Health

WATCH: White House task force urges greater vigilance against COVID-19 variants

By Associated Press

Ahead of Friday's briefing, the new director of the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, says officials have “scaled up” their surveillance of new coronavirus variants in the United States.

Johnson & Johnson' single-shot vaccine is 66 percent effective against COVID-19

By Lauren Neergaard and Linda A. Johnson, Associated Press

With vaccinations off to a rocky start globally, experts had been counting on a one-dose vaccine that would stretch scarce supplies and avoid the logistics nightmare of getting people to return for boosters.

How to protect yourself from the new coronavirus strains

By William Brangham, Alison Thoet

There are now several troubling variants of the coronavirus circulating, and a few seem to make the virus more contagious. One variant , the United Kingdom strain, is also more likely to make people sick or to kill them. The…

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Trust in COVID-19 vaccines is vital to control the pandemic. Why are some hesitant?

By Laura Santhanam

Among the many coronavirus challenges the Biden administration faces, boosting public trust in the vaccine is a problem it must solve to move the U.S. past the pandemic.

8 tips for finding a COVID-19 vaccine

By Vignesh Ramachandran

Vaccine distribution is rolling out differently state-by-state, but here are some general tips to help you and your family get protected.

Virus variant from South Africa detected in U.S. for first time

By Michelle Liu, Mike Stobbe, Associated Press

A new coronavirus variant identified in South Africa has been found in the United States for the first time, with two cases diagnosed in South Carolina, state health officials said Thursday.

WATCH: Biden opens sign-up window for uninsured in time of COVID-19

By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press

The actions were only the first steps by Biden, who has promised to build out former President Barack Obama’s health care law to achieve a goal of coverage for all.

U.S. jobless claims fall but remain high at 847,000 as pandemic rages

By Paul Wiseman, Associated Press

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell but remained at a historically high 847,000 last week, a sign that layoffs keep coming as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage.

Biden to reopen 'Obamacare' markets for COVID-19 relief

By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press

President Joe Biden plans to reopen the HealthCare.gov insurance markets for a special sign-up opportunity, as he promised during his campaign.

Advocates hope higher ed shift from standardized tests will aid diversity, but it's no cure-all

By Alina Tugend, The Hechinger Report

When Worcester Polytechnic Institute wanted to attract more Black, Hispanic and female students, it became the first nationally ranked science university to make the ACT and SAT standardized tests optional for admission.