Egg shortage won’t affect flu vaccine supply, officials say

Egg shortage won’t affect flu vaccine supply, officials say

An egg shortage has driven up prices at the supermarket, caused in part by an outbreak of avian flu in the Midwest. But health officials say there is no need to worry about the supply of certain eggs outside the kitchen: the ones used to grow and incubate flu vaccine for humans.

Vaccine manufacturers get their eggs from chickens raised under heightened sanitary and biosafety measures not in place in the typical coop.

“It’s a totally separate supply,” said Lynnette Brammer, an epidemiologist with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Firm wants split in official’s roles at Bank of America

NEW YORK

An advisory firm wants Bank of America’s shareholders to strip Bank of America’s CEO, Brian Moynihan, of his second title – chairman of the board.

Institutional Shareholder Services reportedly recommended that the bank’s shareholders vote down a proposal from the board allowing Moynihan to keep both titles, arguing that the bank would benefit from having independent oversight.

It’s the latest move to unravel the board’s decision to award the chairman job to Moynihan last year and comes ahead of a vote on the issue at a shareholder meeting scheduled for Sept. 22. Another advisory firm, Glass Lewis, recommended a vote against the proposal last week.

Moynihan has been the Charlotte, N.C.-based bank’s CEO since January 2010.

IMF chief pleased with economic progress in Ukraine

KIEV, Ukraine

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde has told Ukraine’s president that she was impressed with the progress his government has made toward stabilizing the Ukrainian economy.

Lagarde was in Kiev before a visit by an IMF mission to assess whether Ukraine has met the necessary conditions to receive the third installment of a four-year $17.5 billion loan.

She told President Petro Poroshenko on Sunday she was impressed by how much his government had achieved in just several months.

The IMF projects that Ukraine’s economy will contract by 9 percent this year, but this actually suggests signs of stabilization, given that it includes a horrendous 17.6 percent contraction in the first quarter.

Ukraine has received $6.7 billion from the IMF this year. The next installment would be $1.7 billion.

G-20 members launch grouping to empower women

ANKARA, Turkey

The world’s 20 leading economies have launched a new grouping aimed at boosting the role of women in global economic growth.

The W-20 – a grouping of female leaders – was launched Sunday in the Turkish capital Ankara, where finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of 20 were meeting for talks on the global economy. The group aims to work toward empowering women and ensuring their participation in economic growth.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said women’s participation was paramount to economic growth and said one of the best indicators for the prosperity of a country was the smile on the face of its women.

Davutoglu said: “If the women are smiling ... you can be sure that their country is happy.”

Wire reports