Health News Roundup: Pfizer/BioNTech say booster dose increases protection vs Omicron in kids aged 5-11; China says will help key industries resume work in locked-down Shanghai and more

In an incident livestreamed on Thursday afternoon on Chinese messaging platform WeChat, about 30 people wearing hazmat suits with the word "police" on their back could be seen scuffling with other people outside a housing compound, taking away at least one person. Fourth shot protects against severe Omicron outcomes; COVID may increase risk of rare eye blood clots The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Pfizer/BioNTech say booster dose increases protection vs Omicron in kids aged 5-11

A third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc and BioNTech produced significant protection against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in healthy children ages 5 to 11, the companies said on Thursday. Blood serum analysis of 30 pediatric participants who received a booster dose in a study showed a 36-fold increase in Omicron neutralizing antibodies, the drugmakers said.

Factbox-Restrictions vs protections: How states are taking sides on abortion

This spring, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to roll back constitutional protections for abortion that have been in place since the 1973 Roe v. Wade landmark ruling. Conservative states are swiftly passing abortion restrictions in anticipation of the court's decision, while liberal states are seeking to protect and expand abortion rights. Here are some bills gaining traction this year:

China says will help key industries resume work in locked-down Shanghai

China said on Friday that it will help hundreds of companies in key sectors to resume production in locked-down Shanghai, the commercial capital at the centre of the country's latest COVID-19 outbreak, as businesses warn of the growing economic toll of restrictions. The announcement comes as a growing number of business leaders and analysts warn that China's strict "zero-COVID" policy is triggering economic disruptions that are rippling through global supply chains for goods from electric vehicles to iPhones.

'Last few tweaks' being made to COVID IP waiver deal -WTO chief

The head of the World Trade Organization told Reuters on Thursday that negotiations on an intellectual property deal for COVID-19 vaccines were ongoing between the four parties, saying they were seeking to agree on the proposal's final terms. Since the draft compromise emerged in the media a month ago, pressure from civil society groups has been rising for the parties - the United States, the European Union, India and South Africa - to walk away from the deal. Other public figures have also criticised it such as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, saying it is too narrowly focused on vaccines.

FACTBOX-Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 500.92 million, death toll at 6,588,921

More than 500.92 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 6,588,921​ have died, according to a Reuters tally. Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.

Planned Parenthood, ACLU sue to block Kentucky's abortion restrictions

Abortion providers including Planned Parenthood on Thursday sued to block a sweeping new Kentucky law that forces them to stop offering the procedure until they can meet certain requirements, saying it amounted to an unconstitutional ban on abortions. A Planned Parenthood affiliate and a clinic represented by the American Civil Liberties Union filed separate lawsuits a day after the Republican-led legislature overrode a veto by the state's Democratic governor to enact the anti-abortion law.

Shanghai turns residences into COVID isolation facilities, sparking protest

Shanghai is converting residential buildings into quarantine centres to house a mounting number of COVID-19 cases, but the move is sparking anger and protest from neighbours worried they are being put at increased risk of infection. In an incident livestreamed on Thursday afternoon on Chinese messaging platform WeChat, about 30 people wearing hazmat suits with the word "police" on their back could be seen scuffling with other people outside a housing compound, taking away at least one person.

Fourth shot protects against severe Omicron outcomes; COVID may increase risk of rare eye blood clots

The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review. Fourth vaccine dose protects vs Omicron for at least a month

Growing defiance of COVID curbs in China brings wave of arrests

Sun Jian, a 37-year-old master's degree student in the Chinese city of Yantai, for months staged a solo campaign against his university's COVID-19 prevention measures, including blistering criticism on social media. The last straw for authorities came on March 27, when Sun walked around his campus carrying a placard that read "lift the lockdown on Ludong".

Nektar stops clinical trials for key cancer drug, shares tumble

Nektar Therapeutics said on Thursday it had stopped all trials involving its key cancer drug following its failure in multiple studies, dragging the drug developer's shares down 23% in after-market trading. The trials that Nektar stopped included those involving a combination of its drug bempegaldesleukin with Bristol Myers Squibb Co's cancer drug Opdivo as well Merck & Co Inc's cancer drug Keytruda.

(With inputs from agencies.)