Flu drug advised for pregnant women with swine flu

ATLANTA (AP) _ Pregnant women should take prescription flu medicines if they are diagnosed with the new swine flu, health officials said Tuesday. So far, the swine flu has not proven to be much more dangerous than seasonal influenza, and it's not clear whether or not pregnant women catch swine flu more often than other people. But in general, flu poses added risks for pregnant women, said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pregnancy weakens a woman's immune system, so that she's more likely to suffer pneumonia when she catches the flu. In earlier flu pandemics, infection also raised the risk of a premature birth, said Schuchat.

Miami VA: Steps taken to prevent contamination

MIAMI (AP) _ The top Veterans Affairs official in Miami said Tuesday she has taken steps locally to prevent the kind of problems that exposed patients to contaminated medical equipment at VA hospitals in three states. Mary D. Berrocal, director of the Miami VA Healthcare System, told The Associated Press she has hired someone in Miami to supervise training, make sure biomedical equipment works properly there and ensure the problems aren't repeated.

Senators weigh tax hikes to pay for health care

WASHINGTON (AP) _ The Senate's top tax writer said Tuesday he is considering limits on the tax-free status of job-based health insurance to help pay for President Barack Obama's plan to cover all Americans. Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., described his idea as senators began to grapple with how to pay for the costs of the plan, which independent experts put at about $1.5 trillion over 10 years. There are no easy options.

Mexico: worst over despite rise in flu death toll

MEXICO CITY (AP) _ The swine flu virus spread to more countries Tuesday, and scientists said the official numbers represent only a fraction of the many thousands of people sickened around the world. At the center of the epidemic, health officials said the worst is over despite more deaths. Mexico's toll rose Tuesday to 58 deaths and 2,282 confirmed cases of swine flu _ a rise of two deaths and 223 more cases since Monday _ but Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova said this reflects a testing backlog: The last confirmed case was May 8.

FDA takes issue with Cheerios health claims

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Federal regulators are scolding the maker of Cheerios, saying it made inappropriate claims about the popular cereal's ability to lower cholesterol and treat heart disease. The Food and Drug Administration says in a warning letter to General Mills that language on the Cheerios box suggests the cereal is designed to prevent or treat heart disease. Regulators say that only FDA-approved drugs are allowed to make such claims.

Worry over weight: Poll finds health disconnect

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Scan the breathless headlines at any magazine rack _ Fight Flab in Minutes! Get Beach Ready! Add the skinny yet buxom model, and it should be no surprise that the average woman feels insecure if not downright unhappy with her real-world figure. Hang on: Are we worried just about appearance, or about whether our size signals a health problem?

Obama praises health industry's vow to cut costs

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Barack Obama praised the health care industry's promise to cut $2 trillion in costs over 10 years Monday, taking a sharply different course than President Bill Clinton did 16 years ago in an opening bid to overhaul the U.S. health system. Drawing skepticism from lawmakers, Obama summoned representatives of the insurance industry, doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and labor groups to the White House for what he called "a watershed event in the long and elusive quest for health care reform."

Critics: WHO slow on generics for swine flu

LONDON (AP) _ As poor countries face a possible swine flu pandemic with only enough Tamiflu to treat a tiny fraction of their populations, some experts are calling for a simple but contentious solution: massive production of generics. Antivirals such as Tamiflu are believed to be effective against swine flu if administered early, and cheap generics can easily be made in countries like India. Many rich nations sit on stockpiles of expensive Tamiflu bought from Swiss drugmaker, Roche.

Health overhaul draws groups' competing demands

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Patients and doctors. Small businesses and multinationals. Retirees, workers and insurance companies. Some have more money and clout. All have something in common when it comes to overhauling health care: a huge stake in the outcome.

AP sources: 3 options mulled for gov't health plan

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Senators are considering three different designs for a new government health insurance plan that middle-income Americans could buy into for the first time, congressional officials said Friday. Officials familiar with the proposals said senators plan to debate them in a closed meeting next week. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because details of the controversial plans have not been released.