Health

Feds OK'd export of millions of N95 masks even as U.S. workers needed more

By Christina Jewett, Kaiser Health News

In the hours before President Joe Biden was inaugurated, the Federal Emergency Management Agency allowed a Texas mask maker to ship the high-quality masks overseas.

Cold wreaks havoc on aging waterworks in the South

By Melinda Deslatte, Leah Willingham, Associated Press

Cities across Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana and Mississippi are still grappling with outages that crippled health care facilities and forced families to wait in line for potable water.

Medical oxygen scarce in Africa, Latin America amid virus

By Carley Petesch, Lori Hinnant, Associated Press

A crisis over the supply of medical oxygen for coronavirus patients has struck nations in Africa and Latin America, where warnings went unheeded at the start of the pandemic and doctors say the shortage has led to unnecessary deaths.

WATCH: Biden, Harris commemorate 50 million COVID-19 vaccine shots

By Darlene Superville, Zeke Miller, Associated Press

As part of the ceremony, four front-line workers — a pair of emergency medical technicians, a school counselor and a grocery store worker — received vaccine doses on live television.

Get whatever COVID-19 vaccine is available, Fauci says

By Associated Press

Dr. Anthony Fauci says it’s a race “between the virus and getting vaccines into people” and “the longer one waits not getting vaccinated, the better chance the virus has to get a variant or a mutation.”…

WATCH: Surgeon general, assistant HHS secretary nominees testify before Senate

By Courtney Vinopal

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Feb. 25 will consider the nominations of Vivek Murthy for U.S. Surgeon General and Dr. Rachel Levine for assistant secretary of Health and Human Services.

Amid COVID-19 pandemic, flu has virtually disappeared in the U.S.

By Mike Stobbe, Associated Press

February is usually the peak of flu season, with doctors' offices and hospitals packed with suffering patients. But not this year.

Military begins delivering vaccines in Texas, New York

By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press

The U.S. military is beginning to deliver shots at coronavirus vaccination centers in Texas and New York and says service members will start staffing four centers in Florida and one in Philadelphia next week.

House nears vote on Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID relief plan

By Lisa Desjardins

It's a busy week on Capitol Hill, with a full slate of confirmation hearings on President Biden's nominees and a possible House vote on the COVID economic-relief plan. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins joins Judy Woodruff to discuss.

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5 stories about COVID-19 vaccine mistrust from Americans of color

By Laura Santhanam

The coronavirus pandemic repeats a truth that communities of color in the United States have been saying for generations: They suffer worse health outcomes compared to white communities, and systemic racism drives those disparities.