On Monday, US researchers revealed that those who have repeated flu infections or repeated flu vaccines may have some protection already against the new pandemic swine flu. Researchers have found evidence that the humane immune system is capable of recognizing bits of the new H1N1 virus that are similar to older, distantly related strains of H1N1.

Alessandro Sette, director of the Center for Infectious Disease at California's La Jolla Institute said:

"What we have found is that the swine flu has similarities to the seasonal flu, which appear to provide some level of pre-existing immunity. This suggests that it could make the disease less severe in the general population than originally feared."

The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and may help to explain why many older people are less likely to have severe cases of the disease.

Allison Deckhut-Augustine of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said:

"Adults may have some pre-existing immunity for H1N1."

Deckhut-Augustine noted that this does not mean that older people are protected against infection and stressed that people should still be vaccinated against H1N1.

There are privileges that come along with working on Wall Street, and one of those is apparently getting your swine flu vaccine before other high-risk groups that actually need it. Thousands of at-risk Americans sit patiently waiting for their turn to get the hard-to-find shot, while some Wall Street banks have already secured supplies of the vaccine.

The New York Stock Exchange, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, and the Federal Reserve have all received H1N1 vaccine doses to administer to their employees. Like other companies, Wall Street banks put in a request to receive doses, but it appears they have a leg-up on other applicants. Case in point: Goldman Sachs received 200 doses, the same amount as Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. There's something seriously wrong with this picture.

NBC's chief medical editor, Dr. Nancy Schnyderman commented:

"I think they probably played by the rules, there are corporations all over the country who put in there dibs...But, what a sore eye for Wall Street. Wouldn't have been lovely if they had said, look we put it in our dibs, we played by the rules, but we're going to donate our 200 doses."

In a big departure from the policies of the George W. Bush era, the Justice Department issued a new policy memo to prosecutors on Monday telling them that pot-smoking patients and their sanctioned suppliers should not be targeted for federal prosecution in states that permit medical marijuana. In the 3-page legal memo, federal prosecutors are told it is not a good use of their time to arrest those who use or provide medical marijuana in strict compliance with state law.

The guidelines issued by the Justice Department, however, make it quite clear that federal agents can and will go after those who's marijuana distribution goes beyond what is permitted under state law, and those who use medical marijuana as a cover for other crimes.

Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement.

"It will not be a priority to use federal resources to prosecute patients with serious illnesses or their caregivers who are complying with state laws on medical marijuana, but we will not tolerate drug traffickers who hide behind claims of compliance with state law to mask activities that are clearly illegal."

The advent of oral contraceptives, aka the "Pill", ushered in the sexual revolution of the 1960's and gave women control over their own fertility. However, according to a new study, the Pill may have also changed women's taste in men. Researchers say that the hormones in the Pill suppress a woman's interest in masculine men, and make boyish men more attractive.

Dr. Alexandra Alvergne of the University of Sheffield in the UK says that the Pill may also alter the way women pick mates, which could have long term implications for society:

'There are many obvious benefits of the Pill for women, but there is also the possibility that the Pill has psychological side effects that we are only just discovering. We need further studies to find out what these are,' she said.

When the first swine flu vaccinations begin being given to the general public in just a few weeks, there will be some people who get them that will have strokes or heart attacks. Some pregnant women may miscarry, and some children may have seizures. However, officials are warning that these events will not necessarily have anything to do with the flu vaccine.

Federal officials are aware of the potential public relations challenges, recalling how sensational reports of death and illness thwarted the large-scale swine flu vaccine drive of 1976. This time, however, they are prepared and have begun making plans to quickly respond to such events to reassure the wary public that the vaccine is not the culprit.

It is important to keep in mind that each year 200,000 Americans will have their first seizure, and there are 1.1 million heart attacks, 795,000 strokes and 876,000 miscarriages. Some of these will inevitably occur within hours or days of receiving a flu shot.

Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg says that the government "is right to expect coincident deaths, since people are dying every day, with or without flu shots." Fineberg is the president of the Institute of Medicine, and co-author of "The Epidemic That Never Was", a book on the history of the 1976 swine flu vaccination drive.

The H1N1 "swine flu" virus has been hitting one population segment especially hard - pregnant women. Making up just one percent of the U.S. population, pregnant women have accounted for 6 percent of swine flu deaths since the pandemic began in April, and will thus be among the first group advised to receive the new swine flu vaccine this fall.

On Wednesday a federal vaccine advisory panel will meet to discuss who should be first to get the swine flu shots when there aren't enough for everyone. Those at the top of the list are health care workers, who would be essential to society during a particularly bad pandemic. Pregnant women will also be near the top because they have suffered and died at disproportionately high rates.

Dr. Denise Jamieson, an epidemiologist with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said:

"Are they more at risk for severe disease? That's the issue," and it appears they are."

In Europe, the risk of swine flu to pregnant women has been a hot topic. British and Swiss health offcials even suggested earlier this month that women should consider delaying pregnancy if they can. However, most health officials said that advice was unwarranted, but agree that the risks are significant.

According to the Obama administration, vaccinations against the H1N1 "swine flu" virus are likely to begin in mid-October, assuming that the soon to begin studies go well. Heath and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said that no final decisions have been made, but those first in line for the shots will be school-age children, young adults with conditions such as asthma, pregnant women and health workers.

Studies on the new vaccine are slated to begin in early August. Once the results are available, the government will make its final decision. In the meantime, however, Sebelius is telling officials from all 50 states to begin to figure out now how they will deliver the shots to the people who need them.

While swine flu has faded from the news headlines a bit since the outbreaks first began to occur, it is likely to make waves again in the fall when flu season kicks in. Since the the H1N1 virus hasn't gone away yet - as flu viruses usually do in the summer heat - officials are no longer warning of its return in the fall. They're expecting it.

A U.S. Department of Food and Drug Administration advisory panel of outside experts voted 20-17 on Tuesday to urge the agency to eliminate products that combine acetaminophen with powerful opioids. Amongst the drugs recommended to be eliminated are the popular prescription painkillers Percocet and Vicodin. This is just one recommendation from the panel, which is currently weighing steps that the FDA can take to prevent the liver damage and even death that is seen in patients who take too much acetaminophen.

Panelists have also recommended reducing the strength of over-the-counter pain medications and other drugs that contain acetaminophen, and switching the higher doses over a prescription product.

They stopped just short of recommending a ban on OTC cough, cold and other medications that combine acetaminophen with other ingredients, voting 24-13 to keep them on store shelves.

Overdoses of acetaminophen, which is commonly known by its brand name Tylenol, has been linked to liver failure and even death. The FDA, however, is concerned that consumers are not heeding warnings and are trying to come up with ways to reduce the overall number of overdoses.

Before the FDA makes any final decisions, they will seriously weigh the recommendations of this outside panel.

The Cleveland Clinic has announced they will be hosting 7th Annual Medical Innovation Summit, Oct. 5-7. Prominent medical leaders will will highlight new technologies in the oncology field, giving attendees access to the latest innovations in cancer therapy, diagnostics and management

"This Medical Innovation Summit will bring together some of the most important thought leaders in the world of healthcare, cancer technology and venture investment. In light of the current economy, it is more important than ever to discuss the future of innovation and our increased need to support new technology," said Christopher Coburn, Executive Director of Cleveland Clinic Innovations. "Everyone has been touched in some way by cancer, and we are excited to highlight the many clinical innovations taking place in this field."

According to the Swiss pharmaceuticals company Novartis AG, it has successfully produced the first batch of swine flu vaccine weeks ahead of expectations. The vaccine is normally grown in eggs, but this time was made in cells.

According to the World Health Organization, which delcared the H1N1 virus a pandemic last week, drugmakers will most likely have vaccines approved and ready for sale after September.

The first batch of Novartis' vaccine will be used for pre-clinical evaluation and testing, and is being considered for clinical trials.

The vaccine was made at a Novartis plant in Marburg, Germany, where the company says it could potentially produce millions of doses of vaccine a week. A second plant is being built in Holly Springs, NC.

Novartis said that more than 30 governments have so far requested vaccine supplies. The US alone placed a $289 million order in May.