HEALTH

Jury Awards $1.5 Million in Breast Implant Case: Bucking a recent national trend, a Massachusetts jury has awarded that amount to a woman who claimed silicone breast implants made her sick. After a 4 1/2-week trial and five days of deliberation, the jury ordered Baxter International Inc., a suburban Chicago-based health-products maker, to pay the damages to Florence Vassallo, 67. There have been at least 11 jury verdicts in favor of breast implant makers and just one major decision for recipients in the last year, as recent scientific studies have failed to link the implants with serious diseases. Vassallo had the implants inserted in February 1977. They were made by American Heyer-Schulte Corp., a now-defunct California subsidiary of a company later bought by Baxter. Her lawyer said she contracted an immune system disease from the implants after they leaked. A spokeswoman for Baxter said the company would not comment on the case until after another hearing on Dec. 3.