CHECKUP

Here's a weekly roundup of health news you should know. Childhood vaccine: New data show that last year, 72 percent of2-year-olds in the United States had been immunized with therecommended doses of three critical vaccines:diptheria-tetanus-pertussis, polio and measles-mumps-rubella. Butwhile these levels are the highest ever reported, more than 1.5million children still need one or more doses of vaccine to completethe series of these vaccinations, according to a report from theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Food allergies: People who think they are allergic to food actuallymay be sensitive to food preservatives, according to researchers fromVanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. There arethree categories of preservatives to which people are oftensensitive, said Dr. Samuel R. Marney, an associate professor ofmedicine at Vanderbilt. They are bisulfites, found in beer and wine;benzoates, found in all diet and some regular soft drinks; andpropylparabens, found in TV dinners, other prepared foods and somemedications. Some people develop spells of flushing, itching, suddendiarrhea and severe headaches from these preservatives. Alzheimer's aid? Nicotine patches, already used to help smokerskick the habit, also may help improve memory in people withAlzheimer's disease, a preliminary study shows. Nicotine appears tostimulate the production of certain brain chemicals that areimportant to memory functions, according to study head Lynn Wilson ofthe Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Minneapolis. In a study ofsix Alzheimer's patients who wore a new nicotine patch every day foreight days, four patients improved on a learning test. Reality check: Drum roll please. The female condom is hitting storeshelves in the next couple of weeks. The female condom, to bemarketed under the name Reality, has been available only in clinicsup until now. Wisconsin Pharmacal Co., Jackson, Wis., is braced fora tough sell: Reports from focus groups and clinics indicate thatReality - a polyurethane sheath that lines the vagina and is anchoredby two flexible rings - has gotten mixed reviews from early users. Sneeze alert: Summer allergies getting you down? If you are one ofthe approximately 35 million to 50 million Americans who are affectedby hay fever, you may be advised to adjust your exercise schedule forthe summer months. During warmer months, pollen is at its height,and the amount of oxygen inhaled when exercising is increased, saysDr. Lanny Rosenwasser, allergy specialist at the National JewishCenter for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine in Denver. Chicago Sun-Times wires