Health News Roundup: Pfizer donates Paxlovid to group targeting COVID in poorer countries; EU secures more doses of Bavarian monkeypox vaccine and more

The Covid Treatment Quick Start Consortium, set up by organizations including Duke University and the Clinton Health Access Initiative with support from the pharmaceutical company, said it is working with ministries of health in 10 countries to set up national test-and-treat programmes. EU secures more doses of Bavarian monkeypox vaccine The European Union said on Wednesday it had secured an additional 170,920 doses of the monkeypox vaccine developed by biotech firm Bavarian Nordic amid concerns about the outbreak of the disease.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

PAHO secures 100,000 monkeypox vaccine doses for Latin America and Caribbean

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has lined up a supply of monkeypox vaccine for Latin America and the Caribbean, as the Americas becomes a new epicenter for the rapidly spreading disease. "PAHO has secured an agreement with Bavarian Nordic to provide 100,000 doses of monkeypox vaccines to Latin America and the Caribbean through the revolving fund," PAHO Director Dr. Carissa Etienne told a press briefing on Wednesday.

Walmart, UnitedHealth to offer preventive healthcare program for seniors

Walmart and healthcare giant UnitedHealth Group are planning to team up to provide preventive care for people aged 65 and up, and virtual healthcare services for all age groups, the companies said on Wednesday. The 10-year partnership represents Walmart's latest push into healthcare and could help the retail giant better compete with CVS Health and Walgreens Boots Alliance.

Pfizer donates Paxlovid to group targeting COVID in poorer countries

Pfizer has donated 100,000 courses of its COVID-19 antiviral treatment Paxlovid to a new group aiming to improve access to the drug in low and middle-income countries. The Covid Treatment Quick Start Consortium, set up by organizations including Duke University and the Clinton Health Access Initiative with support from the pharmaceutical company, said it is working with ministries of health in 10 countries to set up national test-and-treat programmes.

EU secures more doses of Bavarian monkeypox vaccine

The European Union said on Wednesday it had secured an additional 170,920 doses of the monkeypox vaccine developed by biotech firm Bavarian Nordic amid concerns about the outbreak of the disease. The new order more than doubles the EU's supply of the vaccine, bringing the total number of doses directly purchased by the EU to nearly 335,000.

EU wants screenings for more types of cancer as pandemic slashed check-ups

The European Commission is set to propose boosting regular screenings for cancer and expanding them to additional types of tumours, after check-ups fell dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, EU officials said on Wednesday. Up to 1 million cancer patients in Europe are estimated to have gone undiagnosed as about 100 million screening tests were not performed in the first phase of the pandemic, EU data show.

Grifols in 15-year deal with Canada for plasma-based medicines

Spanish pharmaceutical company Grifols has struck a 15-year renewable collaboration agreement with Canada's national blood authority to increase the supply of immunoglobulins (Ig) in the country, the company said on Wednesday. Under the agreement, Grifols, which uses blood plasma to make medicines, will work with Canadian Blood Services (CBS) to also source the plasma in Canada.

Egypt detects its first monkeypox case - health ministry

Egypt has detected the first monkeypox case in the country, an Egyptian man who has a residency in a European country, the health ministry said in statement on Wednesday. The 42-man was isolated in a hospital and his condition was stable, the statement added.

On COVID alert, more Chinese cities advise residents to stay put for holiday

More Chinese cities advised residents on Wednesday to avoid unnecessary trips for the upcoming holiday long weekend, adding to COVID policies that are keeping tens of millions of people under lockdown and exacting a growing economic toll. Nanjing and Wuxi, major cities in eastern China's Jiangsu province, recommended residents not leave town during the Saturday-Monday mid-autumn festival, echoing similar advisories made by other cities this month.

New York State ends mask mandates on trains, transit

New York state on Wednesday ended a 28-month-old COVID-19 mandate requiring masks on trains, buses and other modes of public transit, as well as at airports and in ride-share vehicles, Governor Kathy Hochul said. "Starting today masks will be optional," Hochul said at a news conference, citing recent revised guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We have to restore some normalcy to our lives.... Masks are encouraged but optional."

Texas judge rules Obamacare HIV prevention drug mandate unconstitutional

The U.S. Affordable Care Act's (ACA) requirement that private insurance plans cover HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, at no cost to patients is unconstitutional, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday, siding with conservative lawyers who had challenged the measure on religious grounds. U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor in Fort Worth, Texas, found that the PrEP mandate stemmed from a recommendation by an illegally appointed advisory body and that it could violate employers' religious freedom. O'Connor had once ruled the entire landmark U.S. healthcare law popularly known as Obamacare unconstitutional.

(With inputs from agencies.)