Health & Safety

A health care worker at a drive-through site in Greenville, Miss., administers a COVID-19 vaccine shot in January. Mississippi was one of the first states to add a body mass index of 30 or more (a rough gauge of obesity) to its current list of qualifying

Health & Safety

High Obesity Rates In Southern States Magnify COVID-19's Threat

5:00am March 11, 2021

by Sarah Varney

In the U.S. South — home to nine of the nation's 12 heaviest states — obesity is playing a role not only in COVID-19 outcomes but in the calculus of the vaccination rollout.

Health & Safety

Even Sweeter 16: Why Age Now Qualifies Alaskans For A COVID-19 Vaccine

1:49am March 11, 2021

On Tuesday, Alaska opened COVID-19 vaccinations to anyone in the state older than 16. NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Alaska's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anne Zink about the state's decision to do so.

Queue Listen Now

President Joe Biden speaks from the State Dining Room following the passage of the American Rescue Plan in the U.S. Senate at the White House on March 6, 2021.

House Gives Final Approval To $1.9 Trillion COVID-19 Relief Package

6:13pm March 10, 2021

by Chloee Weiner

The bill will deliver a new round of aid to Americans almost a year after the pandemic first upended daily life in the United States.

Early on in the COVID-19 pandemic antibiotics were frequently prescribed to seriously ill patients, even though the disease is caused by a virus.

Health & Safety

Antibiotic Use Ran High In Early Days Of COVID-19, Despite Viral Cause

4:54pm March 10, 2021

by Richard Harris

Many doctors have used antibiotics to treat COVID-19 patients, but that's largely unnecessary — and could even promote drug-resistant germs.

A pedestrian on Feb. 25 walks past the window of a restaurant with a sign promoting its re-opening in Boulder, Colo. Congress on Wednesday passed a $1.9 trillion stimulus plan, which is expected to provide a strong boost to economic growth.

Biden's $1.9 Trillion Rescue Plan Set To Turbocharge U.S. Economy

4:27pm March 10, 2021

by Scott Horsley

Economists expect the additional federal spending, coupled with an improving public health picture, will jumpstart economic growth this year.

#TheMoment: A Nashville Band's Potential Big Break Was Canceled

4:23pm March 10, 2021

One year after lockdown first began, NPR shares listener stories of the moment they realized COVID-19 would change their world. Steve Cross' band's possible big break was canceled during sound check.

Countries Face A Variety Of Obstacles In Getting Vaccines In Their Citizens' Arms

4:23pm March 10, 2021

Mistrust towards China-produced vaccines, general vaccine hesitancy and distribution complications have all been obstacles in getting the vaccine out in some countries.

Health & Safety

Twice As Many White Alabamans Are Getting COVID-19 Vaccinations Than Black Alabamans

4:23pm March 10, 2021

NPR's Ari Shaprio talks with Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Tyson about how twice as many white Alabamans are getting COVID-19 vaccinations as Black Alabamans. Birmingham is a case in point.

Health & Safety

Forsyth County Holds Mass Vaccination Clinic This Weekend

4:18pm March 10, 2021

by Bethany Chafin

Forsyth County is gearing up for a mass vaccination clinic this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The event will use the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

Miriam De La Torre receives a COVID-19 vaccine earlier this month. The LA Unified School District and the United Teachers LA union say they've reach a tentative agreement to return to in-person learning next month.

LA Schools, Teachers Reach Tentative Deal To Reopen Classrooms To In-Person Learning

1:48pm March 10, 2021

by Scott Neuman

The agreement, which still must be ratified by members of the teachers union, would see most students returning to physical classrooms for the first time in more than a year.