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Wednesday, 7 January, 2026

FOCUS: VACCINES

Outcry after US childhood vaccine changes

Venilla Yoganathan - 0
In a radical shift in child immunisation policy, US federal officials this week announced unprecedented changes to its childhood vaccine schedule, sparking widespread condemnation from public health authorities worldwide. The new policy, effective immediately, which will see the number of universally recommended immunisations slashed from 17 to 11, is modelled after the schedule used by Denmark, reports CIDRAP. However, Demark is a much smaller country and its recommendations are possibly not because of safety concerns, but because the jabs may...
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NEWS UPDATE

Discovery seeks repayment after overpaying members’ claims

A processing error has led to Discovery Health members being asked to repay money after their claims were incorrectly paid out at a higher rate than their plan’s benefits allow. The mistake is related to the Above Threshold Benefit (ATB) on the Executive, Classic Comprehensive, Classic Smart Comprehensive, Classic Priority and Essential Priority plans, reports Moneyweb. Day-to-day expenses are paid from the ATB once the member has reached their annual threshold. However, the ATB itself has limits – and when these were reached, Discovery Health paid for subsequent claims even though these claims should have either been paid from a member’s...

SIU probes vaccine research contracts

Four vaccine research procurement contracts will come under the SIU’s microscope as it investigates serious maladministration and improper conduct allegations in government departments, a major university and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Daily Maverick reports that the probe involves funding agreements for vaccine research and development entered into by or on behalf of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), the Technology Innovation Agency, the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the CSIR. Last month, the SIU announced that President Cyril Ramaphosa had signed proclamation 304 of 2025, mandating the unit to look into the procurement of or contracting...

Medicine shortage fears after Limpopo Health outsourcing

Limpopo Health staff have warned of a potential system collapse after the department outsourced the provincial pharmaceutical depot, saying that failures by the newly appointed service provider could trigger widespread medicine shortages. TimesLIVE reports that the company contracted to take over depot operations failed to deliver medication in November and December, placing more than 440 clinics and 42 hospitals at risk of running out of essential drugs. This comes after longstanding concerns about the department’s handling of its medicine depot in Polokwane. Last year, the department was slammed for continuing to pay monthly rental of R150 000 to the Limpopo Economic...

Support grows for UN health envoy as inquiry deadline looms

The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) will decide by the end of January on whether to proceed with a full inquiry into South Africa’s Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to health. Mofokeng has appealed following the HPCSA's ruling of unprofessional conduct against her in October, and R10 000 fine. GroundUp reports reports that the council has until 28 January to decide whether to go ahead with the inquiry related to her social media comments about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a staunch supporter, Hillel Neuer. Last April, an envelope arrived at Mofokeng’s office at Georgetown...

Fraud-accused ex-health boss loses 'privileged testimony' suit

A former North West Health Department HoD, Dr Andrew Lekalakala – arrested in 2019 and charged with fraud and corruption – has been unsuccessful in his legal efforts to have section 22 of the North West provincial legislature’s Powers, Privileges and Immunities Act declared unconstitutional. TimesLIVE reports that the challenged section makes it an offence, punishable as perjury, for anyone who, after being warned, knowingly and corruptly gives a false answer on a material matter before the provincial legislature or its committees. Lekalakala wanted the section declared unconstitutional on the basis that he was compelled to testify before a provincial legislature...

Hidden market fuels fake script industry

The illegal prescription business is flourishing in South Africa, posing increasing public health and economic risks, warn experts, who urge greater effort to combat the expanding market for counterfeit, smuggled, and unregulated drugs. According to the TRACIT 2025 Strategic Review, South Africa ranks 60th globally out of 158 countries and fourth in Africa on measures of resilience to illegal markets, with a score of 52.4 out of 100, reports IOL. The report notes that the illicit economy includes pharmaceuticals alongside alcohol, tobacco, foodstuffs, and other sectors, with unregulated spaza shops and informal markets serving as common distribution points. Street markets, cross-border smuggling The South African...

Nestlé removes infant formula from SA and other countries over toxin risk

Swiss giant Nestlé is recalling some batches of its infant nutrition products, including SMA, BEBA and NAN formulas, in 25 countries due to possible contamination with a toxin that can cause nausea and vomiting. In SA, Nestlé will recall a batch of its NAN Special Pro baby formula, which was manufactured on 15 June 2025 and has an expiration date of 15 December 2026. The product’s batch number 51660742F3, reports News24. Since December, the Swiss group has recalled several baby formula products across Europe. The group had detected a “quality issue” in an ingredient sourced from one of its major suppliers,...

FDA green-lights Wegovy weight-loss pill

The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first oral glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist for weight loss and to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Novo Nordisk plans to launch its once-daily Wegovy 25 mg pill in the US this month, reports AJMC. The approval is based on results from the OASIS clinical trials and the SELECT trial. OASIS 4 showed a mean weight loss of 13.6% at 64 weeks. The study evaluated the efficacy and safety of once-daily oral semaglutide with lifestyle counselling compared with placebo. The OASIS 4 trial enrolled 307 adults without diabetes...

Aspen cuts debt with R26.51bn deal

South Africa’s largest pharmaceutical producer, Aspen Pharmacare, has announced it will sell its Australia, New Zealand and Asia Pacific assets, excluding China, to Australian private equity firm BGH Capital for R26.51bn, reports Daily Investor. Although the company had no plans to sell those assets, it had agreed to do so after it evaluated an unsolicited offer from BGH Capital, it said. The deal, which includes divestment of Aspen’s first venture outside South Africa, in Australia and New Zealand, will help the company reduce its debt and streamline focus on producing GLP-1 drugs and bolster turnaround efforts. In September, the firm reported an annual loss...

MEDICO-LEGAL

New warning added to contraceptive drug label as lawsuits rise

With more than 1 800 lawsuits linked to Pfizer’s Depo-Provera contraceptive drug, the US Food & Drug Administration is now officially warning users of a potential brain tumour risk tied to use of the popular birth control shot. Drugwatch reports that the agency recently updated the drug’s warning label to include information on meningioma, a type of tumour that forms in the lining surrounding the brain. The label update comes as nearly 400 additional Depo-Provera lawsuits have been filed in federal court. “The FDA’s decision to require a meningioma warning on the label provides plaintiffs with strong support for their claim that Pfizer did...

J&J appeals order to pay $40m to two cancer patients

Johnson & Johnson is to appeal a Los Angeles jury’s order to pay $40m to two women who claimed its talcum powder caused their ovarian cancer, reports AP. The guilty verdict is the latest development in a longstanding legal battle over claims that talc in J&J’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower body powder was connected to ovarian cancer and mesothelioma, a cancer affecting the lungs and other organs. In October, another California jury ordered the company to pay a whopping $966m to the family of a woman who died of mesothelioma, claiming she developed the cancer because the baby powder...

SOME RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS IN THE PAST WEEK

CARDIOVASCULAR

Numerous heart attacks being missed – US-Canada analysis

Alarming research has suggested that current screening techniques may be failing to flag nearly half of those who experience a heart attack, with the scientists estimating that many of these...

HAEMATOLOGY

Blood proteins could predict life expectancy – UK study

Imagine if a simple blood test could offer a glimpse into your future health. Not just whether you have heart disease or cancer today, but whether your overall risk...

NUTRITION

High-fat dairy link to good brain health – Swedish study

A large study has suggested a connection between eating more cream and high-fat cheese – like cheddar, Brie and Gouda – and a lower risk of developing dementia. The findings...

WOMEN’S HEALTH

Self-hypnosis could slash menopausal hot flushes – Texas study

Relief from one of menopause’s most frustrating symptoms could be a self-guided session away, say experts. A gentle breeze; water trickling over a fountain; crisp mountain air. Such scenes...

ABOUT US

MedicalBrief is Africa’s authoritative weekly digest of medical matters, both on the continent and around the world. It brings you a succinct summary of the latest developments, both in news and research, with links to the original material. Contact us: info@medicalbrief.co.za

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