Three people have died of influenza infections in Montgomery County in the past two weeks, and county health officials are urging the public to get vaccinated. A 2-year-old Lower Merion boy died on Dec. 21, followed by a 32-year-old Upper Merion woman on Christmas Day and a 24-year-old Norristown man on Monday, according to county [...]
Warning letters went out to thousands of doctors yesterday alerting them that Sanofi Aventis is recalling 800,000 doses of pediatric swine flu vaccine in prefilled syringes because routine tests disclosed that its potency has diminished, officials say. Despite the recall, the vaccine is safe and effective; parents need not worry about unusual side effects or [...]
Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil unit announced a voluntary recall of infants’ and children’s liquid Tylenol products due to potential bacterial contamination. The products were manufactured between April and June, and involve nearly two dozen varieties including Children’s Tylenol Suspension 4 oz. Grape, Infants’ Tylenol Grape Suspension Drops ¼ oz. and Children’s Tylenol Plus Cold/Allergy 4 [...]
Pennsylvania’s 157 hospitals showed improvements in overall safety and survival rates, according to a report from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council released today. Consumers can get results on their local hospital’s success rate for 31 of the most common treatments and conditions including pneumonia, stroke and congestive heart failure. The report includes mortality [...]
The PA Institute of Public Accountants has several pieces of advice for saving on your health insurance. If you lose your job: explore new COBRA options, if you’re healthy: research individual plans being offered by a number of providers, if you’re a recent grad: check with your state because many have extended coverage.
A top New Jersey lawmaker is proposing a law to ban smoking on beaches and in public parks, and it could take effect by the end of this year. Already, some beaches in New Jersey prohibit smoking and nearly all enclosed public places have banned smoking, but the proposal would tighten the restrictions in an [...]
If you live in Pennsylvania and you’re really struggling, whether you’ve lost your job or you’re adjusting to a lower income, there are a lot of resources that could help. You may be eligible for food stamps, help with your heating bills, or even aid for your prescription drug costs. Check out www.connect211.org for a list [...]
Over the years, smoking bans have spread from planes to trains to buses, and next month will expand to another mode of transportation: rental cars. Starting October 1st, Avis and Budget will become the first major rental-car companies to enforce a smoking ban in their entire North American fleets. A hefty $250 cleaning fee will [...]
If you’re taking a number of medications, you know that remembering when and how much to take of each can be quite a juggling act, but a new tool by Consumer Reports makes keeping track of your medications much easier. My Medication Tracker is a free, downloadable tool that can help you prevent drug dosage [...]
A new rule now requires food manufacturers to notify government officials of potentially contaminated products within 24 hours to help federal regulators keep tainted items out of consumers’ hands. The FDA revealed a new electronic database that will enable food makers to notify the government and help the FDA prevent widespread illness. In addition to [...]
