Health News Roundup: Moderna says COVID-19 vaccine protection wanes, makes case for booster'; U.S. administers 383 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines and more

The cocktail, bamlanivimab and etesevimab, was authorized in February for use in people 12 years and above with mild-to-moderate infection and are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19. Guinea declares end of Marburg virus outbreak An outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus in Guinea is officially over, health authorities said on Thursday, less than six weeks since West Africa's first ever case of the disease was detected.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Factbox-Countries making COVID-19 vaccines mandatory

A sharp upturn in infections due to the Delta variant and a slowdown in vaccinations have pushed governments to make COVID-19 shots mandatory for health workers, other high-risk groups or dining out. A growing number of countries are also making shots compulsory for public servants or travelers. In some of the strictest measures in the world, Italy will require a COVID health pass from all workers.

Factbox-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

The United States is developing a "new system for international travel" that will include contact tracing for when it eventually lifts travel restrictions that bar much of the world's population from entering the country, a senior White House official said on Wednesday. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

United says about 90% staff vaccinated ahead of company deadline

United Airlines Holding Inc said on Thursday 95% of its management was fully vaccinated and about 90% of all employees had uploaded proof of shots ahead of the company's Sept. 27 deadline for staff vaccination. United has taken a tough stance on employees who decline to get vaccinated and became the first U.S. carrier in early August to announce it would mandate vaccines for employees.

U.S. administers 383 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines - CDC

The United States has administered 383,038,403 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the country as of Thursday morning and distributed 462,384,885 doses, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Those figures are up from the 382,294,795 vaccine doses the CDC said had gone into arms by Sept. 15 out of 461,117,525 doses delivered.

Biden says Republican governors are undermining COVID safety response

U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday directed his ire at the governors of Florida and Texas, accusing the Republican leaders of "doing everything they can to undermine the life-saving requirements" he proposed to counter the spread of COVID-19. Some Republican governors, including Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida, have vowed to fight the vaccine mandate for big companies that Biden rolled out last week https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-deliver-six-step-plan-covid-19-pandemic-2021-09-09 in the face of surging U.S. COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths, mostly among the unvaccinated.

France suspends 3,000 health staff as Europe targets vaccine refusal

Hospitals, care homes and health centres have suspended around 3,000 workers across France for failing to comply with mandatory COVID vaccination, the government said on Thursday, as countries around Europe weigh how far to go to combat the pandemic https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/european-nations-plans-coping-with-covid-19-2021-09-15.

While Italy is set to announce later on Thursday that proof of vaccination or a negative test will be compulsory for all workers https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/italy-make-covid-green-pass-mandatory-workers-minister-2021-09-15, going further than any other country in the region, the Netherlands plans a similar step - but only to go to bars or clubs https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/dutch-expected-ease-covid-19-measures-introduce-corona-pass-2021-09-14.

Led by the nose: Meet the UAE's COVID-19 sniffer dogs

One year after completing one of the first studies into canine detection of COVID-19, the United Arab Emirates now has 38 sniffer dogs working at its airports that can identify infected persons at a 98.2-percent success rate. Dubai Police trained the cohort, which includes German Shepherds, Labradors, Cocker Spaniels and Border Collies, to recognise the scent of COVID-19 using samples of sweat from people with confirmed infections, collected by holding a swab in an armpit for a few minutes.

Moderna says COVID-19 vaccine protection wanes, makes case for booster

New data from Moderna Inc's large COVID-19 vaccine trial shows that the protection it offers wanes over time, supporting the case for booster doses, the company said in a news release on Wednesday. "This is only one estimate, but we do believe this means as you look toward the fall and winter, at minimum we expect the estimated impact of waning immunity would be 600,000 additional cases of COVID-19," Moderna President Stephen Hoge said on a conference call with investors.

FDA revises Lilly's COVID-19 antibody combo EUA for use after exposure to virus

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday it has revised its emergency use authorization for Eli Lilly's COVID-19 antibody cocktail to include for use in patients who have been exposed to the virus and are at high risk for progression to severe disease. The cocktail, bamlanivimab and etesevimab, was authorized in February for use in people 12 years and above with mild-to-moderate infection and are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19.

Guinea declares end of Marburg virus outbreak

An outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus in Guinea is officially over, health authorities said on Thursday, less than six weeks since West Africa's first ever case of the disease was detected. No further cases were confirmed by health workers monitoring the 170 high-risk contacts of the first patient, who was diagnosed after succumbing to the highly infectious hemorrhagic fever.