Health News Roundup: EU expects Europe plants to produce 3.6 billion COVID shots in 2022; BioNTech, Pfizer vaccine neutralises Omicron with three shots and more

The companies have said they complied with federal regulations and that changing standards of care were behind surging opioid prescriptions. Studies suggest Pfizer shot may protect only partially against Omicron The Omicron variant can partially evade protection from two doses of Pfizer and partner BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine, the research head of a laboratory at the Africa Health Research Institute in South Africa said on Tuesday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

EU expects Europe plants to produce 3.6 billion COVID shots in 2022

Vaccine plants in the European Union are expected to produce 3.6 billion COVID-19 shots next year, out of a global output of more than 20 billion, two senior EU officials said on Wednesday. EU countries are administering boosters after having completed the primary vaccination of nearly 70% of the EU population, whereas in Africa only 7% have been immunised against the coronavirus, EU data show.

BioNTech, Pfizer vaccine neutralises Omicron with three shots

BioNTech and Pfizer said on Wednesday a three-shot course of their COVID-19 vaccine was able to neutralise the new Omicron variant in a laboratory test and they could deliver an Omicron-based vaccine in March 2022 if needed. In the first official statement from vaccine manufacturers on the likely efficacy of their shot against Omicron, BioNTech and Pfizer said that two vaccine doses resulted in significantly lower neutralising antibodies but that a third dose of their vaccine increased the neutralising antibodies by a factor of 25.

Analysis: Omicron is a wake-up call for COVID-19 vaccine developers

Arrival of the highly-mutated Omicron variant is a wake-up call to develop vaccines less susceptible to the rapid changes of the coronavirus, leading virologists and immunologists told Reuters. Most first-generation COVID-19 vaccines target the spike protein on the outer surface of the SARS-CoV-2 virus used to infect human cells. Omicron has prompted alarm among scientists because it has far more mutations than earlier variants, including more than 30 on its spike.

Germany records highest daily COVID deaths since February

Germany recorded the highest number of deaths from COVID-19 since February on Wednesday as it battles to stop a fourth wave of the pandemic. A total of 69,601 new infections were reported, 2,415 more than the same time a week ago, and another 527 people died - the highest number since Feb. 12 - to bring the total to 104,047, the German Robert Koch Institute for disease control said.

Minister says Nigeria had only weeks to use some donated vaccines

Nigeria's health minister said on Wednesday some COVID-19 doses donated by rich Western countries had a shelf life that left only weeks to administer the shots. Osagie Ehanire said the health ministry had declined a request by some vaccine manufacturers to extend the shelf life of the doses by three months.

Factbox-What COVID-19 vaccine and drug makers have to say about Omicron

The Omicron variant of the coronavirus has sparked fears that existing COVID-19 vaccines and treatment could be less effective against it. South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases said early epidemiological data suggested Omicron was able to evade some immunity, but existing vaccines should still protect against severe disease and death.

Jury to hear final arguments in N.Y. opioid case against drugmakers

Jurors in a New York state court are expected to hear closing arguments Wednesday over whether drugmakers AbbVie Inc and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd fueled an opioid epidemic in the state, concluding a trial that has lasted more than five months. New York's Attorney General and Nassau and Suffolk Counties are seeking to hold the two companies responsible for the cost of dealing with opioid addiction. The companies have said they complied with federal regulations and that changing standards of care were behind surging opioid prescriptions.

Studies suggest Pfizer shot may protect only partially against Omicron

The Omicron variant can partially evade protection from two doses of Pfizer and partner BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine, the research head of a laboratory at the Africa Health Research Institute in South Africa said on Tuesday. But the study showed that blood from people who had received two doses of the vaccine and had a prior infection was mostly able to neutralize the variant, suggesting that booster doses of the vaccine could help to fend off infection.

Omicron reported in 57 countries, hospitalisations set to rise, WHO says

The Omicron variant has been reported in 57 nations and the number of patients needing hospitalisation is likely to rise as it spreads, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday. The WHO, in its weekly epidemiological report, said more data was needed to assess the severity of disease caused by the Omicron variant and whether its mutations might reduce protection from vaccine-derived immunity.

Indian vaccine makers bank on boosters as demand crashes

Indian COVID-19 vaccine makers are lobbying the government to authorise boosters as supplies have so outstripped demand that one drugmaker told Reuters it had suspended a plan to produce more than 100 million doses of Russia's Sputnik shot.

The Serum Institute of India (SII), the world's biggest vaccine maker, and Sputnik's Indian distributor, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, have both said they have approached health authorities about boosters.

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