Desperate Cancer Patients Smuggle Unapproved Vaccine From Cuba Into U.S.
Cuba is home to an innovative vaccine called Cimavax, but American trials on the drug could take years. Many, however, can't wait that long. In other public health news, Donald Trump's stance on healthy eating may upend first lady Michelle Obama's efforts to improve school lunches; timeouts are taking the place of spankings for disciplining children; proteins that signal Alzheimer's don't always lead to diagnosis; and more.
The New York Times:
Trying To Bring Home Hope From Cuba In The Form Of A Cancer Vaccine
Zuby Malik is an unlikely candidate to violate international law. A 78-year-old mother of four with a crown of silver hair, she is a retired obstetrician-gynecologist with a penchant for order. But Ms. Malik is fighting for her life. After receiving a Stage 4 non-small-cell lung cancer diagnosis a year ago, she exhausted many of the treatments available to her and grappled with torturous side effects that left her itching and gasping for breath. During the summer, she decided to go to Cuba and bring back a cancer vaccine that is not approved in the United States. (Jacobs, 11/14)
The Associated Press:
Fast-Food Fan Trump Could Remake Healthy School Lunches
Will President-elect Donald Trump remake school lunches into his fast-food favorites of burgers and fried chicken? Children grumbling about healthier school meal rules championed by first lady Michelle Obama may have reason to cheer Trump's election as the billionaire businessman is a proud patron of Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonald's while promising to curb federal regulations. (11/15)
NPR:
Spanking And Other Physical Discipline Declines As Timeouts Rise
The share of U.S. mothers who spank their young children or endorse physical discipline has declined significantly over the past two and a half decades, according to an analysis of four national surveys. The findings, out Monday in the journal Pediatrics, came from an analysis of data from 1988 to 2011. Researcher found that 21 percent of median-income mothers of kindergarten-aged children endorsed physical discipline at the end of that period — down from 46 percent at the start. (Stein, 11/14)
Stat:
Their Brains Had Signs Of Alzheimer's, But Their Minds Were Still Nimble
The defective proteins that are widely thought to kill brain neurons and cause, or at least indicate, Alzheimer’s disease do not always have that calamitous result, scientists reported on Monday, raising more doubts about conventional approaches to diagnosing and finding treatments for Alzheimer’s.The researchers analyzed the brains of eight people who died in their 90s and who had excellent recall until then. (Begley, 11/14)
Richmond Times Dispatch:
Dancing With Parkinson's Disease
Veronica Nugent — who owns Simply Ballroom with her husband, Lee — began the Parkinson’s Dance Class in 2011, creating the nonprofit organization Richmond Parkinson’s Dance Project to run the program. A dance instructor for 25 years, Nugent was trained to teach those with Parkinson’s at the Mark Morris Dance Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., which developed a dance program specifically for those living with the disease. (Demeria, 11/14)
California Healthline:
‘A Huge Improvement’: Study Finds Inmates Benefit From Much Shorter TB Treatment
Jails and federal prisons in California and elsewhere are adopting new treatment guidelines for latent tuberculosis infection based on research showing that it can be treated effectively during a much shorter period. (Korry, 11/15)
