TASK DEFINITION: Given a paragraph, generate a claim that is supported by the given paragraph. 1) The claim must contain information from within the paragraph. 2) A sentence within the paragraph can be used as a claim. 3) The claim should not have contradictions within the paragraph. 4) The claim should be at most one sentence long.
PROBLEM: Since Nov. 1, South Carolina has recorded 86 reported cases of the contagious disease. State Epidemiologist Linda Bell said Monday that's more than four times what state officials normally expect to see. Over the last 10 years, South Carolina averaged 19 reported cases of hepatitis A annually. Most of the new cases have occurred in Aiken County, and almost half of all cases involve individuals who reported drug use, Bell said. Still, the general population needn't be overly concerned, she said. "But we are seeing cases higher that what we expect to see," Bell said. "And so it's important for us to do our prevention efforts early to reach those high-risk groups, get them vaccinated ... so that we can prevent" a severe outbreak. The State reports the Department of Health and Environmental Control is offering no-cost vaccines to high risk groups including drug users, homeless, formerly incarcerated and sexually-active gay men. Additionally, health officials recommend all children get two doses of the vaccine as part of their immunization schedule. Of the 86 reported cases in South Carolina, 59 have led to hospitalization and one resulted in death, the DHEC said. Hepatitis is a disease characterized by inflammation of the liver. It comes in many forms, including hepatitis A, B and C. As a result, individuals with chronic liver disease, like cirrhosis, are at increased risk of complications if infected and should be vaccinated. The virus-borne infection can be prevented by vaccination and is usually transmitted person-to-person through consumption of contaminated food or water, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Antibodies produced in response to hepatitis A infection last for life and protect against reinfection. Infection usually results in sickness in two to six weeks after exposure. Symptoms include fatigue, loss of appetite, stomach pain, nausea, and yellowing of the eyes and skin. Symptoms usually resolve within two months of infection, according to the CDC. State public health officials in February declared an outbreak in Aiken County after an employee at a second restaurant in Aiken tested positive for the virus, the DHEC said. Bell, though, stressed transmission by food or beverage is uncommon. "Most transmission in the United States is through person-to-person contact," Bell said. "Good hygiene - diligently washing your hands - is a good way to prevent hepatitis A, as well as not sharing personal items," including drug equipment, she said, adding the state has received reports of hepatitis A from people using various drugs, "everything from marijuana to meth." Residents can schedule an appointment for a vaccination at their local health department by calling 855-472-3432 or going to http://bit.ly/2HhEsM8 . ___ Information from: The State, http://www.thestate.com

SOLUTION: South Carolina declares hepatitis outbreak.

PROBLEM: The story describes the cost of the drug-coated stents compared to the older version, the bare metal stents. The story does report the risk of clotting with the drug-coated stents, however the comparison of coated and bare metal stents is the key piece of information that is missing in this story. This information should also be presented inabsolute rather than relative terms. The story adequately describes therisk of clotting with drug-coated stents and of bleeding with Plavix. The story does a good job of describing the strength of the available evidence, particularly the limitationsof using hospital registries as a source of data. By accurately describing the prevalence of restenosis, or narrowing of the artery after stenting, the story avoids disease mongering. The story quotes multiple experts who have differing perspectives on how the new information changes clinical practice. The story does mention alternatives such as bare metal stents, bypass surgery and medications. The story clearly states that drug-coated stents are common. The story clearly states that the drug-coated stents are new but have been widely used since they were introduced. Because the story quotes multiple independent sources the reader can assume that the story does not rely on a press release as the sole source of information.

SOLUTION: FDA Probes Safety of Popular Heart Stent

PROBLEM: A customer leans against a pharmacy counter in a file photo. The FDA is launching a new effort meant to strengthen its oversight of prescription drugs after they win approval, an agency official said on Tuesday. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi The plan, called "Safety First," includes creation of a new database of possible side effects from medicines, plus clear schedules for following up on concerns about them. The effort was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. FDA spokesman Christopher DiFrancesco confirmed the information in the Journal's story. The action is the FDA's latest move to address charges that the agency has been slow to respond to potential side effects that emerge after a medicine reaches the market. The agency was sharply criticized for its handling of Merck & Co Inc's arthritis pill Vioxx, which the company withdrew in 2004 after research found it doubled heart attack and stroke risk. The new plan will grant some new powers to the office that monitors the safety of medicines after their approval. Critics have said concerns from the safety office frequently get overruled by the office that grants approval to new drugs. The pre-market review office may have a bias in favor of a medicine it previously deemed safe enough to be sold, critics say. The drug safety office "will be playing an expanded role in the resolution of certain drug-related safety issues," FDA Deputy Commissioner Janet Woodcock wrote in an e-mail to staff that was provided to Reuters. The safety group also will take the lead on epidemiological studies and medication error prevention, Woodcock said. But the effort will not give the post-approval safety office ultimate power to sign off on new warnings or recommendations to remove a drug from the market, the Wall Street Journal said. FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach told the Journal the agency was creating a new appeals process for cases of scientific disagreement that can take a dispute up to the office of the commissioner. The FDA is expected to testify about the plan at a congressional hearing on Wednesday.

SOLUTION:
FDA plans new post-approval drug safety effort.