Alison Young Investigates

Many children lack second dose of H1N1 flu vaccine

As many as 80% of children in some states who received a first dose of H1N1 vaccine haven't received a booster dose that's necessary to fully protect them from swine flu, according to a USA TODAY review of immunization registry data from 10 states. State health officials are worried growing public complacency could put these children at risk if a third wave of disease hits this winter. Thousands of high risk kids missing 2nd H1N1 flu doses

Swimmers at risk in public pools that lack chlorine

Does your neighborhood or apartment swimming pool contain germ-killing chlorine? It's supposed to, but many don't when inspectors test the water, inspection records obtained under the Georgia Open Records Act show. With waterborne disease outbreaks on the rise, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends swimmers test the water themselves before diving in. Local pool might be hazardous to your health

Swine flu will likely wane in summer, return in fall

As heat and humidity settles in for summer, the spread of swine flu in the United States is expected to slow. Scientists aren't sure why there are few cases of influenza during the summer in temperate climates. But the phenomenon is good news for the U.S. and bad news for countries in the Southern Hemisphere that are about to head into flu season with this new H1N1 strain. How will swine flu act in the fall? Scientists seek answers

CDC keeps public relations risk assessments secret

Instead of releasing information to the public, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for years has engaged in "environmental scanning to determine emerging threats to the agency's reputation." The agency's employees have generated 4,000 pages of documents assessing risks posed by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's reporting. But the CDC is keeping them secret, despite the Obama administration's directives that federal agencies presume government records are open to the public under the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). CDC sits on documents

Whooping cough vaccine leaves 15% at risk

Synopsis: A cluster of whooping cough cases among fully vaccinated children at Cobb County elementary schools in metro Atlanta points out the flaw in the current pertussis vaccine: It's only 85 percent effective. But vaccine manufacturers aren't working to develop one that's more effective. Instead, officials hope to curb outbreaks of the disease by giving more booster shots to adolescents and adults. Parents learn vaccine not all-powerful

Peanut farming practices may hold clue to two outbreaks

Synopsis: Salmonella with a unique genetic fingerprint is providing an intriguing clue to federal investigators trying to find out how it got into products at Georgia peanut processing plants 73 miles and two years apart. The fingerprint, which caused an outbreak in 2006-07, has recently been identified in some peanut butter made last year at Peanut Corporation of America's plant in Blakely, Ga. This is raising questions about whether greater efforts are needed on peanut farms to reduce bacterial contamination, even though peanuts aren't intended to be eaten raw. Salmonella's 'fingerprint' could be clue to its source 

Obama ousts controversial CDC director

Synopsis: CDC Director Julie Gerberberding has resigned as director of the Atlanta-based agency. CDC director Gerberding resigns at Obama's request

What germs are sick airline passengers carrying?

Synopsis: This article, which involved examining thousands of paramedic runs at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, revealed that many airline passengers are so ill with vomiting, diarrhea, fevers and coughs they require the aid of EMS. It also reveals that airlines rarely comply with federal regulations requiring that they notify the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention when they transport sick passengers.  Some passengers carry more than luggage

Day care centers lax about vaccinations

Synopsis: It's not just schools. Metro-Atlanta day care centers routinely violate state law by letting children attend without required proof they've had key shots to prevent the spread of disease.This article reveals that health departments almost never notify state child care licensing regulators about violations and that many health officials and day care operators are confused about what the state law requires. Vaccination rule lax at day care sites

This is a follow-up article to an October 2008 report on similar problem in public and private schools. Vaccination law fails to touch all kids As a result of that article, the Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness will soon take a number of actions, including sending nurses to schools with large numbers of out of compliance children to give them their shots on site (with their parents' permission).

Vaccination law ignored in many Atlanta schools

Synopsis: Because of lax enforcement of Georgia's school vaccination law, thousands of metro Atlanta children are allowed to attend school without proof of required shots. This article, based on a review of 625 public and private school vaccination audits, found 180 schools kindergarten or sixth-grade classes failed to have at least 90 percent of their students in compliance with the law. At some schools, fewer than 40 percent of students in these grades had complete vaccination certificates. State and county health departments are taking a variety of actions as a result of this article.

SPOTLIGHT: Vaccination Law Fails to Touch All Kids