COMIC: If history is a guide, schools will start requiring COVID vaccines The first vaccine required for school was for smallpox, over 200 years ago. And for decades, all states have required that kids be vaccinated against contagious diseases like polio to attend school. LA Johnson
Pfizer says its COVID-19 pill cuts disease's worst risks by 89% Based on the strength of the trial's results, Pfizer says it will ask the FDA for emergency use authorization rather than enroll more people for clinical trials. Bill Chappell
As U.S. cases drop, surgeon general warns COVID has been underestimated before NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Surgeon General Vivek Murthy about President Biden's latest vaccine rules for 100 million workers, and the impact on the pandemic of getting kids ages 5-11 vaccinated.
How does a country with no COVID reopen its borders? These places are finding out There is a glaring irony of the pandemic: Countries like the island nation of Tonga that have managed to keep the virus at bay may be some of the last to recover from the economic impact. Ashley Westerman
Birthday parties and sleepovers are back as parents welcome COVID vaccine for kids After months of waiting, many parents of kids ages 5 to 11 expressed relief and joy when the CDC gave its recommendation for Pfizer's vaccine to be made available to that age group. Wynne Davis
COVID is still crushing parts of the U.S. as the holiday season approaches The U.S. is entering an uneasy stretch of the pandemic. Despite progress, the delta surge is dragging on in certain regions. Can vaccines ward off a big surge over the holidays? Will Stone
The U.K. approves Merck's COVID-19 antiviral pill, calling it a world first "The U.K. is now the first country in the world to approve an antiviral that can be taken at home for COVID-19," Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said. Bill Chappell
The U.N. says climate impacts are getting worse faster than the world is adapting A new report finds some climate impacts are already irreversible and will last for many decades to come. It calls for far more money to help countries prepare for the growing risks they face. Nathan Rott
The WHO says COVID cases in Europe have risen steadily over the past 5 weeks Record numbers of COVID-19 deaths in Russia are being blamed on low vaccination rates. At the same time in Germany, which has a high vaccination rate, breakthrough infection rates are rising. Charles Maynes
Chinese tennis athlete accuses former top Communist Party official of sexual assault In a social media post Tuesday night, Peng Shuai described her assault years earlier at the hands of Zhang Gaoli. It's the first public accusation of sexual assault against a senior Party officer. Emily Feng
