Health News Roundup: U.S. plans to roll out COVID-19 shots for children under 5 years in February; EU pushes for COVID vaccinations in Africa as supply 'no longer' a problem and more

Risk of new heart problems much higher after COVID recovery Exclusive-EU wants pandemic treaty to ban wildlife markets, reward virus detection - source The European Union is pushing for a global deal aimed at preventing new pandemics that could include a ban on wildlife markets and incentives for countries to report new viruses or variants, an EU official told Reuters.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Drugmaker Teva may pay as much as $3.6 billion in U.S. opioid settlement

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries said on Wednesday it was bracing to pay as much as $3.6 billion in cash and medicine to settle thousands of lawsuits alleging it and other drug companies fueled the U.S. opioid epidemic. Israel-based Teva, the world's largest generic drugmaker, this week reached a settlement worth $225 million with Texas, comprising $150 million in cash and $75 million in products.

Risk of new heart problems jumps after COVID; mRNA shot side effects no different for cancer patients

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. Risk of new heart problems much higher after COVID recovery

Exclusive-EU wants pandemic treaty to ban wildlife markets, reward virus detection - source

The European Union is pushing for a global deal aimed at preventing new pandemics that could include a ban on wildlife markets and incentives for countries to report new viruses or variants, an EU official told Reuters. International negotiators will meet for the first time on Wednesday to prepare talks for a potential treaty, said the official, who is not authorised to speak to media and so declined to be named.

COVID cases surpass 400 million as Omicron grips world

Global COVID-19 cases surpassed 400 million on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally, as the highly contagious Omicron variant dominates the outbreak, pushing health systems in several countries to the brink of capacity. The Omicron variant, which is dominating the surge around the world, accounts for almost all new cases reported daily. While cases have begun to level off in many countries, more than 2 million cases are still being reported on average each day, according to a Reuters analysis. Deaths, which tend to lag cases, have increased by 70% in the last five weeks based on the seven-day average.

U.S. plans to roll out COVID-19 shots for children under 5 years in February

The U.S. government is planning to roll out COVID-19 shots for children under the age of 5 as soon as Feb. 21, according to a document from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering authorizing the use of the Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE vaccine in the age group even though it did not meet a key target in a clinical trial of two- to four-year-olds.

EU pushes for COVID vaccinations in Africa as supply 'no longer' a problem

Top European Union officials said on Wednesday low absorption of COVID-19 vaccines in African countries had become the main problem in the global vaccine rollout following a recent increase in supplies of jabs. African nations have begun their vaccine campaigns much later than wealthier states which secured the initially limited doses starting in late 2020.

Sweden declare pandemic over, despite warnings from scientists

Sweden scrapped almost all of its few pandemic restrictions on Wednesday and stopped most testing for COVID-19, even as the pressure on the healthcare systems remained high and some scientists begged for more patience in fighting the disease. Sweden's government, which throughout the pandemic has opted against lockdowns in favour of a voluntary approach, announced last week it would scrap the remaining restrictions - effectively declaring the pandemic over - as vaccines and the less severe Omicron variant have cushioned severe cases and deaths.

Palestinian authorities step up COVID measures as hospitals fill up

Palestinian authorities have ramped up COVID-19 testing and vaccinations in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip and warned that public indifference to their calls for masking and social distancing is hampering efforts to fight the pandemic. The Palestinian Authority Health Ministry said the total number of active cases of COVID-19 in the two territories stood at 64,000 on Wednesday due to the highly infectious Omicron variant.

New York eases COVID-19 rules, Massachusetts to drop school mask mandate

The governors of New York and Massachusetts announced on Wednesday that they would end certain mask mandates in their states, joining a growing list of U.S. state leaders planning to lift face-covering rules as the latest COVID-19 surge eases. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said her state would stop requiring people to wear a mask or prove they had received a COVID-19 vaccine when entering most indoor public places, starting on Thursday, thanks to a decrease in COVID cases and hospitalizations.

UK PM Johnson speeds up plan to end COVID self-isolation rule

People in England with COVID-19 will from late February no longer be legally required to self-isolate to stem the spread of COVID-19, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday, proposing to speed up existing plans to live with the virus. Johnson ended almost all COVID-19 restrictions in England last July, and last month lifted "Plan B" measures that had been temporarily imposed to slow the spread of the more recent Omicron variant of the coronavirus.