Health Highlights: Sept. 25, 2009

Sept. 26 -- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

Possible Link Between Diabetes Treatment Januvia and Pancreatitis

There may be a link between the diabetes treatment Januvia and cases of acute pancreatitis, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Friday.

The agency said that between October 2006 and February 2009, there were 88 cases of acute pancreatitis reported in patients taking Januvia, the Associated Press reported.

"It is recommended that health care professionals monitor patients carefully for the development of pancreatitis after initiation or dose increases," the FDA said in a news release. Januvia should be used with caution and with appropriate monitoring in patients with a history of pancreatitis.

The FDA is working with drug maker Merck & Co. to include new warning information on the drug's label, the AP reported.

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Whooping Cough Vaccination Recommended for Adults and Teens

Most adults and teens should be vaccinated against whooping cough (pertussis), says the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Many people believe that whooping cough is no longer a major public health concern in the United States, but health experts estimate there are up to 600,000 cases each year in adults alone, according to the AAFP.

The organization this week launched a public health initiative to promote awareness about the importance of whooping cough vaccination to protect adolescents and adults from this highly contagious respiratory disease.

"For protection against whooping cough, health experts ... recommend that most adolescents and adults get a single dose of the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis) vaccine to replace Td (tetanus and diphtheria toxoids)," Dr. Ted Epperly, president of the AAFP, said in a news release.