Media/Policy Watch
This section is intended to alert readers to substantive news, analysis and opinion from the general media on vaccines, immunization, global; public health and related themes. Media Watch is not intended to be exhaustive, but indicative of themes and issues CVEP is actively tracking. This section will grow from an initial base of newspapers, magazines and blog sources, and is segregated from Journal Watch above which scans the peer-reviewed journal ecology.
We acknowledge the Western/Northern bias in this initial selection of titles and invite suggestions for expanded coverage. We are conservative in our outlook in adding news sources which largely report on primary content we are already covering above. Many electronic media sources have tiered, fee-based subscription models for access. We will provide full-text where content is published without restriction, but most publications require registration and some subscription level.

AP (Associated Press)
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/fronts/HOME?SITE=AP
Accessed 13 December 2014
California battles whooping cough epidemic
SAN DIEGO (AP) — California officials are battling the worst whooping cough epidemic to hit the state in seven decades as a recent rebound in…
By: JULIE WATSON — Dec. 12, 2014 12:12 AM EST

Council on Foreign Relations
http://www.cfr.org/
Accessed 13 December 2014
Ebola Update: Assessment From Africa
9 December 2014
Speakers: Nancy A. Aossey, resident and Chief Executive Officer, International Medical Corps, Laurie Garrett, Senior Fellow for Global Health, Council on Foreign Relations; Author, Ebola: Story of an Outbreak, and David Nabarro, David Nabarro
Presider: Richard E. Besser, Chief Health and Medical Editor, ABC News
December 9, 2014

The Guardian
http://www.guardiannews.com/
Accessed 13 December 2014
Sierra Leone bans Christmas and New Year gatherings over Ebola risk
Freetown residents will be barred from joining their extended families in rural areas, in move to be enforced by the army
Sarah Boseley in Freetown
Saturday 13 December 2014 07.26 EST
Christmas and New Year gatherings have been banned by the government throughout Sierra Leone for fear the Ebola virus will be spread to rural villages as people go home to celebrate.
The edict, which will be enforced by the army, means those who live in the capital, Freetown, will be barred from travelling to join their extended families. The city’s residents account for a third of the country’s population. A “lock-down” is reported to also be happening in nearby Port Loko, which is the other big urban area with soaring cases.
Palo Conteh, the minister of defence who heads the government’s Ebola response unit, said on Friday there would be “no Christmas and New Year celebrations this year. We will ensure that everybody remains at home to reflect on Ebola.
“Military personnel will be on the streets at Christmas and the New Year to stop any street celebrations.”
More than a quarter of the population of Sierra Leone is Christian, although Islam is the dominant religion. Christmas decorations are for sale at the roadside markets and there are Christmas trees in many public buildings.
But there have been serious concerns that the number of Ebola cases could soar over the festive period. Public gatherings are already banned to avoid contagion.
Schools are closed across the three west African countries where the epidemic is raging – Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea – disrupting the education of five million children. Bars and clubs are closed. Football games are among the sports caught up in the ban. Churches have been allowed to hold services, but must separate the members of the congregation.
Travel is already greatly restricted in Sierra Leone by night-time curfews enforced by army checkpoints. Many villages and even whole districts where Ebola cases have occurred are quarantined for 21 days – by which time anybody infected would show symptoms. Some villages have been quarantined for months as one case occurs a couple of weeks after another…

Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/home-page?_wsjregion=na,us&_homepage=/home/us
Accessed 13 December 2014
Health Commissioner: Flu prevalent in New York
12 December 2014 – ALBANY, N.Y. — New York’s acting health commissioner has declared influenza “prevalent” in the state, and says health care workers who aren’t vaccinated must wear masks around patients.

HPV Vaccine Does Not Increase Risky Sexual Behavior: Study
12/09/14
A new study says there is no reason to worry that an HPV vaccine will lead to risky sexual behavior.