There are parts of the country where 20 percent of partents are opting not to give their children vaccines. That worries the CDC.

"The World Health Organization declared an influenza pandemic on Thursday and called on governments to prepare for a long-term battle against an unstoppable flu virus."

"The tobacco-control movement celebrated another milestone yesterday as the U.S. Senate easily passed a bill giving the government unprecedented power over the making and marketing of tobacco products."

'Electonic cigarettes, which offer a dose of vaporized nicotine to be inhaled from a tube that looks like a cigarette, may offer a less dangerous way for smokers to quit -- or stay addicted. But the mostly made-in-China devices are largely unstudied and unregulated.

"A new $6 million federal grant could be the first step toward declaring a public health emergency in asbestos-contaminated Libby, Mont., the state's senior senator said Thursday."

"WHO chief Margaret Chan warned Monday that the world might be facing the calm before a swine flu storm as she faced pressure from Britain, Japan and other nations not to rush into declaring a pandemic."

While the H1N1 "swine" flu has so far turned out to be less severe than feared, the World Health Organization's warning system is based on the extent of a disease's spread. Some are saying the system need changing in order to dial down needless anxiety.