Vaccines

When Gov. Jim Justice offered to dole out $100 savings bonds to those 35 and younger as incentive to take a COVID-19 vaccine, it came out of nowhere. No other governor had made such a promise. He said a bold, creative solution would be necessary for West Virginia to reclaim its former title as a leader in the nation’s vaccine rollout. Economists, doctors and behavioral scientists are weighing if such incentives for the general public will work.

With a potential price tag of tens of millions of dollars, Justice said it would be “the best money ever spent.”

For months, West Virginia has enjoyed nearly universal praise — locally and nationally — for the speed of its vaccine rollout. The problem: Most who wanted to be vaccinated have been, and the remaining West Virginians just don’t want the shot, leaving local health officials scrambling to use up their shipments.

Half of American adults have now gotten a COVID-19 vaccine. Whether or not you have received a shot, you may have questions about vaccine safety and effectiveness.WVPB spoke with two infectious disease experts in West Virginia on what West Virginians need to know about the life-saving vaccines.

In a statement on Tuesday, U.S. authorities said they are "reviewing data involving six reported U.S. cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot in individuals after receiving the J&J vaccine."

The race is on to vaccinate younger, more sociable West Virginians to slow the spread of the coronavirus and evolving variants. The state Department of Education plans to hold in-school vaccine clinics in every county by the end of April. Half of West Virginia’s 55 counties have participated so far.

Scientists say the pandemic will end in the U.S. only when we achieve what's called herd immunity. Play with our simulations to see how immunity can stop an outbreak in its tracks.

The possibility that vaccines meant to prevent the disease may also be a treatment for long COVID — when symptoms linger for months — has sparked optimism among patients and scientists.

Pfizer says it will submit the clinical trial results "as soon as possible" to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and is hoping to start vaccinating children before the next school year.

NPR's Sarah McCammon speaks to pharmacist Drew Massey about West Virginia's successful vaccination drive and the lessons other states can take away from the effort.