Health News Roundup: What you need to know about the coronavirus right now; Spain to receive 31.6 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and more

About 60,000 people have received Chinese coronavirus vaccine candidates during Phase III clinical trials, with no serious side effects reported so far, Tian Baoguo, an official at China's Ministry of Science and Technology, said at the same government media briefing.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Spain's Rovi to start manufacturing Moderna vaccine "very soon" if approved

Spain's pharmaceutical firm Rovi, in charge of the "fill and finish" final stage of manufacturing for Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine candidate outside the United States, said on Tuesday it expects to start producing the vaccine "very soon" if it is approved by regulators.

Sinopharm says may be able to make over one billion coronavirus vaccine doses in 2021

China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm), one of several Chinese firms developing coronavirus vaccines, said it may have the capacity to produce more than 1 billion doses in 2021, Chairman Liu Jingzhen said on Tuesday. About 60,000 people have received Chinese coronavirus vaccine candidates during Phase III clinical trials, with no serious side effects reported so far, Tian Baoguo, an official at China's Ministry of Science and Technology, said at the same government media briefing.

Most people would get COVID-19 vaccine if offered by government or employer: poll

Most people would get a COVID-19 vaccine if their government or employer recommended it, results of a global poll showed on Tuesday, amid growing concerns about public distrust of the shots being developed at speed to end the pandemic. Some 71.5% of participants said they would be very or somewhat likely to take a COVID-19 vaccine and 61.4% reported they would accept their employer's recommendation to do so, according to the survey in June of more than 13,000 people in 19 countries.

UK lab joins global network to compare coronavirus vaccine candidates

A second British laboratory is joining a global lab network to assess data from potential coronavirus vaccines, set up by a major non-profit health emergencies group to establish the effectiveness of different vaccine candidates. Earlier this month, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) set up the network, allowing scientists and drugmakers to compare vaccines and speed up selection of the most effective shots.

Bosnia's coronavirus deaths pass 1,000 as cases in Montenegro rise

Deaths from the novel coronavirus in Bosnia passed a fresh threshold above 1,000 with 20 new fatalities reported on Tuesday, as the daily number of cases hit a new record of 728, health authorities said. The Balkan country of around 3.3 million people has so far recorded 35,389 cases of the coronavirus with 1,017 deaths. Currently there are 8,812 active cases, or 3,279 more than two weeks ago.

Wisconsin judge reimposes COVID restrictions as U.S. nursing homes sound alarm

As Wisconsin battled one of the worst coronavirus surges in the United States, a judge on Monday reinstated an order by the administration of Governor Tony Evers limiting the size of indoor public gatherings at bars, restaurants and other venues. The Democratic governor's emergency directive to stem new COVID-19 infections in the state put a 25% capacity limit on the number of people who may gather indoors until Nov. 6. It was challenged in court by bar owners and others shortly after it was issued on Oct. 6, and blocked by a judge on Oct. 14.

Spain to receive 31.6 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

Spain would receive 31.6 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine currently being developed by Britain's pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca between December and June if it is ready, Health Minister Salvador Illa said on Tuesday. The supply of the potential vaccine makes part of a European Union scheme, Illa told a news conference following the weekly cabinet meeting.

Pfizer, BioNTech start combined trials of COVID-19 vaccine candidate in Japan

Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE announced on Tuesday the start in Japan of combined Phase I and Phase II clinical trials of their mRNA vaccine candidate against the coronavirus. The study will recruit 160 people aged from 20 to 85, the firms said in a statement. Earlier, they had agreed to supply Japan with 120 million doses of their experimental coronavirus vaccine in the first half of 2021.

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Beware of false finish line, WHO expert says UK plans COVID-19 "challenge" trials that deliberately infect volunteers

Britain will help to fund trials using a manufactured COVID-19 virus to deliberately infect young healthy volunteers with the hope of accelerating the development of vaccines against it. The government said on Tuesday it will invest 33.6 million pounds ($43.5 million) in the so-called "human challenge" trials in partnership with Imperial College London, laboratory and trial services company hVIVO and the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.