Health : NPR

America Grapples with Flu Vaccine Shortage

Group Gets Flu Shots in Canada

October 30, 2004 • Because of the shortage of flu vaccine in the United States, 260 people from northern New York crossed the border into Canada and paid $25 each to get their shots at a private clinic. North Country Public Radio's Brian Mann reports.

U.S. Group Heads to Canada for Flu Shots

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Kids Get More Psychiatric Meds Despite Slim Data

October 29, 2004 • The number of children taking psychiatric drugs has tripled since the 1980s. But doctors still have very little scientific information about whether these products are safe or effective for young patients. NPR's Jon Hamilton reports.

Kids Get More Psychiatric Meds Despite Slim Data

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Health Care

Debating the Role of Government in Public Health

October 28, 2004 • President Bush says that the nation's health care system should rely more on market forces. But some public health experts say this year's flu vaccine shortage illustrates that the free market and health care don't always mix. Hear NPR's Julie Rovner.

Debating the Role of Government in Public Health

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Doctors' Long Hours Can Increase Risk of Errors

October 27, 2004 • The New England Journal of Medicine publishes a study that finds a connection between medical errors and sleep-deprived doctors. Rachel Gotbaum of member station WBUR reports.

Doctors' Long Hours Can Increase Risk of Errors

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Health Care

Acid Reflux Drugs Studied

October 26, 2004 • Acid-suppressing drugs have been popular in treating gastrointestinal problems, but little has been known about side effects. However, a new study finds that people who take these medications have a significantly increased risk of getting pneumonia. NPR's Patricia Neighmond reports.

Acid Reflux Medication Linked to Pneumonia Risk

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America Grapples with Flu Vaccine Shortage

Critics Call for Govt. Control of Flu Vaccine

October 25, 2004 • Squeezed availability of the flu vaccine in the United States prompts calls for changing America's private-market flu vaccine system. Critics of the system say governments are more aware than the market of health needs and are better able to marshal the resources needed to prevent shortages. NPR's Brenda Wilson reports.

Critics Call for Govt. Control of Flu Vaccine

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World

Checking Up on 'Sick' Workers

October 23, 2004 • NPR's Scott Simon takes a moment to note that some companies in England are checking up on employees who call in sick to make sure they're really ill.

Checking Up on 'Sick' Workers

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America Grapples with Flu Vaccine Shortage

Tracing Flu Vaccine Shortage from Liverpool to U.S.

October 22, 2004 • NPR's Snigdha Prakash looks at the events that led to the sudden shortage of flu vaccine across the United States. What was happening in the five weeks between the appearance of problems at Chiron's plant in Liverpool, England, and the decision to withdraw their entire supply?

Tracing Flu Vaccine Shortage from Liverpool to U.S.

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America Grapples with Flu Vaccine Shortage

The Web Browser: Flu-Related Strangeness

October 22, 2004 • Day to Day senior producer Steve Proffitt returns in his occasional role as the "Web Browser" with a look at flu-related oddities he's found on the Internet. Proffitt searched the Web for respirator masks that meet NIOSH N95 standards, and also probed claims the Fiji titi herb can help prevent the flu.

The Web Browser: Flu-Related Strangeness

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America Grapples with Flu Vaccine Shortage

Heading North to Canada for a Flu Shot

October 22, 2004 • Reporter Harriet Baskas joins the crowds heading north of the border to get a flu shot. She sends this audio postcard from her visit to a Canadian clinic.

Heading North to Canada for a Flu Shot

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Opinion

America Grapples with Flu Vaccine Shortage

Dr. Ian Smith: The Flu and Your Family

October 22, 2004 • Regular health commentator Dr. Ian Smith explores what the flu vaccine shortage could mean for American families.

Dr. Ian Smith: The Flu and Your Family

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Health Care

Finding a Cure Through Politics

October 22, 2004 • Should there be a Cabinet-level post to focus on deadly diseases? That's the goal of the American Center for Cures, an initiative launched by Lou Weisbach, founder of the promotional products company HALO, and Dr. Richard Boxer, a one-time finalist for the job of U.S. Surgeon General. They speak with NPR's Tavis Smiley.

Finding a Cure Through Politics

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Health Care

Candidates Fix on Health Care

October 22, 2004 • As the presidential race nears an end, President Bush and Sen. John Kerry put extra focus on health care -- and the small percentage of undecided voters who say the issue could affect how they cast their ballot. Some experts believe neither candidate's plan will bring down medical costs. NPR's Julie Rovner reports.

Candidates Wrestle with Health Care Fix

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Research News

Metabolic Syndrome May Begin in Cells

October 21, 2004 • New studies suggest that problems with cellular mitochondria may play a key role in the disorder known as "metabolic syndrome," which consists of various combinations of high blood pressure, diabetes, insulin resistance, obesity and elevated triglyceride levels. The disorder may affect up to 25 percent of adult Americans. NPR's Joe Palca reports.

Metabolic Syndrome May Begin in Cells

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Health Care

Tight Rules May Create Imbalanced Flu Vaccine Supply

October 21, 2004 • As seniors wait in long lines for flu vaccine shots, providers who have too much vaccine say they don't know what to do with it. Laws prohibit giving the vaccine away, or even shipping it back to manufacturers. The Food and Drug Administration say the rule stems from tampering concerns. NPR's Joseph Shapiro reports.

Tight Rules May Create Imbalanced Flu Vaccine Supply

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