A recent study showed a new chickenpox vaccine developed for adults, cuts shingles cases, occurring in people 60 and older, by half.

The new vaccine is made with the same virus used in childrens' chickenpox vaccine, only is 20 times more concentrated

The United States still has no licensed vaccine to prevent avian flu and has nowhere near enough drugs to treat the sick if there is an epidemic, experts told Congress on Thursday.

Hospitals have too little capacity to deal with the huge numbers of people who would become sick and the U.S. Health and Human Services Department does not have a plan for dealing with an epidemic, the experts said

China has isolated it's nature reserves and sent more than 3 million doses of bird flu vaccine to a remote western province after migratory birds were found dead from the H5N1 strain of bird-flu.

Poultry across far-flung Qinghai province, neighboring Tibet and Xinjiang, had become the "target of a compulsory vaccination campaign", reportedthe China Daily newspaper story

Microsoft Corp. chairman Bill Gates pledged $250 million for a total of $450 million to a project he initiated in 2003 to get the world's top scientific minds to find remedies of the deadliest diseases.

He announced the contribution while delivering a speech as a featured speaker at the World Health Organization's annual assembly on Monday

Swiss researchers reported results Saturday of an experimental vaccine against nicotine that helped smokers kick the habit.

Still in its preliminary stages, the test of heavy smokers suggested that 40 percent were able to quit smoking for nearly six months after receiving the vaccine