The largest school district in California is requiring all students ages 12 and older to be fully vaccinated to attend school. The delta variant is causing COVID-19 infections to spread among young people, which is a key reason the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) says she decided to mandate vaccines. She believes a fully vaccinated student body will translate to a safer and better learning environment. Listen to the leader of the LAUSD explain more about her decision, and learn how people are responding to it.
Story Length: 4:53
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May 24, 2021
3:32
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a COVID-19 vaccine for 12-15-year-olds. Kids who tested the vaccine, developed by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, were extremely well protected against the virus and had only mild side effects. Approval of the new vaccine means that 87% of Americans are eligible to be vaccinated, raising hopes that life can return to normal and the pandemic can be defeated. Listen to learn more about the new vaccine and how teens and preteens – and their parents – are responding.
Update: Since this story aired, the Pfizer vaccine has become available for kids aged 12-15.
Read MoreMay 3, 2021
4:32
The term “herd immunity” means that an entire population is protected against a disease. Herd immunity is achieved when most people in a group are immune to an illness, limiting the ability of germs to spread. The U.S. is vaccinating people against COVID-19 as quickly as possible in an effort to reach 85% of the population, the number medical experts say is needed for herd immunity. Many people are reluctant to get vaccinated, however, raising concerns among public health officials about the country’s ability to achieve its goal and beat the virus. Listen to learn about the push to achieve herd immunity and how public health officials are addressing vaccine hesitancy.
Update: Since this story aired, everyone in the U.S. aged 12 and over has become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Read MoreMarch 8, 2021
6:56
The city of Washington, D.C., hosted a mass COVID-19 vaccination event for its public school employees. It was a huge operation requiring hundreds of volunteers and provided vaccinations to thousands of workers in one day. For this audio story, a reporter visited the event and asked attendees to share their thoughts on getting vaccinated. Listen to hear from a school custodian, a teacher, and a principal who received their shots, and hear a doctor explain how he addresses peoples’ fears about the vaccine.
Read MoreJanuary 17, 2017
3:07
The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is under control now, according the the World Health Organization. During the outbreak in 2014, 11,000 people in Africa died of Ebola. Now scientists have discovered a vaccine against Ebola. The vaccination is different from other vaccines, which are typically given to healthy people before they are exposed to a virus. This new vaccine is given to someone after they are exposed to Ebola and can protect them. Listen to this story to learn more about this important discovery.
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