Swine flu booster shots? Good luck with that

In a frantic search for swine flu vaccine, Seattle mother Emily Newman called a dozen clinics and some 50 pharmacies before she finally found shots last month for her 2-year-old twins.

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Va. teen suffers rare illness after swine flu shot

A 14-year-old Virginia boy is weak and struggling to walk after coming down with a reported case of Guillain-Barre syndrome within hours after receiving the H1N1 vaccine for swine flu.

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Suicides raise worries about recession’s real cost

ELKHART, Ind. - Coroner John White is presiding over a sad tally in this northern Indiana county, tracking rising numbers of suicides he believes are linked to the lingering recession.

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No guarantees: 3 tales of insurance disaster

As the mother of a toddler who survives only because of the breathing tubes up his nose, the feeding tube in his gut, and the expertise of doctors in three cities, Courtney Elliott is keenly aware of the high costs of medical care — in every sense of the word.

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Isabella, 4, is a case study in swine flu fears

A 4-year-old Mississippi girl is eating Lucky Charms cereal and singing Hannah Montana songs again, three weeks after a severe swine flu infection landed her in intensive care and jeopardized the healthy preschooler’s life.

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Many swine flu deaths linked to pneumonia

Many people who've died from swine flu also have been infected with pneumonia bacteria, underscoring the need for vaccination against that bug, too, federal health officials said.

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Upside to swine flu? At least they’re over it

For hundreds of thousands of swine flu patients in the U.S. who’ve endured high fevers, body aches and coughs, if there’s any upside to the illness, it’s that they likely can’t get i

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What's the secret to a tasty school lunch?

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College kids’ parents grapple with letting go

Each year, 1.8 million incoming freshmen head off to college. Many, like Alexa Sieracki of Elkhart, Ind., are energized by the new start. But for their parents, it can be a time of loss and sadness.

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C’mon health workers, get your swine flu shots

In a nation where less than half of health care workers get annual flu shots, experts say those who refuse to be immunized against the H1N1 virus could endanger patients and stress an overwhelmed medical system.

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No cash for medical bills? Bartering pays

The recession has revived an old rural tradition by prompting many health care providers to offer patients the option of paying for the non-covered costs of medical and dental care through barter. Msnbc.com's JoNel Aleccia reports. 

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Health reform idea: Put down the doughnut

A growing chorus of medical professionals, researchers and ordinary citizens contend that the touchy topic of individual responsibility has been ignored in the health reform debate.

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Volunteers roll up sleeves for first swine flu shots

A handful of people bared their arms Friday for the first jabs of the experimental swine flu vaccine.  The rest of us may get our shot in a couple months.

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Schools urged to stay open during flu outbreak

Anticipating a new surge of swine flu in the fall, federal health and education officials on Friday urged schools to stay open, but to plan to segregate sick students and staff .

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Volunteers swarm for shot at swine flu vaccine

It’s been just a week since Monica Hankins first heard scientists were looking for volunteers to test an experimental vaccine to prevent the H1N1 swine flu, but the Festus, Mo., mom and her family already are signed up. She wants her two young daughters, Isabella, 3, and Maya, 19 months, to be among the first to be protected against the previously unknown virus that has launched a global pandemic and claimed more than 800 lives worldwide, including more than 300 in the United States. “I kind of jumped at the chance,” said Hankins, 28, a home health care worker. “The way that it’s sounding, it’s something that I’ve never experienced before. It’s really scary to me.”From Seattle to St. Louis, at least 3,000 people so far have told scientists they’re eager to be part of fast-track clinical trials to assess the early safety of a shot aimed at preventing widespread infection, serious illness or death in a huge swath of the U.S. population.

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Deadly bolts: Lightning survivors stress safety

When Steve Marshburn Sr. sees a neighbor mowing his lawn in a thunderstorm, he cringes.When Michael Utley hears someone suggest that the so-called “lightning crouch” will keep them safe, he wants to scream — and sometimes does.

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HIV travel ban may be lifted for infected visitors

Foreigners who have HIV would be allowed to travel and immigrate to the United States under a plan by federal health officials to lift a 22-year ban on infected visitors that critics say was unnecessary from the start.

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Should the U.S. entry ban on HIV-positive foreigners be lifted?

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Alexa Sieracki: pursuing her scholarly dream

Faces of Elkhart:  Alexa Sieracki's dream of attending a prestigious big name college to study volcanology almost fell victim to recessionary reality.

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Making sure health isn't an economic casualty

Axel Hernandez / Hispanic/Latino Health Coalition of Elkhart County People line up outside last year's health fair provided by the nonprofit Hispanic/Latino Health Coalition of Elkhart County.

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Q&A: What's the problem with taking Tylenol?

Anyone who’s ever popped a painkiller to tackle a tough headache or an aching back had to pause at the federal Food and Drug Administration’s latest warnings this week.

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Fitness risk after 50: Did Jackson do too much?

Too little is known about why Michael Jackson collapsed and died mere weeks before an international comeback tour, but heart specialists say the superstar’s demise offers lessons for middle-aged mortals hoping for revivals of their own.

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Germs and flu are up; infection control is down

Even as the threat from drug-resistant germs continues to rise and a novel swine flu virus sweeps the country, U.S. hospitals are cutting back on staff and resources to battle potentially deadly patient infections.

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Ready to launch: 5 teens share journey after high school

ELKHART, Ind. - In one way or another, they all expected success.

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Heavy, drowsy truckers pose risk on the road

Truck driver Kenneth Armstrong is a big guy with a bigger problem.

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