Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
New Zealand protesters occupy parliament grounds for fourth day
More people arrived outside New Zealand’s parliament on Friday, as protesters calling for an end to a vaccine mandate and tough COVID-19 restrictions refused to end their demonstrations despite arrests by the police. It’s been four days since several thousand protesters, inspired by truckers’ demonstrations in Canada, occupied the parliament lawns in the capital Wellington, and blocked surrounding streets with their trucks, cars, camper vans and motorcycles.
WHO chief scientist: pandemic has not ended as more variants expected
The World Health Organization’s chief scientist, Soumya Swaminathan, said on Friday that the world was not yet at the end of the COVID-19 pandemic as there would be more coronavirus variants. “We have seen the virus evolve, mutate … so we know there will be more variants, more variants of concern, so we are not at the end of the pandemic,” Swaminathan told reporters in South Africa, where she was visiting vaccine manufacturing facilities with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
U.S. FDA advisers call for new trial of Lilly, Innovent lung cancer drug
Innovent Biologics Inc and Eli Lilly and Co should be required to conduct a trial of their lung cancer drug that is applicable to the U.S. population, a panel of advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended Thursday. The recommendation, which sent Innovent shares down more than 10% on Friday, raises concerns for some other Chinese drugmakers who have been seeking to bring their products to the U.S. market at lower costs by conducting a single-country clinical trial.
Hong Kong’s zero-COVID quest pushes medical facilities to the brink
Hong Kong’s stubborn pursuit of zero COVID infections has stretched hospital and quarantine facilities nearly to their limit in the global financial hub, raising the near-term prospect of changes to admissions and isolation policies. Chinese-ruled Hong Kong is also grappling with the overload on doctors and nurses as it follows mainland authorities’ strategy of curbing outbreaks as soon as possible, in contrast with many other places that aim to “live with COVID”.
Biden sees mask requirements for children easing, but cautious on dropping all mandates
U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday said mask requirements for children would likely to start to fall away given federal plans to begin vaccinating children under the age of 5, but said it was probably premature to drop COVID mask requirements entirely. Biden told NBC News in an interview that Omicron and other COVID-19 variants had had a “profound impact on the psyche of the American people” and conceded that changing guidelines for the wearing of masks were “confusing.”
Australians told to get COVID boosters to be considered fully vaccinated
Australian residents will need to receive booster shots to be considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19, although authorities said foreign travellers will continue to need only two shots to enter the country. Australia’s national cabinet late on Thursday endorsed the revised guidance from the country’s vaccination advisory group to classify “up-to-date” inoculations as including boosters.
U.S. urges Canada to use federal powers to ease border protest disruption
Canada should use federal powers to ease the growing economic disruption caused by the blockage of a vital U.S.-Canada trade route by protesters opposed to coronavirus mandates, U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration said on Thursday. The closure of the Ambassador Bridge, North America’s busiest international land border crossing and a vital supply route for Detroit’s carmakers, has halted some auto output and left officials scrambling to limit economic damage.
EU regulator reviewing menstrual disorder cases after mRNA COVID shots
The European Medicines Agency’s safety committee said on Friday it was reviewing reports of heavy menstrual bleeding and absence of menstruation after COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna. The assessment was in view of reports of menstrual disorders after receiving both vaccines, and it was not yet clear whether there was a causal link between the COVID-19 vaccines and the reports, the agency said.
Record Hong Kong COVID infections strain hospitals, China pledges support
Hong Kong reported a record number of new daily COVID-19 infections on Friday and China said it would fully support the city with its “dynamic zero” coronavirus strategy, as local authorities struggle to control a deepening outbreak. Hong Kong’s chief secretary John Lee, Health Secretary Sophia Chan and Security Chief Chris Tang will meet Chinese officials in neighbouring Shenzhen on Saturday to discuss support measures, the government said in a statement.
German court rejects petitions against targeted vaccine mandate
Germany’s top court said on Friday it had rejected emergency petitions filed against a targeted vaccine mandate obliging healthcare staff to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Compulsory vaccination for staff in hospitals and care facilities is due to come into force in Germany on March 15. Numerous people who will be affected had filed the emergency petitions with the constitutional court in Karlsruhe.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
