News Flash: Health

By Amy Crelly

Don't wait—vaccinate

Effective this month, a new California law requires that all kids entering 7^th through 12^th grades get a whooping cough booster shot (a.k.a. Tdap) and show proof of immunization before they can enter school—public or private—in the fall. (The new rule does not affect kids enrolled in summer school, and medical or personal belief exemptions may be granted for some.) “Don’t wait,” says Sacramento County Health Officer Glennah Trochet, M.D. “Ask your provider to vaccinate your student now, and have the documentation available to take to your school before the fall semester begins.”

For more info, visit ShotsForSchool.org, or call the Sacramento County Immunization Assistance Program: (916) 875-7468.

Trying to conceive?

You might want to switch to decaf. A study released in late May, and published in the British Journal of Pharmacology, found that caffeine inhibits muscle activity in the Fallopian tubes, which could reduce a woman’s chances of becoming pregnant. The study’s author, Professor Sean Ward from the University of Nevada School of Medicine in Reno, says his findings could also help doctors better treat pelvic inflammation and STDs, and may one day help in puzzling out the causes of ectopic pregnancy.

Iron kids choose chewables

Most kids’ multivitamins come in either hard chewable form or the gummy variety. It seems like a simple choice of textures, but gummy multivitamins don’t contain iron. (Its large molecular size makes it too big to get in gummy form.) “Iron is a very important mineral in the physical development of children, but picky eaters often lack adequate iron in their diets,” said Emily McCloud, MS, RD, and clinical dietician at National Jewish Health, in an April statement.