Alabama Hospitals Have Run Out Of ICU Beds As COVID-19 Cases Surge There are 29 more patients than there are open ICU beds as of Wednesday. The recent run, reminiscent of early in the pandemic, is occurring largely in states with the lowest vaccination rates. Joe Hernandez
Polls: Parents Support School Mask Mandates But Oppose Student Vaccine Requirements Recent surveys by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the RAND Corporation give some insight into how parents are trying to navigate sending their children back to school as the pandemic continues. Sneha Dey
Teachers In Washington State Must Get Fully Vaccinated — Or They Could Be Fired The mandate, effective Oct. 18, applies to all K-12 teachers and staff in the state. The news comes as states around the country grapple with rising cases and the return of in-person schooling. Nell Clark
NIH Director Collins On Why The U.S. Reversed Its Decision On Booster Shots NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, about the U.S. offering COVID-19 booster shots. The World Health Organization criticized the decision.
EPA Will Ban A Farming Pesticide Linked To Health Problems In Children Agency officials issued a final ruling on Wednesday saying chlorpyrifos can no longer be used on the food that makes its way onto American dinner plates. The move overturns a Trump-era decision. Vanessa Romo
Washington issues vaccine mandate for K-12 staff and new state mask requirement All school employees in Washington state must get a Covid-19 vaccine, or risk losing their job. Also, masks will once again be required in most indoor settings starting Monday, August 23, according to the latest mandates from Gov. Jay Inslee. Kate Walters
School Officials In Miami-Dade County, Fla., Will Likely Defy Order And Require Masks Officials in Miami-Dade County in Florida have indicated they will defy an order from their governor and require students to wear face masks when they return to classes next week. Greg Allen
Why A Push For Boosters Could Make The Pandemic Even Worse Public health figures believe a focus on boosters for the already vaccinated will hasten the emergence of new variants among the billions of unvaccinated people — including a vaccine-resistant strain. Michaeleen Doucleff
COVID-19 Booster Shots Will Roll Out In September In The U.S. People will be eligible for a booster shot eight months after their second dose of their vaccines from Pfizer or Moderna, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Scott Neuman
A Pharmacist Is Charged With Selling COVID-19 Vaccine Cards For $10 On eBay Tangtang Zhao, 34, allegedly sold 125 authentic Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccination cards to 11 buyers in March and April. Joe Hernandez
