Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Dr. Rochelle Walensky likens the call she got from the Biden team, asking her to lead the CDC amid a pandemic, to a hospital alarm that goes off when a patient's heart has stopped. "I got called during a code," she says. "And when you get called during a

Biden's Straight-Talking CDC Director Has Long Used Data To Save Lives

11:21am February 24, 2021

by Carey Goldberg

Dr. Rochelle Walensky says scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were "muzzled" and "diminished" by the Trump team, especially during the pandemic. She aims to fix that.

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CDC's New School Guidelines May Change Little, Superintendent Says

8:32am February 13, 2021

by Scott Simon

Marian Kim-Phelps, superintendent of the Poway Unified School District in San Diego, tells NPR's Scott Simon the recommendations don't help schools with what they need to reopen: staffing and space.

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Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., who chairs the House's panel on the coronavirus, warned that if the Department of Health and Human Services failed to produce all missing documents by Dec. 15, the panel "will have no choice but to issue subpoenas to compel pro

House Oversight Committee Chair: Testimony Points To Political Interference At CDC

7:24pm December 10, 2020

by Vanessa Romo

Rep. James Clyburn says the Trump Administration may have deliberately tried to "conceal and destroy evidence that senior political appointees interfered" with the CDC's coronavirus response.

A sign reminds motorists of Los Angeles County's stay-at-home regulation. On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rolled out its revised guidelines for people potentially exposed to the coronavirus.

Health & Safety

CDC Shortens Its COVID-19 Quarantine Recommendations

1:08pm December 02, 2020

by Colin Dwyer

In revised guidelines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention trimmed its recommended quarantine for possible exposure — from 14 days to seven or 10, depending on test results and symptoms.

An airport employee walks through Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Va., earlier this year. On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that Americans should refrain from traveling for the upcoming holiday.

Health & Safety

Don't Travel For Thanksgiving, CDC Warns

2:03pm November 19, 2020

by Colin Dwyer

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its recommendations one week before the holiday, advising that Americans be careful amid an explosion in the spread of the coronavirus.

A Marine is posted Thursday outside the West Wing of the White House, signifying the president is in the Oval Office. President Trump's physician said that he could return to public engagements as soon as Saturday.

Health & Safety

'Reckless': Doctors Question Trump Resuming Activities So Quickly

4:07pm October 09, 2020

by Rob Stein

Trump's physician said Trump could resume "public engagements" as soon as Saturday. But experts say that may be too soon, both for his own health and the safety of those around him.

Airborne transmission of the coronavirus can occur, especially in poorly ventilated and enclosed spaces, according to the CDC.

CDC Acknowledges Coronavirus Can Spread Via Airborne Transmission

6:36pm October 05, 2020

by Maria Godoy

People with COVID-19 can infect others even if they are more than 6 feet apart. In updated guidance, the CDC acknowledges airborne transmission can occur, especially in poorly ventilated spaces.

Hospitals may soon be at risk of losing a critical funding stream — Medicare funding — if they don't comply with new COVID-19 data reporting requirements.

Health & Safety

Trump Administration Plans Crackdown On Hospitals Failing To Report COVID-19 Data

12:43pm September 24, 2020

Draft documents obtained by NPR show that the federal government is preparing to enforce new data reporting requirements, threatening to withhold vital Medicare funding from noncompliant hospitals.

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A COVID-19 vaccine developed by Moderna Inc. and the National Institutes of Health, shown here, is one of three vaccines in Phase 3 trials in the U.S. With development and testing underway, health officials are asking states to prepare for limited distrib

CDC Asks States To Plan For Potential Vaccine Distribution Starting In Late October

10:10pm September 02, 2020

by Rachel Treisman

The CDC's planning guidance for states includes multiple scenarios for the rollout of a vaccine this year, including possibly having a limited number of doses available in October and November.

Dr. Deborah Birx speaks to reporters this week outside the Arkansas Governor's Mansion in Little Rock. Birx indicated that data on U.S. COVID-19 hospitalizations will move back to the CDC under a "revolutionary new data system" the agency is developing.

Health & Safety

Birx Stokes Hopes That Key Hospital Data Tracking Will Soon Return To CDC

8:53pm August 20, 2020

by Pien Huang

Dr. Deborah Birx says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is creating a new way to track COVID-19 hospitalizations a month after such data collection was moved outside the agency.