Health

The Cancer Celebrities

Why I love Farrah Fawcett and hate Sheryl Crow

If Silence Is the Cost of Great Ramen, So Be It

Japan’s restaurants are taking COVID precautions to a whole new level.

Is Moderna Really Better Than Pfizer—Or Is It Just a Higher Dose?

It’s possible that a good deal of the difference in the shots’ performance can be summed up with a simple phrase: More is better.

Five Big Questions About COVID Vaccines for Kids

With FDA authorization for a kid-size COVID vaccine pending, a pediatrician and infectious-disease expert weighs in on what’s next.

How Public Health Took Part in Its Own Downfall

The field’s future lies in reclaiming parts of its past that it willingly abandoned.

No One Will Stop You From Getting Whatever Booster You Want

The CDC indicated that it would move toward a hands-off stance: Booster-eligible people should stick with one brand, but may mix and match at will.

The Good Part About ‘Waning’ Immunity

You might have fewer antibodies now. But they’re better than the ones you started with.

The Self-Help That No One Needs Right Now

The pandemic has boosted interest in trauma books full of advice that isn’t particularly relevant to what most Americans are going through.

‘I Don’t Know That I Would Even Call It Meth Anymore’

Different chemically than it was a decade ago, the drug is creating a wave of severe mental illness and worsening America’s homelessness problem.

America Stopped Treating Health-Care Workers Like Heroes

Hospital staff say they're facing a violence crisis.

Should You Mix and Match Your Booster Shot?

We know more than ever about how to use boosters, but still very little about when to use them.

We Accidentally Solved the Flu. Now What?

America has a choice to make.

Nine Pandemic Words That Almost No One Gets Right

Actually, you’re probably not in quarantine.

Timing Is Everything for Merck’s COVID Pill

The drug, molnupiravir, is named after Thor’s hammer, Mjölnir. But its power depends on reaching the right people, in the right time frame.

A Better Way to Think About Your Risk for COVID

For months we’ve been fixated on the idea that some people are at “high risk” and others aren’t. Now scientists have a better understanding of the continuum.

A Better Name for Booster Shots

The phrase took off earlier this year but flew too close to the sun. Maybe we should let it burn.

Why Are Americans Still—Still!—Wearing Cloth Masks?

It’s long past time for an upgrade.

Did Pfizer Peak Too Soon?

A decision to go with a lower dose might have helped speed things up last year. Now we may be seeing the consequences.

We’re Already Barreling Toward the Next Pandemic

This one is far from over, but the window to prepare for future threats is closing fast.

Vaccine Data for Kids Under 5 Are Coming ‘Before the End of the Year’

Pfizer’s CEO set a timeline for when Americans can expect the earliest news about shots for young children.