources: CBS News, Fox News, MTV, SocialiteLife, The Smoking Gun, Youtube, Google Maps

HPV (Gardasil) Vaccine Linked To 68 Deaths (CDC)! Targeted At Black & Hispanic Girls!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Reports of Health Concerns Following HPV Vaccination


VAERS Limitations

VAERS data cannot be used to prove a causal association between the vaccine and the adverse event. The only association between the adverse event and vaccination is temporal, meaning that the adverse event occurred sometime after vaccination. Therefore, the adverse event may be coincidental or it may have been caused by vaccination, however we cannot make any conclusions that the events reported to VAERS were caused by the vaccine.


HPV Vaccine Safety

There are two licensed HPV vaccines, Gardasil® and Cervarix®, available to protect against the types of HPV infection that cause most cervical cancers. Gardasil® was licensed for use in females, age 9-26 years in June 2006 and for males age 9-26 years in Oct 2009. Cervarix® was licensed for use in females age 10-25 in October 2009.

The safety of HPV vaccines was studied in clinical trials worldwide before licensure. For Gardasil® , over 29,000 males and females participated in these trials. For Cervarix®, over 30,000 females participated in several clinical trials.

Since licensure, CDC and FDA have been closely monitoring the safety of HPV vaccines. There are 3 systems used to monitor the safety of vaccines after they are licensed and used in the U.S. These systems can monitor adverse events already known to be caused by vaccines, as well as detect rare adverse events that were not identified during pre-licensure clinical trials. The 3 systems are:

The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)–a useful early warning public health system that helps CDC and FDA detect possible side effects or adverse events following vaccination.

The Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) Project–a collaboration between CDC and 10 health care organizations which monitors and evaluates adverse events following vaccination.

The Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment (CISA) Network– a collaboration between6 academic centers in the U.S. which conduct research on adverse events that might be caused by vaccines.

Reports to VAERS Following Gardasil®

As of June 22, 2011, approximately 35 million doses of Gardasil® were distributed in the U.S. and VAERS received a total of 18,727 reports of adverse events following Gardasil® vaccination: 17,958 reports among females and 346 reports for males, of which 285 reports were received after the vaccine was licensed for males in October 2009. VAERS received 423 reports of unknown gender. Of the total number of VAERS reports following Gardasil®, 92% were considered to be non-serious, and 8% were considered serious.


Non-serious adverse event reports

VAERS defines non-serious adverse events as those other than hospitalization, death, permanent disability, or life-threatening illness.

The vast majority (92%) of the adverse events reports following Gardasil® vaccination have included fainting, pain, and swelling at the injection site (the arm), headache, nausea, and fever. Syncope (fainting) is common after injections and vaccinations, especially in adolescents. Falls after fainting may sometimes cause serious injuries, such as head injuries, which can be prevented by closely observing the person for 15 minutes after vaccination.

Serious adverse event reports

Any VAERS report that indicated hospitalization, permanent disability, life-threatening illness, congenital anomaly or death is classified as serious. As with all VAERS reports, serious events may or may not have been caused by the vaccine.


Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS)

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) has been reported after vaccination with Gardasil® . GBS is a rare neurologic disorder that causes muscle weakness. It occurs in 1-2 out of every 100,000 people in their teens. A number of infections have been associated with GBS. There has been no indication that Gardasil® increases the rate of GBS above the rate expected in the general population, whether or not they were vaccinated.

Blood Clots

There have been some reports of blood clots in females after receiving Gardasil®. These clots have occurred in the heart, lungs, and legs. Most of these people had a risk of getting blood clots, such as taking oral contraceptives (the birth control pill), smoking, obesity, and other risk factors.


Deaths

As of June 22, 2011 there have been a total 68 VAERS reports of death among those who have received Gardasil® . There were 54 reports among females, 3 were among males, and 11 were reports of unknown gender. Thirty two of the total death reports have been confirmed and 36 remain unconfirmed due to no identifiable patient information in the report such as a name and contact information to confirm the report. A death report is confirmed (verified) after a medical doctor reviews the report and any associated records. In the 32 reports confirmed, there was no unusual pattern or clustering to the deaths that would suggest that they were caused by the vaccine and some reports indicated a cause of death unrelated to vaccination.

VAERS Reports Following Cervarix®

Since licensed in October 2009, uptake of Cervarix® vaccination in the U.S. has been low. As of June 2011, there have been 39 VAERS reports of adverse events following Cervarix® vaccination in the U.S. The majority of these reports (97%) were considered to be non-serious.

Cervarix® has also been in use in other countries such as England and Europe prior to licensing from the FDA.

Summary

Based on all of the information we have today, CDC recommends HPV vaccination for the prevention of most types of cervical cancer. As with all approved vaccines, CDC and FDA will continue to closely monitor the safety of HPV vaccines. Any problems detected with these vaccines will be reported to health officials, healthcare providers, and the public and needed action will be taken to ensure the public's health and safety.


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Sources: Center For Disease Control.gov, CNN, MSNBC, Youtube, Google Maps

Birth Control As Preventive Medicine? Yes! (Health Insurance Coverage)

Should Birth Control Be Categorized As A Form Of Preventive Medicine Requiring Health Insurance Companies To Include It In Premiums?

Yes!

Here's Why.

Many Of You Know That I Personally Oppose Abortion.

Just For The Record Abortion Is NOT A Form Of Birth Control!

I Don't Judge People Who Do Endorse Terminating Pregnancies But I Would NEVER Do It Because Its Against My Faith.

However I'm Also Opposed To Women Having & Rearing Children At The Government's Expense, In Most Cases Minus Child Support!

Unless You (Women) Can Independently Afford To Properly Care For Children Don't Reproduce! Period!

After All We're Human Beings NOT Rabbits!

Here's My Next Thought On This Sensitive Subject.

In My Family I Have A Niece Currently Residing In North Carolina Who Could Most Certainly Benefit From The Use Of BIRTH CONTROL & Some SELF-CONTROL!

I Love My Niece Dearly So What's The Problem?

She Is Just 25 Years Old But A Low Income, Unwed Mother Of 4 Beautiful Children!!

Wait A Minute!

Who Paid For Her To Have Those 4 Beautiful Children?

TAXPAYERS!

Who's Helping To Care For Those 4 Beautiful Children Even As We Speak?

That's Right TAXPAYERS!

And Yet....

She Won't Properly Use Birth Control, Nor Have Her Fallopian Tubes Tied Because She Wants To Keep Having Babies!

Since All Of Her Children Were Born Via Cesarean Sections (C-Sections) Not Only Is My Niece Being SELFISH & FOOLISH Regarding Her Health, But Her Children Are Suffering Due To Each Of Them Being So Young. (Ages 6, 4, 3, Infant)

Why Were Her Children Delivered Via Cesarean Section Versus Natural Birth, A Less Expensive Method Of Birth?

My Niece Is Physically Able To Reproduce But NOT Medically Able To Have Children Via Natural Birth.

She Tried & Almost Died! Literally!

Forcing My Niece To Have Babies Naturally Would Result In Her Death, Which Would Create A Whole New Chain Of Circumstances & Despair For Her 4 Beautiful Children.

North Carolina Social Workers Are Well Aware Of This Situation But Yet They Allow My Niece To Continue Having Babies At Taxpayers'& The Federal Government's Expense!

How Convenient I Must Say.

Despite What Anyone Else Says Or Thinks, A 25 Year-Old, Low Income, Unwed Mother With 4 Children Can NOT Properly Nurture Her Children!!

At Least NOT Emotionally!

In Fact More Often Than Not Such Circumstances Is What Causes Women Like My Niece To Commit Child Abuse & Neglect, Either Intentionally Or Unintentionally.

(No My Niece Does NOT Physically Abuse Her Children.)

Observing My Low Income, Unwed Niece NOT Being Able To Properly Care For Her Young Children Both Frustrates & Hurts Me Because Her Decision To Continue Having Babies Minus A Husband, Minus An Education & Minus Adequate Finances, Creates An Environment Lacking In Emotionally Stability For All Of Them.

In Most Cases Poverty Adversely Affects Young Children, Thereby Hindering Their Chances For Future Academic Success.

I Truly Love Children With All My Heart.

Especially My Niece's Children.

But A Woman's Right To Choose Should NOT Mean That Women Have The Right To Keep Having Children They Can NOT Properly Care For Via Government Assistance!!

Due To The Southern States Illegally Using Eugenics On Black Women & Mentally Retarded Women Against Their Will, Its Now Illegal For Any State To Force Any Woman To Use Birth Control Or Allow Physicians To Tie Her Fallopian Tubes.

However I Don't Agree!!

I Firmly Believe That If A Unwed, Normally Healthy Woman Living In Poverty & Receiving Government Assistance i.e., Welfare Checks (TANF), Food Stamps, Medicaid, Child Care Assistance, Section 8, etc., Refuses To Remain On Birth Control Or Get Her Fallopian Tubes Tied After 2 Or 3 Children Then Either Cut Off Their Assistance!!

Especially If Its Obvious Those Unwed, Normally Healthy Women Want To Continue Having Children To Keep A Boyfriend Or To Use As Pawns For More Food Stamps & Welfare Payments, etc.,

Unfortunately North Carolina Is A State That Appears To Encourage Low Income, Unwed Mothers To Continue Having Children.

i.e., Human "Baby Factories"

Why?

For 2 Reasons:

1) To Procure Large Sums Of Federal Dollars Of Which Only A Very Small Amount Is Given To Those Low Income, Unwed Mothers.

The Rest Is Used By Our Governor & State Legislators To Provide A Higher Mode Of Living For North Carolina's Wealthy WHITE Citizens.

i.e., Better Roads & Highways, Nice Neighborhood Parks, Nice Business Establishments Versus Chicken Joints & ABC Stores, Nice, NEW Public Schools, NEW City Transit Buses, etc.,

2) To Place THOUSANDS Of BLACK Children From Low Income Homes Headed By Single Mothers In FOSTER CARE Until They Are 21 For The Sole Purpose Of Getting Even More Federal Dollars To Spend On North Carolina's Wealthy WHITE Citizens.

Requiring Low Income, Unwed Mothers Who Rely On Government Assistance To Use Birth Control Or Lose Access To Government Assistance, Would Prohibit States Like North Carolina From Profiteering Via Using Such Women As Human "Baby Factories".

Thus I Do Agree W/ The Obama Administration's Medical Advisory Panel's Recommendation That Contraceptives SHOULD Be Covered By Health Insurance Companies.

In Fact HIV Testing, HPV Vaccinations & Birth Control Should ALL Be Covered Because They Are Forms Of Preventive Medicine.

i.e., FREE! Completely Covered By Health Insurers!

This Includes MEDICAID Not Just Private Health Insurers.

If Health Insurance Companies & Medicaid Were To Allow Their Plan Premiums To Include Birth Control As Preventive Medicine For Female Patients, States Like North Carolina Would NOT Be Able To Encourage Low Income, Unwed BLACK Women To Breed Babies Like Animals.

Breeding Babies Like Animals To Obtain FAT Checks From The Federal Government!!

I Repeat: A Woman's Right To Choose Should NOT Mean That Women Have The Right To Keep Having Children They Can NOT Properly Care For Via Government Assistance!!

So Should Birth Control Be Categorized As A Form Of Preventive Medicine Requiring Health Insurance Companies To Include It In Premiums?

Yes!

Just My Opinion.








Panel Recommends Coverage for Contraception

A leading medical advisory panel recommended on Tuesday that all insurers be required to cover contraceptives for women free of charge as one of several preventive services under the new health care law.

Obama administration officials said that they were inclined to accept the panel’s advice and that the new requirements could take effect for many plans at the beginning of 2013. The administration signaled its intentions in January when Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, unveiled a 10-year program to improve the nation’s health. One goal was to “increase the proportion of health insurance plans that cover contraceptive supplies and services.”

Administration officials, who say they hope to act on the recommendations by Aug. 1, are receptive to the idea of removing cost as a barrier to birth control — a longtime goal of advocates for women’s rights and experts on women’s health.

But the recommendations immediately reignited debate over the government’s role in reproductive health. Women’s groups and medical professionals applauded the recommendations while the Roman Catholic Church raised strenuous objections.

The recommendations came in a report submitted to Ms. Sebelius by the Institute of Medicine, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences. The new health care law says insurers must cover “preventive health services” and cannot charge for them. Ms. Sebelius will decide on a minimum package of essential health benefits, and her decision will not require further action by Congress.

The panel said insurers should be forbidden to charge co-payments for contraceptives and other preventive services because even small charges could deter their use. The recommendation would not help women without insurance.

The administration asked the Institute of Medicine, a nonpartisan, nongovernmental arm of the National Academy of Sciences, to help identify the specific services that must be covered for women.

“This report is historic,” Ms. Sebelius said on Tuesday in accepting the document. “Before today, guidelines regarding women’s health and preventive care did not exist. These recommendations are based on science and existing literature.”

In addition to contraceptive services for women, the panel recommended that the government require health plans to cover screening to detect domestic violence; screening for H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS; and counseling and equipment to promote breastfeeding, including the free rental of breast pumps.

The panel also said all insurers should be required to cover screening for gestational diabetes in pregnant women; DNA testing for the human papillomavirus as part of cervical cancer screening; and annual preventive-care visits. Such visits could include prenatal care and preconception care, to make sure women are healthy when they become pregnant.

Defending its recommendations on contraceptive coverage, the panel said that nearly half of all pregnancies in the United States were unintended, and that about 40 percent of unintended pregnancies ended in abortion. Thus, it said, greater use of contraception would reduce the rates of unintended pregnancy, teenage pregnancy and abortion.

The chairwoman of the panel, Dr. Linda Rosenstock, dean of the School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles, said, “We did not consider cost or cost-effectiveness in our deliberations.”

But the panel’s report says that “contraception is highly cost-effective,” averting unintended pregnancies that would be far more expensive than contraception.

To reduce unintended pregnancies, the panel said, insurers should cover the full range of contraceptive methods approved by the Food and Drug Administration, as well as sterilization procedures and “education and counseling for all women with reproductive capacity.”

This recommendation would require coverage of emergency contraceptives including pills like ella and Plan B, panel members said.

Under rules issued last year, many health plans are already required to cover numerous preventive services like blood pressure and cholesterol tests, colonoscopies and other cancer screenings, and routine vaccinations. A provision of the law drafted by Senator Barbara A. Mikulski, Democrat of Maryland, requires coverage of “additional preventive care and screenings” for women.

Most private insurance provides contraceptive coverage, but co-payments have increased in recent years, the panel said.

The report touched off a fierce debate Tuesday. Obstetricians, gynecologists, public health experts and Democratic women in Congress hailed the recommendations.

“We are one step closer to saying goodbye to an era when simply being a woman is treated as a pre-existing condition,” Ms. Mikulski said. “We are saying hello to an era where decisions about preventive care and screenings are made by a woman and her doctor, not by an insurance company.”

Representative Lois Capps, Democrat of California, said the recommendations would remove cost as a barrier to birth control — and in hard economic times like these, she said, cost can be a formidable barrier.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and some conservative groups, including the Family Research Council, denounced the recommendation on birth control.

“Pregnancy is not a disease, and fertility is not a pathological condition to be suppressed,” said Deirdre A. McQuade, a spokeswoman for the bishops’ Pro-Life Secretariat. “But the Institute of Medicine report treats them as such.”

Ms. McQuade expressed deep concern about requiring coverage of surgical sterilizations and contraceptive drugs and devices.

Jeanne Monahan, the director of the Center for Human Dignity at the Family Research Council, said: “Some people have moral or ethical objections to contraceptives. They should not be forced to violate their conscience by paying premiums to health plans that cover these items and services.”

One panel member, Prof. Anthony Lo Sasso, a health economist at the University of Illinois at Chicago, filed a dissent, saying the committee did not have enough time to conduct “a serious and systematic review” of the evidence.

The report, he said, includes “a mix of objective and subjective determinations filtered through a lens of advocacy.”


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Sources: CNN, Dr. Phil, MSNBC, NY Times, Wikipedia, Youtube, Google Maps

24,000 North Carolina Senior Citizens Could Lose Medicare Part D

Medicare Suspension Affects 24,000 Senior Citizens In N.C.


Contact: CMS Office of Public Affairs
202-690-6145

As many as 24,000 North Carolina Medicare recipients may be affected by the suspension of a New York-based drug plan.

Federal Medicare regulators have ordered Fox Insurance Company of New York to suspended new enrollments and marketing for its Medicare Part D drug plan because the company was not providing drugs to customers quickly, according to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

The company, without permission from Medicare, was suggesting patients use cheaper drugs than those prescribed by doctors. Given the drugs were for drugs for treating cancer, diabetes and HIV/AIDS, delays in medications could have had serious implications.

More than 24,000 Medicare recipients in North Carolina were enrolled with the company, said Kristin Milam, a spokeswoman for the N.C. Department of Insurance. Mecklenburg County had more than 1,400 enrollees and Wake County had about 1,000.

Many of those enrolled were also enrolled in Medicaid and should be able to change drug providers on a monthly basis, she said. Others may have to follow a special procedures. Milam said anyone with questions is encouraged to contact the state's Free Seniors' Health Insurance Information Program, which provides unbiased, expert advice and information.

"If you've got a question about it and you think you're affected by this, go ahead and call," Milam said. "You will get a live person when you call that 1-800 number."

Individual, in person appointments are also available in every county. For more information visit www.ncshiip.com or call 1-800-443-9354.


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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, Centers For Medicaid & Medicare Services, Google Maps

H1N1 Flu Children's Vaccine Doses Recalled

Some H1N1 vaccine doses recalled. Health officials are recalling 800,000 doses of the swine flu vaccine. The doses, manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur, are pre-filled syringes intended for young children six months up to age three.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

800,000 doses of kids’ H1N1 vaccine recalled


Hundreds of thousands of swine flu shots for children have been recalled because tests indicate the vaccine doses lost some strength, government health officials said Tuesday.

The shots, made by Sanofi Pasteur, were distributed across the country last month and most have already been used, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 800,000 pre-filled syringes that were recalled are for young children, ages 6 months to nearly 3 years.

Dr. Anne Schuchat, a CDC flu expert, stressed that parents don't need to do anything or to worry if their child got one — or even two — of the recalled shots. The vaccine is safe and effective, she said.

The issue is the vaccine's strength. Tests done before the shots were shipped showed that the vaccines were strong enough. But tests done weeks later indicated the strength had fallen slightly below required levels.

Why the potency dropped isn't clear. "That's the $64,000 question," said Len Lavenda, a Sanofi Pasteur spokesman.

Young children are supposed to get two doses, spaced about a month apart. Health officials don't think children need to get vaccinated again, even if they got two doses from the recalled lots, said Schuchat.

Swine flu vaccine has been available since early October, and since then manufacturers have released about 95 million doses for distribution in the United States.

The recalled shots were made by Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of France-based Sanofi-Aventis Group. The vaccine all tested fine when it was shipped out earlier this fall. But last week, testing of one lot showed that the potency had fallen about 12 percent below the government standard, Lavenda said.

The company found three other lots with diminished strength. It notified government health officials and did a voluntary recall, asking doctors to return any unused doses. The vaccine has been in high demand and the company doesn't expect to see much come back, Lavenda added.

Officials with the Food and Drug Administration, the CDC and the company all said they believe the strength of the recalled doses is still high enough to protect children against the virus. No potency problem has been detected in the same vaccine packaged in other types of syringes or vials, Lavenda said.

Experts have a theory that the problem is specific to the children's pre-filled syringes. For some reason, the antigen — the key vaccine ingredient — may be sticking to the walls of those syringes, said Dr. Jesse Goodman, the FDA's deputy commissioner for science and public health.

Another manufacturer, Novartis, in February recalled five lots of seasonal flu vaccine packed in pre-filled syringes under similar circumstances.

Sanofi Pasteur bills itself as the No. 1 manufacturer of flu vaccines in the world. It makes flu vaccine at sites in France and in Pennsylvania.

Swine flu was first identified in April. During the first seven months of the pandemic, it has sickened about 50 million Americans and killed about 10,000, according to CDC estimates.


Sources: MSNBC, CDC

Study Links Children Who Take ADHD Medication With Heart Attacks

NY Daily News----

If your child has ADHD, a new federally funded study that links ADHD drugs like Ritalin to an increased risk of sudden cardiac death may be making you crazy.

But mental health experts say the research is not conclusive enough for parents to necessarily take their children and teenagers off their medication.

The FDA is saying that the study has its limitations and should not necessarily change the way the stimulant drugs are used, according to WebMD.

The study, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and the FDA, identified 564 children and teenagers who had died suddenly for unexplained reasons, and who had no structural heart defects.

Researchers also looked at 564 young people who had died as passengers in car accidents, many of whose deaths were later attributed to undiagnosed cardiac problems.

The researchers concluded that the odds of using a stimulant like Ritalin were six to seven times higher among the children who had died suddenly of unexplained causes than among those who died in auto accidents.

The study, which will appear in The American Journal of Psychiatry, does not prove that ADHD drugs cause cardiac deaths but they highlight the importance of screening kids and teens for heart problems before putting them on a stimulant medication, says Charlotte Armstrong, a NIMH spokesperson.

"One of the concerns is that there need to be improvements in screening for cardiac abnormalities in young people before putting them on medications like Ritalin," she says.

She also stressed the need for more studies.

"The bigger the numbers they can look at, the better," Armstrong says.

Dr. Ramon Solhkhah, director of the Child and Family Institute of St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital, says that while medication is the "gold standard of treatment for moderate to severe ADHD," some kids may benefit from non-drug therapies.

"There are definitely some behavioral and lifestyle changes that could be beneficial," he says. "These include cognitive behavioral therapy, certain organizational skills, more individual attention in the classroom and life coaches who can get kids organized."

Chiropractor Gerard Clum notes that many young people with ADHD can benefit from chiropractic techniques.

"A number of case reports have been published with chiropractic care and there has been a positive resolution in the severity of symptoms," he says.

And Dr. Robert Melillo, author of "Disconnected Kids," recommends not just behavioral modification, but careful attention to diet and nutrition.

"ADHD medications can help with symptoms," he says. "But there are a lot of alternatives out there that address the underlying problem."

Sources: NY Daily News, Wikipedia, Wego Health.com