Health Highlights: Sept. 29, 2009

Sept. 30 -- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

Appeals Court Upholds U.S. Military Anthrax Vaccination

The U.S. military can require personnel to be vaccinated against anthrax, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday.

The court upheld a lower court's decision to dismiss a case brought by eight members of the military who argued against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's stance that the vaccine was effective, the Associated Press reported.

In addition, the plaintiffs challenged the Defense Department's requirement that personnel at risk for anthrax exposure must be vaccinated.

In its decision, the appeals court said the plaintiffs didn't provide any scientific evidence to prove the vaccine was ineffective, the AP reported.

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FDA Delays Cervarix Decision

A decision about whether to approve the Cervarix vaccine for cervical cancer has been delayed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. An announcement about a decision had been expected Tuesday.

The drug has been approved in nearly 100 other countries, but its approval has been delayed in the United States since 2007, when the FDA requested addition data from drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline, the Associated Press reported. Cervarix blocks the two main viruses that cause cervical cancer.

Another vaccine, Gardasil, has been available in the United States since 2006.

Also on Tuesday, it was reported that a 14-year-old English girl died after receiving the Cervarix vaccine. Her death appears to have been caused by an extremely rare, severe reaction to the vaccine.

The girl became ill soon after receiving the vaccine and died in hospital a few hours later, the AP reported.

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Neocate Infant Formula Recalled: FDA