The governor still has until July 11 to make her final decision on bills to veto, but it's already encouraging to see the position she's staking out on two important health fronts.

In one case, Gov. Lingle has decided that it would be far better to usher through a bill — the new cigarette tax that would benefit cancer research — even if it contains a technical flaw.

The language of the law, as passed by the Legislature, designates "1.0 cent" of the tax increase in the first year for a new cancer research fund; the intent was to assign a penny per cigarette to the fund. But it's far smarter to let the law stand and correct the language later. Otherwise, the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii would be left hanging for a year before it's certain it'll have the funds to build its long-awaited facility adjacent to the medical school in Kaka'ako.

In the second case, the governor is wisely positioned to block a bill that aims to restrict vaccine containing a preservative called thimerosal but instead could interfere with the delivery of flu vaccine. That would not be advisable in a state so vulnerable to the advance of avian flu from Asia or other public health threats.

The science on the potential risks of thimerosal is inconclusive, especially at the typically low preservative levels, and the issue should become moot as the substance is being phased out of use in vaccines.

Those concerned would be better served by a clearly written "advice and consent" directive — which wouldn't even require a new law. This could notify patients when the substance is included and enable them to seek another vaccine source. Efforts to restrict the use of thimerosal beyond that should be fully aired by both houses of the Legislature; this bill was not.