Rob Stein - NPR

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a person gives another person a shot

New COVID vaccines get FDA approval

The vaccines were approved for people 12 and older and under an emergency use authorization for children ages 6 months to 11 years old.
a mask outside near the ocean

The CDC sees signs of a late summer COVID wave

In July, coronavirus infections, hospitalizations and emergency room visits have inched up.
people walk by a COVID testing sign

New omicron subvariants now dominant in the U.S., raising fears of a winter surge

The subvariants — called BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 — appear to be among the most adept yet at evading immunity from vaccination and previous infection.
a woman gives a man a shot

Summer boosters for people under 50 shelved in favor of updated boosters in the fall

The Biden administration is scrapping plans to offer COVID boosters for people under 50 this summer. Instead officials will push for an earlier release of the next generation boosters in the fall.
A man in a suit stands at a podium

White House says COVID vaccination for kids younger than 5 could start in a few weeks

COVID-19 vaccinations for children younger than 5 could start right after the Juneteenth holiday.
A child with a mask and a doll gets a shot

FDA authorizes first COVID booster for children ages 5 to 11

The Food and Drug Administration expanded authorization of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID vaccine to enable kids ages 5 to 11 who were vaccinated at least five months ago to get a third shot.
Gloved hands holding a tray filled with syringes

Moderna asks FDA to authorize first COVID-19 vaccine for very young children

The company said two doses of the vaccine administered 28 days apart triggered levels of antibodies equivalent to what has protected older children and adults.

US life expectancy falls for 2nd year in a row

Despite the availability of life-saving COVID-19 vaccines, so many people died in the second year of the pandemic in the U.S. that the nation's life expectancy dropped for a second year in a row last year, according to a new analysis.
a woman in a mask pulls vaccine from a vial

Another booster? A vaccine for omicron? Here’s what could be next for COVID vaccines.

Federal health officials are convening with outside advisers April 6 to talk about a vaccine plan, whether that's another booster in the fall, an omicron shot or one that targets more than one strain.
A health care worker holding a syringe

Pfizer vaccine’s protection against COVID wanes quickly in kids ages 5-11, study says

In all cases, the vaccine proved to provide strong protection against becoming seriously ill.
Vials of testing fluid and packages of nose swabs in boxes on a table

More contagious version of omicron spreads in US, fueling worries

The virus, known as BA.2, is a strain of the highly contagious omicron variant that appears to spread even more easily — about 30% more easily.
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If you’re finding this stage of the pandemic especially confusing, you’re not alone

Part of the problem is the conflicting, ever-changing advice people are hearing from different political leaders.
Seen from behind , a girl with a braid sits in a chair while an adult in a black shirt gives an injection in her shoulder wearing blue gloves

COVID-19 vaccine for young kids could be ready this month

zer-BioNTech is expected to file a submission for emergency use to the Food and Drug Administration for a vaccine regimen designed for use in children aged six months to five years.

Omicron will cause more infections but lower hospital rates, analysis shows

The analysis projects the omicron wave will infect more than 400,000 people a day in the U.S. when it crests in about six weeks. That's far more than the 250,000 people who caught the virus every day at the peak of last winter's surge.
Man in a mask gets a shot in his arm.

Omicron evades Moderna vaccine too, study suggests, but boosters help

The Moderna vaccine's ability to shield against infection drops sharply when tested on the omicron variant. But getting a booster pumps the protection back up again, new research suggests.
A close-up image of a person wearing gloves holding a nasal swab.

As U.S. races to detect and track omicron, patchwork surveillance makes that tough

What's the U.S. doing to watch out for the omicron variant? Here's the work underway and the challenges that experts say may slow down the country's efforts.
A woman wearing a sun hat holds a baby.

What we know about breakthrough infections and long COVID

As the delta variant causes more vaccinated people to get "breakthrough infections," concerns are rising that even the vaccinated could develop long COVID symptoms in rare cases.