Health

Britain to unveil new booster guidance as Omicron variant spreads

Britain is set to unveil new guidance on speeding up and extending the rollout of COVID-19 booster shots on Monday, a junior health minister said, adding he was braced for more cases of the variant of concern Omicron.

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The Joint Committee on Vaccination and immunization has been asked to look at boosters for under-40s as well as reducing the gap between second doses and boosters.

“We’re awaiting that advice. I hope it will come, hopefully later today,” Edward Argar told Sky News, adding he did not know their decision.

“I don’t think it’s been formally delivered but we’d expect that within the coming hours.”

Japan bans entry of foreign visitors as Omicron COVID-19 variant spreads

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Health

Teen alcohol and nicotine use in Europe is up, WHO urges preventive measures

Substance use is on the rise among teenagers in Europe, Central Asia and Canada and girls now match or even exceed boys when it comes to smoking and drinking, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a new report on Thursday.

Health

Gender therapy review reveals devastating impacts on teens

A top Human Rights Council-appointed expert has welcomed the decision by all health authorities in the United Kingdom to halt the routine use of puberty-blockers offered to children as part of gender transition services, amid a sharp increase more widely in the number of teenage girls seeking such treatment and concerns that it might disrupt brain development.

Health

New global campaign boosts lifesaving vaccines

Two UN agencies alongside the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the global vaccine alliance Gavi launched on Wednesday a campaign to scale up programmes to save lives, marking the start of World Immunisation Week, celebrated annually during the last week of April.