Health News Roundup: Free vaccines in Bahrain; patent rules of COVID-19 drug, vaccines and more

In the health sector news today, Bahrain is planning to provide the COVID-19 vaccine for free for all citizens and residents while WTO delayed a decision to waive patent rights on vaccines and drugs for the disease. Watch the video below for the top health news stories of December 11 from all across the world.

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

Bahrain to provide COVID-19 vaccine free for all citizens and residents -BNA

Bahrain will provide the COVID-19 vaccine for free for all citizens and residents, state news agency BNA reported on Thursday. The statement said that the distribution of the vaccine will be done through 27 medical centers.

In Canada, COVID-19 vaccine transport rules will keep early doses out of most care homes

Many Canadian seniors living in nursing homes could face delays before receiving Pfizer Inc's COVID-19 vaccine after first deliveries arrive next week, as health officials seek to comply with restrictive vaccine handling advice from the drugmaker. Pfizer has advised Canadian health officials to administer early doses of the vaccine at the sites where they are first delivered in large batches. At least until more data is available, it will not be possible to break up batches and send small quantities of the vaccine to other locations.

Not without India: World's pharmacy gears up for vaccine race

India, the world's biggest vaccine maker, is getting set for the massive global blitz to contain the coronavirus pandemic with its pharmaceutical industry and partners freeing up capacity and accelerating investments even without firm purchase orders. India manufactures more than 60% of all vaccines sold across the globe, and while its $40 billion pharmaceutical sector is not yet involved in the production of the expensive Pfizer Inc and Moderna shots, the nation will play a pivotal role in immunizing much of the world.

WTO delays decision on waiver on COVID-19 drug, vaccine rights

World Trade Organization members on Thursday delayed a decision on a proposal to waive intellectual property rules for COVID-19 drugs and vaccines amid ongoing opposition from wealthy countries, a Geneva trade official said. "Big Pharma" has rejected an idea proposed by India and South Africa that would grant compulsory licensing of the vaccines and drugs by overriding patent rules of WTO's Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS) agreement, allowing generic or other manufactures to make the new products.

South Korea mobilizes military in Seoul as coronavirus cases surge, deaths rise

South Korea will mobilize military forces in the capital Seoul to help frontline health workers deal with a surge in coronavirus, with 689 new cases reported on Friday, and as the death toll and number of patients in critical care rose. Of the new cases, 673 were locally transmitted, which brings the total tally to 40,786, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The death toll increased by eight to 572 deaths, KDCA reported.