Health News Roundup: Novavax cuts full-year revenue forecast again amid weak demand; Uganda shortens school term by two weeks to curb Ebola and more

Here is a look at Tuesday's results, as forecast by data provider Edison Research. China reports 8,335 new COVID cases for Nov 8 vs 7,691 a day earlier China reported 8,335 new COVID-19 infections on Nov. 8, of which 1,346 were symptomatic and 6,989 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Wednesday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

CanSino's inhalable COVID-19 vaccines to be available in Tianjin from Nov 10

Chinese pharmaceutical company CanSino Biologics said on Wednesday its inhalable COVID-19 vaccines will be available in China's northern city of Tianjin from Nov 10, a statement on its Wechat account said. Last week, the Tianjin-based company said it did not expect its inhaled COVID vaccine to significantly boost financial results, based on current immunity strategy and domestic booster vaccination rates.

Much of biopharma industry yet to set any climate impact targets - report

Much of the global pharmaceutical and biotech industry has yet to set any targets for reducing carbon emissions in line with the Paris Agreement, a new analysis has found, despite the biggest companies in the sector leading the way. The carbon output of the sector as a whole was found to eclipse emissions from the forestry and paper industry, which are widely regarded as some of the most carbon-intensive industries.

Novavax cuts full-year revenue forecast again amid weak demand

Novavax Inc cut its full-year revenue forecast on Tuesday for the second time in three months, hurt by a global supply glut in COVID-19 vaccine and waning demand. The company now expects annual revenue to be near the low end of its prior forecast range of between $2 billion and $2.3 billion.

Uganda shortens school term by two weeks to curb Ebola

Uganda will shorten the school term by two weeks to reduce daily contact amongst students and help curb the spread of Ebola, the education minister said on Tuesday. Authorities have been struggling to contain the highly infectious and deadly haemorrhagic fever since the epidemic spilled into the capital Kampala, home to around two million people.

Factbox-Michigan passes initiative protecting abortion rights

Voters in five states considered abortion-related ballot measures on Tuesday, initiatives that have taken on new urgency since the U.S. Supreme Court in June overturned the Roe v. Wade decision that had legalized abortion nationwide. In August, voters in conservative Kansas defeated a ballot measure aimed at eliminating abortion rights from the state's constitution. Here is a look at Tuesday's results, as forecast by data provider Edison Research.

China reports 8,335 new COVID cases for Nov 8 vs 7,691 a day earlier

China reported 8,335 new COVID-19 infections on Nov. 8, of which 1,346 were symptomatic and 6,989 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Wednesday. That is compared with 7,691 new cases a day earlier – 890 symptomatic and 6,801 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately.

Indonesia suspends licences of two more drug firms amid probe into child deaths

Indonesia's food and drug agency said on Wednesday it had suspended the licences of two more local drug companies producing syrup-type medications, as authorities investigate the deaths of nearly 200 children due to acute kidney injury. The Southeast Asian country temporarily banned sales of some syrup-based medications in October after it identified the presence in some products of ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol as possible factors for causing the illness.

UK approves Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID booster targeting Omicron BA.4/5

Britain's health regulator on Wednesday approved the country's first two-pronged COVID-19 booster targeting the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants and the original coronavirus strain. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said the vaccine from Pfizer and partner BioNTech was approved for use as a booster in people 12 years and older after it was found to meet safety, quality and effectiveness standards.

China's Guangzhou brings back mass testing to fight city's worst COVID outbreak

Millions of residents of China's southern manufacturing hub of Guangzhou were told on Wednesday to get tested for COVID-19, as infections topped two thousand for two days running in the city's worst outbreak so far. As local cases across China reached their highest level since April 30, authorities announced on social media that five districts representing more than half Guangzhou's population of almost 19 million would need to undergo mass testing.

Three quarters of UK long COVID sufferers working less -survey

More than three quarters of British people who have suffered persistent ill health following a COVID-19 infection have had to cut back or change the work they do, according to a survey on the impact of long COVID published on Wednesday. The survey of 1,002 people, conducted by market research company Censuswide in October for recruitment website Indeed, adds to signs that long COVID continues to be a factor behind widespread labour shortages in Britain.