COVID-19

The CEO of Moderna defended raising the price of the COVID vaccine from less than $30 to $130 a dose. (Getty Images)

Moderna plan to hike COVID vaccine price to $130 a dose rebuked at U.S. Senate hearing

BY: - March 23, 2023

WASHINGTON — The CEO of Moderna on Wednesday defended the company’s decision to drastically increase the price of its COVID-19 vaccine later this year, arguing that an expected drop in demand, changes to its distribution process and the overall benefit of the vaccine warrant the higher cost.  That decision was met with bipartisan condemnation from […]

President Joe Biden. Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Biden signs bill declassifying information on the origin of COVID-19

BY: - March 21, 2023

WASHINGTON — The U.S. director of national intelligence has three months to declassify information on potential links between China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology and the origin of COVID-19, after President Joe Biden signed legislation Monday. The bill was one of the first Biden has signed since a 118th Congress split between the two parties began […]

Dr. Michelle Fiscus (Photo: John Partipilo)

Judge: former Tennessee vaccine chief suit must go to trial

BY: - March 10, 2023

A federal judge has ruled that a lawsuit brought by the state’s ex-vaccine chief against two of Tennessee’s top health officials will go to trial on May 8. The ruling on Friday clears the way for a jury to consider whether the reputation of Dr. Michelle Fiscus – former medical director of the state’s Vaccine-Preventable […]

The State of Tennessee spent $11 million on messaging before firing Dr. Michelle Fiscus for spreading the message approved by Gov. Lee's office. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Hearing set on suit brought by former vaccine chief against Tennessee Department of Health

BY: - January 30, 2023

A federal judge in Nashville has set a hearing for March 10 to consider competing claims in a lawsuit brought by former Tennessee vaccine chief Michelle Fiscus, whose highly publicized ouster from state government during the pandemic came amidst political pushback on vaccinating teens. Fiscus is seeking a so-called “name clearing” hearing — open to […]

James Burroughs waits to get the first dose of his COVID-19 at Neighborhood Health in Nashville. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Tennesseans seek to move on from COVID, even as a new variant appears

BY: - January 19, 2023

Get used to it, but not over it. That may be the best advice for living with COVID-19 as 2023 starts and as the recent XBB.1.5 variant debuts in Tennessee. More than three years since COVID first arrived, the virus that causes it – SARS-CoV-2 – continues to mutate. XBB.1.5 is more contagious than the […]

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn said President Joe Biden's pick to lead the Federal Aviation Administration is overly focused on race. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Congress on track to scrap Pentagon’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate in defense bill

BY: - December 7, 2022

WASHINGTON — Members of the U.S. military would no longer be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine under a proposal Congress could pass as soon as this week.  The provision eliminating the vaccine mandate is tucked into the massive National Defense Authorization Act, the annual defense policy bill that Congress has passed each year for […]

Emily Withnall says she has come a long way from the early days of her illness, but lingering symptoms of long COVID are still present. Chronic fatigue is what plagues her the most, she says. (Photo by Gino Gutierrez)

Millions of workers are dealing with long COVID. Advocates call for expanding social safety net.

BY: - October 24, 2022

Emily Withnall caught COVID-19 from her teenager in July 2020. In the more than two years since, the 40-year-old has suffered from debilitating fatigue, spinal pain and heart palpitations.  In addition to her primary care doctor, she regularly sees a cardiologist and says her acupuncturist and craniosacral therapy help relieve her pain and the trouble […]

Nashville Mayor John Cooper introduces First Lady Jill Biden at a pop-up COVID vaccine clinic at St. James Missionary Baptist Church in North Nashville. (Photo: John Partipilo)

First Lady brings COVID-19 vaccine tour to Nashville

BY: - October 12, 2022

First Lady Jill Biden brought the push for new COVID-19 vaccinations to Nashville Wednesday, introducing the #VaxUpAmerica campaign to encourage people 5 and up to take an updated, free vaccine this fall. “It’s so important that we keep all Americans healthy,” Biden said as she visited a pop-up vaccination clinic at St. James Missionary Baptist […]

(Photo: Getty Images)

Gucci bags, crypto & Vegas vacations: COVID relief scams land public employees in legal trouble

BY: - October 7, 2022

Rhea County’s longest serving executive is headed to federal prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $650,000 in government COVID relief funding and using the cash to buy cryptocurrency. U.S. District Judge Charles Atchley Jr. on Thursday sentenced former Rhea County Executive George Thacker, 59, to 33 months in federal prison for wire fraud. Thacker served […]

Receiving the COVID-19 vaccine at Nashville's Casa Azafran in March. (Photo: John Partipilo)

COVID-19 vaccine may become annual, like flu shot

BY: - September 8, 2022

WASHINGTON — COVID-19 boosters shots are on track to become as frequent as the annual flu shot, though high-risk people may need more than one dose per year, Biden administration officials said Tuesday.  “For a large majority of Americans, we are moving to a point where a single annual COVID shot should provide a high […]

Kat Gower, 8, gets her second shot as her mother Allison watches.(Photo: John Partipilo)

CDC endorses updated COVID-19 vaccine boosters for this fall

BY: - September 2, 2022

WASHINGTON — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late Thursday signed off on the approval from the agency’s independent vaccine advisers that recommended an updated coronavirus vaccine booster this fall. The CDC recommended boosters from Pfizer-BioNTech for those who are 12 years old and older and from Moderna for those who are 18 and […]

The White House confirmed Thursday that President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19.(Drew Angerer/Getty Image)

Biden tests positive for COVID-19

BY: and - July 21, 2022

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms, the White House announced Thursday morning.  Biden, 79, is fully vaccinated against the virus and has twice received booster doses, according to the statement. He is taking Paxlovid, an antiviral prescription medication that is meant to reduce the severity of […]