Health News Roundup: Australia to offer COVID-19 shots to children aged 5-11 from January; New Zealand to ban cigarette sales for future generations and more

People aged 14 and under in 2027 will never be allowed to purchase cigarettes in the Pacific country of 5 million, part of the proposals unveiled on Thursday will also curb the number of retailers authorized to sell tobacco and cut nicotine levels in all products. Factbox: Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech for those aged 16 and 17, as public health officials have urged Americans to get the additional shots on concerns about the new Omicron variant.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Australia to offer COVID-19 shots to children aged 5-11 from January

Australia will begin administering COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 5 to 11 from Jan. 10, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday, after the rollout cleared final regulatory hurdles. "This will be welcome news for millions of families across the country who want the opportunity for their children to be vaccinated," Morrison said in a statement.

New Zealand to ban cigarette sales for future generations

New Zealand plans to ban young people from ever buying cigarettes in their lifetime in one of the world's toughest crackdowns on the tobacco industry, arguing that other efforts to extinguish smoking were taking too long. People aged 14 and under in 2027 will never be allowed to purchase cigarettes in the Pacific country of 5 million, part of the proposals unveiled on Thursday will also curb the number of retailers authorized to sell tobacco and cut nicotine levels in all products.

Factbox: Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech for those aged 16 and 17, as public health officials have urged Americans to get the additional shots on concerns about the new Omicron variant. EUROPE

Navy medics join COVID fight in hard-hit New Mexico

Dozens of U.S. Navy medics have deployed to New Mexico to treat a Delta variant-fueled surge in COVID-19 patients as part of a military operation to treat virus hotspots across Western and Midwest states. New Mexico is suffering one of the highest levels of new coronavirus infections in the country, its hospitals reaching record capacity levels.

Biden says it's good news 16- and 17-year-olds eligible for COVID-19 boosters

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Thursday the United States was making progress in the battle against COVID-19 and it was good news regulators had expanded eligibility for COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to 16- and 17-year-olds. Biden also said it was encouraging news that preliminary data shows three doses of Pfizer's vaccine offer protection against the Omicron variant.

Judge rules citizen enforcement of Texas abortion law unconstitutional

A judge in Texas ruled on Thursday that a law prohibiting abortions after about six weeks violated the state's constitution because it allows private citizens to sue abortion providers. State District Court Judge David Peeples was ruling on a contentious Texas law that bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat has been detected, usually after about six weeks and when many women do not yet realize they are pregnant.

WHO warns against vaccine hoarding as poorer countries go without

The World Health Organization warned wealthy countries on Thursday against hoarding COVID-19 vaccines for booster shots as they try to fight off the new Omicron variant, threatening supplies to poorer countries where inoculation rates are low. Many Western nations have been rolling out boosters, targeting the elderly and people with underlying health issues, but worries about the fast-spreading Omicron have prompted some to expand their programs.

Singapore reports first locally transmitted Omicron case

Singapore has detected its first locally transmitted case of the COVID-19 variant Omicron is a member of staff at the city state's airport, authorities said late on Thursday, warning that more Omicron cases are likely to be detected. The 24-year-old Singaporean woman, who works in a service role in the airport, "may have interacted with transit passengers from Omicron-affected countries," the health ministry said in a statement.

U.S. makes 16- and 17-year-olds eligible for COVID-19 boosters

U.S. regulators on Thursday expanded eligibility for COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to 16- and 17-year-olds, as public health officials have urged Americans to get a third shot due to concerns about the new Omicron variant of the virus. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it amended its emergency use authorization of Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE's vaccine to allow youths aged 16-17 to receive a third shot at least six months after their second vaccine dose.

Explainer-Omicron vs COVID-19 vaccines: What more do we need to know?

Laboratory studies released this week suggest that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus will blunt the power of Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine to prevent COVID-19 infection after two doses, although a third dose may restore that protection. Data is still needed on how protective COVID-19 vaccines remain in real-world use against the highly mutated Omicron variant. The following is what we still need to know:

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