Global Health

Lines form in front of a vaccination center Monday in Hamburg, Germany.

Germany Is Expected To Centralize Its COVID-19 Response. Some Fear It May Be Too Late

6:57pm April 12, 2021

by Esme Nicholson

The country's scattershot approach, with each of 16 states imposing different regulations, has come under mounting criticism as cases surpass 3 million and hospitals warn they're running out of beds.

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Pubs In England Open

4:18pm April 12, 2021

by Frank Langfitt

After being closed for months, England's pubs — at least those with outdoor beer gardens — will reopen Monday, along with non-essential shops and beauty salons.

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Health & Safety

A Case For 'Vaccine Diplomacy' Amid Impending U.S. Vaccine Surplus

5:21pm April 11, 2021

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Dr. Krishna Udayakumar, founding director of the Duke Global Health Innovation Center, about vaccine surpluses in the U.S. and what might be done with extra doses.

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Amid Variants And Limited Vaccines, Canada Braces For A COVID-19 Surge

4:57pm April 11, 2021

by Emma Jacobs

Canada could surpass the COVID-19 infection rate of the U.S. for the first time since the start of the pandemic, due to a rise in cases involving variants while vaccine supplies remain limited.

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A woman fills a bottle from the tap at the Seth Gangalal V. Mulji Nandlal fountain. Researchers and water rights activist say the pandemic has exacerbated the huge inequality in Mumbai's water supply, with lower-income families struggling to find affordab

PHOTOS: Mumbai Falls In Love All Over Again With Its Forgotten Fountains

9:47am April 11, 2021

by Sushmita Pathak

They're majestic. They're neglected. And now they're slowly being fixed up. Conservationists are preserving them — and officials hope the fountains will supply free water for the city's impoverished.

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Coronvirus Vaccine Distribution Reveals Global Public Health Inequities

7:55am April 10, 2021

A coronavirus variant that originated in the UK is now the most dominant strain in the U.S. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with former USAID administrator Raj Shah about the global COVID-19 response.

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The usual side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine can range from a sore arm to flu-like symptoms. Or, if you're lucky, you won't get any side effects at all.

Health & Safety

Coronavirus Vaccine FAQs: What's Up With Side Effects? Should You Still Double Mask?

8:04pm April 09, 2021

by Pranav Baskar

So, you've successfully scored a vaccine — or at least an appointment. Congrats! That's amazing news, seriously! Now what about those side effects? And do you have to keep up that double masking?

A scientist works on COVID-19 samples to find variations of the virus at the Croix-Rousse Hospital laboratory in Lyon, France, in January.

Can Vaccines Stop Variants? Here's What We Know So Far

5:20pm April 09, 2021

by Nurith Aizenman

One of the hottest areas of research right now: studies to determine how well current vaccines work against emerging coronavirus "variants of concern."

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A public notice hangs outside a vaccination center notifying of vaccine shortages in Mahim, in Mumbai, India, on Thursday.

Is India Running Out Of Vaccine Doses?

11:33am April 09, 2021

by Lauren Frayer

India is the world's largest vaccine producer. But hundreds of its clinics have closed after running out of vaccine — just as the country sees a new spike in infections.

Cemetery workers wearing protective gear carry the coffin of a person who died from complications related to COVID-19 to a gravesite at the Vila Formosa cemetery in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Wednesday, April 7, 2021.

Brazil Top Court Orders Probe Of Bolsonaro's Pandemic Steps

1:03am April 09, 2021

by The Associated Press

Bolsonaro has downplayed the threat of the coronavirus while arguing that the economic and emotional impacts of shutdowns would harm more Brazilians than the pandemic.