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US vaccine drive complicated by 1st, 2nd dose juggling act

The U.S. has entered a tricky phase of the COVID-19 vaccination effort as providers try to ramp up the number of people getting first shots while also ensuring a growing number of others get second doses just when millions more Americans are becoming eligible to receive vaccines. The need to give each person two doses a few weeks apart vastly complicates the country's biggest-ever vaccination campaign. And persistent uncertainty about future vaccine supplies fuels worries that some people will not be able to get their second shots in time. In some cases, local health departments and ...

Schools plan for potential of remote learning into the fall

Parents of schoolchildren learning from home shouldn't necessarily count on reclaiming the dining room table any time soon. After seeing two academic years thrown off course by the pandemic, school leaders around the country are planning for the possibility of more distance learning next fall at the start of yet another school year. "We have no illusions that COVID will be eradicated by the time the start of the school year comes up," said William "Chip" Sudderth III, a spokesperson for Durham, North Carolina schools, whose students have been out of school buildings since ...

New variants raise worry about COVID-19 virus reinfections

Evidence is mounting that having COVID-19 may not protect against getting infected again with some of the new variants. People also can get second infections with earlier versions of the coronavirus if they mounted a weak defense the first time, new research suggests. How long immunity lasts from natural infection is one of the big questions in the pandemic. Scientists still think reinfections are fairly rare and usually less serious than initial ones, but recent developments around the world have raised concerns. In South Africa, a vaccine study found new infections with a variant ...

House GOP calls for lifting business restrictions by May 1

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota House Republicans laid out a roadmap Monday for lifting the state's coronavirus restrictions on businesses with a goal of letting them return to full operations by May 1. Rep. Dave Baker, of Willmar, said businesses such as restaurants, hotels, event centers and gyms need to be able to make reopening plans with some certainty as their busy season approaches. He said the downward trends in COVID-19 cases and other key metrics, plus rising vaccination rates, mean businesses can operate safely with the proper precautions in place. "We don't know exactly ...

Study finds COVID-19 vaccine may reduce virus transmission

AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine shows a hint that it may reduce transmission of the virus and offers strong protection for three months on just a single dose, researchers said Wednesday in an encouraging turn in the campaign to suppress the outbreak. The preliminary findings from Oxford University, a co-developer of the vaccine, could vindicate the British government's controversial strategy of delaying the second shot for up to 12 weeks so that more people can be quickly given a first dose. Up to now, the recommended time between doses has been four weeks. The research could also ...

Plan to strip Walz of power to close schools passes 1st test

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Republican proposal to strip Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of the emergency powers he used to close schools as the coronavirus pandemic took hold in Minnesota passed its first test in the state Senate on Wednesday. All previous attempts at the Legislature to roll back Walz's emergency powers have failed along party lines. The proposal highlights the political divisions over how best to address the safety concerns about reopening schools, while also considering the needs of children who have fared poorly with distance learning. "There has been great consternation and ...