Reuters Health News Summary

The Trump administration has dismissed 4,108 employees since October 1, the day the U.S. government shutdown began, according to a statement filed Tuesday in court by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

India's Infosys wins $1.6 billion deal from UK's National Health Service

Indian software services provider Infosys said on Tuesday it has received a contract worth 1.2 billion pounds ($1.59 billion) from UK's National Health Services Business Services Authority to replace its existing payroll platform. The 15-year deal marks a major win for India's second-largest IT firm at a time when the $283-billion sector is grappling with a weak global economy, trade tensions and shifting U.S. immigration rules.

New US COVID guidelines add confusion, complications for Americans seeking shots

Americans headed to pharmacies for COVID-19 vaccines are running into roadblocks and confusion due to new U.S. guidance that abandoned broad support for the shots, contributing to the lowest vaccination rates since they were introduced. For the four-week period ended October 3, COVID immunizations were down about 25% nationally, according to IQVIA data in analysts' research notes.

BioCryst deepens rare diseases focus with $700 million deal for Astria

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals said on Tuesday it would buy Astria Therapeutics in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $700 million, strengthening its rare diseases portfolio. The offer implies a per-share value of $13, a premium of about 54% over Astria's last close. Its shares surged nearly 40%, while BioCryst fell nearly 7%.

Iraq reports bird flu among poultry in north, animal health agency says

Iraq has reported an outbreak of severe bird flu among poultry in the north of the country, the World Organisation for Animal Health said on Tuesday. The highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, was detected among flocks in the town of Bashiqa and had killed 12,000 birds, Paris-based WOAH said, citing a report from Iraqi authorities. Neighbouring Iran also declared an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu this month.

Kaiser Permanente says workers have begun a five-day labor strike

Healthcare conglomerate Kaiser Permanente said on Tuesday that it is facing a labor strike called by the Alliance of Health Care Unions over wages, but has plans in place to continue operations without interruption. The strike that began earlier in the day is scheduled to end at 7 a.m. on October 19, Kaiser Permanente said.

Implementation date for U.S. tariff on Singapore pharma exports postponed, local media reports

The implementation of a U.S. tariff on Singapore's pharmaceutical exports has been delayed to allow companies to negotiate possible exemptions with the U.S. administration, the Straits Times newspaper cited a junior minister as saying on Tuesday. The U.S. announced a 100% tariff on branded drugs last month and it was originally meant to take effect from October 1.

Humana loses challenge to 2025 Medicare Advantage ratings

A U.S. judge on Tuesday rejected Humana's bid to challenge the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' 2025 ratings for its Medicare Advantage plans, which could cost the health insurance company millions of dollars in bonus payments from the government. U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor in Fort Worth, Texas, sided with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Humana's lawsuit over a reduction in the so-called star ratings for its Medicare Advantage plans, saying CMS properly evaluated the plans.

Trump administration says 4,108 workers have been fired since shutdown began

The number of U.S. federal worker layoffs as a result of the government shutdown was revised downward on Tuesday, suggesting the Trump administration's initial statement about sweeping job cuts was too ambitious. The Trump administration has dismissed 4,108 employees since October 1, the day the U.S. government shutdown began, according to a statement filed Tuesday in court by the U.S. Department of Justice. The Justice Department last week in a separate court filing estimated the figure was at least 4,278.

UK watchdog proposes sweeping reforms of $8 billion vet sector

Britain's competition regulator proposed sweeping reforms to the country's $8 billion veterinary services market on Wednesday, saying pet owners often lack clear information on prices and overpay for medicines. However, the Competition and Markets Authority's provisional findings from a review of the sector were broadly as expected and did not include any negative surprises, analysts said, alleviating uncertainty that has pressured shares of vet services groups.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)