This episode explores the effect of widespread vaccination programs on global economics and health.  In addition, we highlight the critical UN Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases held in New York City on 9/19/2011.

Featured Guest: Dr. Jon Andrus, Deputy Director of the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), a division of the World Health Organization (WHO). This episode explores the effect of widespread vaccination programs on global economics and health — in anticipation of the critical United Nations Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases held in New York City on 9/19/11. Dr. Andrus previously appeared on Radio Rounds in Episode 310.

Poor Will’s Almanack for the First Week of Early Fall.

When autumn leafturn starts near equinox in the Midwest, the deciduous trees are bare in northern Canada.  In Oregon and Maine, foliage colors are approaching their greatest brilliance. In the Rocky Mountains, bull elks are mustering their harems, and snow is falling.  Along the 40th Parallel, the smoky tint of last week’s canopy quickly becomes clear and bright.

The Dayton Daily News reports that natural gas trapped in two shale formations beneath Ohio could mean thousands of new jobs, if activity in other states is any indication.

Pennsylvania,which sits on one of the same shale formations as Ohio, saw gas and oil industries hire 72,000 new people from the fourth quarter of 2009 to the first quarter of 2011.

The newspaper reports that a series of announcements in the last week, including $750 million in land leasing by the Hess Corp. for possible drilling, shows that Ohio is on the cusp of an oil and gas boom.

Environmental groups oppose the drilling process, claiming the use of the chemical-laced water to extract gas could permanently harm the environment.

This episode — the Season 6 premiere — aired on Sunday September 11, the 10 year anniversary of the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks on the United States. This special episode examined the medical response at Ground Zero, the site of New York City’s World Trade Center. 

Featured Guests: Dr. Steven Sampson, who was on his ER medical school rotation in Manhattan on 9/11, and Dr. Jacqueline Moline, who is a leading expert on the physical and mental health of the World Trade Center responders in the decade since September 11, 2001.

Authorities say preliminary numbers show 10 people died in fatal traffic crashes in Ohio over the Labor Day weekend, the fewest number in five years.

The state Department of Public Safety says the number is one fewer than in 2010 and 14 fewer than 2007, when fatalities had reached a five-year high. The data measures traffic crashes over the four-day holiday period ending Monday night.

Data also shows that the number of fatalities that were alcohol-related - three of the 10 - is the fewest in five years.

The state says troopers arrested nearly 700 drivers on charges of driving while intoxicated, an increase of about 14 percent from 2010. Overall traffic enforcement increased about 12 percent, with troopers issuing citations in 27,000 traffic stops.

Poor Will’s Almanack for the fifth week of Late Summer