Health News Roundup: Singapore's first Chinese COVID-19 vaccine arrive ahead; Australia COVID-19 cases trend lower and more

White House to roll out Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses next week, pending authorization The United States expects to roll out three to four million doses of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine next week, pending authorization from the Food and Drug Administration, White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said on Wednesday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Singapore's first Chinese COVID-19 vaccines arrive ahead of approval

Singapore received its first batch of the COVID-19 vaccine made by China's Sinovac Biotech on Tuesday, its health ministry said, although the shot is still awaiting approval for use in the city-state. Sinovac has started submitting initial data but the Health Sciences Authority is currently awaiting all the necessary information to carry out a thorough assessment, the ministry said in a statement late on Wednesday.

Australia COVID-19 cases trend lower, Qantas pushes back international flights

Australia on Thursday continued its downward trend of COVID-19 cases, stoking hopes of a faster return to normal, while Qantas Airways pushed back international travel plans by four months as it waits on the country to finish its vaccination drive. Victoria, the country's second-most populous state, recorded no cases for nearly a week, suggesting the most recent outbreak in Melbourne has been contained, prompting authorities to flag easing of more restrictions soon.

COVID-19 cases slow in Americas, but vaccine impact on virus to take months: PAHO

COVID-19 cases and deaths in the United States fell by 30% in the last week and were declining in most South American nations, but vaccines will take months to have an impact on the virus, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday. PAHO Director Carissa Etienne urged governments and manufacturers to speed up delivery of vaccines to the region where one million people became sick and 34,000 died in the past seven days.

Biden administration to distribute more than 25 million masks

The Biden administration will deliver more than 25 million masks to community health centers, food pantries and soup kitchens this spring as part of its battle against the coronavirus pandemic, the White House said on Wednesday. U.S. health authorities recommend mask wearing as a critical measure to help slow the spread of disease and the White House said low-income Americans still don't have access to masks.

Novavax expects U.S. trial data for COVID-19 vaccine at start of April

Novavax Inc expects data from a late-stage U.S. trial of its COVID-19 vaccine at the start of April, after which it will apply for emergency use authorization, the drug developer's R&D head Gregory Glenn said on Wednesday. "We are expecting results right in the beginning of quarter two and shortly thereafter we will be filing for EUA (in U.S.)," he said at a Washington Post online event.

In boost for COVID-19 battle, Pfizer vaccine found 94% effective in real world

The first big real-world study of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to be independently reviewed shows the shot is highly effective at preventing COVID-19, in a potentially landmark moment for countries desperate to end lockdowns and reopen economies. Up until now, most data on the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines has come under controlled conditions in clinical trials, leaving an element of uncertainty over how results would translate into the real world with its unpredictable variables.

Alaska governor contracts COVID-19 rests at home with mild symptoms

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy was diagnosed with COVID-19 and is resting at home with mild symptoms, his office said on Wednesday. Dunleavy, a Republican, has been isolating at his home in Wasilla, about 44 miles north of Anchorage, since he was notified on Sunday that he had been in contact the previous day with an infected individual.

New coronavirus variant identified in New York: researchers

A new coronavirus variant that shares some similarities with a more transmissible and intractable variant discovered in South Africa is on the rise in New York City, researchers said on Wednesday. The new variant, known as B.1.526, was first identified in samples collected in New York in November, and by mid-February represented about 12% of cases, researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, said on Wednesday.

White House to roll out Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses next week, pending authorization

The United States expects to roll out three to four million doses of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine next week, pending authorization from the Food and Drug Administration, White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said on Wednesday. A Johnson & Johnson executive on Tuesday said the company expected to ship nearly 4 million doses of the vaccine once it gained authorization.

U.S. administers 66.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines: CDC

The United States has administered 66,464,947 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the country as of Wednesday morning and distributed 88,669,035 doses. The tally of vaccine doses are for both Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech, vaccines as of 6:00 a.m. ET on Wednesday, the agency said.