Latest Morning Briefing Stories

‘Religious’ Exemptions Add Legal Thorns to Looming Vaccine Mandates

No major religion’s teachings denounce vaccination, but that hasn’t kept individual churches and others from providing religious “cover” for people to avoid submitting to vaccination as a workplace requirement.

Listen: Many Schools Are Buying High-Tech Air Purifiers. What Should Parents Know?

Studies have shown that better ventilation and air circulation can greatly reduce covid-19 transmission. But rather than stocking up on HEPA filters, some school districts are turning to high-tech air purification strategies.

Las exenciones “religiosas” agregan más complicación a los mandatos de vacunación que se avecinan

Con los mandatos de vacunas en los lugares de trabajo más cerca, los que se oponen están recurriendo a un argumento, que en muchas ocasiones ha sido efectivo, para evitar vacunarse contra covid-19: que las vacunas interfieren con sus creencias religiosas.

V-Safe: How Everyday People Help the CDC Track Covid Vaccine Safety With Their Phones

V-safe is a new safety monitoring system that lets anyone who has been vaccinated against covid-19 report possible side effects directly to federal health officials. Experts believe the smartphone tool has so far helped demonstrate the vaccines are safe.

The Pandemic Almost Killed Allie. Her Community’s Vaccination Rate Is 45%.

As the delta variant overtakes Mississippi and other undervaccinated parts of the country, one 13-year-old girl’s experience with covid and MIS-C shows a community’s reluctance to embrace public health precautions and continued vulnerability to the pandemic.

Billions in Public Money Aimed at Curing Homelessness and Caring for ‘Whole Body’ Politic

California is embarking on a five-year experiment to infuse its health insurance program for low-income people with billions of dollars in nonmedical services spanning housing, food delivery and addiction care. Gov. Gavin Newsom said the goal is to improve care for the program’s sickest and costliest members and save money, but will it work?

Telemedicine Abortions Offer Cheaper Options but May Also Undermine Critical Clinics

A change in FDA rules during the pandemic has let women receive the drugs needed for a medical abortion by mail after a telemedicine appointment. While some abortion rights advocates hail the move, others note that these services, which are often cheaper than going to a clinic, could siphon away patients needed to keep those brick-and-mortar facilities operating.