logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2021
13m 40s

'Battlefield Medicine' In Los Angeles IC...

NPR
About this episode
More than 400,000 Americans have been killed by the coronavirus. That's more Americans than were killed in all of World War II, President Biden pointed out this week. He calls his new plan to fight the pandemic a "wartime effort."

That effort begins with taking charge of a bottlenecked vaccine rollout. NPR pharmaceutical correspondent Sydney Lupkin reports on several factors that are slowing the process down. And NPR's Yuki Noguchi explores why it may take some time for pharmacies to become major vaccine distribution sites.

The need for more vaccine is a national story, but the wait is especially excruciating in Los Angeles. NPR's Leila Fadel visited one hospital pushed to the brink, where doctors compare their work to "battlefield medicine."

In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community.

Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Yesterday
When old oil wells become 'orphans,' that's a problem
All across the U.S., there are aging oil and natural gas wells no longer in use.A lot of them don't have anyone on the hook to seal them up. Some estimate over a million such "orphan wells" still exist.Because they haven't been plugged, they're still leaking greenhouse gases and ... Show More
7m 58s
Jul 10
A harrowing journey to find food in Gaza
Israel bans international journalists from independent access to Gaza. But NPR's Anas Baba is from Gaza, and in the 21 months he has been reporting on the war, he's also been living it. Over the course of the war, he has lost a third of his body weight, and until his food supplie ... Show More
10m 31s
Jul 10
After devastating floods a Central Texas community comes together
It's been nearly a week since devastating flooding tore through Kerr County, Texas killing more than a hundred people.Now, after unimaginable tragedy, residents are coming together to help each other move forward.NPR's Juana Summers and producers Erika Ryan and Tyler Bartlam visi ... Show More
10m 53s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2020
Into the Black Doctors Vetting the Vaccine
For six months, people across the country have been waiting for the same lifeline: a vaccine for the coronavirus. The U.S. government has pledged $10 billion to help drug makers develop and distribute a vaccine in record time through “Operation Warp Speed.” But the emphasis on sw ... Show More
25m 9s
Dec 2020
Let the vaccine distribution begin! Plus, the rich and famous are trying to cut vaccine lines.
America is having a D-day moment as it rolls out the largest national vaccination effort in history. Dr. Howard Markel from the University of Michigan School of Public Health says this is an unprecedented time in American public health. How do coronavirus vaccines work? Dr. Grego ... Show More
33m 15s
Apr 2020
The Race for a Vaccine
Scientists are racing to make a vaccine for the coronavirus, collaborating across borders in what is usually a secretive and competitive field. But their cooperation has been complicated by national leaders trying to buy first claim on any breakthrough. Today, we explore how the ... Show More
24m 32s
Apr 2021
The deadly consequences of an uneven vaccine rollout
US President Joe Biden has promised every American adult they will be eligible for a COVID vaccination by April 19th. But what about the rest of the world? Only 0.01% of all vaccines distributed have gone to the developing world and now Kenya is being a hit by its 3rd wave of the ... Show More
20m 9s
Dec 2020
Why Did the U.S. Turn Down Vaccine Doses?
From the start of the pandemic, the Trump administration said it was committed to ordering and stockpiling enough potential vaccine doses to end the outbreak in the United States as quickly as possible.But new reporting from The Times has revealed that Pfizer, the maker of the fi ... Show More
25m 38s
Aug 2021
United States Hits Vaccination Milestone As Covid Rages
The United States hits a vaccination milestone as covid still rages. The CDC says that half of the United States population is fully vaccinated. President Joe Biden touts a strong job report, but warns that the surging delta variant could set back economic recovery. Biden could w ... Show More
44m 27s
Dec 2020
Race for the Vaccine
On the same day the COVID-19 death toll surpassed 300,000 in the United States, the first vaccines are being administered, finally giving millions of Americans hope for a better future and a return to normalcy. We explore how officials expect to deliver a safe and effective vacci ... Show More
39m 42s
Nov 2020
A Vaccine Breakthrough
It’s a dark time in the struggle with the coronavirus, particularly in the United States, where infections and hospitalizations have surged.But amid the gloom comes some light: A trial by the drug maker Pfizer has returned preliminary results suggesting that its vaccine is 90 per ... Show More
24m 29s
Jul 2021
The Vaccine Mandate Conundrum
In the effort to raise America’s vaccination rate, some agencies and private organizations have turned to the last, and most controversial, weapon in the public health arsenal: vaccine mandates.How have the federal government and the White House approached the issue?Guest: Jennif ... Show More
22m 14s
Dec 2020
The Beginning of the End of the Pandemic
In Britain, news that the country had become the first to start administering a fully tested coronavirus vaccine was met with hope, excitement — and some trepidation.Amid the optimism that normal life might soon resume, there is also concern. Has the vaccine been developed too fa ... Show More
22m 18s