Health News Roundup: Exclusive-Polish gene project moves to drop Chinese tech on data concerns; Melbourne police arrest 200 at COVID-19 lockdown protests and more

Holding a virtual summit to boost global vaccination rates, Biden hopes to show he is leading by example with the pledge, which will bring U.S. donations to the rest of the world up to more than 1.1 billion doses. France has no plans to ease COVID health pass restrictions at this stage - Attal France has no plans at this stage to ease health pass restrictions set up to rein in a fourth wave of COVID-19 infections, French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Wednesday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Exclusive-Polish gene project moves to drop Chinese tech on data concerns

A European Union-funded project to build a genomic map of Poland plans to drop gene-sequencing technology from China's BGI Group over concerns about data security, one of the project's leaders told Reuters. The Genomic Map of Poland's concerns stem from questions over how Polish genomic data may be used that relate to national security, said Marek Figlerowicz, a Professor at the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry at the Polish Academy of Sciences who steers the project.

Melbourne police arrest 200 at COVID-19 lockdown protests

Police in Australia's second-largest city of Melbourne arrested more than 200 people after projectiles thrown by protesters injured two officers on Wednesday, the third consecutive day of demonstrations against COVID-19 curbs. Golf balls, batteries, and bottles were among the items thrown at police during the protests held in defiance of stay-at-home orders after a two-week closure of building sites to rein in infections, which rose again in the state of Victoria.

Biden pledges 500 million more COVID-19 vaccine doses as U.S. pressured to do more

President Joe Biden will push world leaders on Wednesday to do more to curb the COVID-19 pandemic and announce a U.S. pledge to buy 500 million more vaccine doses to donate to other countries. Holding a virtual summit to boost global vaccination rates, Biden hopes to show he is leading by example with the pledge, which will bring U.S. donations to the rest of the world up to more than 1.1 billion doses.

France has no plans to ease COVID health pass restrictions at this stage - Attal

France has no plans at this stage to ease health pass restrictions set up to rein in a fourth wave of COVID-19 infections, French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Wednesday. Attal also told a news conference after a cabinet meeting that the COVID health situation was improving in France.

Factbox - COVID-19 and the U.S. courts: challenges to vaccine requirements

The Biden administration announced on Sept. 9 steps that will require tens of millions of Americans who have declined COVID-19 vaccines to get a shot as infection rates remain elevated https://tmsnrt.rs/2WTOZDR, straining hospitals and weighing on economic growth. Already, universities, local governments and businesses have mandated vaccinates for employees and students, which has prompted lawsuits.

U.S. parents weigh risks, benefits as COVID-19 vaccine for kids nears approval

In an ideal world, Leah Smithers said she could afford to wait for longer-term testing of the COVID-19 vaccines before getting the jab for her 10-year-old son. But with his juvenile diabetes putting him at greater risk of complications if he contracts the virus - and with so much of his young life already shaped by the pandemic - she is ready for him to receive the vaccine as soon as he is eligible.

Germany to end quarantine pay for those without vaccinations

Germany will stop paying compensation to unvaccinated workers who are forced into quarantine by coronavirus measures as it is unfair to ask taxpayers to subsidise those who refuse to get inoculated, Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Wednesday.

The rules, which will be implemented by the governments of Germany's 16 federal states, will take effect by Oct. 11 at the latest, Spahn said, confirming the details of a draft document seen earlier by Reuters.

China's Guangdong reports human case of N5H6 bird flu

The health authority in southern China's Guangdong province said on Wednesday that a single case of a human being infected with the N5H6 strain of bird flu has been reported in the city of Dongguan. The infected patient, a 53-year-old male, is being treated in hospital, the Health Commission of Guangdong Province said in a statement, adding that experts considered the risk of transmission to be low at this stage.

Clover's vaccine 67% effective against COVID, 79% against Delta variant in large trial

A potential COVID-19 vaccine from China's Clover Biopharmaceuticals was 67% effective against COVID-19 of any degree of severity and 79% against the highly infectious Delta variant in a large trial, the company said on Wednesday. The company has a deal to supply up to 414 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine through the global vaccine sharing scheme COVAX.

Lithuania donates more COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan

Lithuania will donate 235,900 additional doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to Taiwan, the European Union nation said on Wednesday, after angering China by allowing Taiwan to open a representative office under its own name. China considers Taiwan its own territory.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)