COVID Vaccine

Nurse Christina Garibay administers Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine to a man at a community outreach event in Los Angeles in August.

Health & Safety

An FDA panel of experts backs J&J COVID vaccine booster

3:14pm October 15, 2021

by Scott Hensley

A panel of experts voted to recommend that the Food and Drug Administration authorize a booster dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine at least two months after the first shot.

Janet Gerber, a health department worker in Louisville, Ky., processes boxes containing vials of the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine in March.

Health & Safety

FDA analysis of J&J COVID vaccine booster sets the stage for public hearing

3:43pm October 13, 2021

by Scott Hensley

Johnson & Johnson has asked the Food and Drug Administration to authorize a booster for people 18 and older six months after initial immunization, with an option to vaccinate after two months.

The U.S. is preparing for COVID-19 vaccine booster shots, though exactly who needs one is not entirely clear.

Booster Shots Are Coming. Here's How To Figure Out If You Need One

7:31pm September 24, 2021

With the back and forth on boosters from government agencies, many Americans are wondering if they really need an extra shot. Here is what the science says about who needs a booster now — and why.

Dr. Janet Woodcock, acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, appears before a Senate committee in July. Many public health leaders say letting the agency go so long without a permanent director has demoralized staff and sends the wrong mes

The FDA Has Been Without A Permanent Leader For 8 Months As COVID Cases Climb

8:18pm September 22, 2021

by Rachana Pradhan

Dr. Janet Woodcock, an administrative veteran of the Food and Drug Administration since the 1980s, has been acting director of the agency since January. Why is the permanent job so hard to fill?

Charlie Callagan's bone marrow transplant for multiple myeloma was recently postponed at the last minute because Oregon hospitals are overwhelmed with treating COVID-19 patients.

Health & Safety

Overwhelmed With COVID Patients, Oregon Hospitals Postpone Surgeries And Cancer Care

7:58pm September 16, 2021

by Erik Neumann

Patients with advanced cancer and heart disease are among those who have had to wait for surgeries and other procedures as critically ill, unvaccinated COVID patients strain the medical system.

In a fleeting elevator contact, an individual with a good mask — an N95 or KN95, for example — would be unlikely to become either infected or spread the coronavirus, an expert on COVID-19 says.

Health & Safety

Coronavirus FAQs: A Vaccinated Person's Guide To COVID Exposure And Elevator Etiquette

6:41pm September 10, 2021

by Marc Silver

Should you quarantine? Get tested? Mask up? Insist on masks for others? There are many tricky situations to navigate in our delta variant, semi-vaccinated world. Here's advice from experts.

A Palestinian medic administers a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine during an inoculation campaign at a medical center in Gaza City on Aug. 23.

Health & Safety

Why Pfizer's FDA Approval Matters And What It Means For Vaccine Mandates

6:01pm August 24, 2021

by Deepa Shivaram

The FDA announced the Pfizer vaccine is the first in the U.S. that is now fully approved. Here's what that means for vaccine mandates and convincing vaccine-hesitant people to get vaccinated.

Scientists have studied the blood of people who were part of a large trial for the Moderna vaccine to measures antibodies that can help predict levels of immunity after getting a COVID-19 shot.

New Evidence Points To Antibodies As A Reliable Indicator Of Vaccine Protection

8:31am August 23, 2021

by Joe Palca

After vaccination, antibody levels can help predict how much protection a COVID-19 shot offers, scientists are learning. The finding could speed up the development of future vaccines.

Federal health officials are planning ahead to give booster shots in the fall to all U.S. adults, starting with those who were vaccinated early on, like the elderly, health care workers and first responders.

COVID Booster Shots Are Coming. Here's What You Need To Know

10:55am August 19, 2021

If all goes to plan, Americans who got Pfizer or Moderna shots can get a third dose eight months after their last jab. Here's why health officials think you'll need one.

Only kids 12 and older are eligible — so far — to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in the U.S. But the shots could be available for younger children as soon as this fall, say researchers studying the vaccine in that age group.

Health & Safety

A Shot Against COVID For Kids Under 12 — Your Questions Answered

4:27pm August 18, 2021

A COVID-19 vaccine for children younger than 12 is not yet available, but research is well underway and the first shot for some kids in this age group is expected in the fall, doctors say.