Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
Pfizer's RSV vaccine found effective, safe among older adults in study
Pfizer Inc said on Thursday its vaccine for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) was effective among older adults in a late-stage study and it plans to file for approval with the U.S. health regulator in the coming months. There are no U.S.-approved vaccines for RSV, a common virus that typically causes mild cold-like symptoms but can be fatal for young kids and older adults. RSV is estimated to cause about 14,000 annual deaths among older adults in the United States.
U.S. monkeypox cases may be peaking, experts say
Monkeypox cases in some large U.S. cities appear to be declining, matching trends seen in Europe, and experts are cautiously optimistic the outbreak may have peaked in places hit hardest hit by the virus. The World Health Organization earlier on Thursday said monkeypox cases reported globally declined 21% last week, after a month-long trend of rising infections, but noted that U.S. cases continued to rise.
Factbox-U.S. abortion restrictions mount after overturning of Roe v. Wade
New abortion bans are taking effect in four U.S. states this week, adding to the raft of restrictions states have enforced since the U.S. Supreme Court ended the nationwide right to abortion in June. Here is the latest on abortion access in the United States:
China customs drops some COVID reporting for international arrivals; quarantine remains
China still requires international passengers to take pre-departure COVID-19 tests and quarantine upon arrival, the customs office said on Friday, a day after dropping some reporting requirements for travelers clearing customs. China, which has shortened the quarantine period and removed some testing and self-isolation requirements for inbound international travelers, still has some of the world's most stringent COVID-19 policies.
Energy costs alarm Britons needing at-home kidney care
Sitting next to her dialysis machine which pumps clean blood around her body for four hours every day, Dawn White says she fears Britain's spiraling energy costs mean she will no longer be able to afford the price of her life-saving treatment.
"Without my machine five times a week, 20 hours, I will die," 59-year-old White told Reuters while lying on a bed beside the dialysis machine in a purpose-built cabin in the garden of her home in southeast England.
Novartis to spin off generics business Sandoz next year
Novartis plans to spin off its underperforming generics unit Sandoz to sharpen its focus on its patented prescription medicines, the Swiss group said on Thursday, acknowledging it had not received any formal offers for the business to date. The company started a strategic review of Sandoz last October - examining a range of options, including retaining the business, spinning it off or selling it - following a protracted period of underperformance driven largely by mounting pricing pressures in the off-patent drug sector.
WHO reports 21% decline in monkeypox cases globally.
The number of monkeypox cases reported globally declined by 21% last week, after a month-long trend of rising infections, the World Health Organization said on Thursday. The WHO declared the outbreak a global health emergency in July. So far, more than 41,000 cases of monkeypox and 12 deaths have been reported from 96 countries, with the majority of cases from the United States.
North Korea says fever cases in the locked-down province were flu
North Korea said on Friday it had confirmed that cases of unknown fever reported near its border with China were patients with the flu, state media reported. On Thursday the country said that it had locked down the area and mobilized medical teams after four fever cases were reported from Ryanggang Province, but that it was not COVID-19, over which the country declared victory this month.
At least 84 people were infected by E.coli outbreak in four states - CDC
The E.coli bacteria outbreak in four Midwest states from an unknown source has affected 47 more people, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday, taking the total tally to 84. As of Wednesday, 38 people have been hospitalized. Although many strains of E.coli are found in the intestines of healthy people and animals and are harmless, certain types can cause severe abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting.
Google to clearly label U.S. medical facilities that provide abortion
Google will clearly label medical facilities in the United States that provide abortions in its search results and in Google Maps to avoid confusing them with anti-abortion centers, its top executive informed lawmakers on Thursday. When users search for "abortion clinics near me", the results box will display facilities verified to provide abortions, said Mark Isakowitz, vice president for government affairs and public policy for US and Canada at Google, in a letter to Senator Mark Warner and Representative Elissa Slotkin.
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