Category: NPR

On Monday, health care workers began administering the first shots of a COVID-19 vaccine. NPR discusses the latest news and explores the challenges the U.S. could face in vaccinating people.

“Our war against the virus is not over yet, but this week we’re taking a major step toward our eventual victory,” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said.

“I feel like healing is coming,” New York critical care nurse Sandra Lindsay said after receiving her shot. “I hope this marks the beginning to the end of a very painful time in our history.”

NPR’s Michel Martin speaks with Wes Wheeler, president of UPS Healthcare, about managing the distribution of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine across the country.

Millions of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are arriving at distribution centers across the country. The initial batch of doses will be limited.

Within hours, U.S. states are expected have in hand their first shipments of Pfizer’s newly FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine. It marks a new phase in the pandemic, but what’s that mean for you?

Dr. Jeff Bahr with the Advocate Aurora Health system in Wisconsin says his hospitals are “ready to go” for vaccinations. Staff who treat COVID-19 patients will be first in line, he says.

Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine may have side effects that can sometimes knock people out of work for a day or so. Hospitals are planning vaccine campaigns for their workers to avoid staff shortages.

NPR’s Ari Shapiro talks with Dr. Jeff Bahr, who oversees medical group operations at Advocate Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, about challenges the U.S. may face in the COVID-19 vaccine distribution.

As hospitals fill up with COVID-19 patients, some are encouraging those with less severe conditions to forgo a hospital stay and get treatment at home instead.