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A single dose of unadjuvanted vaccine with 7.5 micrograms of antigen is effective against the pandemic influenza A(H1N1) virus for most healthy adults, but children younger than 9 years may need two doses for full protection, data from a trio of clinical trials in China, Hungary, and the United States indicate. The findings were published online in the Lancet on Dec. 16.

The National Vaccine Plan should prioritize limited resources to meet unmet health needs and to increase funds for safety research and communication, the Institute of Medicine said in a new report.

GAITHERSBURG, Md. (EGMN) Studies of an inhaled formulation of the monobactam antibiotic aztreonam in patients with cystic fibrosis show that it is a safe and effective treatment for lung infections in this population, most of a federal advisory panel agreed at a meeting on Dec. 10.

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The existence of novel pandemic influenza A(H1N1) influenza in 2009 does not appear to have influenced the U.S. adult populations acceptance or uptake of seasonal influenza vaccination, according to the results of a survey of a nationally representative sample conducted Nov. 4-16.

Most primary care practices are not large enough for significant differences in performance to be assessed using national quality and cost benchmarks, according to a report in the Dec. 9 issue of JAMA.

NEW ORLEANS (EGMN) Bendamustine plus rituximab could oust the standard chemotherapy regimen used with rituximab in the first-line treatment of advanced lymphomas.

Warnings related to the risk of sudden death and cardiac dysrhythmias associated with desipramine have been added to the label of the tricyclic antidepressant, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

CHICAGO (EGMN) An ultrasound technique that measures tissue elasticity could dramatically alter the way in which skin cancer is diagnosed.