Health Highlights: Sept. 14, 2009

Sept. 15 -- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

Poor U.S. Economy Affects Blood Donations

The ailing economy is causing a decrease in the number of workplace-related blood donations in many areas of the United States.

For example, 33 corporate blood drives were canceled from June through August, resulting in 1,700 fewer units of blood collected, a spokeswoman with the Badger-Hawkeye Red Cross in Wisconsin told the Associated Press. The state's unemployment rate has doubled to 8.7 percent in the last year.

Michigan has the highest unemployment rate (15.6 percent) in the nation, and the Michigan Community Blood Centers has seen a 15 percent to 20 percent drop in blood donations.

"We are seeing a direct effect of the recession," spokeswoman Toni Gould told the AP. "So many businesses and factories are closing, and they accounted for a large share of mobile drives."

Despite the decline in blood donations in certain regions, there hasn't yet been a significant overall national decrease, according to the American Red Cross.

-----

Swine Flu Shots May Come Earlier; New Flu Drug Shows Promise

Americans worried about the advance of H1N1 swine flu this fall got two doses of welcome news this past weekend: A potentially faster-than-expected roll-out for a vaccine, and good trial results on a new intravenous drug to fight influenza, the Associated Press reported.

Speaking on ABC's This Week on Sunday, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the first batches of an H1N1 vaccine could be available by the first week of October -- earlier than the mid-October delivery the federal government announced back in August.

"We're on track to have an ample supply rolling out by the middle of October. But we may have some early vaccine as early as the first full week in October," Sebelius said. "We'll get it to states as fast as it comes off the production lines," she added.