Health News Roundup: White House faces April 18 deadline on transit mask mandate; Shanghai eases lockdown in some areas despite record COVID infections and more

A law mandating the general population get vaccinated, which had failed to pass the parliament last week could have increased demand and made use of the surplus shots. Denmark stocks up on iodine pills to bolster nuclear emergency plan Denmark's Health Agency, concerned by the war in Ukraine, will buy 2 million iodine tablets to protect people in the event of a nuclear accident close to the Nordic country, it said on Monday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Drugmakers pledge speedier European market launches to avert stricter regulation

Drugmakers on Monday pledged to speed up the market launch of new drugs in underserved EU member states in a bid to avert stricter regulation by Brussels. European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) said in a statement on Monday its members pledge to file for reimbursement by national health systems no later than two years after EU regulatory approval, "provided that local systems allow it".

White House faces April 18 deadline on transit mask mandate

The Biden administration faces an April 18 deadline on whether to extend or end a mandate requiring travelers to wear masks on airplanes, trains and in transit hubs. Industry groups and Republican lawmakers want the White House to end the 14-month-old mask mandate. But it comes amid a spike in COVID-19 cases - including numerous U.S. officials who attended a recent white-tie dinner in Washington.

Shanghai eases lockdown in some areas despite record COVID infections

China's financial centre of Shanghai started easing its lockdown in some areas on Monday despite reporting a record of more than 25,000 new COVID-19 infections, as authorities sought to get the city moving again after more than two weeks. Pressure has been mounting on authorities in China's most populous city, and one of its wealthiest, from residents growing increasingly frustrated as the curbs dragged on, leaving some struggling to find enough food and medicine.

Some 3 million COVID vaccine doses to expire in Germany by end of June

Around three million COVID-19 vaccine doses are expected to expire in Germany by the end of June, a spokesperson for the health ministry said on Monday, as supply outstrips demand because a declining number of people are being vaccinated. A law mandating the general population get vaccinated, which had failed to pass the parliament last week could have increased demand and made use of the surplus shots.

Denmark stocks up on iodine pills to bolster nuclear emergency plan

Denmark's Health Agency, concerned by the war in Ukraine, will buy 2 million iodine tablets to protect people in the event of a nuclear accident close to the Nordic country, it said on Monday. Iodine is considered a way of protecting the body against conditions such as thyroid cancer in case of radioactive exposure, and worries about nuclear incidents in Ukraine have prompted stockpiling across Europe.

Canada's Ontario in sixth COVID wave, hospitalizations likely to rise -official

Ontario is in the sixth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic driven by the highly transmissible BA.2 sub-variant of the Omicron coronavirus and hospitalizations are likely to rise over the coming weeks, the most populous Canadian province's top doctor said on Monday. "In the last few weeks we have seen an increase in the percent positivity and upward trend in wastewater surveillance and a rise in hospitalizations. These trends are likely to continue for the next several weeks," Ontario's chief medical officer Kieran Moore said at a briefing.

RedHill pill shows promise vs Omicron; mRNA vaccines appear effective in those with well-controlled HIV

The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review. Experimental pill shows promise against Omicron

Walgreens fed opioid addiction, Florida says as trial starts

Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc supplied billions of opioid pills to drug addicts and criminals, contributing to an addiction epidemic in Florida, a lawyer for the state said on Monday as a civil trial against the pharmacy chain got underway.

Walgreens filled one in four opioid prescriptions in Florida between 1999 and 2020, and failed to investigate red flags that could have prevented drugs from being diverted for illegal use, the state's lawyer Jim Webster said as jurors heard opening statements in the trial held in New Port Richey.

WHO says it is analysing two new Omicron COVID sub-variants

The World Health Organization said on Monday it is tracking a few dozen cases of two new sub-variants of the highly transmissible Omicron strain of the coronavirus to assess whether they are more infectious or dangerous. It has added BA.4 and BA.5, sister variants of the original BA.1 Omicron variant, to its list for monitoring. It is already tracking BA.1 and BA.2 - now globally dominant - as well as BA.1.1 and BA.3.

Explainer-I'm eligible for a second COVID booster. Should I get one?

U.S. officials now say that people 50 and older can get a second COVID-19 booster shot to fortify their immune defenses against COVID-19. But for individuals in that group, the decision is complicated. Here are considerations health experts say people should weigh.