Nurith Aizenman

Residents wait to register at a mass vaccination site in Johannesburg on July 8.

The Downs And Ups Of Africa's Current COVID Surge

Nurith Aizenman

The World Health Organization has reported a downturn after 8 weeks of increasing cases. But the good news comes with a large dose of caution.

Africa Faces A 3rd Wave Of COVID-19 Driven By The Delta Variant

Nurith Aizenman

Africa just marked its worst pandemic week ever and its third wave of COVID-19 — largely driven by the delta variant. Vaccine shipments to the continent are moving slowly.

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.

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.

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."

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.

A Look At The Inequities Around The COVID-19 Vaccine In South Africa

Nurith Aizenman

South Africa is a case study of the inequities around the coronavirus vaccine. It has one of the world's worst outbreaks, fueled by a new variant. Yet officials are struggling to buy enough vaccines.