Health News Roundup: Russia reports highest daily COVID-19 case rise since early January; Public Health England says Pfizer, AstraZeneca vaccines effective in high-risk groups and more

The shipments are part of the Biden administration's pledge to share an initial batch of 80 million U.S.-made vaccines globally amid concern about the wide disparity in vaccination rates between advanced and developing countries. Germany lists all of Spain as COVID-19 risk area- ministry Germany has declared all of Spain a coronavirus risk area, the foreign ministry said on Friday, which means that tourists and returning Germans need to present a negative test to avoid quarantine.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Russia reports highest daily COVID-19 case rise since early January

Russia reported 25,766 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, the most confirmed in a single day since Jan. 2, as authorities struggled to suppress a surge in infections blamed on the more contagious Delta variant. Officials have been trying to encourage or compel Russians to get vaccinated since infections began rising steeply last month. Demand for vaccination had been tepid, but authorities say it has now picked up significantly.

Public Health England says Pfizer, AstraZeneca vaccines effective in high-risk groups

Public Health England (PHE) on Friday said that Pfizer and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines were effective against symptomatic COVID-19 infection in high risk groups, citing a preprint study based on 1 million vulnerable people. Overall vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic disease in risk groups was around 60% after one dose of either AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech with little difference by age, PHE said.

U.S. shipping COVID-19 vaccines to Bhutan, Nepal on Friday

The United States on Friday will send 1.5 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to Nepal and 500,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine to Bhutan, a White House official said. The shipments are part of the Biden administration's pledge to share an initial batch of 80 million U.S.-made vaccines globally amid concern about the wide disparity in vaccination rates between advanced and developing countries.

Germany lists all of Spain as COVID-19 risk area- ministry

Germany has declared all of Spain a coronavirus risk area, the foreign ministry said on Friday, which means that tourists and returning Germans need to present a negative test to avoid quarantine. The COVID-19 infection rate in Spain has more than doubled in a week as the Delta variant tears through unvaccinated younger adults. Germany has previously designated only a few regions in Spain as risk areas.

G20 to push for more vaccine sharing, but no firm commitment

Finance ministers of the world's 20 largest economies are set to urge faster distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, drugs and tests across the world, but are not making new firm commitments, according to the latest version of a joint communique. The document, seen by Reuters, is set to be released on Saturday without changes at the end of a two-day G20 meeting under way in Venice, two officials familiar with the talks said.

Question open on need for COVID booster shot, data awaited, WHO says

The World Health Organization said on Friday that it was not clear whether COVID-19 booster vaccines will be needed to maintain protection, until further data is collected. Pfizer Inc plans to ask U.S. regulators to authorize a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine within the next month, the drugmaker's top scientist said on Thursday, based on evidence of greater risk of reinfection six months after inoculation and the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.

Pfizer, BioNTech to seek authorization for COVID booster shot as Delta variant spreads

Pfizer and partner BioNTech plan to ask U.S. and European regulators within weeks to authorize a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine, based on evidence of greater risk of infection six months after inoculation and the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said, however, in a joint statement that Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster COVID-19 shot at this time.

U.S. donation of 1.4 million COVID-19 vaccine doses arrives in Afghanistan

A U.S. donation of more than 1.4 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Afghanistan on Friday, the first of two shipments this month, the U.N. children's agency UNICEF said in a statement. A second shipment of vaccines donated by the United States through the COVAX global sharing program will bring the total to 3.3 million doses, UNICEF said. The U.S. vaccine donations come as U.S. military forces withdraw from Afghanistan, ending a 20-year war in the country.

EU regulator finds link between heart inflammation and mRNA COVID vaccines

Europe's drug regulator has found a possible link between rare heart inflammation and COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, and advised people with a history of a rare blood disorder to avoid getting J&J's coronavirus shot. Heart conditions myocarditis and pericarditis must be listed as possible side effects of the two mRNA vaccines, the safety committee of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Friday.

Delta variant to account for most new French COVID cases from this weekend - minister

The highly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 will probably account for most new coronavirus cases in France from this weekend, Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Friday. Veran, who has said a fourth wave of infections could hit France as early as end-July and is urging as many French people as possible to get vaccinated, told France Inter radio the Delta variant now represents nearly 50% of new COVID-19 infections.