New White House COVID Czar: 'Less Fear Is A Good Thing'

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In the third summer of the pandemic, White House COVID response coordinator Ashish Jha tells NPR it's a good thing that many people feel less afraid of getting sick. But he says the Biden administration still has work to do.

One of their latest challenges is managing the vaccine rollout for children under 5, which could begin in weeks — and educating parents and caretakers about the importance of vaccination.

NPR's Rob Stein reports on another persistent public health challenge: long COVID. A recent study offers some clues about why many people suffer from symptoms for months. Rob also spoke to Gregory Glenn of Novavax, who you'll hear in this episode discussing the company's new COVID vaccine, which is awaiting FDA authorization.

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This episode was produced by Karen Zamora, Lauren Hodges, and Brent Baughman. It was edited by Sarah Handel, Scott Hensley, and Sami Yenigun. Our executive producer is Cara Tallo.