Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

UK has 10 people in hospital with Omicron, deputy PM Raab says

British Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said on Tuesday that there were 10 people in hospital with Omicron. Earlier, Raab had told Sky News that there were at least 250 people with Omicron in hospital. He then told the BBC that nine people with Omicron were in hospital.

Pfizer says COVID-19 pill near 90% effective in final analysis

Pfizer Inc on Tuesday said final analysis of its antiviral COVID-19 pill still showed near 90% efficacy in preventing hospitalizations and deaths in high-risk patients, and recent lab data suggests the drug retains its effectiveness against the fast spreading Omicron variant of the coronavirus. The U.S. drugmaker last month said the oral medicine was around 89% effective in preventing hospitalizations or deaths when compared to placebo based on interim results in around 1,200 people. The data disclosed on Tuesday includes an additional 1,000 people.

Births in Italy hit 160-year low and continue to slide

Births in Italy last year hit their lowest level since the unification of Italy in 1861, the national statistics office said on Tuesday, as the figure fell for a 12th consecutive year.

There were 404,892 births last year, the ISTAT statistics office said, down 15,192 on the previous year.

India’s Serum plans to launch Novavax shot for children in six months

The Serum Institute of India (SII) plans to launch the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine for children in the country in six months, its CEO said on Tuesday, adding global vaccine supplies were outstripping the absorption capacity of many countries. The Novavax shot, which the world’s largest producer of vaccines calls Covovax, has shown good results in trials in children aged three and older, Adar Poonawalla told a virtual conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry.

India stuck with COVID-19 vaccines it can’t export

India is struggling to export its surplus of COVID-19 vaccines as logistical hurdles delay their use in many countries despite low levels of inoculation, vaccine producer the Serum Institute of India (SII) and a government official said on Tuesday. The SII, the world’s biggest vaccine maker that produces the AstraZeneca, Novavax and Sputnik COVID-19 shots, has already announced plans to temporarily halve output of the AstraZeneca drug until more orders came, including possibly through boosters.

China’s southern Guangzhou city detects one COVID-19 infection of Omicron variant

Health authorities in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou have detected one infection of the Omicron coronavirus variant, the state broadcaster CCTV said on Tuesday. The infected person, a 67-year-old man who entered China from overseas in November and flew to Guangzhou after quarantine last week, tested positive while he was isolated at home in the city, according to CCTV.

Singapore mulls COVID-19 boosters requirement to qualify as ‘fully’ vaccinated

Singapore is considering requiring its residents to get a booster shot to qualify as fully vaccinated against COVID-19, its health minister said on Tuesday, as it seeks to protect its population from the Omicron variant. The city-state of 5.5 million people currently allows only those counted as fully vaccinated – or recipients of two shots – to enter malls or dine in at restaurants or at hawker stalls.

In South Africa Omicron wave, Pfizer vaccine less effective against hospitalisation – study

Two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine appear to have given 70% protection against hospitalisation in South Africa in recent weeks, according to a major real-world study which suggests weaker efficacy against the new Omicron variant. The study released on Tuesday by South Africa’s largest private health insurance administrator, Discovery Health, was based on more than 211,000 positive COVID-19 test results. Around 78,000 of those results from Nov. 15 to Dec. 7 were attributed to Omicron.

Russia yet to hand over all data for COVID vaccine’s WHO approval – Kremlin

Russia has still not handed over all the information needed for its flagship Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine to be approved by the World Health Organisation because of differences in regulatory standards, the Kremlin said on Tuesday. Moscow rushed to approve the Sputnik V shot for domestic use last year, but it has still not been certified by either the WHO or the European Medicines Agency, the EU’s drug regulator.

Bristol Myers enters up to $920 million deal with Immatics for cancer drug

Drugmaker Bristol Myers Squibb has agreed to spend up to $920 million for global exclusive rights to an experimental immunotherapy developed by Immatics NV, the companies said on Tuesday. Under the agreement, the companies will co-develop the therapy, IMA401. Cancer-focused drug developer Immatics will receive an upfront payment of $150 million, up to $770 million in milestone payments and tiered double-digit royalty payments on net sales of the therapy.

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