health care

A staff member at a health center displays a vial of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine this week in Cardiff, Wales.

Wisconsin Hospital Leader On Getting Ready For Vaccinations

6:42pm December 11, 2020

Dr. Jeff Bahr with the Advocate Aurora Health system in Wisconsin says his hospitals are "ready to go" for vaccinations. Staff who treat COVID-19 patients will be first in line, he says.

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Software engineer Adriana Kaplan outside her home in South Philadelphia.

Health & Safety

Without Clear Pandemic Rules, People Take On More Risks As Fear And Vigilance Wane

5:12pm December 11, 2020

by Nina Feldman

Officials may be relying on people to do their part to stop the spread of COVID-19 at a time when the public is simply not afraid enough anymore to keep up the recommended behaviors.

Overloaded Hospitals Ask COVID-19 Patients With Milder Symptoms To Get Home Treatment

3:42pm December 11, 2020

by Andrea Dukakis

As hospitals fill up with COVID-19 patients, some are encouraging those with less severe conditions to forgo a hospital stay and get treatment at home instead.

What Inequities In The U.S. Health Care System Are Amplified By The Pandemic?

3:42pm December 11, 2020

NPR's Audie Cornish speaks with Lisa Cooper of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity about COVID-19 treatments for those close to President Trump and disparities in America's health care system.

A panel of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration met Thursday to evaluate Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine and make recommendations on emergency use to the agency. A quick FDA decision is expected after the advisers' 17-4 vote.

Health & Safety

FDA Panel Recommends COVID-19 Vaccine For Emergency Use

9:08pm December 10, 2020

In a 17-4 vote, an expert committee concluded that the scientific evidence supports the authorization of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech for emergency use during the pandemic.

Lisa Taylor got a COVID-19 vaccination in August as part of a vaccine study at Research Centers of America in Hollywood, Fla.

Health & Safety

When Might You Expect Your 1st COVID-19 Shot?

6:54pm December 10, 2020

by Pien Huang

In the U.S., front-line health care workers are likely first in line to get immunized with a COVID-19 vaccine, once the FDA says yes. But what about the rest of us? Here's what we know so far.

ICU Doctor On Why Health Workers Shouldn't Be Prioritized In Coronavirus Vaccination

4:00pm December 10, 2020

NPR's Ailsa Chang interviews Joel Zivot, an intensive care unit doctor, about why he thinks health care workers should not receive a coronavirus vaccine before others.

Stephen Hahn, who heads the FDA, tells NPR the agency will likely make a decision about Pfizer's vaccine "shortly after" a meeting on Thursday.

Health & Safety

FDA Head Stephen Hahn On What's Next For Pfizer Vaccine In Fast-Moving Process

2:23pm December 09, 2020

by Ailsa Chang

The FDA will likely make a decision about approving Pfizer's vaccine "shortly after" an advisory committee meeting on Thursday. The agency has found "no specific safety concerns" about the vaccine.

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A proposed rule could cause headaches and extra work for the successor of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, seen with President Trump in November.

Trump HHS Proposal Criticized As Burden For Biden Administration

11:28am December 09, 2020

by Phil Galewitz

The rule would require health officials to review about 2,400 regulations on everything from Medicare benefits to prescription drugs approvals. Those not analyzed within two years would become void.

California's Fatigued Doctors And Nurses Are Bracing For Worse Coronavirus Surges

3:51pm December 08, 2020

by Lesley McClurg

With coronavirus cases and hospitalizations at record highs, doctors and nurses in California are fatigued by months of care and are bracing for the worst in the winter.

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