Reuters Health News Summary

Most U.S. COVID-19 vaccines go idle as New York, Florida move to penalize hospitals More than two-thirds of the 15 million coronavirus vaccines shipped within the United States have gone unused, U.S. health officials said on Monday, as the governors of New York and Florida vowed to penalize hospitals that fail to dispense shots quickly.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. "Premature" to change authorized COVID-19 vaccines dosing, schedules, FDA says

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Monday that the idea of changing the authorized dosing or schedules of COVID-19 vaccines was premature and not supported by the available data. The FDA said it had been following discussions and news reports about reducing the number of doses, extending the length of time between doses, cutting the dosage in half, or mixing and matching vaccines in order to immunize more people. Most U.S. COVID-19 vaccines go idle as New York, Florida move to penalize hospitals

More than two-thirds of the 15 million coronavirus vaccines shipped within the United States have gone unused, U.S. health officials said on Monday, as the governors of New York and Florida vowed to penalize hospitals that fail to dispense shots quickly. In New York, hospitals must administer vaccines within a week of receiving them or face a fine and a reduction in future supplies, Governor Andrew Cuomo said, hours before announcing the state's first known case of a new, more infectious coronavirus variant originally detected in Britain. China doubles down on COVID narrative as WHO investigation looms

As a team from the World Health Organization (WHO) prepares to visit China to investigate the origins of COVID-19, Beijing has stepped up efforts not only to prevent new outbreaks, but also shape the narrative about when and where the pandemic began. China has dismissed criticism of its early handling of the coronavirus, first identified in the city of Wuhan at the end of 2019, and foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Monday that the country would welcome the WHO team. Coronavirus forces cancellation of papal baptisms in Sistine Chapel

A traditional ceremony in which Pope Francis baptises newborn babies in the Sistine Chapel has been cancelled this year because of coronavirus restrictions, the Vatican said on Tuesday. The ceremony, which involves several dozen babies, their parents, godparents and family members, was to have taken place this Sunday, the day the Roman Catholic Church marks the feast of the baptism of Jesus. Indian vaccine makers end spat, pledge 'smooth rollout' of COVID-19 shots

Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech said on Tuesday they would end a public spat and focus on rolling out COVID-19 shots after executives of both Indian vaccine makers clashed over the approval of their rival shots. "Both companies respect the great work being carried out by each other and put behind us the miscommunication and misunderstanding caused during the past week," SII's Chief Executive Officer Adar Poonawalla and Bharat Biotech's Chairman Krishna Ella said in a joint statement. Iran finds first case of new virus variant in traveller from UK

Iran has registered its first case of a highly contagious coronavirus variant that emerged in Britain, in an Iranian who arrived from the UK, Health Minister Saeed Namaki said on Tuesday. "Unfortunately, we found the first case of the mutated British COVID-19 from a dear compatriot who had returned from England, ... and who was admitted to one of our private hospitals," Namaki told state TV. "We did not find any trace of this virus in the patient's relatives." Britons ordered to stay at home as third national lockdown begins

Britain began its third COVID-19 lockdown on Tuesday with citizens under orders to stay at home and the government calling for one last major national effort to stem the virus before mass vaccinations turn the tide. Finance minister Rishi Sunak announced a new package of business grants worth 4.6 billion pounds ($6.2 billion) to help keep people in jobs and firms afloat until measures are relaxed gradually, at the earliest from mid-February but likely later. Belgium to get half the Pfizer vaccine doses it ordered for January

Belgium will receive only half the doses of U.S. drugmaker Pfizer vaccine it ordered for January because of a logistical difficulty that occurred last month. Health Ministry spokesman Yves Van Laethem said a logistical issue in the second half of December prevented the delivery of the vaccines as planned in the Belgian vaccination strategy, without detailing the problem. Italy to enter capital of ReiThera to support COVID vaccine development

Italy will enter the capital of biotech company ReiThera to support the development of its COVID-19 vaccine, with the aim of concluding Phase 3 trials by summer 2021, the government's special commissioner for the COVID emergency said on Tuesday. "The government will enter the group's capital through a state-controlled company in order to support, also by means of a capital injection, phase 2 and phase 3 (clinical trials for the vaccine development)", commissioner Domenico Arcuri told a news conference. A COVID-19 shot for $150? Online scams surge as slow vaccine rollout frustrates

As millions of people await their turn to get a COVID-19 vaccine that could be months away, scammers online, in emails and on messaging apps are luring victims with claims they can deliver shots within days for as little as $150. COVID-19 vaccine scams are on the rise, according to European and U.S. government officials who are warning the public of fraudsters out for money and personal data.