Health Highlights: Dec. 1, 2008

Dec. 2 -- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

Doctors Upset About Losing Money on Vaccinations: Survey

About 40 percent of U.S. doctors who vaccinate privately insured children are thinking about withdrawing the service, because they lose money on it, according to a survey of about 800 pediatricians and family physicians.

About half the respondents said they'd delayed buying at least one vaccine due to the cost, and almost 20 percent said they felt strongly that they weren't adequately reimbursed for the purchase and administration of vaccines, the Associated Press reported.

A second survey of 76 doctors in five states found major differences between what doctors pay for vaccines and what their reimbursement is from private insurers. For example, 10 percent of doctors lost money on a recommended infant vaccine, while others made almost $40 per dose for giving the same shot.

Both studies were published in the December issue of the journal Pediatrics.

There's no evidence that large numbers of doctors are withdrawing vaccination services because of financial concerns, according to experts. But health officials are worried about that possibility, because it would mean fewer people would receive recommended shots, the AP reported.

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294,000 Children Sickened by Tainted Dairy Products: China

A total of 294,000 children in China fell ill after consuming melamine-tainted dairy products, and 154 of them remain in serious condition, the country's health ministry said Monday in a statement posted on its Web site.

That new figure is almost six times higher than the government's previous figure of 53,000 that was given in September, Agence France-Presse reported.

Officials also said there may be more than the previously-announced four deaths, because six more deaths since Sept. 10 may be linked to consumption of melamine-tainted milk.

Of the 294,000 children who suffered urinary tract problems, 51,900 were admitted to hospital, the health ministry said. Of those, 861 remain in hospital and 154 were "serious" cases, AFP reported.