By Richard Knox

Two small clusters of drug resistance don't a public health crisis make. But experts worry they could signal the development of a Tamiflu-resistant pandemic virus with the ability to spread from person to person -- at least under certain circumstances.

Health officials are investigating two unrelated clusters of hospital patients -- four patients in North Carolina, five in Wales who've been infected with swine flu viruses resistant to the mainstay antiviral drug Tamiflu.

All of the involved patients reportedly had weakened immune systems. That may have enabled the pandemic virus to replicate in their systems more freely. If these immuno-compromised patients had been given Tamiflu, that combination of factors may have led the virus to develop a point mutation conferring resistance against the drug.

Continue reading "Tamiflu-Proof Flu? Not Much Yet" >

By Peggy Girshman

The firestorm generated by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations on mammography quickly moved to Capitol Hill this week where members of Congress took to the floor to express their outrage. But historians and medical newshounds with long memories might remember this is hardly the first time politics and breast cancer have become entangled.

The white arrow points out cancer in this mammogram. (NIH via Wikimedia Commons)

Dr. Barron Lerner of Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons and the author of "The Breast Cancer Wars: Hope, Fear and the Pursuit of a Cure in Twentieth-Century America," knows that history all too well. In an interview with Kaiser Health News, he harked back to the "early 1990s, when there was some suggestion that if you did something called a bone marrow transplant, or stem cell transplant - which was a very aggressive treatment for metastatic breast cancer - that women live longer."

Lerner says the studies were extremely preliminary but when word got out, women demanded the procedure because they thought it could save or prolong their lives. "The power of that lobby was so strong that insurance companies began to pay for the procedure, even though it was still experimental and its value hadn't been proven," he says.

Continue reading "Politics, Breast Health Have A Long History Together" >

By Maggie Mertens

The obesity epidemic has come to this, a Pennsylvania college is telling students to shape up--or else.

People who are obese are more susceptible to other diseases, one college is trying to make its students healthier. ( Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Entering freshmen at Lincoln University have to get their body mass index, or BMI, measured. And if the result comes back above 30, the threshold for obesity, the students have to take a physical education class called "HPR 103 Fitness Walking/ Conditioning" or they can't graduate. Details here.

The requirement kicked in for students who enrolled at Lincoln in the fall of 2006. That class is now in its senior year, and most are looking forward to their graduation this spring. But for 80 seniors, graduation will hinge upon their taking phys ed or passing the required BMI test, according to minutes of a Nov. 3 faculty meeting at Lincoln.

Continue reading "Pennsylvania College Makes BMI A Required Test" >

By Christopher Weaver

Republicans' attacks on the Senate Democrats' health bill kicked off with criticism about process as much as substance.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell at an October press conference in Washington. ( John Moore/Getty Images)

Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., spent weeks forging the bill "behind closed doors," charged the Republican leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky and his deputy, Jon Kyl, of Arizona, in statements right after the bill became public.

What about it? Squawking aside, secretive legislative engineering is business as usual for the Senate, say open-government advocates and former congressional aides, including one Republican. While the legislative process is often opaque (smoke-filled rooms, anyone?) nothing Reid did while combining bills from two Senate committees is beyond the pale, these Senate-watchers told us .

Continue reading "Legislating In Secret Irks GOP, But Insiders Say It's SOP" >

By Scott Hensley

For the second time in a week, a group of medical experts has recommended that some women can be tested less frequently for cancer.

A new guideline suggesting that less testing for cervical cancer makes more medical sense comes as a separate recommendation that women delay the start of routine mammograms until age 50 has become embroiled in the debate over health care reform.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists just recommended that young women can hold off until 21 before getting their first Pap smear and get them every two years through the rest of their 20s, instead of annually. Previously, the doctor group had said young women should get a Pap smear three years after first having sex or age 21, whichever came earlier.

Continue reading "Young Women Can Wait On Pap Smears" >

By Maggie Mertens

Should Santa Claus be allowed to cut the line for swine flu vaccine?

David Oelerich rents Santa suits in New Hampshire. Santas this year want more than just a suit, they want a swine flu vaccine. ( Jim Cole/AP)

Santa America, a group of 200 santas who visit sick children year-round, say they should. "Santa" Ernest Berger, president of Santa America, wants his cheery colleagues considered for the vaccine in the same way as schoolteachers and other caregivers are.

He tells NPR's Melissa Block on Thursday's All Things Considered that Santas should be considered seriously for the vaccine because of their close contact with large groups of children.

Continue reading "Santa Wants Swine Flu Vaccine For Christmas" >

By Scott Hensley

Hey, Big Pharma, get ready for a bunch of questions about your prices.

( iStockphoto.com )

Some heavy-hitting Democrats in the House, including Energy & Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman, have asked the Government Accountability Office to look into pricing trends for common prescription drugs just as soon as possible.

You can see the letter here.

The Dems want the info right away, before plowing ahead with health overhaul. At issue is whether drugmakers preemptively jacked up prices, undercutting an $80 billion savings deal the brand-name pharmaceutical industry struck with the administration.

Continue reading "Dems Ask GAO To Investigate Drug Prices" >

By Maggie Mertens

The first two deaths from the swine flu virus on college campuses were reported this week by an organization tracking the virus at schools around the country.

Click on image to see full-size chart. (AHCA)

But the week that ended Nov. 13 also showed a drop in the number of cases of H1N1 swine flu virus reported to the American College Health Association, from 29 cases per 10,000 students to 21.3. Still, the two deaths reported to the organization were the first since they began tracking the virus.

"Though pandemic flu remains generally mild among college students, these two deaths are harsh reminders of the rare but tragic consequences of influenza," Dr. James Turner, president of the ACHA, said.

Continue reading "Swine Flu On Campus Turns Deadly" >

By Scott Hensley

Take a step back from the heated debate over when to start routine mammography and consider the broader implications for efforts, championed as part of health care overhaul, to root medical decisions in the best available science.

The white arrow points out cancer in this mammogram. (NIH via Wikimedia Commons)

You probably know by now about the American Cancer Society's disagreement with a federal task force's recommendation that women start routine mammograms at age 50 instead of 40.

Dr. Otis Brawley, the cancer group's chief medical officer, called the guideline a "step backward" in an editorial in Thursday's Washington Post because it overestimates the risk and underestimates the benefits of mammography for fortysomething women.

Continue reading "Mammogram Guideline Backlash Worries Evidence Advocates" >

By Scott Hensley

Senate Democrats' plan to overhaul health came in longer but cheaper than many people expected Wednesday. Still, with a cost of $849 billion and 2,074 pages of legalese, it's a bear of a bill to digest.

Sen. Harry Reid unveils his plan for health overhaul. ( Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, principal architect of the legislation that melds the work of two Senate committees, got creative to pay for the proposed expansion of health coverage, estimated to reduce the ranks of the uninsured by 31 million over a decade.

Here are some of the ways he plans to raise the dough:

• A "botax": Brace yourselves, denizens of Hollywood, Miami and Park Avenue, for a 5 percent tax on elective cosmetic procedures and surgery. Doesn't matter if you pay out of pocket or have insurance coverage, the tax applies across the board. Details start on page 2045 of the bill. Could raise $5.8 billion over a decade.

Continue reading "How Does Reid Pay An $849 Billion Health Tab?" >

By Christopher Weaver

Some Republican lawmakers say the Democrats' health overhaul could land uninsured people behind bars, but it's a claim rooted in a rigid reading of the law around tax evasion that seems quite a stretch.

Rep. Peter Roskam of Illinois waves handcuffs during a floor speech. (YouTube)

The Wall Street Journal reports that House conservatives are saying "people who refuse to buy health insurance could spend five years in prison," an overhaul critique that has also cropped up in the Senate on the eve of its own floor debate. Like an earlier accusation that reform would create government "death panels," the claim doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

During the House debate early this month, Rep. Peter Roskam, R-Ill., said the individual mandate to buy health insurance in the Democrats' plan could mean jail time: "I'm not talking about figurative handcuffs," he added, waving a pair of shiny, police-style manacles as he spoke. "I'm talking about criminal penalties."

Continue reading "Fact Check: Could Skipping Insurance Mandate Lead To Jail Time?" >

By Maggie Mertens

What happens when Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill reach a historic agreement on a legislation that's been the subject of decades of battle? Sometimes nothing. At least not right away.

The ground beef scare might be a thing of the past, if the Senate has the energy to deal with the bill. (iStockphoto)

Yet while some Senators are engaged in agonizing arguments over a health overhaul bill, the Senate HELP committee quickly and fairly quietly put its bipartisan stamp of approval on a bill to dramatically change food safety laws. But it is not a sure bet that the bill will become law this year, as NPR's Joanne Silberner has reported on the issue.

Advocates for food safety reform have been pushing the legislation hard in recent weeks, and many in the food industry support it. In the wake of many high-profile foodborne illness outbreaks tied to foods as common as spinach and peanut butter that sickened millions, a similar bill passed the House in July.

Continue reading "Legislation To Boost FDA's Authority Over Food Moves Ahead" >

By Scott Hensley

If Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid succeeds in moving a health bill onto the Senate floor, Republican Tom Coburn of Oklahoma has threatened to make the clerk read the whole thing aloud before debate can begin. Yikes!

Even if the Senate Democrats' bill comes in quite a bit slimmer than then nearly 2,000-page House version, the task could take days. So wouldn't it be nice to have a showbiz pro do the reading job?

We got to thinking about the possibilities after reading some fairly inspired suggestions put forth on Twitter. It's hard to top @pourmecoffee's idea of William Shatner, but @ezraklein gave it a go with Christopher Walken. Nice!

After kicking around some other names, we offer this slate for your vote.

By Julie Rovner

The rumors are flying fast and furious that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will soon unveil to the world the health overhaul bill he's been working on for months after one last effort to rally the recalcitrant troops behind closed doors at 5 p.m. today.

Health overhaul poses a leadership challenge for Sen. Harry Reid. ( Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images)

Reid hopes to bring the bill--ostensibly a combination of the bills approved by two different Senate committees earlier this year--to the full Senate to begin debate as early as this weekend.

He's fighting not only the calendar -- Republicans have vowed to prolong debate for at least several weeks, probably pushing a final vote right up to the Christmas holidays -- but also his own caucus.

It is a clear challenge to his leadership.

Continue reading "Senate Health Bill: Ready For Its Big Debut?" >

By Scott Hensley

If you think the uproar over the recent recommendation by a federal panel against routine mammography for women in their 40s is something new, think again.

A doctor points to a mammogram. (Rui Vieira/AP)

Way back in 1997, a committee of a dozen experts convened by the National Institutes of Health heard testimony, reviewed the scientific literature and mulled what to tell doctors and women in their 40s about screening for breast cancer.

After weighing the risks and benefits, they concluded:

[T]he data currently available do not warrant a universal recommendation for mammography for all women in their forties. Each woman should decide for herself whether to undergo mammography.

Sound familiar?

Continue reading "Controversy Over Mammograms Echoes Earlier Dispute" >

By Julie Rovner

Here's a sure sign the White House wants to bury some news--hold a 6:45 p.m. conference call for reporters, with an embargo for 11:30 p.m.

Where does the money go? (iStockphoto.com)

Those were the ground rules last night for the word that the annual accounting of "improper payments" made by the federal government. In fiscal 2009, the payments jumped to $98 billion from $72 billion in FY 2008. Here's a OMB chart breaking down the payments and a fact sheet on the whole mess.

Where did the money go? As usual, more than half the improper spending--$54.2 billion--was traced to problems with Medicare and Medicaid. And health-care spending overall remains a key driver of the federal deficit.

Continue reading "Medicare And Medicaid Dominate 'Improper Payments' By Feds" >

By Christopher Weaver

Dr. Nancy Nielsen, the immediate past president of the American Medical Association, urged lawmakers Tuesday to do away with once and for all looming cuts to Medicare's physician payments -- something her organization has demanded for years.

At issue is a 12-year-old formula--passed as part of a broader bill by a GOP Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton--that requires Medicare to squeeze physician payments when they outpace broader economic growth, which they have since 2003.

Congress has intervened to block such cuts to doctors' pay in each of the last seven years. But, those Band-Aids, as Nielsen calls them, are temporary. New cuts always loom in the next year.

Continue reading "Medicare Pay For Doctors Serves As Pawn In Overhaul Debate" >

By Maggie Mertens

The swine flu vaccine remains scarce, but is slowly becoming a little less difficult to find.

California counties are trying everything when it comes to distributing the H1N1 vaccine, here a woman gets a shot in a drive-thru H1N1 vaccination clinic in San Pablo. (Justin Sullivan/Getty)

Some people are getting the vaccine at doctors' offices, some at college health centers, and some at public flu clinics. You're best bet will depend on where you live.

As KQED's Sarah Varney reports on Tuesday's All Things Considered, in some parts of California the best source for H1N1 vaccine might be a shopping mall, while in others only a doctor's office will do. Each state orders vaccine from the CDC to be delivered to "distribution sites," such as hospitals, clinics, and doctors' offices. Who receives it and how they distribute it varies.

Continue reading "Hunting For Swine Flu Vaccine" >

By Scott Hensley

In the good old days, millennia ago, people living along the Nile ate right, didn't get fat sitting in freeway traffic and had nothing to fear from the modern health scourge heart disease. Right?

Big arrow points to calcification in a leg artery of a mummified Egyptian woman who lived in the 18th dynasty. ( (c) 2009 JAMA)

Wrong, at least when it comes to heart health. CT scans of 22 Egyptian mummies, several around 3,000 years old, detected significant deposits of calcium in 5 of the 16 mummies with preserved arteries, definitive evidence the people had atherosclerosis while alive. Four other mummies with intact cardiovascular remains had deposits the researchers said probably indicated hardening of the arteries.

The work appears in the current issue of JAMA. We called Egypt and talked with one of the paper's authors Dr. Greg Thomas, a cardiologist whose day jobs include imaging hearts of living people and teaching at University of California, Irvine. He's in Cairo to talk about the results.

Continue reading "Ancient Egyptians Suffered From Hardened Arteries" >

By Scott Hensley

If you're taking Plavix to prevent a heart attack or stroke, lay off the Prilosec, the Food and Drug Administration says.

Taking Prilosec with Plavix can reduct the effectiveness of the clot-fighter. (Al Behrman/AP)

It turns out that the popular heartburn pill Prilosec cuts the effectiveness of Plavix, an anticlotting medicine that's been taken by more than 90 million people. That can raise the risk for heart attacks and strokes in patients taking Plavix. Prilosec is also sold without a prescription as Prilosec OTC.

How? Prilosec, or omepazole, inhibits an enzyme called CYP2C19 that transforms the main ingredient in Plavix to make it work inside the body. Same goes for Nexium, the son of Prilosec, which has the same effect.

Continue reading "FDA Says Don't Mix Plavix And Prilosec" >

By Scott Hensley

Any day now, the Senate will start debating a health overhaul bill, opening the next big chapter in the administration's push to remake the nation's health-care system.

Next stop for health overhaul: the Senate. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Time hasn't been kind to the Democrats, though. Delays during the summer led to frothy town hall meetings and a general backlash against President Obama's plans. And despite the recent House passage of the Democrats' unified health bill, Americans remain "deeply divided" on health care, the Washington Post reports.

The latest Washington Post-ABC News national poll shows public opinion has hardened and remains "deeply divided" on the issue of health overhaul.

Continue reading "As Senate Preps For Health Debate, Public Remains Divided " >

By Joseph Shapiro

I entered the windowless room in the basement of a Midwestern hospital and appeared before a government-sponsored "death panel."

Bud Hammes, the medical ethicist who started Respecting Choices. (Joseph Shapiro/NPR)

The woman in a pink coat over black slacks asked pointed questions about whether I'd want tube feedings or to be on a respirator.

OK, it wasn't really a "government death panel." You know from the flurry of controversy earlier this year that there's really no such thing.

Continue reading "Intrepid Reporter Faces, Survives 'Death Panel'" >

By Scott Hensley

Gastronomic thrill-seekers and oyster producers, rejoice!

The Food and Drug Administration is putting on ice a planned ban on the sale of untreated, raw oysters harvested from warm Gulf Coast waters due to infection hazards.

Eat up. These New Orleans oysters are still fair game. (Judi Bottoni/AP)

The agency backpedaled after howls of protest from politicians and the shellfish industry. FDA said last month that it planned to halt the sale of these oysters, if they weren't treated to prevent infections with Vibiro vulnificus, a cause of serious illness in people with weak immune systems or poor health.

Continue reading "FDA Backs Off Gulf Coast Oyster Ban" >

By Julie Rovner

So far, the fight over the abortion ban language attached to the House health overhaul bill has mostly centered around "what ifs." But now the complex stories of federal workers affected by a similar ban implemented by Republicans over a decade ago are surfacing.

Take D.J. Feldman, a 41-year-old federal employee from around Washington, DC. She became pregnant in 2008 with a baby she very much wanted. But three months later, her fetus was diagnosed with anencephaly, essentially a lack of most of the brain, skull, or scalp. Such profound defects prevent the affected babies from ever attaining consciousness; most are stillborn.

Feldman's doctor told her she needed to end the pregnancy. "There was no doubt in her mind that this was medically necessary," Feldman said of her doctor's advice. So Feldman went to a local hospital and had the abortion.

Continue reading "Abortion Ban In Federal Workers' Insurance May Foreshadow Overhaul Outcome " >

By Richard Knox

A small head-to-head study of two drugs that fight cholesterol is creating a big buzz at a meeting of heart specialists.

Can these drugs improve your heart's health? (iStockphoto)

The results show that a Merck cholesterol-blocker sold as Zetia (and in a combination pill called Vytorin) was inferior to a prescription form of the B vitamin niacin in curbing blockages of arteries.

The results were published online by the New England Journal of Medicine alongside two editorials on the same subject. They are also being presented today at an American Heart Association meeting.

Patients who took Merck's Zetia, a medicine which blocks cholesterol uptake from food, and a statin, which limits production of cholesterol by the liver, had lower levels of bad cholesterol than those who took a statin along with an extended-release form of niacin.

Continue reading "Doubts Grow About Zetia, Vytorin In Wake Of Niacin Test" >

By Scott Hensley

When the going gets tough, the tough raise prices.

How much would you pay for this pill? (iStockphoto.com)

Just as the pharmaceutical industry agreed to start cutting $8 billion a year from drug costs under a health overhaul, makers of drugs raised their wholesale prices by 9 percent, a $10 billion increase in the last year, the New York Times reports.

The Times cites work by University of Minnesota pharmacist Dr. Stephen Schondelmeyer for AARP. "When we have major legislation anticipated, we see a run-up in price increases," he told the Times.

Continue reading "Drug Companies Hike Prices On Brand-Name Medicines" >

By Deborah Franklin

There was a time, not long ago, when squirting gelatinous goo into your hands after every cough and before every meal would have seemed absurd. No more. Thanks to the flu pandemic, hand sanitizer has made its way into nearly every home, office, and school.

What's in your bottle, Anne Schuchat? (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The germ-killing ingredient in most of the stuff is alcohol. Any product that is more than 60 percent alcohol quickly punches holes in the membranes of most harmful bacteria and viruses (including H1N1) and quickly "kills them dead," as the insecticide ads say, without damaging the skin. But what about the versions sold as "alcohol-free?" Do they work?

"Depends on what's in them," says Allison Aiello, an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan who has studied hand hygiene.

Continue reading "Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers Fight Flu Best" >

By Maggie Mertens

Alcohol-laced energy drinks get you drunk and keep you awake at the same time. Today the Food and Drug Administration is asking manufacturers of the beverages for proof that they're safe.

MillerCoors removed caffeine from their product, Sparks, in 2008 when a lawsuit was threatened. (Reed Saxon/AP)

These combo drinks have been manufactured by companies big and small for the last couple years, and are increasingly a drink of choice among college students. A quarter of college drinkers are reaching for these alcohol and caffeine drinks when they party, according to research done by Dr. Mary Claire O'Brien, at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Why? So they can stay up longer and drink more, leading to dangerous ends, she says.

Students who mix caffeine and alcohol put themselves at higher risk for injury and other alcohol-related consequences, compared to students who drink alcohol without the added caffeine, according to O'Brien's research.

Continue reading "Alcohol Plus Caffeine Equals FDA Action" >

By Maggie Mertens

Uh-oh. For the first time in 15 years, more Americans are smoking.

Some 20.6 percent of U.S. adults were smokers in 2008, up from 19.8 percent the year before, according to estimates by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

A higher proportion of American adults is smoking. (Owen Humphreys/AP)

Even that small uptick worries anti-smoking advocates. "Clearly, we've hit a wall in reducing adult smoking," Vince Willmore, spokesman for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, told the Associated Press.

Continue reading "Cigarette-Smoking Rate Rises In U.S." >

By Scott Hensley

Ask anybody who knows us, we love Twitter. So you don't have to pay us to follow you, just tweet interesting things, OK?

Now that we've got that out of the way, let's talk about the American Osteopathic Association. We just got a mailing from the medical group that promised us a $10 iTunes gift card in exchange for following the group's Twitter feed just for the media. That offer is a new one on us and something that rubs us the wrong way.

Click on the scan of a card in the AOA mailing to see the instructions to journalists for collecting $10 iTunes gift cards.

The AOA represents 67,000 doctors of osteopathic medicine, or DOs, who have the same privileges as MDs but subscribe to a philosophy of care dating back to the 1800s that "focuses on the unity of all body parts," as the AOA Web site explains.

Continue reading "Osteopaths' Group Offers Gifts To Journalists For Following Twitter Feed" >

By Joseph Shapiro

One of our favorite thinkers about what it means to grow old died the other day. Geriatric psychiatrist Dr.Gene Cohen enjoyed debunking the myth that aging means an inevitable decline of mind and body.

Gene Cohen, geriatric psychiatrist and buster of aging-myths. (Joshua Soros)

Cohen's research showed us that old age can be a time of creativity. One study showed that older people involved in community-based arts programs were healthier and more independent after a year, than people of the same level of health who didn't take part. This made sense, he said, because science shows that brain cells do not die off as we age, but continue to grow.

And by creativity, Cohen spoke not just of the arts, but creative thinking. In his 2005 book, "The Mature Mind: The Positive Power of the Aging Brain," he told the story of his in-laws, stranded in a snowstorm with no taxis in sight, trying to get to his home.

Continue reading "In Memory Of Gene Cohen, Visionary On Aging" >

By Scott Hensley

It's tough to argue against coverage of abortion in any health overhaul, when your own insurance policy would pay for it.

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele at a post-election news conference in Washington. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Now a "chagrined" Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, as the Associated Press puts it, has ordered a halt to coverage of elective abortions under GOP insurance provided by Cigna.

Strange as it may seem, an insurance plan offered by the GOP, staunch opponent of abortion, has covered the procedure since 1991.

Continue reading "Republicans Halt Abortion Coverage For Their Workers" >

By Scott Hensley

When Google talks about online ads, everybody listens.

So check out the Internet giant's idea for rejiggering online promotion of prescription drugs to pass muster with the Food and Drug Administration.

Here's the way Google would like to do it: A link headline would go to a designated landing page, warning language would be a permanent part of the sponsored link, and "more info" would lead a person to details about risks. For drugs carrying black-box labels, there would be a special kind of sponsored link to emphasize safety information.

(Google)

Continue reading "Google Has A Plan For Safer, More Useful Online Drug Ads" >

By Maggie Mertens

When the H1N1 pandemic first hit the U.S. last spring, college campuses drew particular scrutiny because of their close quarters teeming with young people, who are more vulnerable to the virus.

Click on image to see full-size chart and data on swine flu cases on campuses. (ACHA)

The concern returned this fall as students headed back to campus just as the virus resumed its march. After a flurry of swine flu reports in September, cases eased a little in October.

How are things these days? Kitty Boyer of Auburn, Alabama, asks:

What's happening on college campuses with swine flu? My daughter's college is swamped. Is that true elsewhere?

We turned to the Web site of the American College Health Association, which has been tracking reported cases of H1N1 on campuses around the country and found they're hitting new highs.

Continue reading "Is Swine Flu Still The Big Bug On Campus?" >

By Scott Hensley

There's been a big jump in the number of people who've died from the new H1N1 swine flu.

Last week the pediatric death count between late April and mid-October stood at 129. This week it's 540 deaths, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates.

But the flu hasn't gotten more deadly, NPR's Joanne Silberner tells us, it's that the government's estimates have been tweaked.

What changed? Well, the new estimate was derived from same data sources--tallies by select doctors and hospitals. But the CDC is now factoring in deaths that may not be explicitly identified as due to swine flu. Sometimes a a flu test isn't done, or it's wrong, or the death is attributed to a different infection that came after the flu.

Continue reading "Swine Flu Death Estimates Rise As CDC Revises Methods" >

By Maggie Mertens

A coalition of food safety researchers and advocates is throwing some new fuel on the fire in an effort to press Congress to pass a food safety bill. The question is whether there is enough appetite in Congress to pass two health bills this year.

First shot: Bring out the kids. Kids are most at risk for foodborne illness, according to a report by the Center for Foodborne Illness Research and Prevention. Half of reported foodborne illness occur in children, the majority in kids younger than 15. Some of the most dangerous pathogens hit kids younger than four the hardest.

Veggies like this have made kids sick (iStockphoto)

Why? Kids are still developing, so they have weaker immune systems and smaller bodies. Not to mention they have less control over their diet than adults, says The Make Our Food Safe Coalition, a group of several public health and consumer organizations that advocate for safer food, including the CFI.

Continue reading "Advocates Press Congress To Pass Food Safety Bill" >

By Scott Hensley

For generations the American Medical Association, the biggest trade group for doctors in the U.S., has pretty much symbolized the entrenched health-care establishment. The AMA even popularized the term "socialized medicine" almost a century ago in its fight against national health insurance.

AMA President James Rohack talks about health overhaul on Capitol Hill in September. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

But lately the group has come out in support of health overhaul, even endorsing, somewhat controversially at first, House Democrats' bill to remake the nation's health system.

The AMA, which represents about 250,000 doctors, just wrapped up a big meeting in Houston where the members of its policy-making House of Delegates took some bold stands. In one vote, they asked the federal government to revisit the classification of marijuana as a Schedule I drug, like peyote or LSD, because that status inhibits research on its potential medical benefits.

The group also passed a resolution calling on the military to abandon its "don't ask, don't tell" policy on sexual preference because it hurts health care of gays and lesbians. Another resolution criticizes bans on same-sex marriage because they contribute to health disparities.

Continue reading "AMA Broadens Its Social Agenda" >

By Scott Hensley

Fire up your computers and point your browsers toward fda.gov. Today's the day the Food and Drug Administration publicly starts coming to grips with the way consumers and drug companies talk to one another on the Internet.

Eye on FDA's Mark Senak outside FDA meeting on social media. ((c) 2009 Jay Bryant/LiveWorld.com)

The two-day meeting aims to get input for rules the FDA is working for how drugmakers and other companies that market regulated products should behave online. The fundamental questions turn on how companies can provide balanced advertising information and what their obligations are to deal with consumers' comments, criticism or reports of health trouble with products.

More than 800 people tried to go to the meeting in Washington, said emcee Tom Abrams, head of FDA's Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising, and Communications. Hundreds were turned away.

Continue reading "FDA Tackles Drugmaker Talk On Facebook, Twitter And Google " >

By Maggie Mertens

Mandatory paid sick-leave might have gotten thrown out of the House health overhaul bill, but Congressional Democrats haven't given up yet. They still have a chance to get legislation passed -- by tying it to swine flu.

Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd announced he would introduce "emergency" sick-leave legislation in the Senate. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CN) said Tuesday he intended to introduce emergency sick-leave legislation tied to the new H1N1 virus outbreak.

It's similar to a bill introduced in the House last week by Democratic Rep. George Miller of California. The House bill would apply to businesses with 15 or more employees, and guarantee five paid sick days for workers ordered to stay home due to a contagious illness like swine flu. But where this bill significantly differs from other recent proposals is that it comes with an expiration date: two years from the day it's signed into law.

Continue reading "Sick-Leave Legislation Gets A Boost From H1N1" >

By Maggie Mertens

All around our neighborhood, people are coughing. So we weren't too surprised when a blog reader, who asked not to be identified, wrote in with a question about the hacking:

Any H1N1 virus there? (iStockphoto.com)

Is a 'cough' always present with the swine flu, or is it possible for that symptom not to be present and still have H1N1?

Most of the time a cough does go along with the swine flu, Dr. Douglas Kamerow, a family physician and former Assistant Surgeon General, says. The symptoms for swine flu are generally the same as classic influenza, which means a cough is very common.

Continue reading "What Is Cough's Connection To Swine Flu?" >

By Scott Hensley

A little more vaccine help is on the way for swine flu.

Information on flu shots at a California vaccine clinic. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The Food and Drug Administration just approved a shot against the new H1N1 virus from GlaxoSmithKline. As a result there are now four companies able to provide swine flu shots in the US. The fifth provider is AstraZeneca's MedImmune unit, whose vaccine is a nasal spray.

None of the vaccines for America, including Glaxo's, contain an adjuvant, or immune-system booster. Those chemicals have never been used in an approved flu vaccine in this country, though they are OK in Europe.

Continue reading "FDA Approves Glaxo Swine Flu Vaccine" >

By Mary Agnes Carey

A law to remake health care in this country doesn't have to be perfect, but it does have to get passed to make a difference, former President Bill Clinton told Senate Democrats Tuesday.

Former President Bill Clinton is mobbed by reporters after talking about health care during the Democrats' weekly caucus inside the Capitol Tuesday. (Tim Sloan/AFP/Getty Images)

"I think it is good politics to pass it and pass it as soon as they can," he said to reporters who packed a Capitol hallway to get his take on the current health debate. "The worst thing to do is nothing."

Mindful of Clinton's failure to enact sweeping health-care legislation during his presidency, President Obama and Democrats hope this time is different. While House Democrats passed their measure late Saturday, it's unclear when the Senate will begin debate.

Continue reading "Clinton Urges Action On Health Overhaul, Flaws And All" >

By Scott Hensley

If the plastic additive bisphenol A is dangerous to health, you'd expect to see problems in people who work with lots of the stuff.

Chinese smokestacks in winter. (Greg Baker/AP, file)

So Kaiser Permanente epidemiologist Dr. De-Kun Li and some other scientists took a look at men working in Chinese factories that made BPA or used it to produce the sorts of resins that line cans of food. For comparison, they studied men in factories in the same Chinese cities that didn't use BPA.

The results of the five-year study? Men exposed to high levels of BPA on the job had a much greater chance of sexual problems than men who weren't. Reductions in sexual desire and sexual satisfaction were about four times more likely. Erectile difficulties were 4.5 times more likely. And problems with ejaculation were seven times more likely.

Continue reading "BPA At Work Raised Risk Of Impotence, Sexual Problems" >

By Julie Rovner

On Saturday night, before approving its landmark health bill, the House adopted an amendment offered by Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., to tighten restrictions on abortion funding in the bill.

That much everyone agrees on. And that's about all everyone agrees on.

Supporters say it merely continues a long history of prohibiting federal funding of abortion. "Let us stand together on principle. No public funding for abortion, no public funding for insurance policies that pay for abortion," said Stupak on the floor.

But abortion-rights backers are calling it the biggest rollback of abortion rights in a generation.

Continue reading "Abortion Language In House Bill In Dispute" >

By Maggie Mertens

Racial minorities have their own stories to tell about the new H1N1 pandemic.

Antonio Magallanes moved to the US 40 years ago to work in the fields and as a landscaper. He says he worked whether he had the flu or not. (Kelley Weiss/Capital Public Radio News)

Kelley Weiss, a reporter with member station Capital Public Radio, reports on Tuesday's All Things Considered from Sacramento, Calif., on the hurdles posed for some Latino communities by a lack of health insurance and jobs that don't offer paid sick leave.

Antonio Magallanes, a 65-year-old retiree who used to be a landscaper, told Weiss, that he had to keep working no matter how sick he felt in order to feed his nine children. "I used to just make up some kind of tea or something and go to work," Magallanes told Weiss.

Continue reading "Racial Minorities Face More Swine Flu Struggles" >

By Scott Hensley

Hey, doc, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg wants to thank you for all your hard work dealing with the swine flu. Oh, and by the way, if your patients have questions about the new H1N1 vaccine, she's got some answers.

A man gets an H1N1 shot at drive-thru clinic in San Pablo, Calif. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

We've been getting quite a few of those queries ourselves, such as, is the vaccine effective?

So if you're wondering what your doctor is being told about the vaccine, check out Hamburg's
letter to health-care professionals.

We can give you the high points. She acknowledges that some patients may wonder how everyone can be so confident a vaccine developed in only six months is OK.

Continue reading "FDA To Docs: Tell Patients Swine Flu Vaccine Is OK" >

By Christopher Weaver

One reason it's been hard for some conservative pundits to know exactly what to make of Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao's vote for the Democrats' health overhaul over the weekend is that he's only been a declared Republican for a couple of years.

Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao smiles at an election victory party in New Orleans in 2008. (Alex Brandon/AP)

Some critics said Cao was bought off by Democrats or let his party down.

But, as New Orleans native and American Spectator senior editor Quin Hillyer put it, "The man never claimed to be a fully committed economic conservative."

In fact, Cao's Republican affiliation is still in its infancy. He joined the party Dec. 6, 2007, exactly one year before being elected to Congress on the GOP ticket, a spokesman for the Louisiana Secretary of State told us. Cao had been registered as an unaffiliated voter at his current address since September 2000. (Older records weren't available through the state office).

Continue reading "Rep. Cao Elected On 1st Anniversary Of Joining GOP" >

By Richard Knox

If swine flu strikes and you start running a high temperature, should you treat the symptom with aspirin, Tylenol or other medicines to reduce fever?

Julie Heiligenthal, left, a health aide in Burlington, Wis., takes Ann Erickson's temperature late last month. (Paul Sloth/AP)

Our latest question stems from comments from Dale Moss who emailed, "The body's main defense against any viral illness is a strong fever, but the medical profession appears to be suffering mass amnesia on this point."

Moss contends that aspirin used to treat fever during the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-19 caused many cases of flu "to morph into a raging pneumonia," and that the medicine actually killed many people.

Continue reading "Should You Treat A Swine Flu Fever?" >

By Scott Hensley

Quick. What's the leading killer of women of reproductive age?

A young woman in Zimbabwe who was raped, became HIV positive and pregnant. (John Moore/Getty Images)

If you answered heart disease, you'd be on the right track for older women, particularly those in richer countries. But for women age 15 to 49, the No. 1 killer worldwide is HIV, the World Health Organization says.

Of the 30.8 million HIV-positive adults in 2007, 15.5 million were women, says the WHO. Prevalence of the virus runs highest in Africa, where 6 percent of women of childbearing age have it. The findings appear in a report on women's health just released by WHO.

Continue reading "HIV Is Top Killer Of Young Women Worldwide" >

By Joanne Silberner

Many readers and listeners have raised questions about how effective the H1N1 vaccine is. This one comes from Jennifer Meegan, who is wondering whether she should bother getting vaccinated. She explains:

The fact is ... the efficacy of flu vaccines is under scrutiny by many legitimate doctors and scientists. I don't necessarily subscribe to the idea that the vaccine(s) itself is toxic, etc, etc. But there is a growing case to be made as to whether or not flu vaccines do any good at all.

Meegan specifically mentions a provocative article in this month's Atlantic magazine.

The cover asks "Does the vaccine really work?" The article itself offers the answer "not really," and suggests more tests need to be done.

But there are a lot of problems with that article. We'll deal with two here: One is that it generalizes from the seasonal flu vaccine to the new one. The other is that it ignores a slew of data.

Continue reading "How Well Does The H1N1 Vaccine Work?" >

By Christopher Weaver

It was early summer. A senior federal health official wrote a memo suggesting that living wills -- documents that can convey patients' wishes about when to end life support -- could help curb health-care costs.

Robert Derzon, former HCFA administrator. (UCSF)

The memo leaked to the media. By August, a New York Times' column said the official "likes euthanasia."

Sound like this year's angry August? Well, this story unfolded in 1977, and the official in question was Robert Derzon, the first administrator of the Health Care Financing Administration, now the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Continue reading "Current 'Death Panel' Uproar Echoes Decades-Old Controversy" >

By Maggie Mertens

When you unfold your swanky Maclaren umbrella-style stroller, you don't expect to sever a child's finger. But a dozen kids reportedly lost fingers that way, prompting the maker of upscale strollers to recall about 1 million of them.

One of the Maclaren strollers being recalled. (CPSC)

The Consumer Product Safety Commission released information on the affected strollers today.

The recall applies to every umbrella stroller Maclaren has distributed in the US since 1999. The specific models are: Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, TechnoXLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveller.

Continue reading "Maclaren Recalls 1 Million Strollers Due To Amputation Risk" >

By Scott Hensley

The loneliest Republican in Washington today is Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao, the only member of the GOP to vote for the health overhaul bill put together by the Democrats in the House.

Republican Rep. Joseph Cao and his daughter listen to President Obama at a town hall meeting about the Gulf Coast recovery on October 15, 2009, in New Orleans. (Chris Graythen/Getty)

Sure, Cao's got a lot of new Democratic pals, including President Obama, but we're not sure we'd want to be him at his next meeting with Republican leaders.

The Stupak amendment to the House bill, restricting abortion coverage, removed a big hurdle for Cao, a devout Catholic, to vote yes. Wooing by Obama didn't hurt.

Continue reading "Who Is Republican Rep. Anh 'Joseph' Cao?" >

By Joseph Shapiro

It seems unfathomable that an Army psychiatrist trained to heal soldiers with psychiatric injuries could then fire on fellow soldiers.

This undated photo shows Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the suspected shooter. (The Uniformed University of the Health Sciences/AP)

Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan is blamed for a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, that killed 13 people and wounded 30.

Nader Hasan, cousin of the alleged shooter, suggests that one factor may have been that the Army psychiatrist had treated scores of soldiers and Marines who returned from Iraq and Afghanistan with PTSD.

"He had people telling him on a daily basis the horrors they saw there," Nader Hasan, told the New York Times. But he said he had no idea why his cousin may have shot other soldiers. The 39-year-old psychiatrist expected to be deployed soon to Iraq or Afghanistan but objected to the deployment, his cousin said. According to the Associated Press, Hasan was going to be part of a combat stress team that treats soldiers showing signs of psychiatric problems.

Continue reading "Suspected Fort Hood Shooter Saw the Toll of PTSD" >

By Julie Rovner

As the House heads for a showdown vote this weekend on its huge health overhaul bill, it remains unclear whether Democrats have the 218 votes they need to pass their measure. And abortion is a big reason why.

Abortion protesters gave Congress an eyeful and an earful this week. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty)

There have long been so-called "pro-life" Democrats; otherwise liberal members who are also strongly anti-abortion. Many of them are also strongly pro-health overhaul, but they want very much to write strict limits on federal funding of abortion into the bill. Such limits are strongly opposed by a majority in their party, but at the moment, there just may be enough of those anti-abortion Democratic votes to threaten the bill's passage.

The closeness of the vote has abortion foes from outside Washington feeling emboldened. But the vehemence of the anti-abortion demonstrators last week as House Democrats' unveiled their health overhaul bill even took some hardened reporters aback.

Continue reading "With Abortion As Overhaul Hot Button, Protestors Come On Strong" >

By Richard Knox

Harvard pollster Bob Blendon says his latest numbers on swine flu sentiment should shake up the priorities for the federal government's campaign to get most Americans vaccinated against the new H1N1 before it's too late.

Vaccine believers want the shot. So where is it? (Rogelio V. Solis/AP)

Instead of convincing skeptics to get the vaccine, Blendon says, "the real focus has become how do you get the vaccine to people who had already decided they want it but haven't been able to get it."

The new poll, conducted last weekend, is the first to show what people actually do about flu vaccination, rather than what they think they'll do. It shows strong enthusiasm among parents to get their kids vaccinated.

Continue reading "Vaccine Poll: Shift from Convincing Skeptics to Satisying the Convinced" >

By Maggie Mertens

A little-noticed provision tucked into the House's nearly 2,000 page bill would require chain restaurants and operators of vending machines to post calorie counts for the food they sell. Don't feel bad if you missed it, it's stuck down in Section 2572, starting on page 1,510.

Will calorie counts like these keep consumers from buying the burger? (Chris Hondros/Getty)

New York already requires chain restaurants to post calories. And California isn't far behind. But the House bill would take the concept national, make calorie counts prominent, and also require the display of suggested daily calorie intake. Maybe then Americans could make a more considered decision about the Big Mac (540 calories) or Premium Southwest Salad without chicken (140 calories), please, they're about to scarf?

The move is being lauded by supporters, such as Rep. John Larson a Democrat from Connecticut, who said in a statement that the menu changes would empower Americans "to make their own health care choices." Empowering, perhaps, but the changes sound like a fair amount of work for those in the restaurant biz. Nevertheless, the National Restaurant Association "strongly supports" the provision, a spokesman for the trade group told us.

Continue reading "Health Overhaul Could Make Chain Restaurants Post Calories" >

By Scott Hensley

With supplies of swine flu vaccine tight and demand surging, some health officials are catching flack for another Wall Street bailout.

Goldman Sachs headquarters got a few hundred doses of swine flu vaccine. (Chris Hondros/Getty Images)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr.Thomas Frieden sent a not-so-friendly letter yesterday to state and local health officials reminding them to make sure that scarce swine flu vaccine goes to priority groups, such as kids and health-care workers.

How come? The Wall Street Journal reports trouble in the Big Apple, where Frieden was health commissioner until decamping for Atlanta in June. Some New York employers, including Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, got doses of the swine flu vaccines to give to their workers.

Continue reading "CDC To States, Cities: Make Sure Swine Flu Vaccine Goes To Neediest" >

By Scott Hensley

Though we're not convinced cataloging the contents of our genes is the greatest way to spend our money, it's sort of nice to know the price is dropping for a complete genome sequence.

For just a few thousand bucks you can get the lowdown on your own DNA. (DNA image/Wikimedia Commons)

A California company called Complete Genomics now says it can do a decent job of decoding a person's DNA for around $4,400, based on the cost of chemical supplies. Rougher versions cost less and better quality, as you might expect, ran a few thousand dollars more.

The results were published online by the journal Science.

Continue reading "Step Right Up And Get Your Genome Here" >

By Joanne Silberner

We've got another swine flu question. This one comes in an email to the blog from Wendy Pierce of Bozeman, Montana:

I am one of the unfortunate people that had Guillain-Barre, not associated with the swine flu. I have heard that I should not get vaccinated, is that true?

This is a tricky subject. Guillain-Barre syndrome is a rare and mysterious neurological condition that can cause partial paralysis and, on rare occasions, death.

There were several hundred cases of Guillain-Barre following the vaccination of millions of people for swine flu back in 1976, but doctors are still arguing about whether those cases were caused by the vaccine.

Continue reading "Does A Past Case Of Guillain-Barre Mean Skipping Swine Flu Vaccine?" >

By Richard Knox

Seven months into the flu pandemic of 2009, North America leads the world in cases, the WHO says.

North America: hotbed for swine flu. (iStockphoto.com)

Unlike elsewhere, the new H1N1 never exited stage left after its debut appearance in late April. In fact, it's making more noise than ever. Mexico has experienced more cases of pandemic flu since September than it did over the first four months of the pandemic this spring.

It's too soon to know if the flu pandemic has peaked, or is near its peak, in the United States or any other region, the World Health Organization's H1N1 honcho Dr. Kenji Fukuda said today in a briefing with the media. And we might not know until after the fact.

Continue reading "North America Leads Swine Flu Pack" >

By Scott Hensley

The jury is still out on just how risky the ubiquitous plastic additive bisphenol A is for people.

What besides green beans is in this can? (iStockphoto.com)

But for those of you who like to worry, Consumer Reports just published results from tests of a bunch of canned foods that revealed some pretty high readings in such pantry favorites as green beans and vegetable soup.

How, you might ask, does BPA wind up in metal cans? Which foods tested worst? And what should be done?

Continue reading "Consumer Reports Finds BPA Common In Canned Foods " >

By Maggie Mertens

Cereal giant Kellogg said it's dropping the eyebrow-raising claim that a box of Rice Krispies or Cocoa Krispies, "Now helps support your child's IMMUNITY." (The caps are Kellogg's.)

Immunity-boosting cereal? Not anymore. (Paul Sancya/AP)

Blame the swine flu. Kellogg's said Wednesday it is discontinuing the IMMUNITY claim, "given the public attention on H1N1."

The decision also follows a pullback by a controversial industry-sponsored program that put "Smart Choices" labels on the front of packages of processed foods, including some of Kellogg's. Only days before that change, the Food and Drug Administration raised concerns those labels could mislead consumers.

Continue reading "Rice Krispies Are No Substitute For Swine Flu Vaccine" >

By Richard Knox

Lots of people get sniffles, sore throats, fever and other respiratory miseries this time of year. In a normal year, only about one person in four actually has laboratory-confirmed flu when samplings of nasal swabs from sick Americans are tested.

Ah-choo! Is it the flu? (iStockphoto.com)

This year is different. The World Health Organization says more than 40 percent of Americans with "influenza-like illness" are testing positive for flu (and it's nearly always the new H1N1 flu). In some countries as many as 70 percent of nasal swabs turn up flu-positive.

That's pretty interesting, considering that at this point in the season last year, only 2.2 percent of the swabs tested postive.

So if you have respiratory symptoms this year, there's a better-than-usual chance it's the flu.

Continue reading "Feeling Flu-ish? It's More Likely to Be Flu This Year" >

By Scott Hensley

Here comes the AARP to endorse Democrats' health legislation, just in time for big votes on the House floor that could come as soon as Saturday.

President Obama speaks about health care during a meeting at the AARP's headquarters in Washington. At left is AARP President Jennie Chin Hansen. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

The Associated Press reports the influential group representing retirees and older people will publicly back the unified health legislation in the House. The AARP Web site promises "a major health reform announcement" at 11:30 EST today.

AARP's support would give House Democrats a big boost. Half of Americans over 50 belong to the organization, AARP's lobbying director David Certner told NPR's Peter Overby.

Continue reading "AARP Expected To Endorse House Dems' Health Bill" >

By Scott Hensley

This is health overhaul?

The Congressional Budget Office did its number-crunching magic on the House Republicans' health proposal and found that the bill wouldn't cost much--or put much of a dent in the ranks of the uninsured.

House Minority Leader John Boehner offers a "Republican Solution" to health overhaul. (Harry Hamburg/AP)

Assuming the Republicans prevail and their bill became law before the end of this year, the CBO figures about 3 million more people would have health coverage a decade from now. That would leave about 52 million nonelderly people in this country uninsured in 2019.

The bottom line, from CBO Director Doug Elmendorf's blog, "The share of legal nonelderly residents with insurance coverage in 2019--83 percent--would be roughly in line with the current share."

Continue reading "House Republicans' Overhaul Would Insure 3 Million More People" >

By Joanne Silberner

Here we go with some more swine flu questions and answers. In an email to the blog, Renee Boulis, of Wyomissing, Pa., asks about the nasal spray form of vaccine against the new H1N1 virus.

Three-year-old Abby Hilterbran receives a nasal vaccination in Piqua, Ohio, on Monday. (Mike Ullery/AP)

How effective is the protection for children under 8, ask Boulis, who often babysits two young grandchildren? Is it possible for them to transmit the virus to others while they are waiting for the second spritz?

Let's take your first question first.

The short answer on effectiveness in children is that a single dose is not as effective as people would like. Two doses get the job done.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases just released the results of a study on children under the age of 10. This study used the injectable vaccine, but scientists say the results hold for the nasal spray as well.

After the first shot, researchers looked for signs in the kids' blood that they'd be able to fight off infection. Only 25 percent of children between the ages of 6 and 35 months had a strong enough response three weeks after the first dose, and only 55 percent of those 3 to 9 years old were protected.

After the second dose, though, all the 6 to 35 month olds and 94 percent of the 3 to 9 year olds were protected. That's why the U.S. government is sticking to its recommendation that kids get two doses. The World Health Organization is opting for just one.

Continue reading "How Effective Is Spray Swine Flu Vaccine For Kids?" >

By Maggie Mertens

The bad news about the U.S. health system just keeps coming.

A premature baby, born at 28 weeks, lies in the neonatal intensive care unit of a New York hospital. The CDC says the large number of premature births is one factor behind the high infant mortality rate in the U.S. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Infant mortality in the U.S. is worse than in 29 other countries, including practically all of Europe, Canada and Australia, says a report just out from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If there's any good news, it's that the situation in the U.S. hasn't gotten even worse. Based on 2005 data, the U.S. ranked 30th in the world in infant mortality, compared with 29th in 2004 and 23rd in 1990. Back in the good old days of 1960, the nation ranked 12th.

Continue reading "U.S. Trails Far Behind Europe In Infant Mortality" >

By Richard Knox

Cat-owners everywhere have a new worry. Iowa health officials have reported the first known case of the new H1N1 flu in a kitty.

You can keep your cat swine flu free, like this one, by washing your hands before petting it. (iStockphoto.com)

The 13-year-old cat probably caught the virus from humans. Two of the three folks who shared the house with the feline suffered from flu-like illness.

It figures the swine flu virus would eventually sicken one or more cats. Cats have been known to get the flu.

Continue reading " Sick Iowa Kitty Had Swine Flu" >

By Joanne Silberner

OK, we're addicted, and it's a pretty sick addiction. Literally. We jones for ProMED, a listserv about exotic diseases, far and wide.

Some people like going to see scary movies. Some people like reading murder mysteries. We're fascinated by up-to-the-minute reports about exotic infections, like bluetongue disease and chikungunya fever, that ProMED sends our way.

ProMED covers more common diseases as well. We've been following H1N1's travels around the world through the postings on ProMED, for instance.

Continue reading "Spanning The Globe In Search Of Disease" >

By Scott Hensley

Extending insurance coverage to tens of millions of people who don't have it is one thing. Slowing the rise of health spending is another, and a lot harder task at that.

Do the plans for overhaul offer more than a Band-Aid for health costs? (iStockphoto.com)

Critics of Democrats' plans to overhaul the nation's health system say the proposals to date skirt the fundamental cost problem of American health care.

"The bills are directionally correct, but they're not going far enough," George Halvorson, CEO of Kaiser Permanente, tells the Washington Post.

Continue reading "Overhaul May Boost Coverage, But What About Costs?" >

By Maggie Mertens

Some versions of the healthcare overhaul bill would require health plans to cover "religious or spiritual health care." It may not be quite as hot a button as abortion coverage, but the amendment has Congressional tempers flaring.

Should prayer be considered health care? (iStockphoto)

The Los Angeles Times reported on the topic today, pointing to the version of the bill passed by the Senate health committee that includes coverage for prayer and other religious "health care." Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid is still deciding whether or not to cut the provision from the consolidated bill that will go to the Senate floor, the paper said.

In the House, two committees voted to include spiritual coverage. But after some members argued the church-state co-mingling was unconstitutional, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi nixed it from the consolidated health bill unveiled last Thursday.

Continue reading "Should Health Overhaul Cover Prayer, Alternative Medicine? " >

By April Fulton

Even though Halloween is safely past, the health bill House Republicans plan to offer as an alternative to the Democrats' proposal is creeping up on us with a strong feeling of deja vu.

That's because the 230-page draft contains a laundry list of material the GOP has trotted out for years but has never quite gotten through Congress. (To see a PDF of the bill, click here.)

For instance, Association Health Plans--a way for small businesses to join forces to offer insurance--are in here, although they've been shot down many times before over concerns that they would have lax oversight compared to their competitors.

The bill also would free insurance companies to sell across state lines -- an idea popularized in recent weeks by Rush Limbaugh.

Continue reading "GOP Health Bill Covers Familiar Ground" >

By Scott Hensley

You might want to think twice before gulping down that second diet soda today.

Watch your kidneys, folks. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Researchers analyzing the health habits of thousands of nurses found that women who drank two or more diet sodas daily had a two-fold increase in the risk of a significantly faster drop in their kidneys' ability to filter blood compared with those who drank one or none.

Another analysis by the same pair of Harvard researchers found that eating a lot of salt also hurt kidney's filtering power over time.

"While more study is needed, our research suggests that higher sodium and artificially sweetened beverages are associated with a greater rate of decline in kidney function," Dr. Julie Lin, a kidney specialist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, said in a statement.

Continue reading "Diet Sodas May Hurt Kidneys" >

By Scott Hensley

Things are tough all over right now, even for Johnson & Johnson, the seller of such iconic health products as Band-Aids, tear-free shampoo and baby powder.

J&J's Baby Shampoo on display in a Hong Kong supermarket.(Mike Clarke/Getty Images )

Today the health-product conglomerate said it would cut 6 to 7 percent, or about 7,000, of its 117,000 employees around the world in a wide-ranging restructuring to save money and speed up decision-making.

As a result, J&J expects to save at least $800 million next year and $1.4 billion or more annually, starting in 2011. The company is making the changes so it's "well-positioned and appropriately structured for sustainable, long-term growth in the health-care industry," J&J CEO Bill Weldon said in statement.

Continue reading "J&J To Cut 7,000 Workers, Trim Research Spending" >

By Richard Knox

We have received so many intriguing listener and reader questions about the swine flu over the last few weeks that we're going to do our best to tackle one a day until the pandemic subsides or we've exhausted your curiosity.

(2009 H1N1 virus/C. S. Goldsmith and A. Balish, CDC)

To kick things off, we have a question from Nancy DeWeese, who asks:

I and my daughters (then 4 and 8) were laid low -- really low -- for several days in 1976 with the flu. We hear now it was probably the 'swine flu' of the day. Any connection between that virus and today's H1N1? Any protection for us as a result?

The short answer, Ms. DeWeese, is that you and your daughters did not have swine flu back in 1976.

Continue reading "Would Swine Flu In 1976 Protect You Against Today's H1N1?" >

By Kate Steadman

The GOP is reportedly set to release a new alternative to the House bill, signaling a strategy shift as the House begins debate this week on the almost 2,000 page Democratic overhaul bill.

House Minority Leader John Boehner speaks behind a copy of the Democrat's version of the health care bill during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009.

(Harry Hamburg/AP)

The aim of the Republican bill? To "make the current system work better," Minority Leader John Boehner said over the weekend.

He announced the change in the Saturday Republican video address, and ex veep candidate Sarah Palin plugged it on her popular Facebook page, calling it a "game changer."

Allah Pundit of the major conservative opinion site Hot Air says that's an unusual endorsement from Palin -- she's usually critical of party leaders.

Continue reading "GOP To Bring Its Own Overhaul Bill To House Floor" >

By Joanne Silberner

Several months into the effort, government health officials are still trying to figure out how to address public concerns about the safety of the H1N1 vaccine. It seems a difficult task, even when there is good news, like today's report that the vaccine shows great promise in protecting pregnant women, even at low doses.

Even though no unexpected health problems have emerged from those who have received the vaccine, HHS announced a new arm to its vaccine safety surveillance system -- that old chestnut known as appointing a panel of outside experts.

The panel will review all the human data the government has, including use of the vaccine in the military, within the Indian Health Service, and other places. The panel review comes in addition to beefed-up ongoing projects to analyze reports of problems, and data already being gathered from various HMOs.

Continue reading "Despite Reassuring Data, Doubts Linger Over H1N1 Vaccine" >

By Scott Hensley

Time to check the freezer to make sure you don't have any hamburger meat that could be home to some nasty E. coli bacteria.

E. coli loves growing in vats of ground beef. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Fairbank Farms, a meat processor in New York, just recalled more than half a million pounds of ground beef that went to a bunch of grocery chains stores in the East, including Giant, Trader Joe's, BJ's and Price Chopper.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 26 people were sickened and two people died after E. coli infections that may have been caused by bad meat.

Continue reading "Contaminated Beef Recalled After Deaths" >

By Maggie Mertens

With all the attention on the danger malaria and HIV/AIDS pose for kids around the globe, you might be surprised to learn that pneumonia kills more than 2 million children worldwide each year--more than any other disease.

A woman holds her 8-month-old, sick with pneumonia, in Bangalore, India. (Aijaz Rahi/AP )

Pneumonia is a preventable and treatable. But antibiotics and immunizations that we take for granted in the US, just aren't available in parts of the world where pneumonia is a big problem.

Almost all the pneumonia deaths in kids--98 percent--occur in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where vaccines, antibiotics and basic medical care are often hard to come by. The death toll has prompted global health groups to mobilize in a fight against pneumonia in children. They're kicking off the effort today.

Continue reading "Pneumonia Leads Global Scourges In Kids " >

By Scott Hensley

Remember all those drugs that were supposed to come tumbling out of the Human Genome Project? So far there's not much in the medicine cabinet to show for all the hype surrounding the decoding of the human genome.

Are there more drugs in there? (DNA image/Wikimedia Commons)

Today, though, there's some encouraging data about an experimental drug to fight lupus, an autoimmune disorder, that hasn't seen a newly approved treatment in four decades.

A second late-stage clinical test of Human Genome Sciences' Benlysta, which suppresses antibody-producing cells in the immune system, showed good results, buoying hopes for a fresh lupus treatment. The experimental drug's roots stretch back to the gene sequencing gold rush back in the '90s.

Continue reading "Genome Work Paves Way For Benlysta Lupus Drug" >

By Scott Hensley

If you had any doubt about the challenge of buying health insurance on the individual market, just ask Doug Holtz-Eakin. Remember him?

Doug Holtz-Eakin listens to questions about preexisting conditions during a forum hosted by Congressional Republicans last week. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images )

Holtz-Eakin, a 51-year-old policy wonk, is still unemployed a year after his gig as Sen. John McCain's top health guru dried up along with the Arizona Republican's bid for the presidency.

Now, the Washington Post reports, Holtz-Eakin's coverage under COBRA is about to run out and his outlook for an individual policy is grim.

Continue reading "Holtz-Eakin Faces End Of His Health Coverage" >

By Scott Hensley

With Halloween behind us, Daylight Saving Time over and the leaves practically jumping off the trees, it's really starting to feel like... flu season.

Fourth-grade teachers Meg Freund and Judy Fratto get creative for Halloween in Washington, D.C. (Jessica Goldstein/NPR)

Fall schmall. The swine flu is hitting early and hard. The CDC says there have been more hospitalizations of people younger than 65 for flu in the last two months than in most entire flu seasons.

The march of the 2009 H1N1 virus across the country is on our mind. And we're not the only ones. On Monday's Morning Edition, NPR's Richard Knox and Joanne Silberner answered listeners' questions and an online piece tackled even more.

Here are a few highlights.

Continue reading "Swine Flu Q&A: Post-Halloween Edition" >