VIVEK MURTHY

Laws allowing kids to take mental health days vary by state. Some require a doctor's note, and others limit the number of mental health days allotted.

The rollback of Twitter’s covid misinformation policy is just the latest pivot since Elon Musk took control of the company a month ago.

Pop star and actor Selena Gomez is being honored for her work as an advocate for mental health awareness.

Chronic stress and a harsh work environment is linked to heart disease, cancer, depression and other problems, report finds.

Newsy’s commitment to revealing the reality of America’s mental health crisis continues with a two-hour special.

Newsy’s commitment to revealing the reality of America’s mental health crisis continues with a two-hour special.

Newsy’s commitment to revealing the reality of America’s mental health crisis continues with a two-hour special.

Newsy’s commitment to revealing the reality of America’s mental health crisis continues with a two-hour special.

Newsy’s commitment to revealing the reality of America’s mental health crisis continues with a two-hour special.

Newsy’s commitment to revealing the reality of America’s mental health crisis continues with a two-hour special.

Newsy’s commitment to revealing the reality of America’s mental health crisis continues with a two-hour special.

Newsy’s commitment to revealing the reality of America’s mental health crisis continues with a two-hour special.

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who has lost 10 family members to covid-19, wants to make his mark on our epidemic of loneliness.

The task force intends to develop steps the federal government can take to combat online hate and abuse.

The task force intends to develop steps the federal government can take to combat online hate and abuse.

Harris Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a meeting about abortion rights and Roe v. Wade, Tuesday, June 14, 2022, from her ceremonial office at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) (Jacquelyn Martin)WASHINGTON — (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris will launch a new task force dedicated to fighting online harassment and abuse, according to senior Biden administration officials. Also present will be Sloane Stephens, a Black U.S. tennis player who has faced a torrent of racist abuse after losing matches. The task force is intended to develop, over the next 180 days, recommendations for next steps the federal government can take to combat the problem, said the administration officials, who insisted on anonymity to speak before the launch announcement. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Vice President Kamala Harris is launching a task force dedicated to fighting online harassment and abuse.

Virus Outbreak Kid Vaccines FILE - Prepared Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine syringes for children ages 5 to 11 and adults are displayed on a table at Northwest Community Church in Chicago, Dec. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File) (Nam Y. Huh)NEW YORK — (AP) — Millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses have been ordered for small children in anticipation of possible federal authorization next week, White House officials say. As of this week, about 1.45 million of the 2.5 million Pfizer doses have been ordered, and about 850,000 Moderna shots have been ordered, officials said. Up to about 20 million U.S. children under 5 would become eligible for vaccination if the government authorizes one or both shots. Pfizer has asked FDA to authorize three doses of its COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6 month to 4 years.

Republican candidates for Congress are trying to stand out from the pack in primary races for a chance to take on incumbent Democrats Lauren Underwood and Bill Foster.

President Joe Biden says he wasn't briefed on the prospect of nationwide shortages of infant formula for about two months.

Baby Formula Jill Biden First lady Jill Biden speaks after a Fedex cargo plane arrived with 100,000 pounds of baby formula at Washington Dulles International Airport, in Chantilly, Va., on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) (Jose Luis Magana)CHANTILLY, Va. — (AP) — Jill Biden and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy welcomed the delivery Wednesday of a second shipment of tens of thousands of pounds of baby formula that the Biden administration is importing from Europe to ease critical supply shortages in the U.S. Biden has come under growing political pressure for not acting more quickly to try to head off the supply crisis. Jill Biden said her husband knows there is “more to do” to solve the baby formula shortages. The baby formula shortage stems mostly from Abbott Nutrition’s plant in Sturgis, Michigan, which the Food and Drug Administration closed in February due to contamination issues.

Jill Biden and the U.S. surgeon general are empathizing with parents across the country who have been scrambling to find infant formula for their children.

Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy are warning of burnout among the nation's health care staff after more than two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the potential for severe worker shortages in the years ahead if the situation is not addressed. “The nation’s health depends on the well-being of our health workforce. Confronting the long-standing drivers of burnout among our health workers must be a top national priority,” Murthy said in a statement. And if we fail to act, we will place our nation’s health at risk." The initiative comes as the Biden administration is mounting a nationwide push to address mental health issues.

Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy are warning of burnout among the nation’s health care staff after more than two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jill Biden First lady Jill Biden speaks with, from left, youth mental health leader Ayanna Kelly, youth mental health leader Juan Acosta, and actress and mental health advocate Selena Gomez, during the White House Conversation on Youth Mental Health, Wednesday, May 18, 2022, at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) (Jacquelyn Martin)WASHINGTON — (AP) — Selena Gomez joined first lady Jill Biden and U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy at the White House on Wednesday for a conversation about youth mental health. “Mental health is very personal for me and I hope that by using my platform to share my own story ... MTV Entertainment sponsored the conversation to coincide with the first Mental Health Action Day on Thursday.

Selena Gomez joined first lady Jill Biden and U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy at the White House on Wednesday for a conversation about youth mental health.

As Benito Luna-Herrera teaches his 7th grade social studies classes, he is on alert for signs of inner turmoil.

'I don't think we can afford to move on' from COVID, surgeon general says

Murthy announced Friday, Feb. 18, he and his young family have COVID-19 despite their best efforts to avoid infection by getting vaccinated and taking other precautions. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File) (Susan Walsh)WASHINGTON — (AP) — Surgeon General Vivek Murthy announced Friday that he and his young family have COVID-19 despite their best efforts to avoid infection by getting vaccinated and taking other precautions. Writing on Twitter, America's doctor said, “When you’ve been as safe as you can, getting COVID-19 can be frustrating and disappointing. That he and his family got sick illustrates the ruthless efficiency of the omicron variant, which has a series of mutations that increase its capacity to evade vaccines. That has created disruptions to family and work routines and added to the burden at crowded hospitals.

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy says he and his young family have COVID-19 despite their best efforts to avoid infection by getting vaccinated and taking other precautions.

The nation's top doctor says he and his wife have mild symptoms, while his son has a runny nose and low-grade fever. His daughter also recently tested positive for the virus.

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy tweeted Friday that he and his wife and son had tested positive for COVID-19. His daughter got sick earlier in the week.

Daughter of US Surgeon General gets COVID The U.S. surgeon general announced on Twitter Tuesday that his 4-year-old daughter has tested positive for COVID-19. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/Getty Images)The U.S. surgeon general announced on Twitter Tuesday that his 4-year-old daughter has tested positive for COVID-19. In these moments, it doesn’t matter if you’re a doctor or Surgeon General. We are parents first.”This weekend, my 4 y/o daughter tested positive for COVID-19. The surgeon general said his daughter’s diagnosis has made him look at people who disagree with him on pandemic safety measures in a different way.

Both Democrat and Republican senators on the Finance Committee did signal support for doing something legislatively.

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy says he can imagine a future where Americans don't have to contend with mask requirements. In an interview this week with The Associated Press, Murthy also shared his concerns about the pandemic's impact on the mental wellbeing of youth. Growing up, he witnessed the toll of unresolved mental health problems. And we know that there are people in our community, particularly those who are immunocompromised, who may continue to be at higher risk.”AN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH“I come at this issue of youth mental health, not just as a surgeon general or as a doctor, but first and foremost as a parent. “How do I make sure that my kids have a foundation for good physical and mental health going forward?

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy says he can imagine a future where Americans don't have to contend with mask requirements. In an interview this week with The Associated Press, Murthy also shared his concerns about the pandemic's impact on the mental wellbeing of youth. Growing up, he witnessed the toll of unresolved mental health problems. And we know that there are people in our community, particularly those who are immunocompromised, who may continue to be at higher risk.”AN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH“I come at this issue of youth mental health, not just as a surgeon general or as a doctor, but first and foremost as a parent. “How do I make sure that my kids have a foundation for good physical and mental health going forward?

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy sat this week for a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press, touching on topics from the pandemic to mental health care.

"While we are heading in the right direction, we are not where we want to be," Dr. Vivek Murthy told CBS News

As America’s first second gentleman, Doug Emhoff has visited 31 states to promote Biden administration policies and the coronavirus vaccine.

COVID-19 hospitalizations are shattering records as the omicron-driven surge continues across the country. New federal data shows nearly 156,000 patients are in the hospital with COVID-19 right now. READ: Supreme Court halts COVID-19 vaccine rule for U.S. businessesThis comes as the CDC says pediatric hospitalizations are at their highest rate since the pandemic began. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said we should be prepared for several more weeks of high cases and even record hospitalizations before the omicron variant peaks and declines. READ: Coronavirus: Moderna expects COVID-19 vaccine trial data for children aged 2-5 in MarchExpand Autoplay Image 1 of 11 Omicron COVID-19 variant On Nov. 26, the World Health Organization classified a new variant, B.1.1.529, as a “variant of concern” and named it omicron.

AP Poll American Priorities FILE - Trucks line up to enter a Port of Oakland shipping terminal on Nov. 10, 2021, in Oakland, Calif. COVID-19 is increasingly overshadowed by concerns about the economy and personal finances — particularly inflation — which are topics that could lift Republicans. Still, in recent follow-up interviews with participants, including self-identified Democrats, many said those developments didn't shake their views. I think we’re going to get to a point where everyone’s just going to have to learn to live with it. “I don’t think we’re going to win an election for lack of anxiety,” Green said, “if we’ve achieved nothing else."

AP Poll American Priorities FILE - Trucks line up to enter a Port of Oakland shipping terminal on Nov. 10, 2021, in Oakland, Calif. COVID-19 is increasingly overshadowed by concerns about the economy and personal finances — particularly inflation — which are topics that could lift Republicans. Still, in recent follow-up interviews with participants, including self-identified Democrats, many said those developments didn't shake their views. I think we’re going to get to a point where everyone’s just going to have to learn to live with it. “I don’t think we’re going to win an election for lack of anxiety,” Green said, “if we’ve achieved nothing else."

The coronavirus pandemic is beginning to recede as a top priority in the minds of Americans.

New federal numbers show the nation's schools are hiring and training staff and expanding previous curricula to address student mental health.

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy joined "CBS Mornings" to discuss the latest news about the Omicron variant and what to expect from President Biden's address to the nation about COVID-19 on Tuesday. Murthy also addressed whether we could be headed for another lockdown and if it will be safe to travel and gather with family for the holidays.

Schools are turning to educational programs based on cognitive behavior therapy in an effort to help overwhelmed children stay in school and learn.

The advisory's first recommendation suggests mental health should be acknowledged as an essential part of overall health.

The Biden administration is now requiring anyone flying into the U.S. from abroad to have a negative COVID-19 test no more than 24 hours before their flight.

The following is a transcript of an interview with Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General, that aired on Sunday, December 5, 2021, on "Face the Nation."

U.S Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy and more appear on Sunday's "Face the Nation."

Ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, Murthy recommended that vaccinated families who will be gathering indoors with unvaccinated people take some precautions.

The White House is urging schools to host vaccine clinics for kids in the 5-11 age group now that a COVID-19 shot has been approved for them.

The federal government wants schools to hold vaccination clinics to offer the COVID shot to kids and provide info to parents on vaccines.

Franklin Sherman Elementary was the first school to administer the polio vaccine to kids in 1954. Now it's once again at the forefront, hosting a COVID-19 vaccine event with first lady Jill Biden.

The visit comes just days after federal regulators recommended the COVID-19 vaccine for the age group. The White House says Biden will visit pediatric vaccination clinics across the country over the coming weeks to encourage the shots. The officials are reminding school districts that they can tap into billions of dollars in federal coronavirus relief money to support pediatric vaccination efforts. The Biden administration is providing local school districts with tools to help schools partner with pharmacies to administer shots. The Food and Drug Administration studied the shots in 3,100 vaccinated kids in concluding the shots are safe.

The Biden administration is encouraging local school districts to host clinics to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to kids and information to parents on the benefits of the shots.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Pfizer's pediatric vaccine just last week, on November 2.

Dr. Vivek Murthy told CNBC on Friday that Covid booster shots from Moderna, J&J and Pfizer are all safe and effective.

Children will soon be able to get a COVID-19​ vaccine​ at their pediatrician's office, local pharmacy and potentially even their school.

Federal regulators are expected to authorize the shot for children after they meet over the next two weeks.

Children will soon be able to get a COVID-19​ vaccine​ at their pediatrician's office, local pharmacy and potentially even their school.

The FDA will consider Pfizer’s vaccine for kids that age in just a couple of weeks.

Just a month ago, President Joe Biden and his health advisers announced big plans to soon deliver a coronavirus vaccine booster shot to all Americans.

Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb told "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan the infrastructure is in place to distribute boosters but warns vaccine mandates will harden skeptics

Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb told "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan the infrastructure is in place to distribute boosters but warns vaccine mandates will harden skeptics

"Success looks like very few people in the hospital and very few dying," Vivek Murthy told Politico.

This summer’s coronavirus surge has been labeled a “pandemic of the unvaccinated” by government officials from President Joe Biden on down.

Hawaii’s governor is urging residents and potential visitors to limit travel to the islands to essential business while the state struggles to control outbreaks of the delta variant of the coronavirus.

The school superintendent in Florida’s capital city says masks will be required for students in prekindergarten through eighth grade, becoming the seventh district to defy Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ban on such COVID-19 mandates.

The U.S. is planning booster doses of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, but if you got the one-dose Johnson & Johnson shot instead, stay tuned.

The Food and Drug Administration is expected to make a major announcement Thursday when it comes to COVID-19 booster shots.

Skepticism about the COVID-19 vaccination is a common theme in media appealing to conservatives, despite assurances from doctors and scientists that the vaccine is safe and effective.

The U.S. surgeon general says he's worried about what lies ahead with cases of COVID-19 increasing in every state, millions still unvaccinated and a highly contagious virus variant spreading rapidly.

Two weeks after celebrating America’s near “independence” from the coronavirus, President Joe Biden is confronting the worrying reality of rising cases and deaths.

President Joe Biden says social media companies are “killing people” by failing to police misinformation on their platforms about the COVID-19 vaccines.

The U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory on Thursday on the dangers of health misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy is urging technology companies, health care workers and everyday Americans to do more to stop the spread of misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines.

Thrown off-stride to reach its COVID-19 vaccination goal, the Biden administration is sending A-list officials across the country, devising ads for niche markets and enlisting community organizers to persuade unvaccinated people to get a shot.

Seven weeks ago, President Joe Biden laid out a lofty goal to vaccinate 70% of all American adults by July Fourth.

An elected Arizona utility regulator has shared discredited conspiracy theories while trying to persuade energy and power providers not to require their employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

The “pause” of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine last week is just the latest crisis-messaging challenge for officials during the pandemic.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy says COVID-19 vaccines would be made available at key airports in the state starting June 1.

South Korea’s daily increase in coronavirus infections exceeded 500 for the fourth straight day, a pace unseen since January, as experts raise concern about another viral surge amid a slow rollout in vaccines.

The Biden administration is unveiling a coalition of community, religious and celebrity partners to promote COVID-19 shots as it seeks to overcome vaccine hesitancy.

Surgeon General speaks during an event at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del. The Senate has confirmed Murthy as surgeon generral on March 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)WASHINGTON – The Senate confirmed a soft-spoken physician as President Joe Biden's surgeon general Tuesday. He told senators during his confirmation hearing that he wants to help individuals and families protect themselves by conveying “clear, science-based guidance” to the general public. Murthy has drawn opposition from gun rights advocates because of his longstanding assessment that mass shootings amount to a public health problem.

It's also spurring her and other Asian Americans to push for greater political influence in Washington and other power centers. President Joe Biden and his aides have been repeatedly pressed to include Asian Americans in his Cabinet. “I think symbolism and representation matters, but only up to a point,” said Aarti Kohli, executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice. “Those things all contribute to lower rates of political participation among Asian Americans, but people — mistakenly, I think — assume that Asian Americans are somehow less interested in U.S. civic life.”AdThat's evolving. “Asian Americans didn't necessarily grow up with that vocabulary of advocacy and how to fight for ourselves," Meng said.

(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden’s Cabinet is nearly complete with the confirmation of Labor Secretary Marty Walsh. A panel will also vote on advancing the nomination of Polly Ellen Trottenberg to be deputy secretary of transportation. And even as the Biden administration moves through picking nominees, there's no guarantee they'll all receive a smooth confirmation. And some of the deputies have become political footballs for Republicans looking to score concessions from the Biden administration. Cruz continues to hold up Biden’s nominee for deputy secretary of state, Wendy Sherman, until sanctions are imposed.

(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden’s Cabinet is nearly complete with the confirmation of Labor Secretary Marty Walsh on Monday. A panel will also vote on advancing the nomination of Polly Ellen Trottenberg to be deputy secretary of Transportation. And even as the Biden administration moves through picking nominees, there's no guarantee they'll all receive a smooth confirmation. And some of the deputies have become political footballs for Republicans looking to score concessions from the Biden administration. Cruz continues to hold up Biden’s nominee for deputy secretary of State, Wendy Sherman, until sanctions are imposed.

Jennifer Granholm, D-Mich., testifies before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee during a hearing to examine her nomination to be Secretary of Energy, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington. Granholm, who was sworn in late Thursday, is just the second woman to serve as energy secretary. She tweeted her thanks to senators and said, "I’m obsessed with creating good-paying clean energy jobs in all corners of America in service of addressing our climate crisis. “We can buy electric car batteries from Asia, or we can make them in America,” Granholm told senators. Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the top Republican on the Senate energy committee, said Biden “seems to want to pull the plug on American energy dominance.

He can send the White House into a tailspin with a single five-minute interview or three-sentence statement. With a 50-50 split in the Senate leaving little room for error on tough votes, other moderate Democrats like Sens. He received a call from the White House shortly after his complaint to try to smooth things over. AdThe White House shares those political concerns. Their significance to the final vote on the COVID-19 bill means some moderates are already getting extra attention from the White House.

(Joe Hermitt/The Patriot-News via AP)WASHINGTON – President-elect Joe Biden has tapped Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine to be his assistant secretary of health, leaving her poised to become the first openly transgender federal official to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. A pediatrician and former Pennsylvania physician general, Levine was appointed to her current post by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf in 2017, making her one of the few transgender people serving in elected or appointed positions nationwide. A transition spokesperson also said Tuesday that Dawn O’Connell will serve as senior counselor for coronavirus response to the health and human services secretary. O'Connell most recently served as director of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and was the senior counselor and deputy chief of staff to Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell during the Obama administration.

Boxes containing the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are moved to the loading dock for shipping at the McKesson distribution center in Olive Branch, Miss., Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020. Federal officials expect that vaccine doses will be limited for several months. At least a dozen states reported they would receive a smaller second shipment of the Pfizer vaccine than they had been told previously. “And unless it’s perfectly right, we will not release vaccine doses for usage,” he said. “That is something that I have been assured of.”Both the Moderna vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech shot require two doses several weeks apart.

Johnson imposed a new, higher level of coronavirus restrictions to curb sharply spreading infections in the capital and other areas. (Stefan Rousseau/PA via AP)Reports from Britain and South Africa of new coronavirus strains that seem to spread more easily are causing alarm, but virus experts say it’s unclear if that’s the case or whether they pose any concern for vaccines or cause more severe disease. New variants, or strains, of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been seen almost since it was first detected in China nearly a year ago. The one in the U.K. has the two changes and more, including eight to the spike protein, Gupta said. But vaccines may need fine-tuned over time as changes accumulate, and changes should be more closely monitored, he wrote.

All Australian states have imposed restrictions on travelers from Sydney and parts of New South Wales because the coronavirus risk. The state on Sunday reported 1,536 new COVID-19 cases and 46 more deaths. ___TOPEKA, Kan. — A FedEx executive says a higher-than-normal volume of Christmas-season package deliveries won’t interfere with the company’s effort to ship coronavirus vaccine doses. The first wave of coronavirus infections in New York “came from Europe and we did nothing,” the Democratic governor said. ___WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s surgeon general is defending Trump’s not getting a coronavirus vaccine, saying there are medical reasons for it.

(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)WASHINGTON – President-elect Joe Biden's choices for his health care team point to a stronger federal role in the nation’s COVID-19 strategy, restoration of a guiding stress on science and an emphasis on equitable distribution of vaccines and treatments. “We are still going to have a federal, state and local partnership,” commented Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the nonprofit American Public Health Association. “These are not turf-conscious people,” said Drew Altman, CEO of the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation, a clearinghouse for health care information and analysis. A Secretary Becerra “can't get up every morning and think only COVID,” she said. That challenge faces widespread skepticism among minorities that the health care system has their best interests in mind.

(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)WASHINGTON – President-elect Joe Biden’s choices for his health care team point to a stronger federal role in the nation’s COVID-19 strategy, restoration of a guiding stress on science and an emphasis on equitable distribution of vaccines and treatments. “We are still going to have a federal, state and local partnership,” commented Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the nonprofit American Public Health Association. “These are not turf-conscious people,” said Drew Altman, CEO of the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation, a clearinghouse for health care information and analysis. A Secretary Becerra “can't get up every morning and think only COVID,” she said. That challenge faces widespread skepticism among minorities that the health care system has their best interests in mind.

Separately, Biden picked a Harvard infectious disease expert, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Biden also announced other top members of his health care team, though some posts remain unfilled. But overseeing the coronavirus response will be the most complicated task he has ever contemplated. The core components of HHS are the boots on the ground of the government’s coronavirus response. Early in California’s coronavirus response, Becerra defended broad shutdowns Gov.

WASHINGTON – Up soon for President-elect Joe Biden: naming his top health care officials as the coronavirus pandemic rages. Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus made a fresh push during a virtual conference call Thursday for Biden to nominate Lujan Grisham as HHS secretary. Biden is expected to announce his choice for HHS secretary next week. In the running for a top health job is former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, co-chair of Biden's coronavirus task force. Alongside his health secretary, Biden is expected to name a top-level White House adviser to coordinate the government’s extensive coronavirus response.

Addressing racial disparities in the U.S. coronavirus crisis cannot be an afterthought, a top adviser to President-elect Joe Biden on the COVID-19 pandemic response said Tuesday. “We cannot get this pandemic under control if we do not address head-on the issues of inequity in our country," she said. The virus in the U.S. has killed more than 268,000 and caused more than 13.5 million confirmed infections. Gathering that information became easier last week when the federal government recognized Biden as the winner of the Nov. 3 election, she said. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education.

WASHINGTON – Joe Biden faces a decision unlike any other incoming president: whether to back a short-term national lockdown to finally arrest a raging pandemic. But the debate has been livelier among members of the coronavirus advisory board Biden announced this week. One member, Dr. Michael Osterholm, suggested a four- to six-week lockdown with financial aid for Americans whose livelihoods would be affected. That's a sign of the tough dynamic Biden will face when he is inaugurated in January. But Biden himself fueled some of the confusion about his stance on lockdowns during the campaign.