Health Highlights: April 24, 2017

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Campbell’s Chicken Soup Recalled in Florida

About 4,185 pounds of chicken soup products are being recalled in Florida by the Campbell Soup Company due to mislabeling and an undeclared allergen, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

The products contain milk, a potential allergen, but it is not listed on the label.

The recall covers 18.6-oz. cans that are labeled as “Campbell’s Homestyle Healthy Request Chicken with Whole Grain Pasta” but actually contain “Campbell’s Homestyle Healthy Request Italian-Style Wedding Spinach & Meatballs in Chicken Broth” soup.

The cans have the Best By date of Feb. 13, 2019 and the establishment number “EST. 4R” located on the bottom.

There are no confirmed reports of illness associated with the recalled soup, according to FSIS. Consumers with the recalled soup should not eat it. Instead, throw it away or return it to the place of purchase.

For more information, phone 1-866-400-0965.

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Surgeon General Dismissed by Trump Administration

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has been removed by the Trump White House and his position filled on a temporary basis.

Murthy, 39, was appointed by the Obama administration and took office in December 2014. He was asked to resign by the Trump administration and will be replaced temporarily by his deputy, Rear Adm. Sylvia Trent-Adams, the Washington Post reported.

Murthy had served just over two years of his four-year term as surgeon general, and his early dismissal was criticized.

“U.S. surgeons general are not supposed to be fired midterm. They have served administrations of both political parties because keeping Americans safe and healthy isn’t a partisan issue. Dr. Murthy helped steer our country through the frightening Ebola and Zika outbreaks, and rightfully focused on the devastation of addiction,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said in a news release, the Post reported.

His most significant achievement as surgeon general may have been the publication of a landmark paper that equated drug and alcohol addiction with smoking, HIV/AIDS and other major public health crises faced by the U.S. in the past 50 years.

The paper said the nation’s addiction epidemic is a “moral test for America,” and the surgeon general’s office issued millions of letters to doctors asking them to help fight the opioid addiction crisis, the Post reported.

During a major measles outbreak in 2015, Murthy appealed to parents to get their children vaccinated, and later that year he advocated for a walking campaign to combat obesity and chronic disease.

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Jalapeno Flavored Lay’s and Miss Vickie’s Potato Chips Recalled

Possible salmonella contamination has led to the recall of Jalapeno Flavored Lay’s Kettle Cooked potato chips and Jalapeno Flavored Miss Vickie’s Kettle Cooked potato chips, Frito-Lay says.

The products were distributed across the United States. No illnesses linked to recalled products have been confirmed, according to the company.

Consumers with the recalled potato chips should not eat them. For more information, phone Frito-Lay at 1-866-272-9393.

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Roundy and Harris Tweeter Frozen Hash Browns Recalled Due to Possible Presence of Golf Balls

Roundy and Harris Tweeter brand frozen hash browns are being recalled because they may be contaminated with golf balls that pose a potential choking hazard or risk of mouth injury, according to McCain Foods USA, Inc.

The recalled products include: Roundy’s Brand, 2 lb. Bag of Frozen Southern Style Hash Browns (UPC 001115055019) and Harris Teeter Brand, 2 lb. Bag of Frozen Southern Style Hash Browns (UPC 007203649020).

They have a production date of January 19, 2017, which can be found on the back of the packaging.

Consumers who have purchased these products should be thrown away or return them to the place of purchase. No injuries associated with the recalled products have been reported McCain said.

For more information, consumers can call McCain at 630- 857-4533.

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First Malaria Vaccine to be Tested in Africa Next Year: WHO

A pilot program to test the world’s first malaria vaccine will be launched in the African nations of Ghana, Kenya and Malawi in 2018, the World Health Organization announced Monday.

The injectable vaccine will be assessed as a complementary malaria control method that could potentially be added to the core package of WHO- recommended measures for malaria prevention.

“The prospect of a malaria vaccine is great news. Information gathered in the pilot programme will help us make decisions on the wider use of this vaccine”, Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said in a WHO news release.

“Combined with existing malaria interventions, such a vaccine would have the potential to save tens of thousands of lives in Africa,” she added.

The pilot program will assess the vaccine’s protective effect in children ages 5 17 months old, the feasibility of delivering the required four doses of the vaccine, its potential role in reducing childhood deaths, and its safety.

Africa has the greatest burden of malaria worldwide. Worldwide efforts have reduced malaria deaths 62 percent between 2000 and 2015, but about 429,000 people died of the disease in 2015, the majority of them young children in Africa, according to WHO.


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