Health News Roundup: Pfizer begins study of oral drug for prevention of COVID-19; EU reviewing data on Moderna's COVID-19 booster shot and more

The review by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) comes after its statement last week that it aims to decide in early October whether to endorse a booster for Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, nearly a month after it started the evaluation process. Protein found on infected cells protects virus from immune system; remdesivir helps prevent hospitalization The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Biden gets COVID-19 booster shot as additional doses roll out

U.S. President Joe Biden rolled up his shirt sleeve and received a COVID-19 vaccine booster inoculation on Monday, hoping to provide a powerful example for Americans on the need to get the extra shot even as millions go without their first. "Boosters are important, but the most important thing we need to do is get more people vaccinated," he said, noting that about 23% of people in the United States have not received a shot.

U.S. administers 390.7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines - CDC

The United States has administered 390,664,923 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the country as of Monday morning and distributed 471,818,715 doses, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Those figures are up from the 390,114,328 vaccine doses the CDC said had gone into arms by Sunday.

Chile to lift state of emergency as vaccines beat back COVID infections

Chilean authorities announced on Monday the end of a state of emergency in force since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, a sign of life returning to normal following a sharp decrease in cases in the South American nation. The state of emergency, an extraordinary administrative measure approved by Congress early in 2020, had allowed the government to impose night-time curfews and forced quarantines on hard-hit districts amid the worst of the outbreak.

New York hospitals face staff shortages as vaccine mandate kicks in

New York hospitals were preparing to fire thousands of healthcare workers for not complying with a COVID-19 vaccine mandate taking effect on Monday, with some in the upstate region curtailing services to cope with staff shortages. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told a news conference that hospitals in the city were not seeing a major impact from the mandate, but that he was worried about other areas of the state where vaccination rates are lower.

Factbox-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

The global vaccine alliance Gavi is proposing to revamp distribution rules after COVAX allotted more doses to Britain than to Botswana, which is among other poorer nations that have fledgling vaccination drives at best. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

EU reviewing data on Moderna's COVID-19 booster shot

The European Union's (EU) drug regulator said on Monday it was evaluating whether a booster dose of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine could be given at least six months after the second shot of the two-dose course in people over 12 years of age. The review by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) comes after its statement last week that it aims to decide in early October whether to endorse a booster for Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, nearly a month after it started the evaluation process.

Protein found on infected cells protects virus from immune system; remdesivir helps prevent hospitalization

The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that have yet to be certified by peer review. Virus-infected cells protected from immune system by protein

State Dept says Blinken tests negative for COVID-19 after spokesman tests positive

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has tested negative for COVID-19 on Monday morning, State Department said, after department spokesperson Ned Price tested positive for the disease and is quarantining. "After experiencing symptoms for the first time this morning, I tested positive for COVID-19 shortly thereafter, & will now quarantine for the next 10 days," Price, who is vaccinated, said on Twitter.

Pfizer begins study of oral drug for prevention of COVID-19

Pfizer Inc said on Monday it has started a large study testing its investigational oral antiviral drug for the prevention of COVID-19 infection among those who have been exposed to the virus. The drugmaker and its rivals, including U.S.-based Merck & Co Inc and Swiss pharmaceutical Roche Holding AG, have been racing to develop an easy-to-administer antiviral pill for COVID-19.

Pfizer begins study of mRNA flu vaccine

Pfizer Inc said on Monday it had dosed the first patient in a trial testing a flu vaccine based on messenger RNA, the same technology used in the COVID-19 shots made by the U.S. drugmaker and BioNTech. The early-stage trial, conducted in the United States, will test the vaccine in healthy adults ages 65- 85.