Health Highlights: Oct. 5, 2009
Oct. 6 -- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:
Health Care Workers First to Receive U.S. Swine Flu Shots
Doctors, paramedics and other health-care workers in Indiana, Illinois and Tennessee were the first Americans to receive the H1N1 swine flu vaccine as the U.S. government commenced its nationwide immunization effort Monday.
People who lined up for the vaccine got it as FluMist, a nasally delivered spritz initially reserved for front-line health-care workers, according to the Associated Press. Only 7 million doses of vaccine are expected to be delivered nationwide by the end of the week. Most states are expected to reserve these early shipments for doctors and other medical personnel.
"I needed that protection," Dr. John Eshun, a gastroenterologist standing in line at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., told the AP.
By mid-October, more than 40 million doses of H1N1 vaccine are expected to have been distributed, according to the AP. Some states, such as Arkansas and Pennsylvania, are reserving this week's expected stock of vaccine for in-school vaccinations.
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American Scientists Receive Nobel Prize in Medicine
Three American scientists were awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in medicine Monday for their genetic discovery that could lead to new cancer treatments.
Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Carol W. Greider and Jack W. Szostak found that an enzyme called telomerase may play a role in the uncontrolled growth of cancer cells, the Associated Press reported.
Researchers are currently studying whether drugs that block the enzyme are effective against cancer and whether telomerase may be involved in other diseases.
"The discoveries by Blackburn, Greider and Szostak have added a new dimension to our understanding of the cell, shed light on disease mechanisms, and stimulated the development of potential new therapies," the Nobel prize committee said in its citation, the AP reported.
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