Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
Pfizer’s RSV vaccine found effective, safe among older adults in study
Pfizer Inc said on Thursday its vaccine for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) was effective among older adults in a late-stage study and it plans to file for approval with the U.S. health regulator in the coming months. There are no U.S. approved vaccines for RSV, a common virus that typically causes mild cold-like symptoms but can be fatal for young kids and older adults. RSV is estimated to cause about 14,000 annual deaths among older adults in the United States.
Factbox-U.S. abortion restrictions mount after overturn of Roe v. Wade
New abortion bans are taking effect in five U.S. states this week, adding to the raft of restrictions states have enforced since the U.S. Supreme Court ended the nationwide right to abortion in June. Here is the latest on abortion access in the United States:
Novartis to spin off generics business Sandoz next year
Novartis plans to spin off its underperforming generics unit Sandoz to sharpen its focus on its patented prescription medicines, the Swiss group said on Thursday, acknowledging it had not received any formal offers for the business to date. The company started a strategic review of Sandoz last October – examining a range of options, including retaining the business, spinning it off or selling it – following a protracted period of underperformance driven largely by mounting pricing pressures in the off-patent drug sector.
WHO reports 21% decline in monkeypox cases globally
The number of monkeypox cases reported globally declined by 21% last week, after a month-long trend of rising infections, the World Health Organization said on Thursday. The WHO declared the outbreak a global health emergency in July. So far, more than 41,000 cases of monkeypox and 12 deaths have been reported from 96 countries, with the majority of cases from the United States.
Thai king’s medical firm reports record profit after vaccine deal with AstraZeneca
Thai drugmaker Siam Bioscience, owned by the country’s king, reported a near 50-fold increase in annual profit in 2021, when it began producing AstraZeneca Plc’s COVID-19 vaccine, government data shows. The company is part of King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s vast fortune, which includes land and property estimated at between $30 billion and $60 billion.
N.Korea reports unknown fever cases near China border, denies COVID
North Korea’s state media said on Thursday that a fever outbreak of unknown origin has emerged in a region bordering China, but it was not the novel coronavirus over which the country declared victory this month. Four fever cases “suspected of being infected with malignant epidemic” were reported from Ryanggang Province near the border with China on Tuesday, prompting authorities to immediately lock down the area and mobilise medical teams, the official KCNA news agency said, citing the State Emergency Epidemic Prevention Headquarters.
China drops some COVID reporting rules for cross-border travellers at customs
Chinese customs said on Thursday it no longer required cross-border travellers to report certain COVID-related information, such as tests and previous infections, when clearing customs. Mainland China, which still has some of the world’s most stringent COVID policies for international travellers, has taken steps to make cross-border travel less onerous, such as shortening the quarantine period and removing some testing and self-isolation requirements for inbound travellers.
Google to clearly label U.S. medical facilities that provide abortion
Google will clearly label medical facilities in the United States that provide abortions in its search results and in Google Maps to avoid confusing them with anti-abortion centers, its top executive informed lawmakers on Thursday. When users search for “abortion clinics near me”, the results box will display facilities verified to provide abortions, said Mark Isakowitz, vice president for government affairs and public policy for US and Canada at Google, in a letter to Senator Mark Warner and Representative Elissa Slotkin. (https://bit.ly/3CFFQoO)
U.S. judge blocks Idaho abortion ban in emergencies; Texas restrictions allowed
A federal judge on Wednesday blocked Idaho from enforcing a ban on abortions when pregnant women require emergency care, a day after a judge in Texas ruled against President Joe Biden’s administration on the same issue. The conflicting rulings came in two of the first lawsuits over Biden’s attempts to keep abortion legal after the conservative majority U.S. Supreme Court in June overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized the procedure nationwide.
Explainer – Updated COVID-19 vaccines are coming in the U.S., should you get one?
The United States plans to roll out an updated COVID-19 booster vaccine to include Omicron subvariants of the coronavirus. Regulators are reviewing the shots and could give the go-ahead as soon as next week. Here is what you need to know:
(With inputs from agencies.)