Fix the global vaccine rollout or face even worse COVID variants, experts warn The world has "lost the plot" on equitable vaccine access and is falling far short of targets to vaccinate the global south, according to scathing assessments from experts. Ashish Valentine
Everyone 16- and 17-year-olds can now get a Pfizer COVID vaccine booster The Food and Drug Administration has now extended it authorization for Pfizer/BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine booster to everyone 16 and older. Joe Palca
Opinion: I want my mom to see her grandkids for Christmas. Travel bans make it tough Jacqueline Muna Musiitwa was planning for her mom to fly from Zambia to the U.S. for Christmas. Ever-changing travel bans are making it seem like a holiday dream that won't come true. Jacqueline Muna Musiitwa
1 in 10 Americans say the Covid-19 vaccine conflicts with their religious beliefs Only 10% of Americans believe that getting a Covid-19 vaccine conflicts with their religious beliefs, and 59% of Americans say too many people are using religious beliefs as an excuse not to get vaccinated, a new survey shows. Deepa Shivaram
In a largely symbolic move, the Senate votes to block Biden's vaccine-or-test mandate The White House says the president will veto the bill if it reaches his desk. But GOP lawmakers pushed the measure as the political fight over vaccine mandates deepens. Brian Naylor
Opinion: I'm shocked by the racist cartoons and travel bans sparked by omicron The variant is bringing out the worst in some Western governments and global media outlets, says Dr. Ifeanyi Nsofor, a global health advocate in Nigeria. Ifeanyi Nsofor
Omicron boosters are in the works, but will they be needed? Omicron has many more mutations than previous variants of concern, a fact that raises questions about how effective existing vaccines will be against the new form of the coronavirus. Sydney Lupkin
What the omicron variant might mean for current — and future — vaccines Former scientific head of Operation Warp Speed Moncef Slaoui explains why he is confident in existing vaccines' protection against omicron and how soon a variant-specific booster could be developed. Sydney Lupkin
19 U.S. states now have detected the omicron COVID-19 variant States that have detected the variant range from Hawaii to Massachusetts. The reports are part of a new surge in COVID-19 cases. Bill Chappell
The surgeon general's latest advisory highlights the youth mental health crisis NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy about his advice for addressing challenges that worsened with the pandemic — including young people struggling with suicidal thoughts.
