Vaccines

Darine Al-Ahmar (left), who directs a primary care health center in Douris, Lebanon, and Josette Hajjar, with the Lebanese branch of the Mérieux Foundation, have seen the number of cholera cases rise around their region.

Health & Safety

Amid vaccine shortages, Lebanon faces its first cholera outbreak in three decades

10:20am November 09, 2022

by Ari Daniel

Several crises in the country — including political instability, COVID and financial collapse — have created deteriorating conditions that have allowed the bacteria to spread.

Afrigen Biologics staff members in the company's lab in Cape Town, South Africa. Afrigen is working on a project to figure out how to manufacture the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine â part of an effort to address global health inequities.

African scientists say Western aid to fight pandemic is backfiring. Here's their plan

8:05pm November 04, 2022

by Simar Bajaj

Monkeypox is the latest case of how global health inequities persist. Vaccines went to the rich world while Africa lacks access. African scientists call for a bold plan to protect against pathogens.

Travel rules and regulations — and national lockdowns — have varied wildly, which gave SARS-CoV-2 lots of opportunities to spread. Above: A young traveler's temperature is checked at Taipei Songshan Airport in July 2020.

Health & Safety

4 ways the world messed up its pandemic response — and 3 fixes to do better next time

6:30pm September 14, 2022

by Ari Daniel

A new report from the Lancet Commission sums up the many mistakes that have been made and offers proposals for a more effective global strategy if and when another pandemic should strike.

In many places, there's still a major shortage of monkeypox vaccines. A plan to stretch the U.S. supply could help get shots into arms more quickly, but it's also untested and introduces new challenges.

Health & Safety

The new U.S. monkeypox vaccine strategy offers more doses — and uncertainty

10:50am August 19, 2022

Missteps and delays have hampered the U.S. effort to vaccinate people against monkeypox. Now state health officials and community members are trying to adapt to a controversial "dose sparing" plan.

Queue Listen Now

This 2014 illustration made available by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention depicts a polio virus particle.

Q&A: The polio virus was detected in New York City wastewater. Do you need to worry?

1:45pm August 12, 2022

by Jaclyn Diaz

The highly infectious viral disease can lead to permanent paralysis of the arms and legs and even death in some cases. Health officials are urging people to get vaccinated if they haven't been.

A doctor checks chest x-rays of a tuberculosis patient at a clinic in Mumbai, India, that treats those with drug-resistant strains of the disease. Two new studies look at how drug resistance might be overcome.

Health & Safety

TB is good at resisting antibiotics. Here are some new ideas to outsmart the bacteria

11:59am August 11, 2022

by Ari Daniel

Two new studies draw on data from more than 12,000 patients to help figure out ways to battle antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis.

The monkeypox outbreak is growing in the U.S. and vaccines remain in short supply.

Health & Safety

With supplies low, FDA authorizes plan to stretch limited monkeypox vaccine doses

7:22pm August 09, 2022

The Biden administration is allowing the shot to be given between layers of skin — a method that only requires a fifth of the full dose — in order to increase vaccinations and slow the outbreak.

A vaccine candidate for Lyme disease is moving through the clinical pipeline, as the tick-borne disease spreads to new areas. Here, a tick is seen at the French National Institute of Agricultural Research.

A vaccine for Lyme disease is in its final clinical trial

12:25pm August 09, 2022

by Bill Chappell

There isn't currently a Lyme disease vaccine on the U.S. market. Researchers are hoping to change that.

Health & Safety

NC prepares to rollout the newly authorized Novavax COVID-19 vaccine

11:42am July 26, 2022

by Neal Charnoff

North Carolina has added the Novavax vaccine to its arsenal of vaccines to help combat COVID-19.

Students of the Pyongyang Jang Chol Gu University of Commerce in North Korea undergo temperature checks before entering the campus. The country said there were no cases — until May 12.

Health & Safety

North Korea says its COVID outbreak is now under control. But is it?

10:57am May 27, 2022

by Anthony Kuhn

After saying there were no cases, officials on May 12 announced an outbreak. But without an adequate supply of tests, some say North Korea is "flying blind." And it still doesn't have vaccines.