Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. China's pig herd in Sept down 41.1% from year earlier

China's pig herd in September was 41.1% smaller than it was a year earlier, the agriculture ministry said on Monday, as a year-long African swine fever epidemic continued to slash the world's largest herd. The number of sows in China also fell by 38.9% in September, after the deadly disease spread to every province in the country. Malaysia considers total vaping ban after reports of U.S. deaths

Malaysia is considering banning the sale of electronic cigarettes, its health minister said on Monday, citing growing reports of deaths in the United States linked to e-cigarettes and vaping. As of Friday, U.S. authorities had reported 29 deaths and 1,299 cases of respiratory illnesses linked to the use of e-cigarettes and vaporizers, amid calls for stricter regulation. Congo to start using Johnson & Johnson Ebola vaccine in November

Health authorities in Democratic Republic of Congo will introduce a Johnson & Johnson Ebola vaccine in November in the country's eastern provinces, to counter the current outbreak, they said. The J&J vaccine will complement another vaccine manufactured by Merck, which has been administered to more than 225,000 people. It requires two injections eight weeks apart, unlike the Merck vaccine, which requires a single shot.

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