Health News Roundup: Pfizer offers Brazil deal for millions of vaccine doses; New York City public schools to close on Thursday and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Exclusive: Canada in talks to donate extra COVID-19 vaccine shots to poorer countries - sources

Canada, which has reserved enough doses to vaccinate residents against COVID-19 several times over, is in talks with other governments about a plan to donate shots to lower-income countries, according to three sources familiar with the matter. Canada has made deals to buy more doses per capita than any other nation, according to researchers at the Duke Global Health Innovation Center in North Carolina.

New York City public schools to close on Thursday as COVID-19 cases rise: mayor

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Wednesday that the city's public school district, the largest in the U.S., would be closed for in-person learning starting on Thursday to ward off the increasing spread of COVID-19. "New York City has reached the 3% testing positivity 7-day average threshold. Unfortunately, this means public school buildings will be closed as of tomorrow, Thursday Nov. 19, out (of) an abundance of caution. We must fight back the second wave of COVID-19," the mayor said on Twitter.

'Where there's a will there's a way' as English doctors prepare COVID vaccine roll-out

English doctors are grappling with the prospect of seven-day service, -75 degree Celsius freezers and vaccines known as "Talent" and "Courageous" as they prepare for an unprecedented logistical challenge: the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccinations. Health minister Matt Hancock has set a target for England's National Health Service that it should be ready to administer vaccines by Dec. 1, although he has said his central expectation is for the bulk of the roll-out to happen next year.

New York City public schools halt in-person classes as COVID-19 crisis deepens

New York City's school district, the largest in the United States, will halt in-person learning starting on Thursday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced, the latest major restriction as the nation's COVID-19 infections soar. The mayor's decision, announced Wednesday on Twitter, came as the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 nears a world record of a quarter million and as government officials in dozens of states have weighed or implemented shutdown measures in recent days to stem an unprecedented rate of new COVID-19 infections heading into the winter.

Analysis: Can first COVID-19 vaccines bring herd immunity? Experts have doubts

Governments and officials are voicing hopes that COVID-19 vaccines could bring "herd immunity", with some calculating that immunising just two-thirds of a population could halt the pandemic disease and help protect whole communities or nations. But the concept comes with caveats and big demands of what vaccines might be capable of preventing. Some experts say such expectations are misplaced.

Pfizer offers Brazil deal for millions of vaccine doses

Pfizer Inc said on Wednesday it had offered to provide Brazil with millions of doses of a COVID-19 vaccine in the first half of 2021, amid evidence the coronavirus is spreading more rapidly in South America's largest country. "Pfizer made a proposal to the Brazilian government, in line with deals we closed in other countries - including in Latin America, that would permit the vaccination of millions of Brazilians in the first half, subject to regulatory approval," the company said in a statement.

Pfizer, Moderna COVID-19 vaccines may be authorized for use within weeks: U.S. official

COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer Inc and Moderna Inc could be ready for U.S. authorization and distribution within weeks, setting the stage for inoculation to begin as soon as this year, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said on Wednesday. States and territories are prepared to begin distributing the vaccines within 24 hours of receiving regulatory authorization, officials said on a call with reporters, adding that complex cold storage requirements will not be an impediment to all Americans being able to access the vaccines.

Global daily coronavirus deaths cross record of 10,733 single-day deaths: Reuters tally

The number of reported global daily deaths from the coronavirus stood at 10,816 on Tuesday, according to a Reuters tally, the highest single-day death count as the virus's global epicenter the United States entered winter. The previous record of global daily deaths was 10,733, registered on Nov. 4, according to the Reuters tally.

Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine deliveries could start 'before Christmas'

Pfizer Inc and BioNTech could secure emergency U.S. and European authorization for their COVID-19 vaccine next month after final trial results showed it had a 95% success rate and no serious side effects, the drugmakers said on Wednesday. The efficacy of the shot was found to be consistent across different ages and ethnicities - a promising sign given the disease has disproportionately affected the elderly and certain groups including Black people.

WHO says vaccinating 20% of Latin America and Caribbean to cost more than $2 billion

Vaccinating 20% of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean against COVID-19 will cost more than $2 billion but low income countries will be helped by the COVAX Facility led by the World Health Organization, its regional branch said on Wednesday. According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), COVAX aims to deploy at least 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of 2021.