Why You May Not Need A Flu Shot This Fall

Flu Vaccine: If you're young and healthy, you may not need a flu shot this fall because this year's vaccine will be based on the same flu virus strains that were circulating in 2010, Mike Stobbe reports for the Associated Press. Still, government health officials are recommending that most people get immunized anyway.

Public Health: California has a new public health chief: Former Solano County health officer Dr. Ronald Chapman has been appointed to the top job at the California Department of Public Health.

Allergies: A new report links climate change and global warming to higher levels of ragweed in the air, and allergies could be on the rise as a result, Kim Carollo reports for the ABC News Medical Unit.  

Medicaid: David Callahan of the American Prospect forecasts a tough fight for Republicans who want to slash Medicaid after the beating they took on their proposed Medicare overhaul.

Health Costs: Americans are wasting as much as $258 billion by not taking their prescribed medicines, with the missed doses leading to more doctor visits and trips to the emergency room, Kelly Kennedy reports for USA Today. In some cases, patients cannot afford the medications.

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