While Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA) have received increased attention during the COVID-19 public health emergency, they are not a new tool to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 
The Commissioner of FDA Stephen M. Hahn M.D., took a moment on November 17, 2020, to reaffirm FDA’s commitment to transparency around the EUA process and share some updates on our plan to provide more information about FDA’s decisions to issue, revise or revoke EUAs for vaccines.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer announced today marks the first time that 194 countries commit to eliminating cancer – following the adoption of a resolution at the World Health Assembly in 2020.
Cervical cancer is a preventable disease that is also curable if detected early and adequately treated. Yet it is the 4th most common cancer among women globally. 
This WHO cervical cancer strategy outlines three key steps: vaccination, screening, and treatment.

A Hyderabad-based vaccine and pharmaceutical company announced the initiation of a Phase I/II clinical trial of its COVID-19 subunit vaccine candidate in India following approval from the Drugs Controller General of India.
This early-stage study’s results are expected to be available by February 2021.

A Denmark-based vaccine producer announced that Health Canada has expanded the approval of the Company’s non-replicating smallpox vaccine, IMVAMUNE® to include indications for monkeypox and related orthopoxvirus infections and disease in adults 18 years of age and older determined to be at high risk for exposure.
IMVAMUNE is currently approved in Canada under the Extraordinary Use New Drugs Pathway. 

The winter flu season may soon bring out dishonest sellers marketing fraudulent products to unsuspecting consumers, who are already concerned about protecting themselves from COVID-19, said the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
These products can be found online, including popular marketplaces, and in retail stores. They may be labeled as dietary supplements, foods, hand sanitizers, nasal sprays, or devices.

The prospect of Israel making it mandatory to get an experimental vaccine against the new coronavirus has quickly become a concern, commented Ronny Linder in an editorial published by The Haaretz.
‘This possibility didn't emerge from thin air, but rather comments by the professionals in charge of managing Israel’s COVID-19 pandemic response.’

Around the world, measles cases surged in 2019 reaching the highest level in 23 years, reported the World Health Organization (WHO), and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Global measles fatalities climbed nearly 50 percent since 2016, claiming an estimated 207,500 lives in 2019 alone, reported the WHO on November 12, 2020.

The Chicago based American Medical Association (AMA) published an update to the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) code set that includes new vaccine-specific codes to report immunizations for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
Announced on November 10, 2020, the CPT Editorial Panel approved a unique CPT code for each of two coronavirus vaccines as well as administration codes unique to each such vaccine. 

Coronavirus outbreaks are being confirmed throughout the state of Texas, but incremental medical resources are being sent to areas in the southwest and Mexico border.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced the state has deployed additional medical resources to the cities of El Paso and Lubbock to help manage COVID-19 outbreaks in these communities.
According to the City of Lubbock’s COVID dashboard and El Paso’s dashboard, both cities are reporting additional coronavirus infections, and several COVID-19 fatalities each day.

The World Health Organization (WHO) new influenza report ‘should be interpreted with caution as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has influenced to varying extents health-seeking behaviors, as well as testing priorities and capacities in Member States.’
The WHO’s Influenza Update Report #380 published on November 9, 2020, says ‘various hygiene and physical distancing measures implemented by Member States to reduce SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus transmission have likely played a role in reducing influenza virus transmission.’