Health News Roundup: Beijing warns of 'explosive' COVID outbreak as Shanghai begins mass testing; U.S. drops COVID testing for incoming international air travelers and more

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a conference call on Friday that her agency is working with the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to expand testing capacity to include commercial laboratories. Beijing bar-linked COVID outbreak 'explosive' in nature -govt spokesman Beijing's recent outbreak of COVID-19 that has been linked to bars in the capital is "explosive" in nature, widespread in scope and complex, a Beijing government spokesman said in a briefing on Saturday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Canada, in a world first, proposes health warnings on individual cigarettes

Canada is proposing that written health warnings be printed on individual cigarettes, the first country in the world to do so, a federal minister said on Friday. In 2001, Canada broke new ground globally by requiring picture warnings on cigarette packages. Mental Health and Addictions Minister Carolyn Bennett said the measure had become stale for the 13% of Canadians who smoke regularly.

Beijing warns of 'explosive' COVID outbreak as Shanghai begins mass testing

China's capital Beijing is facing an "explosive" COVID-19 outbreak connected to a bar, a government spokesman warned on Saturday, as the commercial hub of Shanghai began mass testing to contain a jump in cases tied to a popular beauty salon. The warning followed a renewed tightening of COVID curbs in Beijing since Thursday, with at least two districts - including its most populous, Chaoyang - closing certain entertainment venues after a flare-up in a busy neighbourhood known for its nightlife, shopping and streets of embassies.

U.S. drops COVID testing for incoming international air travelers

The United States late Friday rescinded a 17-month-old requirement that people arriving in the country by air test negative for COVID-19, a move that follows intense lobbying by airlines and the travel industry. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky issued a four-page order https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/pdf/rescission-global-testing-order-p.pdf.pdf lifting the mandate, effective at 12:01 a.m. ET (0400 GMT) Sunday, saying it is "not currently necessary."

U.S. FDA staff says Moderna COVID vaccine effective and safe for children

U.S. Food and Drug Administration staff reviewers on Friday said Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine appears safe and effective for use in children aged 6 months to 17 years old as a committee of scientists will meet next week to vote on whether to recommend the regulator authorize the vaccine in children. The FDA's reviewers said in briefing documents published on Friday evening that the vaccine had generated a similar immune response in the children than that observed in adults in previous trials.

Valneva working on remediation plan for COVID-19 vaccine candidate

French drugmaker Valneva said on Friday it had proposed a remediation plan after receiving the European Commission's notice of intent to terminate the advance purchase agreement for its inactivated COVID-19 vaccine candidate. "Some member states have confirmed their interest in having an inactivated, adjuvanted whole-virus vaccine solution in their portfolio," the company said in a statement.

White House says Delta to ship UK baby formula starting June 20

Delta Air Lines Inc will start transporting 3.2 million bottles of Kendamil baby formula on June 20, the White House said on Friday in announcing the sixth shipment of overseas formula to help quell a U.S. shortage. Delta will ship about 212,000 pounds of the British formula maker's product from London to Boston and Detroit, where it will then get to retailers, the White House said in a statement.

FDA requires disclosure of suicide risk for anti-baldness drug

U.S. health regulators rejected a request to remove popular anti-baldness pill Propecia and its generic versions from the market, but for the first time required patient notification about reports of suicidal behavior in men taking the drug. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has previously approved revised Propecia labels that mentioned risks of persistent sexual dysfunction and depression but not suicide. A patient advocacy group, the Post-Finasteride Syndrome Foundation, petitioned the FDA in 2017 to order Merck & Co to either stop selling the drug or require far stronger warnings, citing several scientific studies. Finasteride is the generic name for Propecia.

Bluebird bio's gene therapy for blood disorder gets FDA panel backing

Bluebird bio's treatment for a rare blood disorder received backing from advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday, in a vote of confidence in gene therapies and bolstering the company beset by regulatory setbacks. The decision comes less than 24 hours after the same committee in a surprise move endorsed approval of bluebird's other gene therapy, eli-cel, for a rare neurological disease despite concerns that the treatment may cause cancer.

U.S. seeks to expand monkeypox testing as cases rise

U.S. health officials are working to expand capabilities to test for monkeypox beyond a narrow group of public health labs, heeding calls from infectious disease experts who say testing for the virus needs to become part of routine care. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a conference call on Friday that her agency is working with the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to expand testing capacity to include commercial laboratories.

Beijing bar-linked COVID outbreak 'explosive' in nature -govt spokesman

Beijing's recent outbreak of COVID-19 that has been linked to bars in the capital is "explosive" in nature, widespread in scope and complex, a Beijing government spokesman said in a briefing on Saturday. The capital has reported 46 new local COVID cases on Saturday as of 3 p.m. local time (0700 GMT), health official Liu Xiaofeng said at the same briefing.

(With inputs from agencies.)