Health News Roundup: Russian COVID deaths hit 4th straight record a week before new curbs; Walmart recalls 3,900 room sprays due to possible dangerous bacteria and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

U.S. administers nearly 412 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines - CDC

The United States has administered 411,963,025 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the country as of Friday morning and distributed 501,613,665 doses, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Those figures are up from the 411,010,650 vaccine doses the CDC said had gone into arms by Thursday out of 498,702,405 doses delivered.

Russian COVID deaths hit 4th straight record a week before new curbs

Russia reported a fourth straight daily record of COVID-19 deaths on Friday, with still a week to go before the start of a nationwide workplace shutdown ordered by President Vladimir Putin to try to curb a rise in infections. Authorities said 1,064 people had died in the previous 24 hours, with new infections hitting a second successive daily record at 37,141.

England's COVID prevalence rises to new highest level since January, ONS says

The prevalence of COVID-19 infections in England increased to around 1 in 55 people in the week ending Oct 16, Britain's Office for National Statistics said on Friday, once again at its highest level since January. The ONS said that prevalence of infections had risen for its fourth straight week, having been at 1 in 60 people in the previous week.

Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine shows 90.7% efficacy in trial in children

The Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine showed 90.7% efficacy against the coronavirus in a clinical trial of children 5 to 11 years old, the U.S. drugmaker said on Friday. Sixteen children in the trial who had received a placebo got COVID-19, compared with 3 who were vaccinated, Pfizer said in briefing documents submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Norway opts not to give 12-15 year-olds second vaccine doses yet

Norway will hold off giving children aged 12-15 a second dose of a vaccine against COVID-19 until it has gathered more research, partly due to a rare side effect involving inflammation of the heart, health authorities said on Friday. The Nordic country has so far only recommended using the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to minors.

Roche's implant for chronic eye disorder wins FDA approval

Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG said on Friday the U.S. health regulator approved its eye implant for patients with a chronic disorder causing blurred vision, giving them an alternative to receiving monthly eye injections with existing treatments. Roche's Susvimo is a surgically implantable device intended to treat wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD), a disorder which occurs when abnormal blood vessels leak fluid or blood into an area near the retina called the macula.

Explainer-Americans wonder: Which COVID-19 booster is best?

Americans this week were handed a big decision when it comes to getting a COVID-19 vaccine booster. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday said individuals who qualify could choose a different vaccine from the one they received for their initial inoculation. For Americans asking how to choose, the following is what some experts advise:

Walmart recalls 3,900 room sprays due to possible dangerous bacteria

Walmart Inc is recalling about 3,900 bottles of an aromatherapy spray due to the possible presence of a rare and sometimes fatal bacteria, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said on Friday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tested a version of the Better Homes and Gardens-branded spray and found Burkholderia pseudomallei, which causes the potentially fatal condition melioidosis.

Americans can mix and match COVID-19 boosters but original vaccine recommended -Fauci

Americans can choose a COVID-19 booster shot that is different from their original inoculation but the recommendation is to stick with the vaccine they got first if it is available, White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Friday. "It's generally recommended that you get the booster that is the original regimen that you got in the first place," Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in an interview with CNN.

COVID-19 vaccines not linked to pregnancy loss; mixing vaccines may confer greater protection

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 have yet to be certified by peer review. COVID-19 vaccines not linked with pregnancy loss

(With inputs from agencies.)