Health News Roundup: Doses under COVAX scheme; Moderna CEO on production target for 2021 and more

Watch the video below for top health news stories of December 5 from all across the world.

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

WHO hopes to have 500 million vaccine doses via COVAX scheme in first quarter of 2021

The World Health Organization hopes to have half a billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines available for distribution by the global COVAX initiative in the first quarter of 2021, its chief scientist said on Friday. To date, 189 countries have joined the COVAX program, which is backed by the WHO and seeks to ensure equitable distribution of vaccines. The United States is not among them, having secured bilateral deals.

Moderna CEO confident of producing 500 million COVID-19 vaccine doses in 2021

Moderna Inc will be able to produce 500 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in 2021, Chief Executive Officer Stéphane Bancel said on Friday "For 500 million, I am very comfortable we are gonna get there (2021)," Bancel said while speaking at the Nasdaq Investor Conference.

Vaccines won't end Covid so keep wearing your mask, says W.H.O. official

World Health Organization officials on Friday warned governments and citizens not to drop their guard over the COVID pandemic now a vaccination was close, saying healthcare systems could still buckle under pressure. Britain approved Pfizer Inc's COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, raising hopes that the tide could soon turn against a virus that has killed nearly 1.5 million people globally, hammered the world economy, and upended normal life for billions.

Canada doubles Moderna vaccine order, daily COVID-19 cases could top 10,000 by January

Canada has doubled the number of doses of Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine it has on firm order, Procurement Minister Anita Anand said on Friday, while the country's top doctor warned that daily new cases could top 10,000 by January. "Canada is exercising options for an additional 20 million doses of the Moderna vaccine candidate. This will bring Canada's total allotment of this vaccine to 40 million doses to be delivered in 2021," Anand said at a health briefing.

Record U.S. deaths prompt urgent calls for masking, stay-at-home orders

U.S. leaders urgently called on Americans to wear masks and threatened even more drastic stay-at-home orders after deaths from the coronavirus set a single-day record, with two people dying every minute. More than 213,830 new cases and 2,861 deaths were reported on Thursday, according to a Reuters tally of official data, with several experts projecting the death toll will soon surpass 3,000 per day.