Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Adults Under 60 Should Get Hepatitis B Vaccine, CDC Panel Recommends
AP: Panel: All US Adults Under 60 Should Get Hepatitis B Shots
A government advisory committee on Wednesday recommended that all U.S. adults younger than 60 be vaccinated against hepatitis B, because progress against the liver-damaging disease has stalled. The decision means that tens of millions of U.S. adults — mostly between the ages of 30 and 59 — would be advised to get shots. Hepatitis B vaccinations became standard for children in 1991, meaning most adults younger that 30 already are protected. (Stobbe, 11/3)
And MIT scientists dig deeper into the causes of dementia —
Stat: Scientists Find Clue To Why Some Have 'Alzheimer's Brains' But No Dementia
Defective proteins clump into toxic plaques and tangles. Plaques of amyloid and tau tangles kill neurons, causing Alzheimer’s disease. So goes the central dogma that has ruled neuroscience since the early ’90s. But in the last few years, as researchers have amassed large databases of brain scans and collections of donated tissue, it’s become apparent how frequently the conventional wisdom fails. By one recent estimate, about 30% of older adults have brains loaded with enough amyloid or tau to meet the criteria for an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, but no outward symptoms of dementia. (Molteni, 11/3)
In other public health news —
CNN: CDC Updates Health Warning For Aromatherapy Spray
Federal agencies widened recalls and warnings to doctors Wednesday about aromatherapy sprays that have been linked to fatal cases of a rare tropical disease.The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said doctors should be on the lookout for symptoms of melioidosis -- a difficult-to-diagnose infection caused by the bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei -- and should ask patients about whether they've used certain sprays. And people who have bought sprays containing "gemstones" should not throw them out but should pack them carefully and send them in for refunds, the CDC and the Consumer Product Safety Commission said. (Fox, 11/3)
NPR: Tastykake Recalls Cakes That Could Have Tiny Pieces Of Metal In Them
We are not trying to food shame you, but you might want to put down the Tastykake chocolatey cream-filled cupcake. The Food and Drug Administration published a notice from the company, recalling some of the its multi-pack cupcakes sold at stores in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. Flowers Foods, the maker of Tastykake goods, said the treats could have tiny fragments of metal mesh wire in them. (Romo, 11/3)
AP: New Mazda Cars Will Stop If Driver Suffers Health Problem
Cars already know how to park themselves, warn drowsy drivers, steer back into the right lanes and propose map routes to destinations. The cars Mazda has in the works for next year in Japan know when drivers have a stroke or heart attack. By 2025, the cars will even know when drivers are about to have a sudden health problem and warn them, according to the Japanese automaker. What’s involved are data from cameras inside the car, without resorting to laser sensors or other more obtrusive technology. And it’s going to be offered in affordable models, not just luxury vehicles. (Kageyama, 11/4)
