Health News Roundup: Air pollution surges as heatwave sweeps across Europe; Novavax says U.S. FDA clears COVID vaccine doses for release and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Europe must act now or risk tougher COVID measures later – WHO official

European nations must accelerate vaccine uptake and bring back mask wearing to tackle a surge in COVID-19 cases driven by an Omicron offshoot and avoid stricter measures later in the year, a senior World Health Organization official said on Tuesday. In an interview with Reuters, WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge urged countries to take action now to avoid overwhelming health systems in the autumn and winter as the Omicron subvariant, BA.5, continues to spread rapidly.

Air pollution surges as heatwave sweeps across Europe

Air pollution is spiking across Britain, France, and southern Europe amid record-breaking temperatures and scorching wildfires. Scientists with the EU Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) warned on Tuesday of unhealthy levels of ozone pollution across southern and western Europe which could soon affect northwestern regions.

Democrats’ policy package to include prescription drug cost controls and Obamacare fix

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday that prescription drug cost controls and an Obamacare fix are the components Democrats will seek for now in a fast-track domestic policy bill. “The two things we want to do in reconciliation, that we’re going to do in reconciliation, are prescription drugs and a two-year extension of ACA,” Schumer told reporters.

Novavax says U.S. FDA clears COVID vaccine doses for release

Vaccine maker Novavax on Tuesday said that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had cleared a lot of its COVID vaccine for release in the United States, and it plans to ship doses to be distributed by the U.S. government in the coming days. The FDA authorized the vaccine last week, but the manufactured doses were still awaiting quality testing before they could be released.

Portugal reports more than 1,000 heat-related deaths

Portugal has reported more than 1,000 deaths due to the current heat wave, with the health chief warning on Tuesday that the country must gear up to cope with the effects of climate change as temperatures continue to rise. “Portugal … is among one of the areas of the globe that could be (more) affected by extreme heat,” Graça Freitas, head of health authority DGS, told Reuters. “We have to be more and more prepared for periods of high temperatures.”

J&J’s cancer drug sales help weather hit from stronger dollar

Johnson & Johnson on Tuesday reported quarterly results that beat analysts’ estimates on strong demand for cancer drug Darzalex and its COVID-19 vaccine, even as the company cut its full-year adjusted profit forecast due to a stronger dollar. J&J joins other major U.S. multinationals with sizeable international operations, including Microsoft Corp and IBM, in warning that a stronger dollar would hurt overseas sales.

Omicron BA.5 makes up nearly 78% of COVID variants circulating in U.S. – CDC

The BA.5 subvariant of Omicron was estimated to make up 77.9% of the circulating coronavirus variants in the United States for the week ended July 16, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Tuesday. BA.5, which has shown to be particularly good at evading the immune protection afforded either by vaccination or prior infection, have been driving a surge of new infections globally.

As COVID patent war rages on, pharma group seeks fairer future access

An alliance of companies has pledged to ensure equitable access to vaccines and treatments for pandemics, as the friction around intellectual property rights for COVID-19 interventions between the pharmaceutical industry and developing nations endures. At the heart of the plan is a commitment to set aside part of the production of vaccines and treatments upfront for vulnerable populations in low-income countries when the next pandemic arises, given how fragmented access to COVID tools has left many populations unprotected.

U.S. CDC advisers back Novavax COVID vaccine for adults

Advisers to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday voted unanimously to recommend use of Novavax Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine for individuals aged 18 and above. The shot has been endorsed by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). CDC Director Rochelle Walensky still needs to sign off on the recommendations before the vaccine can be made available in the United States.

EU signs COVID-19 drug procurement deal with Gilead

The European Commission has signed a joint procurement contract for an antiviral treatment for patients with COVID-19 with Gilead Sciences Inc, it said on Tuesday. This is the second contract for the drug, branded as Veklury, which is approved in Europe to treat COVID patients who are at high risk of experiencing a severe case of the disease, as well as patients who have pneumonia and require supplemental oxygen.

(With inputs from agencies.)