Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Trump to meet next week with industry, government officials on COVID vaccine

President Donald Trump will gather leaders from industry and government next week for a summit on the coronavirus vaccine, the White House said on Tuesday, as the outgoing president seeks to emphasize his role in the speedy development of a vaccine. "President Trump's Operation Warp Speed continues rapidly advancing toward a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine five times faster than any other vaccine in history," White House spokesman Brian Morgenstern said in a statement.

U.S. CDC to shorten COVID-19 quarantine to 10 days: federal spokesperson

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will soon shorten the length of self-quarantine recommended after potential exposure to the coronavirus to 10 days, or 7 days with a negative test, a federal spokesperson said on Tuesday. CDC currently recommends a 14-day quarantine in order to curb the transmission of the virus.

Mexico set to sign Pfizer vaccine deal on Wednesday

Mexico's government was due to sign a contract on Wednesday with pharmaceutical company Pfizer for the delivery of its coronavirus vaccine, Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell said on Tuesday. Pfizer has submitted the details about its vaccine to Mexico's health regulator, Cofepris, and the country's foreign minister last month said the government expects the vaccine to reach Mexico in December.

U.S. ready for 'immediate mass shipment' of COVID-19 vaccines: agency

The U.S. Transportation Department said Tuesday it has made preparations to enable the "immediate mass shipment" of COVID-19 vaccines and completed all necessary regulatory measures. The department said U.S. agencies have been coordinating with private sector companies that will carry vaccines from manufacturing facilities to distribution centers and inoculation points. It added it has established "appropriate safety requirements for all potential hazards involved in shipping the vaccine, including standards for dry ice and lithium batteries used in cooling."

Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 17,270: RKI

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 17,270 to 1,084,743, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Wednesday. The reported death toll rose by 487 to 17,123.

U.S. CDC reports 267,302 deaths from coronavirus

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday reported 13,447,627 cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 152,022 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 1,251 to 267,302. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 pm ET on Nov. 30 versus its previous report a day earlier.

U.S. plans for first COVID vaccines as pandemic deaths surge again

Top U.S. health officials announced plans on Tuesday to begin vaccinating Americans against the coronavirus as early as mid-December, as nationwide deaths hit the highest number for a single day in six months. Some 20 million people could be inoculated against COVID-19 by the end of 2020 and most Americans will have access to highly effective vaccines by mid-2021, the chief adviser of President Donald Trump's Operation Warp Speed program said.

COVID-19 vaccine sprint as Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna seek emergency EU approval

Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech are in a tight race to launch their COVID-19 vaccines in Europe after both applied for emergency EU approval on Tuesday, though there was uncertainty over whether a rollout could begin this year. The applications to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) came a day after Moderna sought emergency use for its shot in the United States and more than a week after Pfizer and BioNTech did the same.

Next year, Canadians may get a COVID-19 vaccine, billions in stimulus - and an election

Next year, if all goes as planned, Canadians will get a free COVID-19 vaccine, billions of dollars in economic stimulus, and perhaps, insiders and analysts say, an early election. Five sources familiar with the thinking in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party say a snap election is likely at some point in 2021 rather than at the scheduled end of the legislature in 2023.

FDA chief Hahn says mid-December vaccine approval just 'possible': ABC News

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn said on Tuesday it was "possible" the agency could approve Pfizer Inc's COVID-19 vaccine by mid-December if everything falls into place, but that it may take longer. When asked in an ABC News interview whether a vaccine could be available days or weeks after a planned Dec. 10 meeting in which FDA expert advisers will recommend for or against approval, Hahn said, "it's hard to predict and I want to set the appropriate expectations."