China's health ministry said it will punish officials who underreport cases of swine flu after a doctor famous for exposing the extent of the 2003 SARS epidemic said he believes the true number of swine flu deaths is being covered up.

A CT scan — a kind of super X-ray — provides a faster, cheaper way to diagnose a heart attack when someone goes to the emergency room with chest pains, a new study suggests.

The number of school classes suspended for new influenza A(H1N1) infection has so far increased to 1,222 affecting a new record of more than 40,000 students in 619 institutions across Taiwan.

For many, it is now a good time to nibble at ginger duck hot pots as it is getting chilly with a cold front passing and winter monsoon strengthening.

Taiwan children do not get enough exercise, as only 10 percent of them exercise for at least one hour a day, according to the results of a survey published yesterday by the non-profit Child Welfare League Foundation (CWLF).

Premier Wu Den-yi said Thursday clinical trials on humans have shown that a locally produced swine flu vaccine is on par with the imported one in terms of safety and efficacy.

A drug that failed to fight the blues could be the female answer to the little blue pill Viagra, the lead North American investigator analyzing tests of the drug said Tuesday.

The experimental intravenous drug, Peramivir, was immediately released to National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) yesterday to be given to a ten-year-old infected with the H1N1 influenza virus, who was unable to take Tamiflu and Relenza due to severe gastrointestinal bleeding.

Yakult, the well-known health drink, sparked controversy on Tuesday as the drink was found to contain the largest amounts of sugar among all beverages on sale, according to the Hong Kong Consumer Council (CC), Hong Kong media reported.

People who drink at least one sugar-sweetened beverage a day have a greater chance of having larger waistlines than those who don't.