Feds' contract with Pfizer for Paxlovid has some surprises
NPR has obtained the government's $5.3 billion contract for the first 10 million courses of Paxlovid, an antiviral pill for COVID-19. Here's what's in it.
Medical Treatments
When can babies and kids under age 5 get their shots? Here's the timeline
The first big hurdle was crossed when Pfizer shared its clinical trial data with the FDA. Now there are five more steps to get through before this vulnerable population can be vaccinated.
COVID vaccines for young children could be ready by this spring
Pfizer and BioNtech are expected to ask the FDA for authorization for the first COVID-19 vaccine regimen for kids younger than age 5.
How a hyperactive cell in the brain might trigger Alzheimer's disease
Microglia are amoeba-like cells that scour the brain for injuries and invaders. But sometimes the usually helpful cells go into overdrive and damage the brain, researchers say.
Why omicron is crushing hospitals — even though cases are often milder than delta
People who get infected with omicron are less likely to go to the hospital, go on a ventilator or die. But with the current huge volume of patients, hospitals are still struggling to treat them all.
There's one population that gets overlooked by an 'everyone will get COVID' mentality
The roughly 7 million Americans who are immunocompromised — including many people with disabilities — live with much higher risk of COVID-19, and near-constant vigilance.
The FDA limits the use of some monoclonal antibodies treatments
The Food and Drug Administration is curbing the use of two out of three monoclonal antibody treatments because new data shows they aren't effective against the omicron variant.
Hospitals use a lottery to allocate scarce COVID drugs for the immunocompromised
So far the government has distributed about 300,000 doses of Evusheld, a new drug that protects against COVID-19. Some 7 million Americans could benefit from the drug right away.
Why rapid COVID tests aren't more accurate and how scientists hope to improve them
Recent research and anecdotes suggest people are testing negative on rapid tests even after they have symptoms, then later testing positive. Here's what researchers think is going on.
Americans are divided on abortion. The Supreme Court may not wait for minds to change
Public opinion remains bitterly divided on the issue, but an imminent Supreme Court decision could overturn or dramatically undercut Roe v. Wade.