Health News Roundup: Pfizer/BioNTech say booster dose increases protection vs Omicron in kids aged 5-11; Factbox-Restrictions vs protections: How states are taking sides on abortion and more

Blood serum analysis of 30 pediatric participants who received a booster dose in a study showed a 36-fold increase in Omicron neutralizing antibodies, the drugmakers said. Factbox-Restrictions vs protections: How states are taking sides on abortion This spring, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to roll back constitutional protections for abortion that have been in place since the 1973 Roe v.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Pfizer/BioNTech say booster dose increases protection vs Omicron in kids aged 5-11

A third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc and BioNTech produced significant protection against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in healthy children ages 5 to 11, the companies said on Thursday. Blood serum analysis of 30 pediatric participants who received a booster dose in a study showed a 36-fold increase in Omicron neutralizing antibodies, the drugmakers said.

Factbox-Restrictions vs protections: How states are taking sides on abortion

This spring, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to roll back constitutional protections for abortion that have been in place since the 1973 Roe v. Wade landmark ruling. Conservative states are swiftly passing abortion restrictions in anticipation of the court's decision, while liberal states are seeking to protect and expand abortion rights. Here are some bills gaining traction this year:

'Last few tweaks' being made to COVID IP waiver deal -WTO chief

The head of the World Trade Organization told Reuters on Thursday that negotiations on an intellectual property deal for COVID-19 vaccines were ongoing between the four parties, saying they were seeking to agree on the proposal's final terms. Since the draft compromise emerged in the media a month ago, pressure from civil society groups has been rising for the parties - the United States, the European Union, India and South Africa - to walk away from the deal. Other public figures have also criticized it such as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, saying it is too narrowly focused on vaccines.

Florida governor signs 15-week abortion ban into law

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed into law a ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, a restriction the U.S. Supreme Court could soon declare to be constitutional when it finishes reviewing a similar Mississippi ban this spring. Florida's law, which is due to go into effect July 1, will significantly reduce access to late-term abortions for women across the U.S. Southeast if it is not stopped in court. Women across the region travel hundreds of miles to end pregnancies in Florida because of stricter abortion laws in surrounding states.

Worldwide COVID cases surpass 500 million as Omicron variant BA.2 surges

Global COVID-19 cases surpassed 500 million on Thursday, according to a Reuters tally, as the highly contagious BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron surges in many countries in Europe and Asia. The rise of BA.2 has been blamed for recent surges in China as well as record infections in Europe. It has been called the "stealth variant" because it is slightly harder to track than others.

Britain approves Moderna's COVID shot for 6-11 year-olds

Britain's medicines regulator on Thursday approved the use of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine in children between six and 11 years, as the country bolsters itself for fighting coronavirus infections amid the spread of new virus variants. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mhra-approves-the-moderna-covid-19-vaccine-spikevax-for-use-in-6-to-11-year-olds the approval was granted after Moderna's vaccine, known as Spikevax, met the required standards of safety, quality and effectiveness.

Planned Parenthood, ACLU sue to block Kentucky's abortion restrictions

Abortion providers including Planned Parenthood on Thursday sued to block a sweeping new Kentucky law that forces them to stop offering the procedure until they can meet certain requirements, saying it amounted to an unconstitutional ban on abortions. A Planned Parenthood affiliate and a clinic represented by the American Civil Liberties Union filed separate lawsuits a day after the Republican-led legislature overrode a veto by the state's Democratic governor to enact the anti-abortion law.

Shanghai turns residences into COVID isolation facilities, sparking protest

Shanghai is converting residential buildings into quarantine centers to house a mounting number of COVID-19 cases, but the move is sparking anger and protest from neighbors worried they are being put at increased risk of infection. In an incident live-streamed on Thursday afternoon on the Chinese messaging platform WeChat, about 30 people wearing hazmat suits with the word "police" on their back could be seen scuffling with other people outside a housing compound, taking away at least one person.

The fourth shot protects against severe Omicron outcomes; COVID may increase risk of rare eye blood clots

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. The fourth vaccine dose protects against Omicron for at least a month

Nektar stops clinical trials for a key cancer drug, shares tumble

Nektar Therapeutics said on Thursday it had stopped all trials involving its key cancer drug following its failure in multiple studies, dragging the drug developer's shares down 23% in after-market trading. The trials that Nektar stopped included those involving a combination of its drug bempegaldesleukin with Bristol Myers Squibb Co's cancer drug Opdivo as well Merck & Co Inc's cancer drug Keytruda.