Joe Palca
Are vaccinated people who get COVID as likely to spread the infection as unvaccinated people? Scientists don’t think so.
In a large-scale study, Novavax said its vaccine was completely effective against the original coronavirus strain and also effective against some variants. It works differently than other vaccines.
Instead of putting genetic instructions into people whose cells then make a viral protein, the vaccines from Novavax, Medicago and Sanofi carry a spike protein payload.
The tiny helicopter took off and hovered briefly — the first such flight on another planet. The Perseverance rover kept tabs on the mission from a viewing point about 60 yards away.
Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine was found 95% effective in an updated study analysis. Safety data required by the Food and Drug Administration showed no serious concerns, the company said.
Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine is nearly 95% effective in preventing illness, according to an interim analysis of a clinical test involving 30,000 people.
Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is the first to have data showing that it exceeded the minimum effectiveness threshold set by the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use.
Volunteers getting the shot help determine if a candidate vaccine works. But what with social distancing and masks, scientists must discern if it’s the shot or these other measures preventing illness.
Several COVID-19 vaccine candidates are being tested now. But why does it take 30,000 volunteers to know if one is safe and effective? And what does it mean to say a vaccine candidate is working?
A vaccine against the coronavirus needs to keep people from getting very sick and dying. But preventing the spread of the disease is also important, and vaccines delivered by nasal spray may do that.
Adjuvants play a crucial role in many vaccines’ effectiveness. Some scientists say there needs to be more research into developing a wider variety of adjuvants because of how important they are.
Some of the technology behind coronavirus vaccine development dates back to the first vaccines; other techniques are much newer. Here are eight top strategies scientists are pursuing.
The impact of the drug on the virus is being studied, but there is not yet evidence from medical trials — and there have been some warnings about side effects from taking the medicine.
The race is on. What will it take to develop, test and distribute a safe and effective vaccine?
Scientists say they’ve found what appears to be a briny lake near the south pole on Mars. It’s possible that some kind of microbial life once lived in the lake.
A two-story tall, digital camera is taking shape in California. It will ultimately go on a telescope in Chile where it will survey the sky, looking for things that appear suddenly or change over time.
Entrepreneur Mary Anderson thought it made no sense that New York streetcar drivers had to keep jumping off to clean snow from the windshield. She soon won a patent for her “window cleaning device.”
NASA’s Juno spacecraft will fly directly over the Great Red Spot, a swirling storm on Jupiter, on Monday. Scientists are hoping to gain a better understanding of the storm and why it persists.