Reuters Health News Summary
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
Bharat's COVID shot shows high immune response, further study needed for elderly
A COVID-19 vaccine developed by India's Bharat Biotech is safe and has shown high levels of antibody response in a mid-stage trial, but follow-on studies are needed to evaluate the shot for children and older people, a peer-reviewed study showed. The vaccine, India's first successful home-made shot against COVID-19, has attracted interest from more than 40 countries. The company said last week it had shown 81% efficacy in preventing symptomatic COVID-19, based on interim analysis of late stage trials.
Fully vaccinated people can gather without masks indoors, should still avoid travel: U.S. says
People who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can meet without masks indoors in small groups with others who have been inoculated but should avoid non-essential travel and continue to wear face-coverings in public, the Biden administration said on Monday. In a long-awaited update of its guidance for behaviors to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said fully vaccinated people could also meet in small groups with unvaccinated individuals deemed at low-risk for severe COVID-19 from one other household without masks.
COVID-19 vaccine batch Austria has halted use of went to 17 countries
Austria was one of 17 European countries to receive doses from a batch of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine that Austrian authorities have stopped using while investigating a death and an illness following their use, a senior health official said on Tuesday. A 49-year-old nurse in Zwettl, a town northwest of Vienna, died as a result of severe coagulation disorders after receiving the vaccine. Another nurse from Zwettl who is 35 and received a dose from the same batch, ABV 5300, developed a pulmonary embolism and is recovering.
UK COVID cases will surge again even with vaccines, medical officer says
Britain will see a resurgence in coronavirus cases at some point and can't bring deaths from COVID-19 down to zero even with a successful vaccine rollout, England's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said on Tuesday. Whitty said that caution in re-opening the economy would affect the size and the timing of a resurgence, but that vaccines would not be able to prevent all deaths from COVID.
Ireland expects first J&J COVID-19 vaccine by mid-April
Ireland expects to receive its first doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine from mid-April and not early April as initially planned, the head of the country's health service operator said on Tuesday. J&J's vaccine, which requires only one dose for protection, is expected to be approved on March 11 for use in the European Union by the bloc's regulator. EU officials have said deliveries could start in April.
What you need to know about the coronavirus right now
Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Fully vaccinated can gather without masks indoors, should still avoid travel, U.S. says
Ukraine approves China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine
Ukraine has approved the COVID-19 vaccine developed by China's Sinovac, the health ministry said on Tuesday. Ukrainian pharmaceutical company Lekhim - one of Sinovac's partners - has an agreement with the manufacturer to deliver 5 million doses of the vaccine in Ukraine, including 1.9 million via a state procurement scheme.
Russia's Sputnik V could be made in Europe for first time after Italy deal signed
Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 could be produced in Europe for the first time after a commercial deal to produce it in Italy was signed by the Moscow-based RDIF sovereign wealth fund and Swiss-based pharmaceutical company Adienne. The agreement, which will need approval from Italian regulators before production can be launched, has been confirmed by both RDIF and the Italian-Russian chamber of commerce.
No lockdown planned for Paris as severe COVID-19 cases hit three-month high
France is not planning to put the Paris region into lockdown even though the number of people with COVID-19 in intensive care is at its highest since November, public health director Jerome Salomon said on Tuesday. Medical authorities in the Paris region, which accounts for about one-sixth of France's population, ordered hospitals on Monday to cancel 40% of their regular activities to make space for critical COVID-19 patients.
Russian Sputnik V vaccine's developers doubt EU regulator's neutrality, want apology
The developers of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 on Tuesday questioned the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) neutrality, after an official with the regulator urged EU states to refrain from approving the shot for now. EMA management board head Christa Wirthumer-Hoche told an Austrian talk show on Sunday that she would advise European Union countries against granting Sputnik V national emergency authorisation while the agency was still reviewing its safety and effectiveness.
