Vaccines

If approved, the vaccine could be distributed before the end of the year, BioNTech says.

Watch an expert panel discussion on the effort to develop and deploy safe and effective vaccines against COVID-19 on Friday, Nov. 20, to be live-streamed here at 12 p.m. ET

Most of the federal contracts with companies involved in the crash program to make COVID-19 vaccines haven't been made public. The lack of disclosure raises questions about accountability.

A panel of doctor and scientists raised questions about the expedited regulatory path the Food and Drug Administration is considering for COVID-19 vaccines.

The agency, also known as the United Nations Children's Fund, plans to distribute up to 1 billion syringes by 2021.

Here's irony: tobacco plants may be key in preventing COVID-19. Two companies are using the plants to produce proteins for a vaccine. One candidate vaccine is already in a clinical trial.

The move is a reversal of Facebook's longstanding reluctance to block problematic content. Critics say public health misinformation has flourished on the social network.

The requirements laid out by the Food and Drug Administration in advice for drugmakers underscore why it's unlikely a vaccine could clear the agency before Election Day.

Volunteers getting the shot help determine if a candidate vaccine works. But what with social distancing and masks, scientists must discern if it's the shot or these other measures preventing illness.