Health News Roundup: Pfizer's COVID-19 shots could be shipped within 24 hours after Canadian approval; U.S. CDC reports 280,135 deaths from coronavirus and more

Biden transition, U.S. coronavirus vaccine teams to meet amid surge, distribution questions The chief adviser for U.S. efforts to develop a coronavirus vaccine said on Sunday he planned to meet with President-elect Joe Biden's team this week to discuss the program before the expected first round of vaccinations this month.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Pfizer's COVID-19 shots could be shipped within 24 hours after Canadian approval

Shipment of COVID-19 vaccines in Canada could start within 24 hours after Canadian health authorities approve the shots, a top official of pharmaceutical company BioNTech told CBC on Sunday, comparing it with the timeline achieved in Britain. A vaccine jointly developed by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech is expected to be the first to secure approval in Canada, though the country has signed supply deals with seven manufacturers.

U.S. CDC reports 280,135 deaths from coronavirus

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday reported 14,462,527 cases of new coronavirus, an increase of 206,992 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 2,310 to 280,135. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19 as of 4 p.m. ET on Dec. 5 versus its previous report a day earlier. (https://bit.ly/3giPtwA)

Japan preparing to send military nurses to areas hit hard by virus

Japan is preparing to send nurses from the Self-Defense Forces to Osaka and Hokkaido to help treat a surge in coronavirus infections as soon as the two prefecture governments request it, chief government spokesman Katsunobu Kato said on Monday. Kyodo News reported that Japan's northern Hokkaido prefecture was planning to ask the government to send Self-Defense Force nurses. The prefecture has seen infection clusters at two hospitals, Kyodo said.

South Korea's Moon orders more testing as coronavirus cases surge

South Korean President Moon Jae-in called on Monday for expanded coronavirus testing and more thorough tracing as the country struggled to control its latest and largest wave of infections. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported 615 new coronavirus cases as of midnight Sunday, capping a month of triple-digit daily increases that have led to 8,311 confirmed patients in quarantine, the most ever.

India's Serum Institute seeks emergency use nod for AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine: local media

Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine producer by volume, has sought emergency use authorization in the country for AstraZeneca Plc's COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday, according to several reports in Indian media, citing PTI. The company applied to the Drugs Controller General of India, citing unmet medical needs due to the pandemic and in the interest of the public at large, the agency report said, citing official sources.

Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 12,332: RKI

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 12,332 to 1,183,655, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Monday. The reported death toll rose by 147 to 18,919, the tally showed.

Biden seen nominating infectious diseases expert Walensky to run CDC: person familiar

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden is expected to nominate Rochelle Walensky, chief of infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital, to run the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a person familiar with the decision said on Sunday.

Biden transition, U.S. coronavirus vaccine teams to meet amid surge, distribution questions

The chief adviser for U.S. efforts to develop a coronavirus vaccine said on Sunday he planned to meet with President-elect Joe Biden's team this week to discuss the program before the expected first round of vaccinations this month. Moncef Slaoui, chief adviser to the U.S. government's Operation Warp Speed initiative, said he has not yet met with Biden, who last week criticized the Trump administration's vaccine distribution plan.

U.S. states scramble to curb COVID-19 without national leadership

Individual U.S. states scrambled on Sunday to impose lockdowns to stem coronavirus spikes amid a lack of national leadership on how to curb infections until vaccines are widely available in the spring. Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House Coronavirus Task Force coordinator, expressed frustration on Sunday over the mixed messages coming from the Trump administration that are reflected in some Americans' perception about masks, social distancing and superspreader events.

Sinovac secures $515 million funding to boost COVID-19 vaccine production

China's Sinovac Biotech has secured $515 million in funding from a local firm to double production capacity of its coronavirus vaccine, the companies said on Monday, as it expects efficacy data of its experimental shot this month. The investment deal also comes as Sinovac expands supply deals and trials of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine CoronaVac with more countries following positive results from early to mid-stage clinical trials.