Health Highlights: March 3, 2008

But overall, the vaccine's importance can't be overlooked, Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of Vanderbilt University's department of preventive medicine, told the wire service. He called it a "historical moment, because it's our oldest vaccine."

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Solution Offered for U.K. Binge Drinking: Smaller Bottles of Wine

A recent report of binge drinking among wine aficionados in some of the more affluent British circles has prompted a rather simple solution: offer wine in half bottles.

BBC Newsreported that Trish Groves, the deputy editor of theBritish Medical Journal, made the suggestion because people in the United Kingdom have little choice when buying wine. The amount of wine in a standard bottle is 750 milliliters, about 1.6 pints.

"It's no wonder Britain's middle classes are getting wasted,"BBC Newsquoted Groves as saying. "It's all too tempting to finish the bottle there and then to avoid waste."

Using her own experiences, Grove said that her local wine store was typical of the problem throughout the United Kingdom -- almost all wine is sold in full bottles.

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association was receptive to the idea,BBC Newssaid. "As an industry, we're always keen to provide our consumers with a range of options to choose from," a spokesperson was quoted as saying.