GOOD NEWS ON VACCINATIONS
Ouchless injections? Last week Astra Pharmaceutical introduced a skin patch that numbs a kid's skin by delivering local anesthetic directly to the injection site. Called Emla and available by prescription only, it can be used on children as young as one month--and on needle-shy grownups. One downside: the patch must be applied at least an hour before visiting the doctor.
BAD NEWS ON HEALTH COSTS
Think health-care costs are soaring? They're not. At least not yet. Medical spending has been relatively stable for the past five years, a federal study concludes. But those days are over. The...