NEW BRIGHTON, Minn. -- The first time Ama Tullah tried to get into Minnesota's health care program for the poor, she gave up. The second time, she made it through the 24-page application, then waited six months before learning she was approved.

While she waited, she got pregnant, had a miscarriage and developed painful gallstones that required emergency surgery. And she worried.

"When I fell out on the ice, what if I would have broken my arm?" said Tullah, 43, who lives in a modest apartment complex in this Twin Cities suburb. "What if my daughter were to fall or choke on something?"

As lawmakers in Minnesota and elsewhere search for ways to get health insurance for everyone, little is said about the millions of people who currently qualify for public health care but aren't enrolled.

Many don't know they qualify. Others are daunted by complex forms that can rival IRS documents. Some, like Tullah, have their applications delayed by red tape .....Full Story

The Los Angeles Times on Sunday examined "a boom in vaccine discovery and development" prompted by advances in technology, "increased funding and higher profits." In 2006, vaccine manufacturers introduced new vaccines for human papillomavirus, rotavirus and shingles among elderly patients. "As early as the end of the decade, scientists say, there may be new immunizations against herpes simplex and rheumatoid arthritis and a better seasonal flu vaccine," the Times reports. Scientists also are "talking about a potential vaccine within five years to fight malaria," according to the Times. Large pharmaceutical companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis and Pfizer recently have indicated increased interest in development of new vaccines through billions of dollars spent on acquisitions of smaller vaccine manufacturers and expansion of research programs .....Full Story