— The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced that it is putting $10 billion toward vaccine development and delivery over the next 10 years, up from $4.5 billion in the previous decade. Apple’s Steve Jobs may be touting the iPad, but Gates is heavily padding the funds for global health. (Reuters)

— Pregnancy is up for debate—and delay—in the UK: A prescription-only morning-after pill, ulipristal, may work up to five mornings after, according to a Scottish study (BBC). Also, the UK’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has approved a list of more than 100 inherited diseases for which fertility clinics can destroy embryos without special permission. Causing controversy, however, is the inclusion of non-life-threatening diseases, including Marfan syndrome, which is thought to have afflicted Abraham Lincoln. (London Times)

— The genetic testing of Gattaca is getting closer, and cheaper. Silicon Valley-based Counsyl has a test for more than 100 disease markers available for $698 per couple. The screening reportedly can help them evaluate the risk of children inheriting Pompe, sickle cell and other diseases. (NYTimes)

— Minnesota’s RX Connect—the first and last state-run drug importation program—will shut down this March after six years. In its time, the Web site filled 25,000 prescriptions through Canadian suppliers, but sales have dropped from over 1,000 in January 2005 to an average of just 57 per month; organizers say the drop is due to more competitive pricing in the US (AMNews). Last month, the US Senate struck down bills that would have allowed drug importation and reversed the federal ban, which Minnesota and other states have ignored in recent years.

Image by Stuck in Customs via Flickr Creative Commons