Children's Health

New guidance would ease restrictions on researching embryos in the lab.

Controversial New Guidelines Would Allow Experiments On More Mature Human Embryos

4:44pm May 26, 2021

by Rob Stein

An influential scientific society has recommended scrapping a long-standing taboo on studying human embryos in lab dishes beyond 14 days and greenlighted a long list of other sensitive research.

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Harold Harrington is a master plumber and is among the tens of thousands of residents of Flint, Mich., whose contaminated drinking water cast a spotlight on a threat faced by communities across the United States.

President Biden Wants To Replace All Lead Pipes. Flint Has Lessons To Share

11:55am May 25, 2021

by Steve Carmody

Flint has been synonymous with lead in drinking water. The city's experience replacing lead pipes shows the promise and challenges of the Biden proposal to get rid of all the country's lead pipes.

Moderna says clinical trials showed its COVID-19 vaccine is effective for children from age 12 to 17, with mostly mild or moderate side effects. Here, a syringe is filled with a dose of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine in Wheaton, Md.

Moderna's COVID-19 Vaccine Is Safe And Effective For Teens, Company Says

9:28am May 25, 2021

by Bill Chappell

Moderna will ask the Food and Drug Administration to authorize its vaccine for kids from age 12 to 17 in early June, the company's CEO says.

For children, the risk of serious consequences from COVID-19 is the same magnitude as the risk they face from the flu. But for parents, experts say, it's a matter of perspective.

Health & Safety

Children's Risk Of Serious Illness From COVID-19 Is As Low As It Is For The Flu

9:19am May 25, 2021

by Richard Harris

Though the odds are comparable, many parents worry more about the less familiar disease. New mask guidelines have heightened anxiety. Experts explain the actual versus perceived risks of severe COVID.

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Last year, in her first year of medical school at Harvard, Pooja Chandrashekar recruited 175 multilingual health profession students from around the U.S. to create simple and accurate fact sheets about COVID-19 in 40 languages.

How Medical Jargon Can Make COVID Health Disparities Even Worse

1:43pm May 24, 2021

by Fran Kritz

There's a lot of room for dangerous misunderstanding when doctors and public health officials talk to diverse groups about COVID-19. Health literacy projects aim to dispel confusion in all languages.

How Teachers Are Reacting To Utah's Lifted Mask Mandates

7:54am May 23, 2021

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with Stephanie Gonzalez, a teacher in West Valley City, Utah, about the state lifting its mask mandate for the last week of the school year.

Health & Safety

In Kids, The Risk Of COVID-19 And The Flu Are Similar — But The Risk Perception Isn't

4:39pm May 21, 2021

by Richard Harris

The risk of serious COVID-19 illness in children is comparable to their risk from the flu, but many parents seem more concerned about coronavirus. The issue of risk perception has a lot do with it.

Children In Gaza Suffer Trauma After Repeated Cycles of War

4:22pm May 20, 2021

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Hozayfa Yazji of the Norwegian Refugee Council about the children who have been killed in Gaza — some of whom had been receiving therapy for trauma from prior conflicts.

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Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies this month during a Senate hearing at the U.S. Capitol.

Fauci Says He Expects Vaccines For Younger Children By The End Of Year Or Early 2022

2:00pm May 20, 2021

by Merrit Kennedy

"If I had grandchildren, I would certainly recommend they get vaccinated," President Biden's chief medical adviser said. COVID-19 vaccines for younger children are being tested in clinical trials now.

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, speaks virtually during a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing in March.

Facebook Calls Links To Depression Inconclusive. These Researchers Disagree

4:10pm May 19, 2021

by Miles Parks

The company has reached out to a number of researchers in recent months, though those same researchers are skeptical about the company's motivations.