Here are some of the latest health and medical news
developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
Insulated Lunch Boxes and Thermal Food Carriers Recalled
About 248,000 expandable insulated lunch boxes with freezer gel
packs are being recalled because the gel can leak out of damaged
packs and pose a poisoning hazard, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission says.
The lunch boxes were made in China, imported by California
Innovations Inc. of Toronto, Canada and sold at Costco Wholesale
Clubs, Leon Korol and Cost U Less stores from May 2007 through
September 2008, the
Associated Press reported.
The gel in the gel packs contains diethylene glycol and ethylene
glycol. California Innovations has received two separate reports of
dogs chewing the packs and ingesting the gel. One dog died and the
other received treatment and recovered.
The CPSC said the recalled lunch boxes have a logo and the words
"Ci Sport" on the upper left corner, the
AP reported
Concerns about the freezer gel packs have also led to the recall
of about 55,000 Travelin' Chef Expandable thermal food carriers
also made in China and imported by California Innovations. They
were sold at Walmart from August 2008 through December 2011.
For more information, contact California Innovations at
1-800-722-2545 Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST.
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Severe Allergic Reactions After Vaccinations Rare: Study
Sudden, serious allergic reactions are "extremely rare" after
childhood vaccinations, according to a new study.
British researchers reviewed 15 suspected cases of children
younger than 16 who experienced anaphylaxis after receiving
vaccinations to protect against measles, HPV, meningitis, hepatitis
or typhoid,
CBC News reported.
Only seven of the cases were confirmed as anaphylaxis. Six
children required an injection of adrenaline and intravenous fluids
and one child did not require treatment. All seven children
recovered fully.
Based on their findings, the researchers calculated that the
incidence of anaphylaxis is 12 cases for every 100,000 vaccine
doses,
CBC News reported.
The study was published online Monday in the
Archives of Disease in Childhood.
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New Drug Manufacturing Plant Might Ease Shortage
A new manufacturing plant in Framingham, Mass. has received U.S.
Food and Drug Administration approval to make a treatment for Fabry
disease, French drug company Sanofi's Genzyme unit announced
Tuesday.
The new plant, approved last week by European regulators, will
help relieve a shortage of the treatment Fabrazyme. Genzyme said
all U.S. patients should return to full dosing in March and
"unconstrained supply" worldwide will be restored throughout the
year, the
Associated Press reported.
The new plant was built after Genzyme experienced production
problems at another plant in Allston, Mass. That plant is running
again but will focus on production of another product.
Fabry disease is a genetic disorder that causes accumulation of
a certain type of fat in the body's cells, the
AP reported.
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