Health News Roundup: Brazil approves Sinovac's Coronavac for those aged 6 to 17; Dozens of firms to make cheap version of Merck COVID pill for poorer nations and more

From the earliest days of the pandemic, public health officials have expressed hope that it was possible to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19, as long as a high enough percentage of the population was vaccinated or infected with the virus. France to loosen COVID curbs in February, allowing popcorn in cinemas again France will ease work-from-home rules from early February and allow nightclubs to reopen two weeks later as the general COVID-19 situation in the country is starting to improve, Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Thursday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Brazil approves Sinovac's Coronavac for those aged 6 to 17

Brazilian health regulator Anvisa on Thursday approved the emergency use of Sinovac Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine Coronavac on those without underlying health risks aged 6 to 17, extending the country's efforts to inoculate children and teenagers. The green light came as all five Anvisa directors voted in favor of the Coronavac shot, which is produced in Brazil by Sao Paulo's Butantan Institute.

Dozens of firms to make cheap version of Merck COVID pill for poorer nations

Nearly 30 generic drugmakers in Asia, Africa and the Middle East will make cheap versions of Merck & Co's COVID-19 pill, under a landmark U.N.-backed deal to give poorer nations wider access to a drug seen as a weapon in fighting the pandemic. Merck's early greenlight to production of its anti-viral pill molnupiravir by other companies during the pandemic is a rare example in the pharmaceutical sector, which usually protects its patented treatments for longer periods.

Canada's Ontario to start lifting COVID-related curbs, Quebec more cautious

Canada's most populous province of Ontario has blunted transmission of the Omicron coronavirus variant and will gradually ease restrictions on businesses from end-January, Premier Doug Ford said on Thursday. The health care system is starting to stabilize in the wake of limitations imposed on Jan. 5, Ford told a news conference, saying Omicron cases should peak later this month.

Sputnik V shows higher Omicron-antibody levels than Pfizer in preliminary study

A small preliminary laboratory study has shown that levels of Omicron-neutralising antibodies of people vaccinated with Russia's Sputnik V vaccine did not decline as much as of those who had Pfizer shots. The joint Russian-Italian study - funded by the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which markets Sputnik V abroad - compared the blood serum of people who had received the different vaccines.

France's scientific advisory body sees coronavirus wave hitting hospitals till mid-March

The French government's main science advisory body said on Thursday that the current fifth wave of coronavirus will continue to weigh on hospitals until mid-March. The Conseil Scientifique made the forecast as Prime Minister Jean Castex was about to unveil a timetable for the possible easing of COVID restrictions.

Britain must learn to live with COVID-19, it could be with us forever - Javid

Britain must learn to live with COVID-19 as it may be with us forever, health minister Sajid Javid said on Thursday, adding that Britain was moving ahead of other countries as the government lifted coronavirus measures. "We need to learn to live with it. Sadly people die of flu as well: in a bad flu year you can sadly lose about 20,000 lives, but we don't shut down our entire country," Javid told Sky News.

Analysis-How Omicron highlights fading hope of herd immunity from COVID

The Omicron variant, which is spreading far faster than previous versions of the coronavirus, is not likely to help countries achieve so-called herd immunity against COVID-19, in which enough people become immune to the virus that it can no longer spread, leading disease experts say. From the earliest days of the pandemic, public health officials have expressed hope that it was possible to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19, as long as a high enough percentage of the population was vaccinated or infected with the virus.

France to loosen COVID curbs in February, allowing popcorn in cinemas again

France will ease work-from-home rules from early February and allow nightclubs to reopen two weeks later as the general COVID-19 situation in the country is starting to improve, Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Thursday. Caps on the number of people allowed into sports and entertainment venues will also be lifted on Feb. 2, and masks will no longer be required outdoors from that date.

U.S. preparing for possible future COVID variants -White House

The Biden administration is preparing for future variants of COVID-19, White House chief of Staff Ron Klain told MSNBC in an interview that aired on Thursday as the Omicron-related wave of cases appeared to be easing in parts of the country. "We're prepared. We're increasing the production of tests. We're increasing the production of masks," Klain said in the interview that was taped on Wednesday.

Austria set to make COVID shots compulsory after bill clears parliament

Austria's lower house of parliament passed a bill on Thursday making COVID-19 vaccinations compulsory for adults as of Feb. 1, bringing Austria closer to introducing the first such sweeping coronavirus vaccine mandate in the European Union. Faced with a stubbornly high number of vaccine holdouts and a surge in infections, the government said in November it was planning the mandate. Since then it has raised https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-austria-idINL8N2TW08U the age as of which the mandate will apply, to 18 from 14.