Health News Roundup: WHO says monkeypox outbreak 'containable', confirms 131 cases outside Africa; Pfizer ulcerative colitis drug leads to remission in a third of patients -study and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. WHO says monkeypox outbreak 'containable', confirms 131 cases outside Africa The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday there have been 131 confirmed monkeypox cases and 106 further suspected cases since the first was reported on May 7 outside the countries where it usually spreads.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

WHO says monkeypox outbreak 'containable', confirms 131 cases outside Africa

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday there have been 131 confirmed monkeypox cases and 106 further suspected cases since the first was reported on May 7 outside the countries where it usually spreads. While the outbreak is unusual, it remains "containable" and limited, the WHO said, and it is convening further meetings to support member states with more advice on how to tackle the situation.

Pfizer ulcerative colitis drug leads to remission in a third of patients -study

Nearly one-third of patients with ulcerative colitis who received an experimental Pfizer Inc drug in a clinical trial were in remission after a year of treatment, the drugmaker said on Tuesday. The drug, etrasimod, was the key asset Pfizer picked up in its $6.7 billion deal for Arena Pharmaceuticals last year. Analysts have estimated that peak sales could top $3 billion a year.

Beijing ramps up COVID quarantines, Shanghai residents decry uneven rules

Beijing stepped up quarantine efforts to end its month-old COVID outbreak as fresh signs of frustration emerged in Shanghai, where some bemoaned unfair curbs with the city of 25 million preparing to lift a prolonged lockdown in just over a week. Even as China's drastic attempts to eradicate COVID entirely - its "zero-COVID" approach - bite into prospects for the world's second-biggest economy, newly reported infection numbers remain well below levels seen in many Western cities. The capital reported 48 new cases for Monday among its population of 22 million, with Shanghai reporting fewer than 500.

French health authority recommends targeted monkeypox vaccinations

France's HAS health authority said on Tuesday it recommended starting a targeted vaccination campaign to fight monkeypox. The HAS said it recommended that as soon as a confirmed case of monkeypox has been discovered, vaccination should be given to adults who have been in contact with the patient and who are considered to be at risk.

Germany orders 40,000 vaccine doses as a precaution against monkeypox spread

Germany has ordered 40,000 doses of a Bavarian Nordic vaccine to be ready to vaccinate contacts of those infected with monkeypox if an outbreak in Germany becomes more severe, but officials are banking on other precautionary measures for now. Speaking at a press conference, German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said on Tuesday that measures such as an isolation period of at least 21 days recommended for infected people would suffice for now to contain the outbreak.

Davos booster for $18 billion fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria

A global health fund has raised a third of the $18 billion it says is needed to reverse setbacks caused by the coronavirus pandemic and combat AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced its first pledge from the private sector on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, in Davos, on Tuesday.

Taiwan kept COVID below 15,000 cases for all 2021. Now it has 80,000 a day, testing its 'new model'

Billed a COVID-19 success story as its economy boomed through the pandemic, Taiwan is now battling a record wave of infections as it eases restrictions that had kept outbreaks at bay to start life with the virus. For the whole of 2021, Taiwan reported less than 15,000 locally transmitted cases. Now, it's registering around 80,000 cases a day - a startling reversal after the effectiveness of its long-standing zero-COVID policy won it international praise.

Czech Republic detects its first case of monkeypox

The Czech Republic confirmed its first case of monkeypox on Tuesday, the head of the Czech Infectious Medicine Society (SIL) said. "Today, a case was confirmed by a laboratory," SIL chairman Pavel Dlouhy told Reuters, confirming a report by news website Seznam Zpravy.

Moderna testing potential monkeypox vaccines

Moderna Inc is testing potential vaccines against monkeypox in pre-clinical trials as the disease spreads in the United States and Europe. The World Health Organization said on Tuesday there have been 131 confirmed monkeypox cases and 106 further suspected cases since the first was reported on May 7 outside the countries where it usually spreads.

Germany's vaccine panel says one COVID shot enough for children

Germany's vaccine advisory panel on Tuesday said one COVID-19 shot was enough for healthy five to 11-year-olds because most of them had already undergone an infection, be it known of undetected. The view by the panel of 18 appointees known as STIKO contrasts with approval by European Union regulators for a two-shot regimen in that age group. U.S. regulators last week even authorized a third, or booster shot for the group.

(With inputs from agencies.)