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AP Health NewsBrief at 6:56 p.m. EDT
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| Copyright: | The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | | Source: | Associated Press | | Wordcount: | |
US swine flu deaths surpass 1,000
ATLANTA (AP) _ More Americans have been vaccinated against seasonal flu this fall than ever before by this time of year, federal health officials said Friday. Sixty million people have gotten the winter flu vaccine _ probably because they're paying more attention to flu warnings in general, thanks to swine flu. It's an unprecedented number of seasonal flu shots for October; most usually aren't given until later in the fall.
Michelle Obama highlights breast cancer awareness
WASHINGTON (AP) _ Joni Lownsdale never thought her 2002 breast cancer diagnosis would land her in the middle of the Obama administration's fight with the health insurance industry. But that's where the Rockford, Ill., woman was Friday as she stood in a White House flower garden and shared her story of being repeatedly denied health insurance because of the cancer in her past.
WHO: nearly 5,000 swine flu deaths worldwide
GENEVA (AP) _ Nearly 5,000 people have reportedly died from swine flu since it emerged this year and developed into a global epidemic, the World Health Organization said Friday. Since most countries have stopped counting individual swine flu cases, the figure is considered an underestimate.
Scientists seek origins of obesity in the womb
NEW YORK (AP) _ When Kathy Perusse had weight-loss surgery and shed 120 pounds, she may have done more than make her own life easier. She went on to have two daughters, and she may have boosted their chances of avoiding becoming obese, like her two older children are.
FDA warns: Swine flu scams lurk on the Internet
Air "sterilizers." A photon machine. Supplement pills to boost the immune system. Protective shampoos and face masks. Even fake Tamiflu. These and other products making bogus claims to prevent or treat swine flu are flooding the Internet as scam artists prey on the public's fears while the vaccine is delayed and real Tamiflu _ made by Switzerland's Roche Group _ is rationed.
NY officials rescind mandatory H1N1 flu shot order
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ New York state health officials have suspended a ruling that would have forced health care workers across the state to get vaccinated against the swine flu by the end of November or risk losing their jobs, saying in a decision issued Thursday that they did so because the vaccine is in short supply. New York will be getting only about 23 percent of its anticipated supply of the vaccine for the swine flu virus _ also called H1N1 _ by the end of the month, and that should be reserved for those most at risk for serious illness and death, according to Gov. David Paterson's office.
Production of swine flu vaccine is way behind
SWIFTWATER, Pa. (AP) _ The federal government originally promised 120 million doses of swine flu vaccine by now. Only 13 million have come through. As nervous Americans clamor for the vaccine, production is running several weeks behind schedule, and health officials blame the pressure on pharmaceutical companies to crank it out along with the ordinary flu vaccine, and a slow and antiquated process that relies on millions of chicken eggs.
Panel backs vaccine as cervical cancer alternative
ATLANTA (AP) _ A second kind of vaccine against cervical cancer may be added to the recommended list for girls and young women after a federal advisory panel voted Wednesday to support it. The panel gave a limited endorsement to GlaxoSmithKline's vaccine, Cervarix, which the government licensed last week. Merck & Co. has had the vaccine Gardasil on the market since 2006.
Sperm donor passed on sudden death heart defect
CHICAGO (AP) _ A sperm donor passed on a potentially deadly genetic heart condition to nine of his 24 children, including one who died at age 2 from heart failure, according to a medical journal report. Two children, both now teenagers, have developed symptoms and are at risk for sudden cardiac death, the report says. It's the second documented instance of a genetic condition being inherited through sperm donation.
Industry backs off food labels after FDA criticism
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) _ A food industry group is voluntarily halting promotion of its nutrition labeling program after federal regulators said such systems may be misleading consumers, officials with the group said Friday. Industry leaders launched the "Smart Choices" program in August to identify foods that meet certain nutritional standards and then highlight them for consumers with a green label on package fronts.
This is a news service of Thomson Business Intelligence Service ©2006. This content is for your personal use only, subject to Terms and Conditions. No redistribution allowed.
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