Medical Treatments

Health & Safety

'Vaccine Talk' Facebook Group Is A Carefully Moderated Forum For Vaccine Questions

9:59am September 18, 2021

Kate Bilowitz moderates a Facebook group where people exchange views on vaccinations. She shares what moderating it has been like during the pandemic.

Health & Safety

The Pfizer Booster Shot Is Only Being Recommended For People 65 And Over

9:00am September 18, 2021

by Joe Palca

A Food and Drug Administration panel voted against giving most Americans a third Pfizer vaccine despite President Biden's plan to provide a COVID-19 booster to anyone over the age of 16.

India's Vaccination Drive Has Gathered Speed, But Millions Remain Vulnerable

5:11pm September 17, 2021

by Sushmita Pathak

India has sped up its COVID vaccination after a deadly spring outbreak. Half of those eligible have received at least one shot. But millions are still vulnerable as fears of a new wave loom.

FDA Advisers Endorse Pfizer COVID Booster Only For Those 65 And Over Or At Risk

4:59pm September 17, 2021

by Joe Palca

An independent committee of experts has recommended that the Food and Drug Administration should not allow Pfizer to provide a third dose of its COVID-19 vaccine to Americans older than 16.

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.

Are COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters Necessary?

5:22pm September 16, 2021

The FDA is set to rule on Pfizer boosters on Friday. Some scientists say they aren't needed for healthy people and the doses would more helpful for the unvaccinated in countries with limited supplies.

Pfizer Wants To Offer A 3rd COVID Vaccine Dose. Here Are The Pros And Cons

5:02pm September 15, 2021

by Joe Palca

Pfizer is seeking the FDA's permission to offer a third COVID-19 vaccine dose to those 16 and older. There's data that the vaccine's efficacy is waning and evidence that a booster can reverse that.

A health care worker administers a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a senior living facility in Worcester, Pa., in August.

Health & Safety

A Pfizer Analysis Makes The Case For A COVID Vaccine Booster

2:08pm September 15, 2021

by Scott Hensley

Pfizer says data supports its request for Food and Drug Administration approval of a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine about six months after the second dose in people 16 years and older.

Dr. Simone Gold discourages vaccination against COVID-19 and promotes alternative, unproven therapies. She has spent much of the past year speaking at events like this one held in West Palm Beach, Fla., in December. The conference was aimed at young peopl

This Doctor Spread False Information About COVID. She Still Kept Her Medical License

10:36am September 14, 2021

by Geoff Brumfiel

Simone Gold isn't alone. NPR found other physicians who retained their licenses despite spreading misinformation online and to the media about effective COVID-19 vaccines and unproven treatments.

Why A Group Of Doctors Are Using Their Free Time To Call Their Unvaccinated Patients

5:14pm September 13, 2021

In Massachusetts, a group of resident physicians are using their downtime to call their unvaccinated primary care patients to talk about the COVID-19 shot.