Vaccines

261 Stories

Health

More Washington kids get the measles vaccine, thanks to a rule change

More school kids in Washington state have been getting vaccinated against measles. That’s because, after measles outbreaks in 2019 — including a major one in the Portland/Vancouver area — legislators tightened who could opt out of the shots.
Eilís O'Neill
Health

Coronavirus FAQ: Is it wiser to get a booster now or wait for the new fall booster?

Maybe it's not a summer surge but COVID numbers are definitely ticking up. For those with concerns due to personal risk factors or the start of the school year, the booster question is top of mind.
Fran Kritz
Health

Covid cases are going up. Here's what you should know.

Covid cases are ticking up across the country. UW Medicine professor Dr. Helen Chu says this surge isn’t like the Delta or Omicron surges of years past, but it's still something to watch. She explains the state of the disease here in Washington and how we should be thinking about our Covid risk.
Patricia Murphy

Clare McGrane
Health

Are masks for the birds? We field reader queries about this new stage of the pandemic

The official emergency is over but COVID is still here. And that means ... lots of questions. We asked our readers what's on their mind and then called on experts for advice.
Fran Kritz

Marc Silver
Health

Tacoma TB patient eludes authorities

Soundside host Libby Denkmann talks to Matt Driscoll of the News Tribune in Tacoma about the person with a confirmed case of tuberculosis who has evaded authorities for over a year.
Libby Denkmann

Jason Burrows
Health

The CDC is worried about a mpox rebound and urges people to get vaccinated

A cluster of mpox cases in the Chicago area has sparked fears of a summer wave. Health officials are pointing to new research showing the vaccine is effective and hoping people take notice.
Pien Huang
Health

Washington ends Covid-19 vaccine requirements for state employees

Washington's Covid-19 emergency declaration ended months ago, but Gov. Jay Inslee announced Wednesday that he is rescinding the requirement for state employees to get their Covid-19 shot, effective May 11.
Jeanie Lindsay
Health

The FDA may soon authorize a spring round of COVID-19 boosters for some people

The Food and Drug Administration appears poised to make available the COVID-19 vaccines that target omicron as a second booster for people with weak immune systems and those ages 65 and older.
Rob Stein
Health

3 years in, Covid still present, but King County has more tools to fight it

Three years into the Covid-19 pandemic, the landscape has changed in King County. Back in 2020, this was the first epicenter of cases and outbreaks in nursing homes in the U.S. There were no vaccines, and health officials had not yet worked out the best precautions.
Kate Walters
Health

Seattle, King County drop Covid vaccine requirement for employees

King County and City of Seattle employees will no longer be required to have the Covid-19 vaccine to keep their job. Originally put in place in 2021, the mandate required proof of the initial vaccine series as a condition of employment for city and county workers. On Monday, officials dropped it, effective immediately.
Kate Walters

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