Health News Roundup: U.S. administers nearly 412 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines - CDC; England's COVID prevalence rises to new highest level since January, ONS says, and more

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tested a version of the Better Homes and Gardens-branded spray and found Burkholderia pseudomallei, which causes the potentially fatal condition melioidosis. Americans can mix and match COVID-19 boosters but original vaccine recommended -Fauci Americans can choose a COVID-19 booster shot that is different from their original inoculation but the recommendation is to stick with the vaccine they got first if it is available, White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Friday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

U.S. administers nearly 412 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines - CDC

The United States has administered 411,963,025 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the country as of Friday morning and distributed 501,613,665 doses, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Those figures are up from the 411,010,650 vaccine doses the CDC said had gone into arms by Thursday out of 498,702,405 doses delivered.

Australia's Melbourne enjoys weekend of eased COVID curbs after long lockdown

Melbourne, Australia's second-biggest city, began its first weekend out of the world's longest string of COVID-19 lockdowns with spontaneous street parties, live music, and packed pubs, bars, and restaurants. Home to about five million people, Melbourne endured 262 days, or nearly nine months, of restrictions during six lockdowns since March 2020, longer than the 234-day continuous lockdown in Buenos Aires.

England's COVID prevalence rises to new highest level since January, ONS says

The prevalence of COVID-19 infections in England increased to around 1 in 55 people in the week ending Oct 16, Britain's Office for National Statistics said on Friday, once again at its highest level since January. The ONS said that prevalence of infections had risen for its fourth straight week, having been at 1 in 60 people in the previous week.

FDA says benefits outweigh risks for Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in children

Scientists at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Friday that the likely benefits of giving the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to 5 to 11 year olds clearly outweigh the risks of rare cases of heart inflammation. Earlier on Friday, the vaccine makers said their shot showed 90.7% efficacy against the coronavirus in a clinical trial of children 5 to 11 years old.

Roche's implant for chronic eye disorder wins U.S. approval

Roche Holding AG on Friday won approval from the U.S. health regulator for its eye implant to treat a chronic disorder causing blurred vision, giving patients an alternative to receiving monthly eye injections with existing treatments. The surgically implantable device Susvimo is intended to treat wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD), a disorder caused by the leak of fluid or blood from abnormal blood vessels into an area near the retina called the macula.

Explainer-Americans wonder: Which COVID-19 booster is best?

Americans this week were handed a big decision when it comes to getting a COVID-19 vaccine booster. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday said individuals who qualify could choose a different vaccine from the one they received for their initial inoculation. For Americans asking how to choose, the following is what some experts advise:

New Zealand's coronavirus outbreak spreads to South Island

New Zealand reported 104 new coronavirus infections on Saturday, including the first community case of the virus in the country's South Island in nearly a year, health officials said. Most of the new infections were reported in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city that has been under a strict lockdown for more than two months. Looser restrictions are in place in most of the rest of the country of 5 million.

Walmart recalls 3,900 room sprays due to possible dangerous bacteria

Walmart Inc is recalling about 3,900 bottles of an aromatherapy spray due to the possible presence of a rare and sometimes fatal bacteria, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said on Friday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tested a version of the Better Homes and Gardens-branded spray and found Burkholderia pseudomallei, which causes the potentially fatal condition melioidosis.

Americans can mix and match COVID-19 boosters but original vaccine recommended -Fauci

Americans can choose a COVID-19 booster shot that is different from their original inoculation but the recommendation is to stick with the vaccine they got first if it is available, White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Friday. "It's generally recommended that you get the booster that is the original regimen that you got in the first place," Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in an interview with CNN.

COVID-19 vaccines not linked to pregnancy loss; mixing vaccines may confer greater protection

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. COVID-19 vaccines not linked with pregnancy loss

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