Health & Safety

News Brief: Biden Gun Plan, Brazil's COVID Surge, Chauvin Trial Review

5:54am April 08, 2021

Biden will announce steps his administration plans to take on gun violence. Brazil marks a deadly milestone in the coronavirus pandemic. The prosecution continues its case in the Derek Chauvin trial.

Queue Listen Now

Health & Safety

The History Of Vaccine Passports In The U.S. And What's New

5:54am April 08, 2021

by Yuki Noguchi

Vaccine passports are a flashpoint in the COVID-19 pandemic, but they were used decades ago to help control smallpox. After smallpox was eradicated, there was no longer a need for the passports.

Queue Listen Now

Health & Safety

'Lost On The Front Line': Tracks Health Workers Who Died Of COVID-19

5:19am April 08, 2021

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to investigative reporter Christina Jewett of Kaiser Health News about a yearlong project that revealed more than 3,600 U.S. health care workers died of COVID-19.

Missouri state lawmakers are debating whether to fund an expansion of Medicaid that would bring health coverage to 275,000 more people in the state. The expansion was enshrined in a constitutional amendment approved by voters.

Missouri Legislature Tries To Back Out Of Voter-Approved Medicaid Expansion

5:00am April 08, 2021

by Sebastián Martínez Valdivia

Missouri Republicans are trying to avoid funding an expansion that would give 275,000 people health insurance. Democrats argue they are pushing ideology over the will of the people.

EU Sees Possible Link Between AstraZeneca Vaccine And Blood Clots

12:55am April 08, 2021

by Jason Beaubien

The European Medicines Agency says there is a possible link between the AstraZeneca COVID vaccine and rare blood clots.

Queue Listen Now

Cannabis plants grow inside a medical marijuana dispensary in Richmond, Va., known as gLeaf. The Virginia Legislature voted to pass a bill legalizing recreational marijuana in the state.

Virginia 16th State To Legalize Recreational Pot, Latest To Emphasize 'Social Equity'

8:31pm April 07, 2021

by Ben Paviour

By July 1, Virginians will be able to possess small amounts of cannabis legally. It's the third state this year to legalize marijuana with a stated focus on reducing harm to communities of color.

On Wednesday, pharmacists at the West Wales General Hospital in Carmarthen, Wales, transport a cool box containing the first batch of Moderna vaccines being distributed in Britain.

Health & Safety

CDC Says More Virulent British Strain Of Coronavirus Now Dominant In U.S.

6:30pm April 07, 2021

The variant known as B.1.1.7, which is more easily spread, was first identified in England last fall. Since then, it has spread quickly in the U.S.

Queue Listen Now

Nearly a third of adults in the U.S. have gotten at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine so far, but researchers warn that vaccine refusal may keep the country from reaching herd immunity.

Health & Safety

Vaccine Refusal May Put Herd Immunity At Risk, Researchers Warn

6:19pm April 07, 2021

by Geoff Brumfiel

One in four Americans say they won't get a coronavirus vaccine. Researchers say it could keep the nation from reaching a critical tipping point.

Bills Restricting Treatment For Transgender Youth Could Have Unintended Consequences

4:28pm April 07, 2021

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Dr. Joshua Safer, the executive director at Mount Sinai's Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery, about how puberty blockers go beyond transgender care.

Health & Safety

All North Carolina Adults Are Now Eligible To Receive COVID-19 Vaccinations

3:30pm April 07, 2021

by April Laissle

Everyone over the age of 16 will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in North Carolina beginning Wednesday.