'Off-label' use is common in medicine – a bioethicist and legal philosopher explain why the COVID-19 vaccines are different

The CDC’s COVID-19 vaccine provider agreement prohibits health care professionals from administering the vaccines in people for whom they are not yet authorized or approved. But this departs from longstanding norms.

Shannon Fyfe, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Adjunct Professor of Law, George Mason University • conversation
Nov. 17, 2021 ~9 min

The chickenpox virus has a fascinating evolutionary history that continues to affect peoples' health today

Chickenpox has largely disappeared from the public’s memory thanks to a highly effective vaccine. But the virus’s clever life cycle allows it to reappear in later adulthood in the form of shingles.

Patricia L. Foster, Professor Emerita of Biology, Indiana University • conversation
Nov. 10, 2021 ~12 min


Researchers’ tool discerns COVID symptoms from vaccine reaction

A new decision-support tool helped preserve the health care workforce by distinguishing symptoms associated with COVID-19 vaccinations from symptoms of the virus itself.

Timothy Gower • harvard
Nov. 5, 2021 ~5 min

Matching tweets to ZIP codes can spotlight hot spots of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy

Machine learning algorithms can help public health officials identify areas of high vaccine hesitancy by ZIP code to better target messaging and outreach and counter misinformation.

Mayank Kejriwal, Research Assistant Professor of Industrial & Systems Engineering, University of Southern California • conversation
Nov. 5, 2021 ~7 min

Is COVID-19 here to stay? A team of biologists explains what it means for a virus to become endemic

Some viruses go extinct, while others stick around. The virus that causes COVID-19 seems likely to remain with us for the long term.

Cody Warren, Postdoctoral Fellow in Virology and Immunology, University of Colorado Boulder • conversation
Nov. 5, 2021 ~10 min

Pediatrician weighs in on COVID vaccines for kids 5-11

Pediatric infectious disease specialist Kristin Moffitt offers parents insight on recently approved COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5 to 11.

Kristin Moffitt • harvard
Nov. 4, 2021 ~4 min

Why vaccine doses differ for babies, kids, teens and adults – an immunologist explains how your immune system changes as you mature

First CDC signed off on a COVID-19 vaccine for adults, then teens. Now US children ages 5 to 11 are officially eligible for shots. Here’s the science on why each group needs to be considered separately.

Brian Peppers, Assistant Professor of Pediatric and Adult Allergy/Immunology, West Virginia University • conversation
Nov. 3, 2021 ~7 min

What is herd immunity? A public health expert and a medical laboratory scientist explain

Vaccination campaigns like the ones that eventually eliminated polio and measles in the United States required decades of education and awareness in order to achieve herd immunity in the U.S. population.

Ryan McNamara, Research Associate of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill • conversation
Nov. 3, 2021 ~6 min


Facebook has a misinformation problem, and is blocking access to data about how much there is and who is affected

Not knowing how many posts people see on social media overall or where specific types of content get concentrated is keeping researchers in the dark about misinformation.

Ethan Zuckerman, Associate Professor of Public Policy, Communication, and Information, University of Massachusetts Amherst • conversation
Nov. 2, 2021 ~12 min

The FDA authorizes Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 – a pediatrician explains how the drug was tested for safety and efficacy

Pediatric clinical trials for the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 have shown that the Pfizer shot is safe and effective.

Debbie-Ann Shirley, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, University of Virginia • conversation
Oct. 29, 2021 ~10 min

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