Health News Roundup: Pfizer eyes rapid COVID-19 vaccine roll-out in Latam after U.S. go-ahead; Europe's COVID-19 cases surpass 15 million mark and more

Childhood vaccine may help prevent severe COVID-19 Pfizer files COVID-19 vaccine application to U.S. FDA Pfizer Inc applied to U.S. health regulators on Friday for emergency use authorization (EUA) of its COVID-19 vaccine, the first such application in a major step toward providing protection against the new coronavirus.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Trudeau warns Canada's hospitals could be swamped from massive spike in COVID-19 cases

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday that Canada's hospital system could be overwhelmed as modelling showed new COVID-19 cases were set to more than quadruple by year end from current levels, and he implored Canadians to stay home as much as possible. A second wave of the novel coronavirus is ripping across the country, forcing several of the 10 provinces to reimpose restrictions on movement and businesses. Cases continue to spike and authorities complain some people are being more careless about taking precautions.

Trump administration issues two rules aimed at drug prices

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said it was issuing two new rules that are aimed at lowering drug prices for the Medicare program, including one aimed at making sure pharmacy benefit managers pass after-market rebates onto seniors. The second rule is aimed at aligning the prices paid in the United States to those paid in foreign countries, he said.

Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay $120 million damages in New York baby powder case

Johnson & Johnson has been ordered by a New York state judge to pay $120 million in damages to a Brooklyn woman and her husband, after she blamed her cancer on asbestos exposure from using the company's baby powder. Justice Gerald Lebovits of the state supreme court in Manhattan reduced the payout from the $325 million a jury awarded Donna Olson, 67, and Robert Olson, 65, in May 2019 following a 14-week trial.

Don't use Gilead's remdesivir in hospitalised COVID-19 patients, WHO says

Gilead's remdesivir should not be used for patients hospitalised with COVID-19, regardless of how ill they are, as there is no evidence the drug improves survival or reduces the need for ventilation, a World Health Organization panel said on Friday. "The ... panel found a lack of evidence that remdesivir improved outcomes that matter to patients," the guideline said.

Britain asks regulator to assess Pfizer vaccine for suitability

Britain has formally asked its medical regulator, the MHRA, to assess the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for its suitability, the first step in making the shot available outside of the United States. Britain has ordered 40 million doses of the vaccine, which has been found to be 95% effective in preventing the spread of a virus that has killed more than 1.3 million worldwide and crippled the global economy.

Europe's COVID-19 cases surpass 15 million mark: Reuters tally

The number of coronavirus cases in Europe surpassed the 15 million mark on Friday, according to a Reuters tally, as the region sees a surge in infections with the onset of winter, reporting a million new infections about every four days. Europe has so far witnessed at least 15,046,656 reported infections and 344,401 reported deaths caused by the novel coronavirus, accounting for a quarter of global infections and deaths reported.

Childhood vaccine linked to less severe COVID-19, cigarette smoke raises risk

The following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus.

Childhood vaccine may help prevent severe COVID-19 Pfizer files COVID-19 vaccine application to U.S. FDA

Pfizer Inc applied to U.S. health regulators on Friday for emergency use authorization (EUA) of its COVID-19 vaccine, the first such application in a major step toward providing protection against the new coronavirus. The application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) comes just days after Pfizer and German partner BioNTech SE reported final trial results that showed the vaccine was 95% effective in preventing COVID-19 with no major safety concerns.

Pfizer eyes rapid COVID-19 vaccine roll-out in Latam after U.S. go-ahead

U.S. drugmaker Pfizer Inc is hoping to rapidly roll out its experimental COVID-19 vaccine around Latin America soon after it gets emergency authorization in the United States, a senior executive said, which could be as early as next month. Alejandro Cané, the North America chief of scientific and medical affairs for Pfizer's vaccines division, told Reuters in an interview in Buenos Aires that Latin America and elsewhere in the world should have a "similar timeline" to the United States.

As pandemic worsens, top U.S. coronavirus official issues Thanksgiving appeal

A leading U.S. health official on Friday appealed to Americans to avoid unnecessary travel and limit social gatherings during the Thanksgiving holiday, fearing a further acceleration of the coronavirus pandemic after one of the deadliest weeks in months. Deborah Birx, the White House Coronavirus Task Force coordinator, said more than half the United States was a "red zone" where the virus is rampant, and Americans should limit gatherings on Thanksgiving Day, next Thursday, to immediate family members rather than targeting a maximum number of guests.

(With inputs from agencies.)