COVID-19

Graff and Amanda Gustin discuss Life Became Very Blurry, a new oral history of Vermont in the pandemic era.

The COVID-19 lockdown "felt like solitary confinement," a San Diego resident tells NPR. Even after many pandemic rules lifted, American society remains deeply fractured.

The Agency of Agriculture is about to start a USDA-mandated testing program to see if there is bird flu in the milk supply. The state will not require farms that sell raw milk directly to consumers to test their milk.

Cases are on the rise in Vermont, but a new COVID-19 booster is on the way. Vermont will have doses of both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines available in the next couple of weeks through health care providers, pharmacies and some free or low-cost clinics.

Though cases are rising, the number of overall COVID cases this winter may be lower than original projections, says John Davy, epidemiologist at the Vermont Health Department.

Despite the population bump in 2021 and 2022, Vermont remains one of the oldest states in the U.S.

Pharmacies in Vermont are now allowed to give COVID-19 shots to kids ages 3 and older. And Vermont Medicaid, also called Doctor Dynasaur, will cover the cost of the vaccines at pharmacies.

The cold weather is returning, which means a lot of Vermonters are spending more time indoors. State health officials say the threat of COVID-19 remains quite low in the state. At the same time — there are indications that the current dominant strain of the virus is more contagious, with less severe symptoms than many previous strains.

Vermont Center for Independent Living wants the state to reboot the program, but the state says there isn't federal funding for it.

Updated COVID-19 vaccines aimed at protecting people from new variants of the virus could arrive in Vermont this week — and the state’s top health official, Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine, is urging residents to get the shot.