Morgan Griffith's Public Health Concerns

Congressman Morgan Griffith's E-Newsletter is available free of charge to all Virginians who want to read it. This week's E-Newsletter contains two statements about public health concerns that qualify as updates for most and news for some of us:

"Meningitis Health Scare

Before Thanksgiving, the House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee held a hearing on the fungal meningitis outbreak caused by an unsterile facility in Massachusetts called the New England Compounding Center. Sadly, there are approximately 1,415 people in Southwest Virginia who received injections made by this company, meaning they may have been exposed to fungal meningitis. Nationwide, 34 people have died from this outbreak. At least two of them are from our region.

As I return to Washington after Thanksgiving, I am working with other members of the subcommittee to ensure the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has the necessary authority over drug manufacturers who are avoiding the manufacturing laws by pretending to be small compounding pharmacies. In my opinion, the New England Compounding Center was in fact a drug manufacturer operating in a negligent fashion under the guise of being a compounding pharmacy. This is necessary to enforce good standards and prosecute bad actors so that hopefully the next tragedy may be averted...

Consumer Alert

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a recent warning related to counterfeit airbags that may be installed in some vehicles after crashes. NHTSA tested some of these airbags, which look very similar to the real thing, and found that the counterfeit ones “showed consistent malfunctioning ranging from non-deployment of the airbag to the expulsion of metal shrapnel during deployment.”

According to NHTSA, the only vehicles at risk are those with an airbag that has been replaced within the last three years by a non-new car dealership. If you suspect your vehicle may be affected, please call your automaker or visit www.safercar.gov. "

Actually, if you're under 5'4" (or if you're 5'4" and sometimes slouch or lie back in a car seat), an airbag that doesn't deploy may be the safest option! This web site recommends inspection, maintenance, and use of seat belts.