Health News Roundup: Pandemic lockdowns linked to decline in U.S. twin births, study suggests; Novavax to make COVID-19 vaccine shots in Canada and more


Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Pandemic lockdowns linked to decline in U.S. twin births, study suggests

Reduced access to infertility treatments early in the pandemic may have contributed to a drop in twin births, data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest. The number of twin births fell 7% between 2019 and 2020 – from 120,291 to 112,437 – compared to an average 2%-per-year decline from 2014 to 2019, researchers reported on Wednesday in the CDC’s National Vital Statistics Reports, based on data from 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Novavax to make COVID-19 vaccine shots in Canada

Novavax Inc said on Wednesday it will manufacture its COVID-19 vaccine in Canada after the country’s health regulator allowed its use in children aged between 12 and 17 years as a primary series of shots. Production of test batches of the protein-based vaccine, Nuvaxovid, will begin at the Montreal manufacturing center by early 2023, the company said.

Around 5.5 million people have signed up for 2023 Obamacare plans

Nearly 5.5 million Americans so far have signed up for health insurance for next year through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace, an 18% increase over the same period last year, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday. People who want to choose a healthcare plan for 2023 under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, can enroll between Nov. 1 and Jan. 15. However, if they want to be covered as of Jan. 1 they generally need to choose a plan by Dec. 15.

‘Too many positives!’: As China rows back COVID curbs, virus fears spread

As many Chinese embraced new found freedoms on Thursday after the country dropped key parts of its tough zero-COVID regime, some cities warned residents to maintain vigilance against a virus that, until now, has been largely kept in check.

Three years into the pandemic, many in China had been itching for Beijing to start to align its rigid virus prevention measures with the rest of the world, which has largely opened up in an effort to live with the disease.

E-cigarette maker Juul reaches settlement with nearly 10,000 plaintiffs

E-cigarette maker Juul Labs on Tuesday said it has reached settlements with about 10,000 plaintiffs covering more than 5,000 cases in California. Juul did not disclose the settlement amount as part of the settlement and court process in the federal multidistrict litigation and related JUUL Labs Product Cases. The company has obtained equity investment to fund it, a spokeperson told Reuters in a statement.

Hong Kong to loosen some COVID curbs including quarantine period for confirmed cases- RTHK

Hong Kong authorities will shorten the quarantine period for confirmed COVID-19 cases and close contacts from seven to five days, public broadcaster RTHK reported on Thursday. A requirement for arrivals to Hong Kong to undergo daily rapid antigen (RAT) tests would also be reduced from seven to five days, RTHK added.

As WHO pandemic pact talks begin, poor countries on back foot

Global talks have begun on drafting new health rules for combating pandemics, and developing nations are lobbying for fairer access to treatments than they got during COVID-19. But they worry that the odds of a favourable outcome from a scheduled 18 months of negotiations at the World Health Organization (WHO) are already stacked against them, as they lack the negotiating firepower of wealthier countries.

GSK, Sanofi shares soar as Zantac litigation fears abate

Shares of GSK and Sanofi surged on Wednesday, adding more than $20 billion in combined value in early trade following the dismissal of thousands of U.S. lawsuits claiming that the heartburn drug Zantac caused cancer. The ruling on Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg in West Palm Beach, Florida, knocked out about 50,000 claims in federal court on the basis that they were not backed by sound science.

Emerging from the COVID pandemic, again

For much of the world, 2022 marked the beginning of the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. The shift was palpable after several failed re-opening attempts in many countries. The arrival of the Omicron variant in late 2021, with its ability to re-infect people and the record spike in COVID cases that followed, initially stoked scientists’ worst fears and confounded predictions for a return to normalcy.

U.S. FDA grants priority review to Pfizer’s RSV vaccine

Pfizer Inc said on Wednesday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will review its respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine candidate on priority. The drugmaker is seeking approval for use of the vaccine, RSVpreF, in adults aged 60 years and older and the agency is set to make its decision by May 2023. It could become the first approved RSV vaccine in the U.S. for older adults who are at risk of the lung disease.

(With inputs from agencies.)



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