Health News Roundup: Enfamil maker Reckitt flies baby formula to U.S. from Singapore; U.S. FDA authorizes Novavax COVID vaccine for adults and more

The filing follows approval last month by U.S. regulators for Moderna Inc's two-dose vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech three-shot regimen for children in the same age group. Explainer-What is the BA.5 variant and why does it seem to be reinfecting so many people with COVID-19? BA.5, part of the Omicron family, is the latest coronavirus variant to cause widespread waves of infection globally.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Enfamil maker Reckitt flies baby formula to U.S. from Singapore

Enfamil maker Reckitt on Wednesday afternoon flew 65 tonnes of baby formula to Chicago from its plant in Singapore, aiming to end a months-long shortage in the United States by late summer, a senior executive said. Similac maker Abbott Laboratories in February recalled dozens of types of baby formula, taking the country's biggest industry player off the market and creating one of the biggest U.S. food shortages in recent American history.

U.S. FDA authorizes Novavax COVID vaccine for adults

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the use of Novavax Inc's COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, clearing the way for a shot whose more traditional technology has raised hopes of wider acceptance among vaccine skeptics. Shares of Novavax rose 1.3% to $70.89 after its two-dose vaccine became the fourth COVID shot to be authorized for use in adults in the United States.

New Zealand announces free masks, and tests as health system struggles with COVID

The New Zealand government on Thursday announced free masks and rapid antigen tests as it tries to stem the spread of COVID-19 and relieve pressure on the country's health system which is dealing with an influx of COVID and influenza patients.

There has been a significant jump in the number of new COVID cases in New Zealand in the past couple of weeks and authorities are forecasting that this wave of Omicron might be worst than the first.

Pfizer, Biotech seek Japan regulatory approval of COVID shot for young children

Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE have sought approval from Japan's health ministry for use of their COVID-19 vaccine for use in children aged six months to four years, the companies said in a statement on Thursday. The filing follows approval last month by U.S. regulators for Moderna Inc's two-dose vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech three-shot regimen for children in the same age group.

Explainer-What is the BA.5 variant and why does it seem to be reinfecting so many people with COVID-19?

BA.5, part of the Omicron family, is the latest coronavirus variant to cause widespread waves of infection globally. According to the World Health Organization's most recent report, it was behind 52% of cases sequenced in late June, up from 37% in one week. In the United States, it is estimated to be causing around 65% of infections.

U.S. accuses Fresenius Medical Care unit of fraud in dialysis treatment

The United States has joined a whistleblower lawsuit accusing a unit of Germany's Fresenius Medical Care AG of defrauding Medicare and other healthcare programs by billing for medically unnecessary procedures on dialysis patients. According to a civil complaint filed late Tuesday night, Fresenius Vascular Care violated the federal False Claims Act by routinely performing the procedures on patients with end-stage renal disease at nine facilities in New York City and its suburbs from January 2012 to June 2018.

U.S. says pharmacies must fill reproductive health prescriptions

The Biden administration said on Wednesday that refusing to fill prescriptions for drugs that could be used to terminate a pregnancy could violate federal law, regardless of various state bans on the procedure. This "guidance" https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/pharmacies-guidance.pdf, which involves roughly 60,000 U.S. retail pharmacies, comes days after President Joe Biden signed an executive order easing access to services to terminate pregnancies after the U.S. Supreme Court last month overturned the Roe v. Wade ruling that made abortions legal nationwide.

Last maternity clinic in Ukraine-controlled Donbas a lifeline as war closes in

In the last specialist maternity ward still under Ukrainian control in the eastern Donbas region, the windows are packed with sandbags. Rooms used for births at the Perinatal Centre in the city of Pokrovsk follow the two-wall rule, which says the safest parts of a building are separated from the outside by at least two walls. "Sometimes we've had to deliver babies during shelling," said Dr. Ivan Tsyganok, head of the centre. "Labour is a process that cannot be stopped."

Why world's first malaria shot won't reach millions of children who need it

After decades of work, the World Health Organization endorsed the first-ever malaria vaccine last year - a historic milestone that promised to drive back a disease that kills a child every minute. In reality, efforts are falling well short of that, with a lack of funding and commercial potential thwarting GSK Plc's capacity to produce as many doses of its shot as needed, according to Reuters interviews with about a dozen WHO officials, GSK staff, scientists and non-profit groups.

Adapted, two-strain vaccines to lift COVID protection - EU official

Adapted versions of established mRNA COVID-19 vaccines that address two variants in one shot will soon offer people better protection than vaccines that are now available, a European health official said on Wednesday. Moderna and the BioNTech-Pfizer alliance are working on vaccines based on a combination of the original Wuhan virus and an Omicron subvariant.