Health News Roundup: U.S. orders 2.5 million more doses of Bavarian Nordic’s vaccine for monkeypox; Omicron-specific COVID shots could increase protection as boosters – EMA and more | Science-Environment

Following is a abstract of present well being information briefs.

Omicron-specific COVID pictures might improve safety as boosters – EMA

Coronavirus vaccines tweaked to incorporate the Omicron variant pressure can enhance safety when used as a booster, the European Medicines Company and different international well being regulators stated on Friday. Following a gathering on Thursday, the EMA stated international regulators had agreed on key rules for updating COVID-19 pictures to reply to rising variants.

U.S. orders 2.5 million extra doses of Bavarian Nordic’s vaccine for monkeypox

The U.S. authorities has ordered 2.5 million extra doses of Bavarian Nordic’s vaccine to be used towards monkeypox outbreaks, the Division of Well being and Human Companies stated on Friday. The shot has already been cleared for each smallpox and monkeypox in the USA, the place it’s known as Jynneos.

Novavax expects COVID vaccine concentrating on Omicron in fourth quarter

Novavax Inc stated on Friday it expects to offer a COVID-19 vaccine concentrating on Omicron within the fourth quarter because it accelerates growth of pictures to guard towards the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants. The U.S. FDA on Thursday really useful COVID-19 vaccine producers change the design of their booster pictures starting this fall to incorporate elements tailor-made to fight the presently dominant Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.

Monkeypox signs differ from earlier outbreaks – UK examine

Sufferers with monkeypox within the UK have noticeably totally different signs from these seen in earlier outbreaks, in keeping with researchers in London, elevating issues circumstances are being missed. Sufferers reported much less fever and tiredness and extra pores and skin lesions of their genital and anal areas than usually seen in monkeypox, the examine of 54 sufferers at London sexual well being clinics in Could this yr discovered.

Texas, Ohio high courts permit abortion bans to take impact

The highest courts in Texas and Ohio on Friday allowed the Republican-led states to implement restrictions and bans on abortions after the U.S. Supreme Courtroom final week overturned the nationwide constitutional proper to abortion. The Texas Supreme Courtroom late on Friday allowed a virtually century-old abortion ban to take impact after the U.S. Supreme Courtroom overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling and erased ladies’s constitutional proper to abortion.

North Korea blames ‘alien issues’ close to border with South for COVID outbreak

North Korea claimed on Friday that the nation’s first COVID-19 outbreak started with sufferers touching “alien issues” close to the border with South Korea, apparently shifting blame to the neighbour for the wave of infections within the remoted nation. Asserting outcomes of an investigation, the North ordered folks to “vigilantly cope with alien issues coming by wind and different local weather phenomena and balloons within the areas alongside the demarcation line and borders,” the official KCNA information company stated.

U.S. abortion ruling ignites retail curiosity in ladies contraceptive makers – Vanda

Retail traders have flocked to small biotech corporations that make ladies contraceptives after the U.S. Supreme Courtroom final week overturned the Roe v. Wade ruling that acknowledged the constitutional proper to abortion, Vanda Analysis stated on Friday.

The landmark resolution has turned the highlight on contraception entry and led to a short lived spike in demand for over-the-counter emergency contraceptive capsules.

China experiences 268 new COVID circumstances on July 1 vs 245 day earlier

Mainland China reported 268 new COVID-19 circumstances for July 1, of which 72 had been symptomatic and 196 had been asymptomatic, the Nationwide Well being Fee stated on Saturday. That compares with 245 new circumstances a day earlier – 37 symptomatic and 208 asymptomatic infections, which China counts individually.

Abortion drug maker says Mississippi cannot ban capsule regardless of Supreme Courtroom ruling

The maker of a drug utilized in treatment abortions has advised a federal choose that the U.S. Supreme Courtroom’s latest ruling eliminating the nationwide proper to abortion doesn’t permit Mississippi to cease it from promoting the capsules within the state. GenBioPro Inc, which makes a generic model of the drug mifepristone, stated in a Thursday submitting in Jackson, Mississippi federal courtroom that the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration’s approval of the drug ought to override any state ban.

Oxford Biomedica indicators new deal to make AstraZeneca COVID shot

Britain’s Oxford Biomedica stated on Friday it had signed a brand new three-year settlement to doubtlessly make AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine past 2022, however no volumes had been outlined in a sign of waning demand for the shot. Cell and gene remedy agency Oxford Biomedica stated in April that it had manufactured greater than 100 million doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine since their partnership started in September 2020. Commitments below the deal are scheduled to finish this yr.

(With inputs from businesses.)