Health News Roundup: Moderna booster candidate shows strong response against Omicron subvariants; Schumer will put legislation to cut insulin costs on Senate floor 'very soon' and more

Abbott initiated a recall of its infant formula products and closed its Michigan plant in February after reports of serious bacterial infections in four infants, worsening a shortage among multiple manufacturers that began with pandemic supply chain issues. Omicron-specific COVID vaccines on the horizon, Pfizer chief says COVID-19 vaccines that specifically target the Omicron and other variants are under development, Pfizer Inc's chief executive said on Wednesday, adding that the company will be able to quickly adapt shots as the novel coronavirus mutates.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

U.S. delivers 2.7 million COVID vaccine doses for kids under five to administration sites

The United States has delivered about 2.7 million doses of COVID vaccines for children below five years to administration centres while another one million shots will reach the sites soon, the Department of Health and Human Services said on Wednesday. Vaccine delivery to administration sites began on Friday, immediately after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)granted the emergency-use authorization, the federal agency said.

Schumer will put legislation to cut insulin costs on Senate floor 'very soon'

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday said he will put bipartisan legislation on lowering insulin costs to a vote on the Senate floor "very soon." "The cost of insulin has skyrocketed in recent years and the Insulin Act will make this life-saving medication more affordable by capping the cost of insulin at $35 a month," Schumer said in a statement. "I will put this bipartisan legislation on the Senate floor very soon."

Moderna booster candidate shows strong response against Omicron subvariants

Moderna Inc said on Wednesday that an updated version of its COVID-19 vaccine designed to target the Omicron variant also generated a strong immune response against the fast-spreading Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, which have gained a foothold in the U.S. in recent weeks. The updated vaccine, which Moderna is hoping will be approved for use as a booster shot for the fall, is a bivalent vaccine, meaning it contains vaccine designed to target two different coronavirus variants - the original variant from 2020 and the Omicron variant that was circulating widely last winter.

U.S. FDA gets complaint of one more infant death related to baby formula

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday it was notified of one more infant death in January potentially related to Abbott Laboratories' baby formula and the agency has started a probe. Abbott initiated a recall of its infant formula products and closed its Michigan plant in February after reports of serious bacterial infections in four infants, worsening a shortage among multiple manufacturers that began with pandemic supply chain issues.

Omicron-specific COVID vaccines on the horizon, Pfizer chief says

COVID-19 vaccines that specifically target the Omicron and other variants are under development, Pfizer Inc's chief executive said on Wednesday, adding that the company will be able to quickly adapt shots as the novel coronavirus mutates. While the ultimate approval decisions rest with U.S. regulatos, "we are ready for that," the drugmaker's CEO Albert Bourla told MSNBC in an interview, noting that the Food and Drug Administration is convening a meeting later this month.

France is facing a new COVID-19 wave - French vaccination chief

France is facing a new wave of COVID-19 infections fuelled by new variants of the disease, French vaccination chief Alain Fischer said on Wednesday, as daily new cases reached an almost two-month peak the day before at more than 95,000. Speaking on France 2 television, he said there was no doubt there was once again an upsurge of the pandemic in the country, adding he was personally in favour of reinstating mandatory face mask wearing on public transport.

Polio found in London sewage, but risk of infection considered low

Polio has been detected in sewage samples in the British capital, the first sign since the 1980s that the virus could be spreading in the country, but no cases have been found, authorities said. The risk of infection from the disease, which causes paralysis in children in under 1% of cases, was also low because of high vaccination rates, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said.

EU to boost investment in Latin American vaccine, drug production

The European Union wants to boost production of vaccines and drugs in Latin America by investing more in the region and by sharing technologies and regulatory practices, the head of the European Commission said on Wednesday. Under attack in developing countries for blocking a global temporary waiver on COVID-19 vaccine patents, the EU has launched several initiatives to boost production of pharmaceuticals in poorer nations, starting with investments in Africa.

Spain denies regional report of first local cholera infection since 1979

Spain's national health ministry on Wednesday denied a report by regional counterparts that a case of locally acquired cholera had been detected for the first time in four decades, saying the case was in fact vibrio gastroenteritis. A female patient was hospitalised in a private health care facility in Madrid and was later discharged after receiving treatment, a spokesperson for the Madrid health authority said, without providing the hospitalisation dates or other details. No other cases were reported.

Juul e-cigarettes to be ordered off U.S. shelves - WSJ

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is preparing to order Juul Labs Inc to take its e-cigarettes off the market in the United States, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Shares in tobacco giant Altria Group, which owns a 35% stake in the vaping products maker, fell 8.5% following the report. The decision could come as early as Wednesday, the report said.

(With inputs from agencies.)