Health News Roundup: Congo has given over 200,000 people Merck Ebola vaccine: government

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

China says U.S. can do more to reduce fentanyl demand

The U.S. government can do more to reduce demand for fentanyl and should stop shifting the blame onto others, China said on Monday, in another riposte to Trump administration criticism that China is not helping resolve the drug problem. U.S. officials say China is the main source of illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances that are trafficked into the United States, much of it through international mail. China denies that most of the illicit fentanyl entering the United States originates in China.

Congo has given over 200,000 people Merck Ebola vaccine: government

Congolese authorities and health workers vaccinated more than 200,000 people against Ebola in August, the government said on Sunday, using a Merck vaccine they hope will help rein in the world's second-worst epidemic. Figures released by the government's Ebola committee showed that 204,044 people had been inoculated since August 8. A total of 1,980 people have so far died in this epidemic, of 2,950 people suspected to have been infected -- clinically confirmed cases are a little lower, at 2,845.

Measles-stricken New Zealand girl visited Disneyland, other California destinations

A teenage girl from New Zealand sick with measles visited Disneyland and other popular tourist stops across Southern California earlier this month, possibly infecting others, local government health officials warned. The alert comes amid the worst outbreak of measles in the United States in a quarter-century, with more than 1,200 cases reported across 30 states since October 2018, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

China loosens curbs on small, unapproved drug imports

China said on Monday it was relaxing drug laws to give greater leniency to people who import small amounts of medicines unapproved in China but sold legally overseas. Under the previous law, such drugs were classified as "fake drugs". Those caught importing unapproved medicines were considered drug smugglers and faced heavy penalties.

CDC flags one death and nearly 200 cases of lung illnesses in U.S., possibly tied to vaping

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday it had identified 193 potential cases of severe lung illness tied to vaping in 22 states as of Aug. 22, including one adult in Illinois who died after being hospitalized. The CDC has been investigating a "cluster" of lung illnesses that it believes may be linked to e-cigarette use, although it has not yet been able to establish whether they were in fact caused by vaping.

Oklahoma judge to rule in $17 billion opioid lawsuit against J&J

An Oklahoma judge on Monday will decide whether Johnson & Johnson should be held liable in a $17 billion lawsuit alleging the drugmaker's marketing practices fueled the opioid epidemic by causing a flood of painkillers in the market. The case by Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter was the first to go to trial out of thousands of cases brought by state and local governments against opioid manufacturers and distributors.

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