Medical Treatments

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.

A vial of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech that was used at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, U.K., on Tuesday.

Health & Safety

U.S. Government May Find It Hard To Get More Doses Of Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccine

9:31am December 10, 2020

by Sydney Lupkin

A Pfizer board member says the government declined to buy more doses beyond the initial 100 million already agreed upon. Demand from other countries could complicate future purchases.

A nurse prepares to inject residential care home staff with the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Health & Safety

'Kind Of A Chess Game': For States, Distributing COVID-19 Vaccine Poses Myriad Hurdles

7:40pm December 09, 2020

by Emma Bowman

Claire Hannan, head of the Association of Immunization Managers, says the officials planning vaccine distribution face plenty of challenges. One is not knowing how many doses are coming their way.

Queue Listen Now

Root extracts from the African shrub iboga have long been used in traditional healing rituals and more recently as an experimental treatment for depression and to reduce drug cravings in addiction. Scientists now are working on a version of the extract th

Progress Toward A Safer Psychedelic Drug To Treat Depression And Addiction

5:19pm December 09, 2020

by Jon Hamilton

A synthetic version of the psychedelic drug ibogaine appears to relieve depression and addiction without producing hallucinations or other dangerous side effects — at least in rodents.

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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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FDA Analysis Confirms That Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine May Be Effective

3:51pm December 08, 2020

by Joe Palca

The Food and Drug Administration released its analysis of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine. An independent committee will meet with the agency Thursday to discuss emergency use of the vaccine.

Health & Safety

'This Is Marketing' Author On How To Market A Vaccine To Americans

4:56pm December 05, 2020

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Seth Godin, author of the bestseller This is Marketing, about ways to make public messaging about the pandemic more effective and persuasive.

Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Awaits FDA Approval. What Is Known About The Drugmaker?

3:54pm December 04, 2020

NPR's Audie Cornish speaks with Peter Loftus of The Wall Street Journal about Moderna's history and the fact that it has never received Food and Drug Administration approval for one of its products.

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Dr. Kristen Kendrick walks us through what to do if and when we test positive for COVID-19 or develop mild symptoms. How long must we isolate at home? What about our housemates? How do keep the food coming? When can we go outside again?

Health & Safety

What To Do If You Test Positive For The Coronavirus This Winter

2:17pm December 04, 2020

by Kristen Kendrick

Here's how to self-isolate, what the new quarantine guidance means for your household, and which symptoms signal you need immediate emergency care.

News of a good immune response in animals bodes well for testing future COVID-19 vaccines.

Immune Response In Animals Good News For COVID-19 Vaccine Development

11:59am December 04, 2020

by Joe Palca

Researchers found that a class of antibodies in a monkey's blood provides protection from COVID-19. If that hold true for humans, a blood test may predict whether a vaccine candidate is working.