Health News Roundup: BioNTech founders warn of vaccine supply gaps - Spiegel; India's drug regulator approves AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine: sources and more

Wisconsin pharmacist arrested on charges of sabotaging COVID vaccine doses A Wisconsin hospital pharmacist was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of sabotaging more than 500 doses of coronavirus vaccine by deliberately removing them from refrigeration to spoil, police and medical authorities said.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

BioNTech founders warn of vaccine supply gaps - Spiegel

BioNTech is working flat out with partner Pfizer to boost production of their COVID-19 vaccine, its founders said, warning there would be gaps in supply until other vaccines were rolled out. The German biotech startup has led the vaccine race but its shot has been slow to arrive in the European Union because of relatively late approval from the bloc's health regulator and the small size of the order placed by Brussels.

India's drug regulator approves AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine: sources

India's drug regulator on Friday approved a coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University for emergency use, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. A representative of India's Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), whose experts were meeting for the second time this week, declined to comment. Exclusive: Drugmakers to hike prices for 2021 as pandemic, political pressure put revenues at risk

Drugmakers including Pfizer Inc, Sanofi SA, and GlaxoSmithKline Plc plan to raise U.S. prices on more than 300 drugs in the United States on Jan. 1, according to drugmakers and data analyzed by healthcare research firm 3 Axis Advisors. The hikes come as drugmakers are reeling from effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has reduced doctor visits and demand for some drugs. They are also fighting new drug price cutting rules from the Trump administration, which would reduce the industry's profitability. Calais port boss: After Brexit, coronavirus is next challenge

Now that Britain has finally completed its exit from the European Union, the main challenge for business in the French port of Calais is the coronavirus pandemic, the port head said on Friday. Port chief Jean-Marc Puissesseau was speaking as the first ferry transporting vehicles arrived from Dover to Calais, France's busiest road freight port, after Britain left the bloc at 11 p.m. (2300 GMT) London time on Thursday. WHO emergency COVID-19 vaccine listing aims to lift access in poor countries

The World Health Organization on Thursday listed Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, in a move seeking to speed access in the developing world. The United Nations health agency said it will work with regional partners to tell national health authorities about the two-dose shot and its anticipated benefits. U.S. vaccinations in 2020 fall far short of target of 20 million people

Only about 2.8 million Americans had received a COVID-19 vaccine going into the last day of December, putting the United States far short of the government's target to vaccinate 20 million people this month. Shots are reaching nursing home residents at an even slower pace than others first in line even though they are most at risk of dying of the virus. After a year of loss, patients ring in 2021 from Houston COVID-19 ward

Shortly after midnight Duc Nguyen sat up in his hospital bed for a video call with his wife. The glow of a television and a street lamp outside his window provided the only light as a nasal cannula delivered oxygen to his lungs. It was not how the 33-year-old had envisioned welcoming in the new year, but he said he was grateful the United Memorial Medical Center (UMMC) in Houston had a vacant bed so he could be treated for pneumonia brought on by COVID-19. Australia rings in 2021 with new pandemic restrictions, traffic jams

Australia welcomed 2021 with subdued celebrations as fresh coronavirus restrictions and border closures at its two most populous states forced families to ditch New Year plans. Media reported traffic jams at border check-points stretching as long as 40 km (25 miles) as people rushed home to avoid border restrictions that kick in from midnight. Wisconsin pharmacist arrested on charges of sabotaging COVID vaccine doses

A Wisconsin hospital pharmacist was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of sabotaging more than 500 doses of coronavirus vaccine by deliberately removing them from refrigeration to spoil, police and medical authorities said. The pharmacist, an employee of Aurora Medical Center in Grafton, Wisconsin, at the time that 57 vials of vaccine were found left out of cold storage earlier this week, has since been fired but has not been publicly identified, officials said. Local funding crisis threatens U.S. vaccine rollout

Seattle public health officials have so little COVID-19 funding on hand they worry they will have to shut down some virus testing sites as they mount a campaign to dose their 2.3 million residents with Pfizer Inc's and Moderna Inc's vaccines. King County, which represents greater Seattle, has $14 million of COVID-19 funding for 2021, roughly enough to fund its operations for a single month, and a fraction of the $87 million emergency COVID-19 aid it received in 2020, said Ingrid Ulrey, the public health policy director for King County.