Health News: Nation's strictest mandatory vaccine laws ♦ Food processing impact on chlorate residue ♦ Updated guidance on use of hepatitis C drugs

California approved one of nation's strictest mandatory vaccine laws  The California Assembly passed a bill - 5 - June 25 restricting exemptions for mandatory vaccination schedules, negating the State’s personal belief exemption allowing only children with serious health problems to opt out.

More Information of food processing impact on chlorate residue needed An EFSA panel has called for more data on the impact of processing on chlorate residues in food but said total daily intake at the highest estimated amount is unlikely to exceed safe levels. The panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain said the impact of the uncertainties on the risk assessment is large.

Updated guidance on use of hepatitis C drugs The online Recommendations for Testing, Managing, and Treating Hepatitis C has been updated to aid practitioners treating patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). HCV is a blood-borne virus that infects the liver and may lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma). In the past 25 years HCV has gone from an undiagnosed disease to an epidemic level, with the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating that up to 150 million people worldwide live with chronic disease.

Fatalistic beliefs may prevent Appalachian women from completing HPV vaccination series Could a fatalistic attitude toward cervical cancer serve as a barrier to prevention of the disease? A recent study suggests a link between fatalistic beliefs and completion of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine series among a sample of young Appalachian Kentucky women.

Scientists identify 'decoy' molecule that may sharply reduce risk of flu death The flu virus can be lethal. But what is often just as dangerous is the body's own reaction to the invader. The immune counterattack can end up harming the body's own tissues, causing deadly damage. Now, a researcher has, for the first time, uncovered new details about how this response plays out. And he has identified a 'decoy' molecule that can rein in this runaway inflammatory response.