Health News Roundup: U.S. Justice Dept launches probe of Oklahoma's mental health services; Pfizer/BioNTech's updated COVID shot shows strong response against BQ.1.1 and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

U.S. Justice Dept launches probe of Oklahoma's mental health services

The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday launched a probe into whether Oklahoma, Oklahoma City and the city's police department discriminate against people who have mental health disabilities in the provision of behavioral care services. The investigation will examine if Oklahoma violates federal law, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), by relying on psychiatric institutions to serve adults with behavioral health issues rather than relying on community-based services offered to others, Assistant Attorney General Clarke said at a news conference.

Pfizer/BioNTech's updated COVID shot shows strong response against BQ.1.1

Pfizer Inc and its German partner BioNTech SE said on Friday their Omicron-tailored shot produced higher virus-neutralizing antibodies in older adults against the emerging subvariant BQ.1.1 than its original vaccine. Antibody levels against the variant rose nearly nine-fold in older adults, aged 55 and above, who received the Omicron shot compared to a roughly 2-fold increase in participants with the original shot, according to data posted on online archive bioRxiv.

Beijing district urges staying home for weekend as COVID cases rise

Beijing's biggest district urged people to stay home during the weekend and COVID-19 outbreaks grew in numerous Chinese cities on Friday, even as China further fine-tuned its COVID rules by removing capacity limits at entertainment venues.

Under a series of measures unveiled last week, authorities have sought to be more targeted in applying COVID-19 curbs that are taking a heavy toll on the economy and fuelling public frustration and anger, sparking investor hopes this week for more significant easing.

Nutrition benefits for families could increase under U.S. agency proposal

Mothers and children who receive benefits from a U.S. Department of Agriculture nutrition program would be able to spend more money on a wider range of groceries under proposed changes the USDA introduced on Thursday. The USDA proposed expanding the list of groceries participants in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program can buy to include grains like quinoa and teff, a range of non-dairy milks and cheeses as well as canned fish and beans.

Nearly half of world population suffers from oral diseases - WHO

Nearly half of the world's population, or 3.5 billion people, suffer from oral diseases, the majority of them in low- and middle-income countries, the World Health Organization said on Thursday. The most common oral illnesses are tooth decay, severe gum disease, tooth loss and oral cancers, with untreated tooth decay affecting nearly 2.5 billion people, the United Nations agency said.

Peru reports first severe bird-flu outbreak

Peru has reported its first outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza as the disease swept through some wild pelicans, the Paris-based World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said on Friday. The type A H5 virus killed 200 pelicans that were found on a beach in the northern province of Paita, WOAH said, citing a report from the Peruvian authorities.

U.S. FDA greenlights Provention Bio's diabetes drug

Prevention Bio said on Thursday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had approved the use of its drug teplizumab in those aged eight years and older, the first treatment aimed at delaying the onset of insulin-dependent type 1 diabetes. The U.S. health regulator has allowed teplizumab, to be sold under the brand name Tzield, for patients with stage 2 of the disease who have two or more disease autoantibodies and abnormality in blood sugar stability, Prevention Bio said.

How the World Health Organization might fight future pandemics

Negotiations on new rules for dealing with pandemics are underway at the World Health Organization (WHO), with a target date of May 2024 for a legally binding agreement to be adopted by the U.N. health agency's 194 member countries. A new pact is a priority for WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as his second five-year term at the head of the global health agency gets underway. It seeks to shore up the world's defenses against new pathogens following the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 6.5 million people, according to the WHO.

Big Pharma may have to reveal government deals in WHO's draft pandemic rules

Pharmaceutical companies could be made to disclose prices and deals agreed for any products they make to fight future global health emergencies, under new rules that would govern a World Health Organization-backed pandemic accord reviewed by Reuters. A draft version of the WHO accord, which is being negotiated by the U.N. health agency's 194 member countries, calls for it to be compulsory for companies to reveal the terms of any public procurement contracts.

Cancer diagnoses lag after screenings fall during a pandemic, U.S. study finds

Screenings for a variety of common cancers have not returned to pre-pandemic levels, potentially leading to diagnoses later in the course of the disease when it may be more difficult to treat successfully, U.S. data published on Thursday suggest. In 2020 - the first year of the pandemic - average rates of screening for breast cancer fell by 40%, for cervical cancer by 36%, and for colorectal cancer by 45%, compared to the three previous years, according to an analysis of medical claims data from 306 million adults.

(With inputs from agencies.)