Health News Roundup: U.S. may expand required COVID-19 testing; Britain first to approve AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine and more

Shots first, questions later: Britain's new COVID-19 vaccine rollout approach Britain said on Wednesday it would prioritise making sure that more people receive their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine quickly over giving a second shot to those who have already had one, a change in strategy as the country battles record numbers of new coronavirus cases.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Britain first to approve AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine

Britain on Wednesday became the first country in the world to approve a coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca as it battles a major winter surge driven by a new, highly contagious variant of the virus. AstraZeneca said the authorisation was for a two dose regime, and that the vaccine had been approved for use for emergency supply. Britain has ordered 100 million doses of the vaccine.

Explainer-How does AstraZeneca's vaccine compare with Pfizer-BioNTech?

Britain on Wednesday became the first country to approve AstraZeneca and Oxford University's home-grown UK COVID-19 vaccine, adding an easy-to-manage shot to the arsenal of a nation desperate for pandemic relief. Even so, scientists - and regulators in Europe, following the Brexit divorce - are sceptical, given confusion over trial results earlier that left experts questioning the robustness of the data.

U.S. detects first case of COVID-19 variant as Biden offers gloomy vaccine outlook

The first known U.S. case of a highly infectious coronavirus variant discovered in Britain was detected in Colorado on Tuesday as President-elect Joe Biden warned it could take years for most Americans to be vaccinated against COVID-19 at current distribution rates. Biden's prediction of a grim winter appeared aimed at lowering public expectations that the pandemic would be over soon after he takes office on Jan. 20, while putting Congress on notice that he wants to significantly increase spending to expedite vaccine distribution, expand COVID testing and help reopen shuttered schools.

Exclusive-Dialysis clinics provide new path for delivery of stockpiled COVID-19 antibody drugs in U.S.

Dialysis centers in the United States are rolling out COVID-19 antibody treatments this week, a new path for delivery of Eli Lilly and Regeneron drugs approved for emergency use but facing skepticism and logistical problems in some hospitals. Supplies of the drugs are piling up as hospitals grapple with overflowing wards and mass vaccinations. Kidney dialysis patients are among those most at risk from COVID-19, which is especially deadly among people with chronic illnesses.

Analysis: No half measures and mind the gap - UK nod for AstraZeneca vaccine raises more questions

British health officials greenlighted the AstraZeneca and Oxford COVID-19 shot on Wednesday but also rebuffed one of their central claims: that a half-dose followed by a standard dose offered more protection against infection. The reassessment of the best dosing regimen for the vaccine was an unexpected move by Britain's medicines regulator based on its own analysis of as-yet-unpublished data and it raised fresh questions about the efficacy of a vaccine which has yet to be approved in other countries.

UK widens English lockdowns as COVID variant surges

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered millions more people to live under the strictest COVID-19 restrictions from Thursday to counter a new variant of the virus that is spreading at a "sheer pace" across the country. Case numbers have risen sharply in Britain in the last two weeks, driven in part by a new strain that is up to 70% more transmissible than the original.

Shots first, questions later: Britain's new COVID-19 vaccine rollout approach

Britain said on Wednesday it would prioritise making sure that more people receive their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine quickly over giving a second shot to those who have already had one, a change in strategy as the country battles record numbers of new coronavirus cases. The decision will apply to the newly approved AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine, as well as the Pfizer/BioNTech shot, which was rolled out in Britain three weeks ago. The first recipients of the latter have just started receiving their booster shots.

EU drug watchdog looking at timing of dosage in Astra-Oxford vaccine review -source

The EU drug watchdog is looking at when people should be given the second dose of AstraZeneca and Oxford University's COVID-19 vaccine, rather than at the size of the first dose, as part of its review of the shot, a source at the agency said on Wednesday. Britain on Wednesday became the first country in the world to approve the coronavirus vaccine developed by the British duo, with the authorities recommending that a second shot is administered between four and 12 weeks after the first.

U.S. may expand required COVID-19 testing to more international passengers

The U.S. government may expand coronavirus testing requirements for international air travelers beyond Britain as early as next week, sources briefed on the matter told Reuters Wednesday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other U.S. agencies held a lengthy call with U.S. airlines Wednesday that discussed expanding COVID-19 test requirements to travelers arriving from other countries, sources briefed on the call said. What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Britain first to approve AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine