Voluntary recall of pediatric vaccine against the H1N1 flu virus apparently has little effect on Moore County.

The Moore County Health Department used none of the pediatric vaccine in its comprehensive vaccination project throughout local schools this fall, according to Teresa Forrest, planning manager for the department's Public Health Preparedness and Response team.

The recall applies only to vaccine from four lots produced by manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur specifically for children between the ages of six months and 3 years. The health department administered the H1N1 vaccine only to kindergarten through 12th grade students.

The problem with the Sanofi Pasteur vaccine is not one of safety but of strength, according to information provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

The CDC said the vaccine still offers some protection against the new strain of influenza but not to the full strength of other vaccines. The CDC did not recommend a second vaccination for tots who were vaccinated from these lots, and the recall was voluntary.

DEMS CANCEL -- Because of the holiday season, the Moore County Democratic Party has canceled the executive committee meeting announced for Dec. 21. The meeting will be rescheduled in January.

"Christmas travel and family visits made it unlikely that a quorum would be available Monday," said Jim Heim, county Democratic Party chairman.

COOKBOOKS -- Moore County Democrats are accelerating the sale of their cookbooks in an effort to sell out during the holiday season.

The book, featuring photographs of Moore County along with recipes from local residents, was published in summer of 2008 as a party fundraiser.

Now a few copies remain, and the party wants to make that happen by the end of the season, according to Rosalie Ruggles. Anyone who wants to buy the cookbook may contact Ruggles at rosieruggles@nc.rr.com or by calling her at (910) 215-5737.

Ruggles says that printing costs have already been paid through previous sales, and now all the proceeds go directly to the party. The book costs $15.

COBLE -- On the same day that the Obama administration announced plans to move terrorism suspects from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to a prison in a small Illinois farming town, Congressman Howard Coble was on the U.S. House floor denouncing -- for the second time -- the decision to try some of the 9/11 suspects in civilian court in New York, rather than by military tribunal in Cuba.

The 6th District Republican called the decision ill-advised and said it "will cause our prosecutorial ship of state to sail directly in the path of procedural reefs, rocks and shoals." He added that this will result in collisions and/or groundings.

"Furthermore, many of us fear that the decision to prosecute in New York City has the trappings of converting the courtroom into a three-ring circus to the detriment of America --public relations-wise," Coble said. "I have earnestly tried to detect something positive about this decision, and I have come up empty time after time again. I fear President Obama and Attorney General Holder are so rigidly inflexible in defending their decision, but this aside, I respectfully urge them to reconsider and reexamine the decision, hopefully reject it, and subsequently embrace a policy that is more sound and that will attract more support from the American people."

Coble has visited the detention center in Guantanamo Bay, where the military trial would have been conducted before the decision was made to move it to a federal civilian court in New York.

Contact Florence Gilkeson at (910) 693-2479 or by e-mail at florence@thepilot.com.