Nurith Aizenman

Protecting The Immuno-Compromised Against COVID Could Be Key To Ending The Pandemic

Nurith Aizenman

Vaccines may not be as effective for those who are immuno-compromised. Protecting them needs to be made a top priority, says researchers — to keep them safe and to slow the emergence of variants.

Experts Warn Lag In Global Vaccinations Could Lead To Dangerous Variants

Nurith Aizenman

Thanks to widespread vaccinations, the U.S. is reopening. Meanwhile, countries without similar access to doses are angry and fearful — amid signs the COVID-19 catastrophe in India could spread.

An older person receives their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Thika, Kenya. The vaccine's manufacturer, Serum Institute of India, announced this week that it will freeze all exports of the vaccine through the end of this year — leaving 20 million people in Africa without a source for their second dose.

20 Million Africans Are Due For Their 2nd COVID Shot. But There's No Supply In Sight

Nurith Aizenman

African nations had been counting on Serum Institute of India for nearly all their COVID vaccines. Now the company says it won't be sending any more for months. And African officials are scrambling.

'So This Was All For Nothing': Indian Vaccine Export Halt Leaves Africa Without Doses

Nurith Aizenman

India's freeze on AstraZeneca exports is upending Africa's already limited vaccination progress, as the Africans who got their first dose are coming due for their second with no supply in sight.

A bishop receives a vaccine for COVID-19 at Juba Teaching Hospital on April 7 in Juba, South Sudan. South Sudan received 132,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine on March 25 through the World Health Organization's COVAX program to ensure all countries have equal access to vaccines.

They Desperately Need COVID Vaccines. So Why Are Some Countries Throwing Out Doses?

Nurith Aizenman

How the chaotic system for distributing the world's vaccine supply is wreaking havoc in places that can least afford it.

Africa Faces Vaccine Shortage, Challenges Administering Doses

Nurith Aizenman

While many African countries need more COVID-19 vaccines, others are struggling to administer the shots they have. Malawi and South Sudan have even had to throw out unused and expired doses.

A scientist works on COVID-19 samples to find variations of the virus at the Croix-Rousse Hospital laboratory in Lyon, France, in January.

Can Vaccines Stop Variants? Here's What We Know So Far

Nurith Aizenman

One of the hottest areas of research right now: studies to determine how well current vaccines work against emerging coronavirus "variants of concern."

COVID-19 Vaccines Vs. COVID-19 Variants

Nurith Aizenman

It's one of the hottest areas of COVID-19 research: How well do the various vaccines work against the variants? New findings are coming out daily. Here's what's known so far, and what's pending.

Gun violence deaths: How the U.S. compares with the rest of the world

Nurith Aizenman

The grim news of mass shootings in California has again cast a spotlight on the gun violence death rate in the U.S., which is higher than much of the world.

Thulja Hurkchand as a young woman and with her son Hitesh. She'd tell him, "Don't worry. It's going to be okay. I'm going to be okay." Yet in the face of the pandemic, he couldn't help but worry.

He Hoped He Could Get His Mom A Vaccine. Then Came The Call: She Had COVID

Nurith Aizenman

For this health expert based in Boston, the effort to get vaccines to his native South Africa was intensely personal.