Health News Roundup: Takeda's dengue vaccine wins EU approval; Novavax to make COVID-19 vaccine shots in Canada and more

Three years into the pandemic, many in China had been itching for Beijing to start to align its rigid virus prevention measures with the rest of the world, which has largely opened up in an effort to live with the disease. Novavax to make COVID-19 vaccine shots in Canada Novavax Inc said on Wednesday it will manufacture its COVID-19 vaccine in Canada after the country's health regulator allowed its use in children aged between 12 and 17 years as a primary series of shots.


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 08-12-2022 18:59 IST | Created: 08-12-2022 18:27 IST
Health News Roundup: Takeda's dengue vaccine wins EU approval; Novavax to make COVID-19 vaccine shots in Canada and more
Representative image Image Credit: ANI

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Takeda's dengue vaccine wins EU approval

Japanese company Takeda's dengue vaccine was authorised for use in the European Union on Thursday, making it the second approved vaccine for the mosquito-borne disease that causes millions of infections annually. The vaccine, branded QDENGA, is designed for use those aged 4 and older to prevent any of the four so-called serotypes of dengue.

Novavax to make COVID-19 vaccine shots in Canada

Novavax Inc said on Wednesday it will manufacture its COVID-19 vaccine in Canada after the country's health regulator allowed its use in children aged between 12 and 17 years as a primary series of shots. Production of test batches of the protein-based vaccine, Nuvaxovid, will begin at the Montreal manufacturing center by early 2023, the company said.

Around 5.5 million people have signed up for 2023 Obamacare plans

Nearly 5.5 million Americans so far have signed up for health insurance for next year through the Affordable Care Act's marketplace, an 18% increase over the same period last year, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday. People who want to choose a healthcare plan for 2023 under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, can enroll between Nov. 1 and Jan. 15. However, if they want to be covered as of Jan. 1 they generally need to choose a plan by Dec. 15.

As China starts dismantling 'zero-COVID' controls, fears of virus grow

As many Chinese embraced new freedoms on Thursday after the country dropped key parts of its tough zero-COVID regime, there was mounting concern that a virus, which had largely been kept in check, could soon run wild. Three years into the pandemic, many in China had been itching for Beijing to start to align its rigid virus prevention measures with the rest of the world, which has largely opened up in an effort to live with the disease.

French health authority advises against use of Valneva's COVID-19 vaccine

France's Haute Autorite de Sante public health body advised the government not to use Valneva's VLA2001 COVID-19 vaccine as part of its wider vaccination strategy, although two rival products should be included as booster shots. The snub caused Valneva's shares to fall, with Valneva down by around 1% during the late morning trading session in Paris.

At start of WHO talks on pandemic pact, developing countries seek fairness

Developing nations are lobbying for fairer access to treatments than they got during COVID-19 as global talks begin on drafting new health rules for combating pandemics. But they worry that the odds of a favourable outcome from a scheduled 18 months of negotiations at the World Health Organization (WHO) are already stacked against them, as they lack the negotiating firepower of wealthier countries.

French farmer wins $11,700 in Bayer pesticide fumes case

Germany's Bayer has been ordered to pay compensation of 11,135 euros ($11,700) to a French farmer who inhaled fumes from a weedkiller, ending a 15-year legal battle. The French case had added to health claims against the crop chemical and pharmaceutical group, which is facing thousands of cases in the United States over another weedkiller.

Malaria deaths dip in 2021 after rising in first year of COVID, says WHO

Malaria-related deaths fell slightly in 2021 after a significant increase in the first year of COVID-19, but remained higher than the pre-pandemic estimated toll, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) report on Thursday. Estimated deaths from malaria globally declined to 619,000 last year from 625,000 in 2020 as healthcare services stabilized after pandemic-led disruptions, especially in Africa where the disease is most prevalent, the WHO stated in its World Malaria Report 2022.

Uganda receives 1,200 doses of Ebola vaccine candidates for trials

A shipment of Ebola vaccine candidates set to be used in a clinical trial have arrived in Uganda, where an outbreak has infected 142 people and killed at least 56, health authorities said on Thursday. Last week Uganda said it had discharged its last Ebola patient from hospital, raising hopes for the end of an outbreak of the deadly haemorrhagic fever declared on September 20.

Sun Pharma gets FDA import warning for India plant, shares drop

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd's drug shipments from its Gujarat plant could be refused entry in its key U.S. market after the drug regulator slapped an import alert on the facility, the drugmaker said on Thursday. The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) import alert implies all future shipments of products made at the plant in Halol, Gujarat could be refused admission to the U.S. market until the facility becomes compliant with the regulator's Current Good Manufacturing Practice standards.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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