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Public Health

Do soda taxes fight obesity? How did Juul hook American teens? Vox tackles all your questions about public health issues and trends.

The new guidelines for Covid-19 booster shots, explained

By Dylan Scott September 24

Does everybody need a booster shot?

By Dylan Scott September 24

It’s time to stop describing lifesaving health care as “elective”

By Andréa Becker September 20

Americans are dying because no hospital will take them

By Dylan Scott September 14

The US was a world leader in vaccination. What went wrong?

By Dylan Scott September 9

Why America can’t fix its Covid-19 testing problems

By Dylan Scott September 1

How Florida’s massive Covid-19 spike got so bad

By Dylan Scott August 25

What we actually know about the vaccines and the delta variant

By Dylan Scott August 20

School boards are in open revolt against Ron DeSantis’s anti-mask crusade

By Ian Millhiser August 20

Will the Taliban roll back two decades of public health progress in Afghanistan?

By Dylan Matthews August 19

Coronavirus

The long road to India’s unparalleled pandemic catastrophe

India’s health system was broken. Then the delta surge arrived.

By Dylan Scott, Pamposh Raina, and 1 more August 19

Why it’s so hard to be a nurse in America, according to two nurses

By Katherine Harmon Courage August 16

The pandemic changed the trajectory of America’s overdose and suicide crises

By Dylan Scott August 12

Why the CDC changed its mask guidance, according to an epidemiologist

By Terry Nguyen August 3

Yes, Covid-19 vaccine mandates are legal

By Ian Millhiser July 30

Don’t dwell on the US life expectancy drop. Worry about the long-term trend.

By Michael Bader July 28

The courts are destroying America’s ability to fight pandemics

By Ian Millhiser July 27

A new bill would hold Facebook responsible for Covid-19 vaccine misinformation

By Shirin Ghaffary and Rebecca Heilweil July 22

Few immigrants in detention have been vaccinated. That needs to change.

By Nicole Narea July 14

Why food and housing assistance is essential for improving America’s health

By Dylan Scott July 8

The US health system was already falling short. Then Covid-19 happened.

By Dylan Scott July 6

Anxiety seems to be the culprit in J&J vaccine fainting spells

By Gabby Birenbaum May 1

How rich countries are making the pandemic last longer

By Kimberly Mas April 28

3 reasons most public masking is still important — even if you’re vaccinated

By Katherine Harmon Courage April 27

Half of US adults will soon be fully vaccinated. Convincing everyone else will be more difficult.

By Gregory Svirnovskiy April 19

Hispanics are being vaccinated at lower rates nationwide. Nevada is trying to change that.

By Nicole Narea April 14

One small idea in Biden’s infrastructure plan with big benefits: Electric school buses

By Kelsey Piper April 6

When will teens and kids be able to get the Covid-19 vaccines?

By Katherine Harmon Courage March 31

As more adults get vaccinated, kids’ lives can start returning to normal too

By Katherine Harmon Courage March 19

“You can’t get away from the idea that you’re just lucky to be alive”

Pandemic survivor guilt may be pervasive, but it’s hard to detect, leaving many struggling in silence.

By Katherine Harmon Courage March 17

Americans have been shockingly good at getting their second Covid-19 shot

By Dylan Scott March 15

Why our Latino community vaccine program is working

By Kathleen Page March 10

The US vaccine situation is looking up — but experts say you should keep wearing a mask

By Cameron Peters March 7

One Year Later

What it’s like to die from Covid-19

By Katherine Harmon Courage February 22

It’s essential to understand why some health care workers are putting off vaccination

By Katherine Harmon Courage February 19

I’m an epidemiologist and a father. Here’s why I’m losing patience with our teachers’ unions.

By Benjamin P. Linas February 15

Covid-19 vaccines are likely safe during pregnancy. When will we know for sure?

By Katherine Harmon Courage February 3

Exclusive: Pressley, Warren, and Lee reintroduce bill to fight racism in public health

By Fabiola Cineas February 1

Prisons have already failed to contain Covid-19. What happens when the new variants arrive?

By Aviva Stahl January 30

How we can encourage people to wear masks — for others’ sake

By Shai Davidai December 24, 2020