Vaccine & COVID News
The Daily Signal provides explore reporting and analysis on vaccines, from COVID mandates to public health controversies, with a focus on personal liberty and informed choice.
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- Opinion
African Nations Shouldn’t Let COVID-19 Sink Continental Free Trade Agreement
What would have been the world’s most extensive free trade zone since the formation of the World Trade Organization was supposed to go into effect July 1. Now, the COVID-19 pandemic has plunged the launch date into doubt. The African Continental Free Trade Agreement is an ambitious attempt to reduce trade restrictions among all 55…Joshua Meservey -
- News
Trump: COVID-19 ‘Will Get Worse,’ but Vaccine Moving Along
In his first coronavirus press briefing since April, President Donald Trump sounded dour, warning the pandemic will get worse before it gets better, but also offered his more familiar optimistic tone in predicting a vaccine sooner than expected. The president also made a more emphatic case in favor of wearing masks, even pulling one out…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
What We Can Learn From COVID-19 Restrictions on Houses of Worship in 2 States
When the statewide lockdowns first began in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, most Americans accepted these measures in good faith as difficult, but necessary, sacrifices for the benefit of everyone. At the time, the only thing anyone truly understood about the novel coronavirus that causes the disease was its breathtaking speed and seemingly unstoppable lethality…Kevin Pham -
- Opinion
‘Pandemic Pods’ Are Fundamentally Reshaping K-12 Education
The practice of organizing “pandemic pods,” in which parents team up with other families in their neighborhoods or social circles to hire teachers for their children, is getting more and more popular by the minute. With many school districts around the country planning not to reopen classrooms this fall—or, at best, planning to offer some…Lindsey Burke -
- Opinion
Two-Thirds of COVID-19 Deaths in US Occurred in 10 States
As Heritage Foundation researchers have demonstrated throughout the pandemic, the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. has been heavily concentrated in a small number of states—and among a small number of counties within states. Even though the U.S. has seen a rapid rise in cases during the last few weeks, the overall levels of concentration…Norbert Michel -
- Opinion
Don’t Fall for Cuomo’s Gaslighting on Coronavirus
On March 25, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo made one of deadliest mistakes of the coronavirus crisis, signing an executive order forcing nursing homes in his state to accept patients who tested positive for the coronavirus. Around 4,800 New Yorkers died from COVID-19 in those nursing homes from March to May—approximately 25% of all fatalities…David Harsanyi -
- News
4 Angles in Understanding Spread of COVID-19 in US, Europe
Cases of COVID-19 are spiking in U.S. states in the South and West at a time when initially hard-hit Europe is seeing a decline in coronavirus cases and a seeming return to normal. Most European countries have reopened schools as well as retail stores, restaurants, and bars at roughly the same time as about half…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
In 3 Charts, What to Know About Florida’s COVID-19 Surge
A lot has happened in Florida in the two weeks since I last analyzed its COVID-19 numbers. Unfortunately, not much of it is good. Florida has reported almost as many cases among its residents over the past two weeks as it did over the previous three and a half months. The newly infected population has…Doug Badger -
- Opinion
What Does ‘Back to School’ Mean in the Time of COVID-19?
What could “back to school” look like during the first fall of the COVID-19 pandemic, and what should it look like? What about an “exclusively virtual” education experience? What are wise precautions to take and what is unrealistic? Lindsey Burke, who directs The Heritage Foundation’s Center for Education Policy and is the think tank’s Will Skillman…Rachel del Guidice -
- Opinion
Why Is the COVID-19 Caseload Rising in California?
The United States had made great progress in suppressing the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, by mid-June, the number of new cases began to surge, and now daily incidence of COVID-19 cases has far exceeded the confirmed daily incidence during the early peak of the pandemic. There are several states…Kevin Pham -
- Opinion
The Rise in COVID-19 Cases Explained
Dr. Kevin Pham, a contributor to The Daily Signal and a former graduate fellow in health policy at The Heritage Foundation, joins the podcast to discuss the rise in cases, if wearing a mask really helps, if it’s true—as The New York Times says—that the coronavirus “has infiltrated Sunday services,” with “more than 650 cases…Rachel del Guidice -
- Opinion
School Closures Threaten Kids More Than COVID-19, Pediatricians Say
Access to education is foundational to American society and fundamental to the American ideal of providing equal opportunities. Yet amid COVID-19 shutdowns, many children have very limited or even no access to formal education. That has caused numerous problems for some children, including a loss in learning, an exacerbation of race- and income-based educational gaps,…Rachel Greszler -
- Opinion
Congress Should Streamline Existing COVID-19 Relief, Not Add New Programs
Congress likes to spend money and create new programs, but when it comes to coronavirus recovery, lawmakers need to keep it simple. Congress already has authorized more than $3.6 trillion of relief, of which to date only about half has been spent. Simple relief is effective relief. The congressional response should remain targeted at containing…Adam Michel -
- Opinion
How Extended COVID-19 Lockdowns Pose a Serious Threat to Mental Health
Americans’ mental and emotional health can’t be ignored in the fight against COVID-19. Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz, assistant secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services for mental health and substance use, joins the show to explain the physiological effects of extended isolation. McCance-Katz is both an epidemiologist and a psychiatrist. That enables her to…Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
Putting the COVID-19 Surge in Florida in Context
Florida is melting down. Or is it? While the state has shown a big increase in the number of daily new COVID-19 cases, there also are signs that those increases might not lead to a spike in hospitalizations and deaths. Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the only Democrat elected statewide, painted a grim picture. >>> What's…Doug Badger -
- Opinion
Court to Lawmakers: It’s Not OK to Treat Churches and Businesses Differently During COVID-19
You can treat churches differently—but you can’t get away with it. That was one federal court’s message to New York leaders last week, when it called out the state’s double standards on coronavirus orders. Hypocrisy, which has been spreading faster than COVID, won’t stand up to the legal challenge, Judge Gary Sharpe warned. Liberals may…Tony Perkins -
- News
4 Points to Understand the COVID-19 Surge in Texas
Texas has seen a significant surge in coronavirus cases in the past two weeks, joining other Sun Belt states. Here are four things to know about the increase in positive tests for COVID-19 in the Lone Star State. 1. What’s the Caseload in Texas? Texas has almost 168,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Wednesday,…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
Paused COVID-19 Reopenings Reflect Setbacks, Not a Failure of Protocols
The recent surges in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Texas, Florida, and California have forced their governors to pause their states’ reopening plans to restrict further spread and to prevent area medical systems from being overwhelmed. Some are claiming that means reopening plans are not working and represent reckless behavior. In reality, however, the…Amy Anderson -
- Opinion
Congress and the Administration Should Advance Free Trade to Aid in COVID-19 Economic Recovery
Relations between the U.S. and China are increasingly icy, and justifiably so given China’s mishandling of COVID-19 and its undermining of Hong Kong’s autonomy. However, even as overall tensions rise, it is important to remember that the trade dispute between the U.S. and China continues to take a toll on the U.S. economy and the…Tori K. Smith -
- Opinion
Despite COVID-19, US Can’t Afford to Cut Defense Spending
This is part of a series on the importance of U.S. national security and achieving peace through strength. Both long have been Heritage Foundation principles and a great foundation for America’s national power. Some voices call for a reduction in defense spending to focus on COVID-19, but the need to fully fund our military never…Elise Stefanik