Health News Roundup: 10 vaccines by mid-year; WHO comments on COVID-19 vaccine evaluation and more

Watch the video below for top health news stories of the day from all across the world.

Devdiscourse brings you top health news stories of the day from all across the world.

Britain and other nations press on with AstraZeneca vaccine amid trial questions

Britain asked its regulator on Friday to assess AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine for a possible rollout, while the Philippines and Thailand secured millions of doses, giving the shot a vote of confidence after experts raised questions about trial data. The UK government, which has secured 100 million doses of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, has targeted a rollout to begin before Christmas.

WHO says it needs to evaluate vaccine candidates on more than just a press release

The World Health Organization needs to evaluate coronavirus vaccines and their immune responses based on more than just a press release, Kate O'Brien, WHO's director of immunization vaccines and biologicals, said on Friday. AstraZeneca is likely to run an additional global trial to assess the efficacy of its vaccine using a lower dosage, its chief executive was quoted as saying on Thursday amid questions over the results of its late-stage study.

U.S. patients hospitalized with COVID-19 surpass 90,000 ahead of expected case surge

The number of COVID-19 patients being treated in hospitals across the United States reached 90,000 on Friday after nearly doubling in the last month, just as holiday gatherings are expected to propel the next wave of infections. The rate of hospitalizations - now at the highest since the pandemic began - has pushed some medical centers beyond capacity. The rapid increase comes after weeks of rising infection rates across the country. That is likely to worsen as people who mingled with friends and relatives over Thanksgiving gradually get sick, health experts say.

Ten COVID-19 vaccines seen by mid-year, head of global pharma group says

Ten COVID-19 vaccines could be available by the middle of next year if they win regulatory approval, but their inventors need patent protection, the head of the global pharmaceutical industry group said on Friday. Vaccines by Pfizer and BioNtech, as well as Moderna and AstraZeneca have shown promising results in large clinical trials, but there is no question of "cutting corners", said Thomas Cueni, director-general of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA).