Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
Biden would veto proposed U.S. Senate resolution to end COVID national emergency -White House
President Joe Biden would veto a proposed U.S. Senate resolution that would terminate a national emergency declared in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the White House said on Tuesday. Republican U.S. Senator Roger Marshall in September called for a vote to end the emergency declaration after Biden told CBS News in an interview that the pandemic was “over.”
Haiti cholera outbreak worsens, COVID-19 cases rise in Americas – PAHO
The cholera situation in Haiti continues to worsen while COVID-19 cases rose over the past week, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday. Haitian health authorities have confirmed over 700 cases of cholera and 144 cholera-related deaths since early October, and are investigating more than 7,000 suspected cases, PAHO Director Dr. Carissa Etienne said.
Lab-grown meat cleared for human consumption by U.S. regulator
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the first time cleared a meat product grown from animal cells for human consumption, the agency announced on Wednesday. UPSIDE Foods, a company that makes cell-cultured chicken by harvesting cells from live animals and using the cells to grow meat in stainless-steel tanks, will be able to bring its products to market once it has been inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), said a release from the FDA.
Ebola vaccine candidates expected to be shipped to Uganda next week – WHO
Three Ebola vaccine candidates for a planned clinical trial are expected to be shipped to Uganda next week, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday. The candidates include vaccines under development by the University of Oxford and Serum Institute of India, Sabin Vaccine Institute, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and Merck & Co Inc.
Chinese and Indonesian presidents pledge more COVID vaccine cooperation
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indonesian President Joko Widodo held formal talks on Wednesday on the Indonesian island of Bali, with both leaders pledging closer cooperation on the development of COVID-19 vaccines. Xi told Widodo that China will promote joint research and development on vaccines and continue to support Indonesia in building a regional vaccine production centre, according to a readout published by the Chinese foreign ministry.
Britain’s NICE recommends against NHS use of 5 COVID treatments as not cost-effective
Britain’s agency that determines if medicines should be used in the National Health Service (NHS), has recommended stopping the use of five COVID-19 treatments, including Merck & Co’s’s antiviral pill for high-risk patients, citing cost-effectiveness concerns. The review, conducted by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and published on Wednesday, is its first involving COVID-19 treatments as the pandemic enters a new phase.
Malta set to ease strict anti-abortion laws
Malta is set to ease its strict anti-abortion laws by allowing the termination of pregnancies when the mother’s life or health are at serious risk, Health Minister Chris Fearne said on Wednesday. The Mediterranean island is the only country in the European Union which has a complete ban on abortion and opinion polls consistently show a strong majority against it, mostly among older persons.
Opioid overdose reversal drug likely safe for OTC use, says FDA
Opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone may be safe and effective for over-the-counter use in some forms, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Tuesday, potentially paving the way for its use federally. The FDA would still require data on individual products from manufacturers for them to be available over the counter at a federal level.
China reports 20,199 new COVID cases for Nov 15 vs 17,909 a day earlier
China reported 20,199 new COVID-19 infections for Nov. 15, of which 1,623 were symptomatic and 18,576 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Wednesday. That compared with 17,909 new cases a day earlier – 1,661 symptomatic and 16,248 asymptomatic, which China counts separately.
U.S. FDA authorizes Roche’s monkeypox test
The U.S. health regulator on Tuesday issued an emergency use authorization to Roche’s test for the detection of DNA from monkeypox virus in swab specimens collected from people suspected of the virus infection. The tests will be conducted on the Swiss company’s cobas systems, which can also detect HIV, hepatitis B and C viruses.
(With inputs from agencies.)
