Health News Roundup: Iran at risk of fifth COVID-19 wave as Delta variant spreads - Rouhani; India's Bharat Biotech says vaccine 93.4% effective against severe COVID-19 and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Iran at risk of fifth COVID-19 wave as Delta variant spreads - Rouhani

Iran may face a fifth wave of COVID-19 infections as the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus spreads through the Middle East's worst-hit country, President Hassan Rouhani warned on Saturday. "There are concerns that the whole country may enter a fifth wave if enough care is not taken in following health protocols. Today, reports are that just 69% of the people are observing the precautions," Rouhani said in remarks broadcast on state TV.

Malaysia to ease coronavirus lockdowns in five states next week

Malaysia will relax coronavirus lockdowns next week in five states that have met the government's indicators for lifting curbs, the security minister said on Saturday. The Southeast Asian country has been under a nationwide lockdown since June 1 to rein in a surge of COVID-19 infections.

India's Bharat Biotech says vaccine 93.4% effective against severe COVID-19

Phase-III trials of a vaccine made by India's Bharat Biotech showed it was 93.4% effective against severe symptomatic COVID-19, the firm said https://www.bharatbiotech.com/images/press/barat-biotech-bbv152-covaxin-phase3-final-analysis-03July2021.pdf on Saturday, a finding that could boost people's acceptance of Covaxin. The data demonstrated 65.2% protection against the Delta variant, first identified in India, that led to a surge in infections in April and May, and the world's highest daily death tolls.

U.S. to ship 4 million vaccine doses to Indonesia 'as soon as possible'

The United States will ship 4 million doses of Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine to Indonesia as it battles a coronavirus outbreak, the U.S. national security adviser told the Indonesian foreign minister on Friday. In a call with Retno Marsudi, Jake Sullivan said the doses would be shipped via the COVAX global vaccine sharing program "as soon as possible," a White House statement said.

Australian officials report biggest daily COVID-19 caseload for 2021

Australia's New South Wales state recorded its biggest daily rise in COVID-19 infections this year, even as residents in several major cities across the country were released from snap lockdowns on Saturday. Sydney, the New South Wales state capital and home to a fifth of Australia's 25 million population, has been hit hardest in a flurry of outbreaks of the highly contagious Delta variant around the country over the past two weeks.

U.S. authorizes additional batch of J&J COVID-19 vaccine produced by Emergent

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday it had authorized the use of an additional batch of Johnson & Johnson's one-dose COVID-19 vaccine manufactured at the problem-plagued Baltimore factory of Emergent BioSolutions Inc. The batch of bulk drug substance - which has not yet been put into vials - can make up to 15 million doses of J&J's vaccine, according to a source familiar with the matter.

South Africa approves China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine - health ministry

South Africa has approved China's Sinovac vaccine against COVID-19, the acting health minister said on Saturday, as the country faces a crippling third wave of infections that has paralysed hospitals and brought its death toll to 60,000. "I would like to express gratitude to our regulatory authority for their sense of urgency, which included reducing turnaround time to process applications for registration of ... (the) COVID-19 vaccine," Mamoloko Kubayi said in a statement.

Tokyo's new COVID-19 infections hit highest in 5 weeks

Tokyo reported 716 new COVID-19 infections on Saturday, its highest in more than five weeks, as the nation considers extending pandemic restrictions in the capital just weeks before it is to host the Olympics. Tokyo and three neighbouring prefectures are among areas under a "quasi" state of emergency set to run through July 11, but Japan may extend the measures by two weeks or more due to a recent uptick in infections.

China urges nations to build 'Great Wall of Immunity' against coronavirus

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged the international community on Saturday to build a "Great Wall of Immunity" to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. "We should face the imminent challenges together," Wang, who is also a member of the State Council, or cabinet, told the 9th World Peace Forum held at Tsinghua University in the Chinese capital.

One million U.S. vaccine doses due in Malaysia on Monday

One million donated doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc's and BioNTech will arrive in Malaysia on Monday, White House officials said, with plans for more shipments to Southeast Asia soon. The doses are from an initial batch of 80 million U.S.-made vaccines the Biden administration pledged last month to share globally amid concern about the disparity in vaccination rates between advanced and developing countries.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)