Health News Roundup: What you need to know about the coronavirus right now; British boy wakes from nearly year-long coma unaware of COVID pandemic and more

The coronavirus has killed 2.3 million people and turned normal life upside down for billions but new variants have raised fears that vaccines will need to be tweaked and people may have to have booster shots. President Biden plans to use NFL stadiums for vaccinations With the NFL season in the books, the league offered the use of its stadiums for mass COVID-19 vaccinations.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: AstraZeneca vaccine's efficacy against virus variant Spanish medics suffer mental trauma months after COVID-19's first wave

It has been eight months since he last treated a patient with COVID-19, but Spanish nurse Ricardo Belmonte still feels anxious when he recalls the first wave of the pandemic at the intensive care unit of Barcelona's Vall d'Hebron Hospital. Early last year patients were pleading with him to save their lives and he had to live apart from his family for three months to protect them from infection.

British boy wakes from nearly year-long coma unaware of COVID pandemic

A British teenager is slowly emerging from a coma nearly a year after being hit by a car, and he has no knowledge of the coronavirus pandemic even though he has caught the virus twice. Joseph Flavill, 19, suffered a traumatic brain injury when he was hit by the car in the central English town of Burton-on-Trent on March 1 last year, about three weeks before a first national lockdown was imposed to curb the spread of the virus.

Biden says challenging for U.S. to reach herd immunity by summer's end

President Joe Biden said that it will be difficult for the United States to reach herd immunity, at least 75% of the population inoculated against the coronavirus, by the end of this summer. "The idea that this can be done and we can get to herd immunity much before the end of next -- this summer, is -- is very difficult," Biden told CBS news in an interview.

Indonesia's medical seniors get vaccines after regulator's green light

Indonesia started vaccinating its elderly medical workers against the coronavirus for the first time on Monday, after initial uncertainty over whether seniors would be prioritised in a country battling one of Asia's worst epidemics. Indonesia's food and drug agency recently approved use of the Sinovac Biotech vaccine for the elderly, potentially changing the country's strategy to focus on the working population.

Factbox: Different age rules for Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in EU The European Medicines Agency approved last month the COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University for people over 18 years old. Some EU countries, though, have restricted its use to people under 65 because of a lack of data for older people in clinical trials for the shot.

'It's all open!': French flock to Madrid cafes for pandemic reprieve

French tourists weary of their strict national lockdown are flocking over the border to Madrid, where bars and restaurants are open and people can stay outdoors until 10 p.m., even as COVID-19 batters Europe in a virulent third wave. "Here, there's life - everything's happening!" said 22-year-old student Clara Soudet as she left a live music event near Madrid's bustling Gran Via. Soudet arrived just before New Year's Eve to visit her boyfriend and taste the different vibe.

All migrants living in UK eligible for COVID-19 vaccine Migrants living in Britain will be eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines regardless of whether they have the legal right to live and work in the country, the government said on Monday, adding that getting the shot would not trigger immigration checks. The Daily Mail newspaper has reported that those living in Britain who entered the country illegally would be encouraged to register with their local doctor so they could be vaccinated when their turn comes.

South Africa halts AstraZeneca vaccine after shots fail against new variant South Africa halted Monday's planned rollout of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccinations after data showed it gave minimal protection against mild infection from one variant, stoking fears of a much longer cat-and-mouse battle with the pathogen. The coronavirus has killed 2.3 million people and turned normal life upside down for billions but new variants have raised fears that vaccines will need to be tweaked and people may have to have booster shots.

President Biden plans to use NFL stadiums for vaccinations With the NFL season in the books, the league offered the use of its stadiums for mass COVID-19 vaccinations. President Joe Biden said on CBS' Super Bowl pregame show Sunday that his administration intends to take the NFL up on its offer.