Although the existence of hepatitis C had been postulated in the 1970s, it wasn’t until 1989 that a team led by Michael Houghton identified the virus. Often being asymptomatic, it is estimated between 130 – 170 million people worldwide are infected with the virus that can lead to scarring of the liver and cirrhosis. Although treatment with medication is available, it isn’t effective in all cases and between 20 to 30 percent of those infected with hepatitis C develop some form of liver disease. Now Houghton and a team at the University of Alberta have developed a vaccine from a single strain that is effective against all known strains of the disease.

Due to the virulence of hepatitis C, which is greater than HIV, it was thought that developing a vaccine effective against the different strains around the world would be impossible. Continuing work started more than 10 years ago at drug company Novartis, Houghton and co-investigator in his University of Alberta lab, John Law, have found that recipients of their vaccine produce antibodies that could neutralize hepatitis C. Importantly, they discovered that that vaccine was capable of eliciting broad cross-neutralizing antibodies against all the different major strains of the disease.

“This tells us that a vaccine made from a single strain can indeed neutralize all the viruses out there,” says Houghton. “It really encourages the further development of that vaccine. This is a really a big step forward for the field of HCV vaccinology.”

Houghton says that further testing of the vaccine is required, so it may be five to seven years before it is approved. He also points out that it is mainly a preventative measure against acquiring the disease, although it may have some benefit to those currently infected with the disease.

As unemployment ticked down again in January, new data shows that Americans with disabilities struggled to reap the benefits of an improving job market.

The U.S. Department of Labor reported recently that unemployment among Americans with disabilities dropped to 12.9 percent in January, down from 13.5 percent at the end of last year.

However, the gains appear to be the result — at least in part — of fewer people with disabilities looking for work. In fact, the number of people within this group who were employed declined in January, as did the number considered part of the labor force, meaning that they were working or seeking a job.

Meanwhile, the labor market experienced unexpected growth, with the economy adding 243,000 jobs and unemployment among the general population dropping to 8.3 percent.

The Labor Department began tracking employment among people with disabilities in October 2008. There is not yet enough data compiled to establish seasonal trends among this population, so statistics for this group are not seasonally adjusted.

Data on people with disabilities covers those over the age of 16 who do not live in institutions. The first employment report specific to this population was made available in February 2009. Now, reports are released monthly.

A Diploma Isn’t Always Required

A high school diploma is often listed as a minimum job requirement, but for applicants with disabilities, employers may need to waive such criteria, a government agency says.

While it’s perfectly legal for employers to require a diploma, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is putting businesses on notice that they must look further to evaluate the skills of individuals who are unable to complete the requirements of high school diploma due to their disability.

In a question and answer document from the agency, officials at the EEOC said that employers may be required to offer applicants with disabilities an alternate way to prove their readiness for a job.

“This may include considering work experience in the same or similar jobs, or allowing (an applicant) to demonstrate performance of the job’s essential functions,” the agency said.

The EEOC offers guidance to employers on how to comply with the law. Recommendations about the handling of high school diploma requirements for applicants with disabilities are rooted in the Americans with Disabilities Act, the agency said.

Special “passenger advocates” tasked with assisting those with disabilities during security screening could be an airport staple soon, if one lawmaker has his way.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said he plans to introduce legislation this week to require the Transportation Security Administration to appoint passenger advocates at every U.S. airport that could be requested by travelers with special needs as needed.

Schumer asked the TSA to institute passenger advocates in December after a number of complaints by older passengers and those with various special needs. However, the agency has not acted on the proposal, prompting Schumer to take a legislative route, he said.

“Passengers need an on-site point of contact who they can bring grievances to and who can advocate on their behalf when they feel they are being treated unfairly or inappropriately,” Schumer said.

Previously, TSA officials have declined to comment on the idea of offering passenger advocates, but said they have “customer service representatives at most major airports.”

What’s more, the agency recently implemented a toll-free hotline to assist passengers with disabilities.

A presentation of the play Nickel and Dimed by Joan Holden, based on NICKEL AND DIMED, ON (NOT) GETTING BY IN AMERICA by Barbara Ehrenreich

• Directed by: Jody Drake & Randi Wise

• Featuring: Jody Drake, Marnie Uhl and Parker Anderson

Esther Hall PUMC : February 29 – March 3-7pm / Sat Matinee 2pm

Thurs-Sat $15.00 / Wed Evening & Sat Matinee: $12.50

Can a middle-aged, middle-class woman survive when she suddenly has to make beds all day in a hotel and live on $7 an hour? Maybe. But one $7-an-hour job won’t pay the rent; she’ll have to do back-to-back shifts as a chambermaid and a waitress. This isn’t the first surprise for acclaimed author Barbara Ehrenreich, who set out to research low-wage life firsthand. She is prepared for hard work but not, at 55, for double shifts and nonstop aches and pains, for having to share tiny rooms and beg from food pantries, for failing to make ends meet and constantly having to swallow humiliation. Joan Holden’s vivid, witty stage adaptation captures the epic humor and indelible characters who populate Ehrenreich’s best-selling book.

“… impassioned, fascinating, profoundly significant, and wildly entertaining . . . I kept grabbing family members and phoning friends to read passages aloud.”
–O: The Oprah Magazine

*This play is being presented by CCJ. Tickets may be purchased at their website in advance. Click Here >>