Health News Roundup: Singapore reports 935 new COVID-19 cases, highest since April last year; Biden adds measles to list of diseases that could require quarantine and more

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the United States will be asking participants to commit to "a higher level of ambition" on making vaccines available on a more equitable basis and getting shots in arms, among other steps recommended to address the pandemic. Factbox-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus A panel of expert outside advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration voted against approving COVID-19 booster shots for Americans, but may vote on a narrower approval for older adults later on Friday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

U.S. administers about 384 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines - CDC

The United States has administered 383,994,877 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the country as of Friday morning and distributed 464,315,725 doses, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Those figures are up from the 383,038,403 vaccine doses the CDC said had gone into arms by Sept. 16 out of 462,384,885 doses delivered.

Explainer-The case for, and against, COVID-19 vaccine boosters

The U.S. government aims to begin offering COVID-19 vaccine booster shots widely next week to Americans age 16 and up. A panel of outside advisers to the Food and Drug Administration voted against such broad coverage on Friday but backed a shot for people 65 and older, which the agency may or may not follow. President Joe Biden's administration faces criticism within the scientific community over whether the additional shots are needed for the general population.

Biden to convene virtual virus summit on fringe of UN

U.S. President Joe Biden will convene a virtual COVID-19 summit on Wednesday on the margins of the U.N. General Assembly aimed at boosting vaccinations worldwide with the goal of ending the pandemic by the end of 2022. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the United States will be asking participants to commit to "a higher level of ambition" on making vaccines available on a more equitable basis and getting shots in arms, among other steps recommended to address the pandemic.

Factbox-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

A panel of expert outside advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration voted against approving COVID-19 booster shots for Americans, but may vote on a narrower approval for older adults later on Friday. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

Work-related deaths kill nearly 2 million people a year: UN agencies

Nearly 2 million people die from work-related causes each year, including from illnesses associated with long working hours and air pollution, an estimate from U.N. agencies showed on Friday. The study by the World Health Organization and International Labour Organization, the first assessment of its kind, found that work-related diseases and injuries were responsible for the deaths of 1.9 million people in 2016.

COVID-19 victims remembered on Washington's National Mall with 650,000 white flags

An exhibition of white flags representing Americans who have died of COVID-19 opened on Friday, covering more than 20 acres of the National Mall in Washington. Last year, artist Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg created an outdoor installation in Washington comprised of more than 267,000 white flags - one for every person in the United States who had died from COVID-19.

Singapore reports 935 new COVID-19 cases, highest since April last year

Singapore's health ministry reported 935 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, the highest since April last year. A recent rise in cases after the relaxation of some COVID-19 measures has prompted Singapore to pause on further reopening. More than 80% of its population has been vaccinated against COVID-19.

U.S. to buy millions of Pfizer vaccine doses to donate to world -Washington Post

The United States plans to buy hundreds of millions of additional doses of the Pfizer Inc COVID-19 vaccine to donate around the world, The Washington Post reported on Friday, citing two unidentified people familiar with the deal. The purchase was to be announced early next week to coincide with the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, the sources said on condition of anonymity.

U.S. FDA vaccine advisers vote in favor of COVID-19 booster shot for those 65 and older

A panel of expert outside advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration voted on Friday to recommend COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for Americans 65 and older and those at high risk of illness, after rejecting a call for broader approval.

Biden adds measles to list of diseases that could require quarantine

President Joe Biden on Friday signed an executive order adding measles to a list of communicable diseases that could require quarantine after several Afghan refugees were diagnosed with the highly contagious disease after arriving in the United States. The action makes measles one of the diseases for which federal health authorities have the authority to issue quarantine orders requiring people who have been diagnosed with measles or exposed to it to self-isolate to protect public health, a White House official said in a statement.

(With inputs from agencies.)