Health News Roundup: Juul appeals to block FDA ban on its e-cigarettes; U.S. CDC backs Moderna's COVID vaccine for teens, older children and more

The vote was 5-4 to overturn Roe, with conservative Chief Justice John Roberts writing separately to say he would have upheld the Mississippi law without taking the additional step of erasing the Roe precedent altogether. Factbox-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 vaccines this fall are likely to be based on the Omicron variant of the coronavirus rather than the original strain, although some experts suggest they may only offer significant benefits for older and immunocompromised people.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Juul's checkered e-cigarette journey cut short by FDA ban

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration ordered Juul Labs Inc to stop selling its e-cigarettes in the United States on Thursday, saying the company's data "lacked sufficient evidence" to show its products would be appropriate for the protection of public health. The following are significant events in the checkered history of Juul Labs, which started under the name of Ploom Inc:

European Commission grants marketing authorisation to Valneva's COVID-19 shot

French drugmaker Valneva's COVID-19 vaccine has received marketing authorisation from the European Commission (EC) for use as a primary vaccination in people from 18 to 50 years of age, the company said on Friday. The marketing authorisation will cover the European Union's member states as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.

U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, curtailing abortion rights

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that recognized women's constitutional right to abortion, a decision condemned by President Joe Biden that will dramatically change life for millions of women in America and exacerbate growing tensions in a deeply polarized country. The court, in a 6-3 ruling powered by its conservative majority, upheld a Republican-backed Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The vote was 5-4 to overturn Roe, with conservative Chief Justice John Roberts writing separately to say he would have upheld the Mississippi law without taking the additional step of erasing the Roe precedent altogether.

Factbox-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

COVID-19 vaccines this fall are likely to be based on the Omicron variant of the coronavirus rather than the original strain, although some experts suggest they may only offer significant benefits for older and immunocompromised people. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

Analysis-The next COVID booster shots will likely be updated for Omicron

COVID-19 vaccines this fall are likely to be based on the Omicron variant of the coronavirus rather than the original strain, although some experts suggest they may only offer significant benefits for older and immunocompromised people. Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax have been testing vaccines based on the first BA.1 Omicron variant that became dominant last winter, driving a massive surge in infections.

Juul appeals to block FDA ban on its e-cigarettes

Juul Labs Inc on Friday asked a federal appeals court to temporarily block the Food and Drug Administration's order to take its e-cigarettes off the shelves in the United States, saying the move would cause "irreparable harm" to the company. The once red-hot vape company has also been working with its legal advisers on options that include a possible bankruptcy filing if it is unable to get relief from the government's ban, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

U.S. CDC backs Moderna's COVID vaccine for teens, older children

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday it had recommended Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for children and adolescents aged 6 to 17, allowing a rollout of the shots to begin for that age group. A rival vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech, based on similar messenger RNA technology, has been available for teens for more than a year and since October for children aged 5 to 11.

UK officials rule out suspected case of foot and mouth disease

British officials on Friday ruled out a suspected case of foot and mouth disease in the rural eastern English county of Norfolk. Movement restrictions and a temporary 10-km control zone for animals were enforced around a farm, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Bristol Myers must face $6.4 billion lawsuit over delayed cancer drug

A U.S. judge on Friday refused to dismiss a $6.4 billion lawsuit accusing Bristol Myers Squibb Co of delaying its Breyanzi cancer drug to avoid payments to shareholders of the former Celgene Corp, which the drugmaker bought for $80.3 billion in 2019. U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman in Manhattan rejected Bristol Myers' claim that it was never properly notified about its alleged default on its merger obligations by UMB Bank NA, the trustee representing the former Celgene shareholders.

WHO's Tedros disappointed by end of U.S. abortion ruling Roe v Wade

The head of the World Health Organization said on Friday he was very disappointed by the overturning of the landmark U.S. abortion ruling Roe v Wade. "I am very disappointed, because women’s rights must be protected. And I would have expected America to protect such rights," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told Reuters on the sidelines of a Commonwealth summit in Rwanda.

(With inputs from agencies.)