Health News Roundup: Study casts doubt on reliability of rapid antigen tests in kids; COVID transmission through breastmilk unlikely; Billionaire Soon-Shiong opens new vaccine plant in South Africa and more

Global health officials have repeatedly warned about the rise of drug-resistant bacteria and other microbes due to the misuse and overuse of antibiotics, which encourages microorganisms to evolve into "superbugs". Valneva says early studies show COVID-19 vaccine effective against Omicron French biotech firm Valneva said on Wednesday that preliminary studies showed that three doses of its inactivated COVID-19 vaccine candidate neutralised the Omicron variant of the disease.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Study casts doubt on reliability of rapid antigen tests in kids; COVID transmission through breastmilk unlikely

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 has yet to be certified by peer review. Rapid antigen tests may be unreliable in children

Billionaire Soon-Shiong opens new vaccine plant in South Africa

South African-American businessman Patrick Soon-Shiong opened a new vaccine plant in Cape Town on Wednesday, intended to help his local NantSA company make COVID-19 shots in future and address the continent's deadly dearth of manufacturing capacity. The pandemic has exposed a global lack of access to life-saving vaccines, particularly in Africa, where just about 10% of the population has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 compared to over half the world's population.

Beijing city raises vigilance as local COVID cases tick higher before Olympics

China's capital Beijing ramped up efforts to curb COVID-19 infections, ordering checks among cold-chain firms and urging residents to cut unnecessary gatherings, as the city reported an uptick in local cases weeks before the Winter Olympics. Beijing had three domestically transmitted infections with confirmed symptoms on Wednesday, including one previously reported as a local asymptomatic carrier for Jan. 18, according to local health authority data on Thursday.

New Mexico asks National Guard to teach as COVID shuts schools

New Mexico on Wednesday asked National Guard members and state employees to volunteer as substitute teachers to keep schools and daycare centers open during a surge in COVID-19 infections. State employees and Guard members who take up the call to teach will get their usual pay and be considered on administrative leave or active duty, respectively, according to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.

Florida suspends health official who urged staff to get vaccinated

A top Florida public health official has been put on administrative leave as officials investigate whether he violated a state ban by emailing employees about their low vaccination rate against COVID-19 and urging them to get shots. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican widely believed to be planning a run for the U.S. presidency, in November signed a law banning schools, businesses, and government entities from requiring vaccination against COVID-19, drawing condemnation from health experts and Democratic leaders.

New Zealand rules out lockdowns as it prepares for Omicron outbreak

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Thursday that restrictions will be tightened across the country if there is a community transmission of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus but she ruled out lockdowns. New Zealand's tight controls and geographic advantage have helped it remain free of the Omicron variant in the community, although many cases have now been reported at quarantine facilities at the border.

Vaccine group GAVI says additional $5.2 billion needed to ensure supply

The chairman of the GAVI vaccine alliance, Jose Manuel Barroso, said on Wednesday that an additional $5.2 billion is needed to continue to deliver vaccines at scale. Speaking at a news briefing, Barroso said it was critical to continue to keep up the pace of vaccine supply through the COVAX global vaccine-sharing program, as more than 3 billion people in the world are yet to receive their first dose.

U.S. to distribute 400 million free N95 masks at CVS, Walgreens in COVID fight

The U.S. government will make 400 million non-surgical "N95" masks from its strategic national stockpile available for free to the public starting next week, a White House official said, as the Biden administration tries to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. Snug-fitting N95 face masks, so-called because they filter at least 95% of particulate matter from the air, will be shipped to pharmacies and community health centers this week, the official said and will be available for pick up late next week.

Over 1.2 million people died from drug-resistant infections in 2019 - study

More than 1.2 million people died in 2019 from infections caused by bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics, higher than HIV/AIDS or malaria, according to a new report published on Thursday. Global health officials have repeatedly warned about the rise of drug-resistant bacteria and other microbes due to the misuse and overuse of antibiotics, which encourages microorganisms to evolve into "superbugs".

Valneva says early studies show COVID-19 vaccine effective against Omicron

French biotech firm Valneva said on Wednesday that preliminary studies showed that three doses of its inactivated COVID-19 vaccine candidate neutralized the Omicron variant of the disease. All of the serum samples tested presented neutralizing antibodies against the ancestral virus and Delta variant, it said, while 87% of samples did so against the Omicron variant.