Nov 19 FDA expands COVID boosters to all adults, final hurdle ahead By Lauren Neergaard and Matthew Perrone, Associated Press If the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agrees, tens of millions more Americans could have three doses of protection ahead of the new year. Anyone who got the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine can already get a booster. Continue reading
Nov 18 Watch 6:44 How the pandemic is contributing to alarming rise in opioid overdose deaths By William Brangham, Leah Nagy The nation’s opioid epidemic has never been deadlier. The Centers for Disease Control Prevention says 100,000 people died of drug overdoses over the last year — a 30 percent increase from the year before and an all-time high. As William… Continue watching
Nov 18 Tribes welcome infusion of money in infrastructure bill By Felicia Fonseca, Associated Press The Indian Health Service says it will consult with tribes on how best to use the $3.5 billion. The amount is enough to fulfill the more than 1,560 projects on the agency's list of sanitation deficiencies. Continue reading
Nov 17 Watch 5:43 The Build Back Better bill wants to lower prescription drug costs. Does it go far enough? By Amna Nawaz, Karina Cuevas Even while President Joe Biden is promoting the new infrastructure package, he and Democrats are trying to lock down a vote on a social spending and climate bill — The Build Back Better Act. Part of that bill is aimed… Continue watching
Nov 17 Watch 5:48 How the COVAX vaccine program is faring, and what challenges developing nations still face By William Brangham, Karina Cuevas The Biden administration is ramping up plans for vaccine manufacturing for the coming year. But developing nations have been struggling with delays and short supplies for months and will not meet their vaccination goals for this year. Drug maker Moderna… Continue watching
Nov 17 Air pollution prompts school closures as India capital considers lockdown By Sheikh Saaliq, Shonal Ganguly, Associated Press The dirty-air crisis in the city of more than 20 million people has underscored India's heavy dependence on coal, which accounts for 70% of the country's power. Continue reading
Nov 17 U.S. surpassed 100,000 overdose deaths in first year of COVID-19 By Laura Santhanam Experts believe the top drivers are the growing prevalence of deadly fentanyl in the illicit drug supply and the COVID-19 pandemic, which left many drug users socially isolated and unable to get treatment or other support. Continue reading
Nov 17 WATCH: Around 10 percent of eligible kids 5-11 have received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, White House says By Zeke Miller, Associated Press It's more than three times faster than the rate adults were vaccinated at the start of the nation's vaccination campaign 11 months ago. Continue reading
Nov 17 U.S. offering funding to increase COVID-19 vaccines internationally By Zeke Miller, Associated Press The Biden administration believes the boosted capacity of COVID-19 shots will help ease a global shortage of doses, particularly in lower- and middle-income nations, stopping preventable death and limiting the development of potentially new, more dangerous variants of the virus. Continue reading
Nov 16 Pfizer asks U.S. regulators to approve promising COVID pill By Matthew Perrone, Associated Press Pfizer is submitting its experimental pill for COVID-19 for U.S. authorization, setting the stage for a likely launch of the promising therapy in coming weeks. Continue reading