U.S. health officials say children should get the swine flu vaccine. But older people are the ones most likely to want the vaccine, says a poll released this week. Researchers reported promising results this week for a "vaccine" to treat cocaine addiction. Two other studies raised earlier estimates of how many U.S. children have autism. And new a March of Dimes report produced the first estimate of premature births worldwide -- about 1 out of 10 babies.
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In the News:
Mismatch Seen in Demand for Swine Flu Vaccine
Swine flu vaccine began arriving in doctors' offices this week. But a poll shows a mismatch between who should get the vaccine and who wants it. A new Associated Press-GfK poll found that older adults want the vaccine most. About 62% of people age 65 and older said they likely will get a shot. But older adults are less likely than other groups to be infected with the swine flu virus. Guidelines call for pregnant women, children, young adults and health care workers to be vaccinated first. About 59% of parents said they were likely to allow their children to get vaccinated at school. About 38% of parents said they were unlikely to give permission. About 72% of those polled said they worried about side effects from the new vaccine. No major side effects have showed up in tests so far. About 2.2 million doses of nasal spray vaccine are available now. Injectable vaccine will begin to arrive next week.
Early Results Show Promise for Cocaine "Vaccine"
A new shot similar to a vaccine may help to keep cocaine abusers from getting high. And that may help them to quit, says a study released this week. The vaccine stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies that stick to cocaine when it gets into the bloodstream. The result is a substance that is too large to enter the brain. The study included 115 cocaine abusers. They were given a series of five shots of the cocaine vaccine or a dummy vaccine. During the next three months, 38% of those who got the real vaccine developed enough antibodies to prevent a cocaine high. About 53% of this group stopped using cocaine more than half the time. In all, nearly 40% of those who received the vaccine cut back on cocaine use or stopped. The Associated Press wrote about the study. It appeared in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry.
Studies Raise Estimates on Kids With Autism
About 1 out of 100 U.S. children have autism disorders, federal health officials say. This is higher than a previous estimate of 1 out of 150 children. The new numbers are contained in two studies, the Associated Press reported this week. One study was based on telephone surveys of parents. Researchers found that 1 out of 91 children had autism. Their results were published this week in the journal Pediatrics. Because of this study, U.S. health officials announced their own findings, which were not scheduled for release yet. They reported a rate of 1 out of 100 children. The government study was based on a review of health records of children in selected cities.
Report: Nearly 10% of World's Babies Premature
Nearly 1 out of 10 babies in the world is born too early, according to a new report. The report is the first attempt to measure premature births worldwide. It was released this week, the Associated Press reported. The March of Dimes produced the report with help from the World Health Organization. A baby is considered premature if born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Nearly 1 million premature babies die each year, the report said. The vast majority of premature births occur in African and Asia. Experts said some of the deaths can be prevented in poor countries using "kangaroo care." This means that the mother carries the baby next to her skin to preserve body warmth.
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