Health News Roundup: Moderna to develop mRNA-based shingles vaccine; Hong Kong parents rush to vaccinate children as COVID surges and more

Antibodies improve for months after mRNA vaccine Moderna to develop mRNA-based shingles vaccine Moderna Inc said on Friday it is developing three new vaccines based on the same technology used for its COVID-19 shot, including one for viral infection shingles.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Antibodies induced by mRNA shots improve for months; blood cells damaged by COVID cause blood vessel problems

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. Antibodies improve for months after mRNA vaccine

Moderna to develop mRNA-based shingles vaccine

Moderna Inc said on Friday it is developing three new vaccines based on the same technology used for its COVID-19 shot, including one for viral infection shingles. The success of COVID-19 vaccines based on messenger RNA (mRNA) technology from Moderna and rival Pfizer has prompted efforts to use the novel technology in other vaccines and therapeutics targeted at hard-to-treat diseases.

Hong Kong parents rush to vaccinate children as COVID surges

Hong Kong parents rushed children as young as 3 years old to vaccination centres this week as the government lowered the age limit for the shots and the deaths of two toddlers exacerbated concerns in a city struggling to cope with a COVID-19 surge. The government approved children 3 and older to take China's Sinovac vaccine from Feb. 15, while those 5 and older can take the BioNTech shot.

Hong Kong 'cannot afford to lose' fight against surging COVID

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Friday that it would take up to three months to stabilise a worsening COVID-19 pandemic that has overwhelmed health facilities and forced the postponement of an upcoming leadership election. "Our government needs to focus on the epidemic," Lam said at a news conference after a week that saw daily infections jump by 60% so far this month. It "cannot be diverted... we cannot afford to lose," she said.

Long COVID a global issue for patients and healthcare systems, UK review finds

British researchers led by Oxford University said on Friday that the current understanding of long COVID and options to treat it is emerging as a major long-term issue for global healthcare systems after reviewing the illness' effects on patients. The review, published in the European Heart Journal, looked at direct impacts of a coronavirus infection such as myocardial infarction or inflammatory myocarditis - severe heart conditions - and long-term effects such as fatigue and mental wellbeing.

Italy reports 53,662 coronavirus cases on Friday, 314 deaths

Italy reported 53,662 COVID-19 related cases on Friday, against 57,890 the day before, the health ministry said, while the number of deaths fell to 314 from 320. Italy has registered 152,596 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak emerged in February 2020, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the eighth highest in the world. The country has reported 12.4 million cases to date.

African countries to get mRNA vaccine technology in WHO project

The World Health Organization said on Friday six African countries - Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia - would be the first on the continent to receive the technology needed to produce mRNA vaccines. The technology transfer project, launched last year in Cape Town, aims to help low- and middle-income countries manufacture mRNA vaccines at scale and according to international standards.

Purdue's Sackler owners propose up to $6 billion in opioid settlement

The Sackler family owners of Purdue Pharma have proposed a settlement worth up to $6 billion to resolve allegations the company and the owners contributed to the U.S. opioid epidemic, according to a mediator overseeing settlement talks. The deal was revealed in a court filing by a mediator who oversaw renewed talks between the Sacklers and the states that had blocked a previous $4.3 billion settlement.

Malawi detects polio, first wild case in Africa in over 5 years

Malawi has declared a polio outbreak after a case was detected in a young child in the capital Lilongwe, the first case of wild poliovirus in Africa in more than five years, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. Laboratory analysis showed the strain detected in Malawi was linked to one that has been circulating in Pakistan, where it is still endemic, the WHO said in a statement .

EU, Africa aim to resolve vaccine patent dispute by spring -EU chief

Europe and Africa will work together to resolve by spring a rich-versus-poor nation dispute over how to ensure fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, the head of the European Commission said on Friday. "We share the same goal. We have different ways to reach that goal. There must be a bridge between those two ways," Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told a news conference at the end of a European Union-African Union summit in Brussels.

(With inputs from agencies.)