Science in the News

Health & Medicine

As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, we answer 7 lingering vaccine questions

As U.S. vaccination efforts shift to get shots to the hard-to-reach, we take a look at some big questions about vaccines that still remain.

Health & Medicine

How India’s COVID-19 crisis became the worst in the world

Scientists say a laxed attitude toward masking and social distancing plus the rise of new variants may have fueled India’s coronavirus surge.

Health & Medicine

Here’s what breakthrough infections reveal about COVID-19 vaccines

Studies analyzing vaccinated people in the real world show that COVID-19 vaccines are extremely effective, but experts are keeping an eye on variants.

Health & Medicine

The surge in U.S. coronavirus cases shows a shift in who’s getting sick

Younger, unvaccinated people are a rising share of COVID-19 cases, raising concerns anew that lack of vaccine access may hit minority populations hard.

Health & Medicine

Here’s what we know about B.1.1.7, the U.S.’s dominant coronavirus strain

Studies show the variant is more contagious and may cause more severe COVID-19 overall. But vaccines still work against B.1.1.7.

Health & Medicine

4 takeaways from the WHO’s report on the origins of the coronavirus

The leading hypothesis is that the coronavirus spread to people from bats via a yet-to-be-identified animal, but no animals have tested positive so far.

Health & Medicine

Here’s what makes 4 promising COVID-19 vaccines unique — and potentially useful

More vaccines still in the works are exploring a variety of approaches, including pills and electrical zaps.

Health & Medicine

We still don’t know for sure where the coronavirus came from. Here’s why

A year into the pandemic, we know the virus probably came from bats, but how and why it leaped to humans are still unknown.

Health & Medicine

What you need to know about J&J’s newly authorized one-shot COVID-19 vaccine

Even as a third COVID-19 vaccine becomes available in the United States, questions remain over how well it works and if people will take it.

Health & Medicine

Global inequity in COVID-19 vaccination is more than a moral problem

Wealthy countries are vaccinating at much higher rates than low-income countries. Such inequities could ultimately prolong the pandemic for all.

Health & Medicine

Can a COVID-19 vaccine’s second dose be delayed? It’s complicated

New data indicate that delaying second doses of COVID-19 vaccines may still provide protection, but some scientists aren’t convinced it’s OK.

Health & Medicine

COVID-19 vaccines may be ready for teens this summer

Vaccinating children against COVID-19 is a crucial step towards reaching herd immunity and returning to pre-pandemic life.