Rob Stein

As the delta variant takes over in the U.S., new, localized outbreaks are emerging. Those surges are likely driven by pockets of dangerously low vaccination rates.

The CDC released new estimates showing the highly contagious delta variant now accounts for more than 51% of cases in the U.S. In some parts of the country, the strain is responsible for 80% of cases.

The Pfizer vaccine appears to be waning in terms of preventing any infection or mild disease, but still offers strong protection against severe disease and death, the Israeli Ministry of Health says.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine appears to provide strong protection against the Delta variant that not only doesn't wane over time but seems to grow stronger.

Alarmed by a 10% uptick in cases nationwide, the federal government is mobilizing COVID-19 surge response teams to help snuff out hotspots around the United States.

COVID-19 cases are increasing in many, poorly-vaccinated parts of the globe. We check in with reporters in Australia, Sierre Leone and with our science team to talk about the Delta variant's threats.

Scientists, for the first time, have used the revolutionary gene-editing technique CRISPR inside the body to treat a disease, potentially opening a new era in genetic medicine.

Scientists successfully treated a rare disease with the experimental gene-editing technique. It could open the door to new ways of treating more common disorders in the future.

As the Delta variant accelerates its spread in the United States, Dr. Anthony Fauci calls the dangerous mutant the "greatest threat" to the nation's battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

More contagious than other variants, and maybe more likely to cause severe disease, Delta is spreading so fast in the U.S. it could cause another surge this summer or fall, according to new research.

The CDC has declared that the dangerous new variant first spotted in India as a "variant of concern," meaning it poses a significant threat to unvaccinated people.

A surge in pet adoptions has increased demand for dogs imported from around the world. Most are fine, but federal officials turned up 450 dogs in 2020 with false records — 50% more than in 2019.

More than two dozen states have reduced how frequently they report what's happening with the pandemic, raising alarm among some public health experts.

As Memorial Day approaches, public health officials are optimistic about the state of the nation's battle against the pandemic, but caution the pandemic is far from over.

The CDC has decided that the focus of investigations of cases in which COVID-19 vaccines fail will be on people who get hospitalized or die — but critics say that's short-sighted.

The CDC has decided to focus investigations of cases in which the COVID-19 vaccines fail on people who get hospitalized or die, but critics say that's short-sighted.

An influential scientific society has recommended scrapping a long-standing taboo on studying human embryos in lab dishes beyond 14 days and greenlighted a long list of other sensitive research.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says the age that routine screening begins for colorectal cancer should drop from 50 to 45. Colorectal is the third-leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.

The coronavirus variant first spotted in India appears to be spreading in the U.S., which is worrisome because this variant appears to be more contagious and better at evading the immune system.

The unprecedented study involves using the gene-editing technique CRISPR to edit a gene while it's still inside a patient's body. In exclusive interviews, NPR talks with two of the first participants.