Tom Howell Jr.

CDC hosting panel to vote on who will get first doses of coronavirus vaccine

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will host a panel of experts Tuesday to vote on who should get the first doses of a coronavirus vaccine as a second company, Moderna, asked federal regulators for emergency approval. Published November 30, 2020

Moderna reports 94.1% efficacy in final COVID-19 vaccine results, applies for FDA approval

Drugmaker Moderna said Monday it will request emergency approval of its coronavirus vaccine after a final analysis showed it to be 94% effective and able to stave off serious disease. Published November 30, 2020

Health officials work to calm fears on COVID-19 vaccines

The U.S. government is on pace to approve two COVID-19 vaccines by Christmas, prompting officials to double down on safety promises and highlight eye-popping data from Pfizer and Moderna as they try to overcome lingering skepticism and get those shots into actual arms. Published November 29, 2020

Coronavirus spread by youth stymies officials struggling to protect older people

Public officials struggle to protect one segment of America while tsk-tsk-ing younger folks who feel insulated from the pandemic's worst effects and want to live freely. Published November 26, 2020

Donald Trump hails Supreme Court, hits links on Thanksgiving

President Trump kicked off Thanksgiving by doubting presumptive President-elect Joseph R. Biden's vote totals and cheering a Supreme Court ruling on religious liberty as he headed out to his Virginia golf club. Published November 26, 2020

New-look ‘parade we need’ kicks off in NYC, reflects coronavirus-tinged Thanksgiving

The 94th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade kicked off Thursday but it -- like everything else this year -- looked a lot different, with a made-for-television performance in Manhattan replacing 3 million spectators in Midtown as the coronavirus pandemic exacts a toll on families and everyday life from coast to coast. Published November 26, 2020

Biden: ‘We need to steel our spines’ in fight against COVID-19

Presumed President-elect Joseph R Biden on Wednesday called on the nation to come together over the Thanksgiving holiday in the battle against the coronavirus, saying "we need to steel our spines." Published November 25, 2020

Alex Azar, health secretary: Already briefing Biden team on COVID-19

The government is preparing to ship the first doses of COVID-19 vaccines in "just a few weeks," Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II said Tuesday as the Trump administration started to brief presumptive President-elect Joseph R. Biden's transition team on coronavirus planning. Published November 24, 2020

AstraZeneca reports promising results from coronavirus vaccine trial

A coronavirus vaccine from AstraZeneca was "highly effective" and staved off severe disease in an early look at trial data from the U.K. and Brazil, the company said Monday, signaling there could be a vaccine that's easier to store than two versions nearing approval in the U.S. Published November 23, 2020

Deborah Birx: Americans needs to ‘increase their vigilance’ against coronavirus

The White House coronavirus task force told Americans to "increase their vigilance" against the coronavirus as the national death toll surpasses a quarter-million and federal scientists urge the public to avoid travel and consider virtual gatherings for Thanksgiving. Published November 19, 2020

CDC ‘strongly’ recommends against travel on Thanksgiving

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday strongly recommended against travel this Thanksgiving, urging families to celebrate within their households or hold online gatherings as the U.S. death toll from the coronavirus surpassed a quarter-million. Published November 19, 2020

FDA approves first rapid at-home test for coronavirus

The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first at-home test for the coronavirus, allowing people to self-collect a swab and get results in 30 minutes to determine if they are positive and need to isolate themselves from society. Published November 18, 2020

Pfizer seeks approval for 95% effective COVID-19 vaccine

Two drugmakers in the race for a COVID-19 vaccine are on track for emergency approval before the end of the year, the Trump administration said Wednesday, with Pfizer reporting its shots were 95% effective in a final analysis and Moderna set to follow close behind. Published November 18, 2020

Governors issue new public health guidelines to combat coronavirus pandemic

President Trump says there won't be a national lockdown or mask mandate over COVID-19 but governors are cracking down, anyway, with blue states pumping the brakes on reopening and Republican governors beefing up rules or requiring face coverings for the first time. Published November 17, 2020

Moderna: Coronavirus vaccine nearly 95% effective in early look

Moderna's coronavirus vaccine was nearly 95% effective and thwarted severe disease in an interim analysis, the company said Monday, putting a second drugmaker on track to request emergency approval before the end of the year. Published November 16, 2020

Coronavirus spread in U.S. alarms officials as Americans grow weary of limits

The coronavirus is racing through the U.S. with alarming speed, with more than 150,000 cases of COVID-19 detected for three days running and hospitalizations at their highest levels since the pandemic began, prompting governors to plead for pre-vaccine discipline or issue the types of restrictions Americans were hoping to avoid. Published November 15, 2020