Vaccination Coverage

US proposes once-a-year COVID shots for most Americans

U.S. health officials want to make COVID-19 vaccinations more like the annual flu shot.

By MATTHEW PERRONE, AP Health Writer

No more needles? That's a promise of new drug delivery tech from Chapel Hill startup

Imagine receiving a COVID-19 vaccine not from the jab of a needle and syringe but by slipping a thin, clear film smaller than a postage stamp inside your cheek or under your tongue and letting it dissolve. That's one of the potential benefits of a new drug-delivery technology being developed by a startup company in Chapel Hill.

Vaccine approved for honeybees, 1st vaccine for insects in US

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved a bee vaccine in an effort to save the honeybee population -- the first vaccine approved for any insect in the U.S.

Updated COVID-19 boosters available for children 6 months, older in NC

North Carolina is preparing to offer updated COVID-19 boosters for children six months and older.

Delaney Eyermann, WRAL multiplatform producer

Reported flu cases increasing among kids throughout Triangle

Doctors say not only are they seeing an alarming increase, but the flu cases they're seeing in children are severe and the spike is hitting much earlier than usual.

Triangle hospitals report alarming increase of flu in kids

Doctors say not only are they seeing an alarming increase, but the flu cases they're seeing in children are severe and the spike is hitting much earlier than usual.

Laura Leslie, WRAL capitol bureau chief

Get your shot: Dozens hospitalized with flu in Triangle, cases 13 times higher than last year nationwide

Doctors have an urgent warning about flu season. Nationwide, flu cases are 13 times higher than around this time last year.

Leslie Moreno, WRAL reporter

Duke scientists discover possible effective component necessary for an HIV vaccine

Researchers at Duke have published new work in a scientific journal, showing that a potential HIV vaccine component proves effective in primate study.

How to make an appointment for an updated COVID booster shot near you

Updated coronavirus booster shots designed to fight the latest strains of coronavirus are now available in the Raleigh-Durham area.

Nia Harden, WRAL reporter, Maggie Brown, WRAL multiplatform producer

New COVID-19 boosters expected to be available this week to people in North Carolina

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said the state has 500,000 COVID-19 boosters that should arrive in the next two weeks.

Chelsea Donovan, WRAL reporter

New COVID-19 boosters expected to be available this week to people in NC

The new COVID-19 booster shots are expecte to be available either Tuesday or Wednesday in North Carolina.

ER visits for COVID symptoms, hospital admissions for COVID-19 decline for three consecutive weeks

State data shows emergency room visits for COVID-19 symptoms are down for the third consecutive week. Hospital admissions are down over a three-week span too.

Mark Bergin, WRAL senior multiplatform producer

NC adding 11 monkeypox cases every day, child contracts virus

The Mecklenburg County Health Department reported the state of North Carolina's first known pediatric case of monkeypox on Tuesday.

Child contracts monkeypox in Mecklenburg County just as school starts back for many

Someone younger than 18 years of age has tested positive for monkeypox in Mecklenburg County.

Joe Fisher, WRAL reporter and Julian Grace, WRAL anchor/reporter

Monkeypox vaccine maker expresses concern over dose-splitting plan

Bavarian Nordic makes the only monkeypox vaccine currently authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

New FDA rules stretch monkeypox vaccine supply

The new way of monkeypox vaccine injection is one-fifth of the original dose. It means five times as many people could get monkeypox vaccines.

New way of giving vaccine will stretch monkeypox doses to more people

The new way of monkeypox vaccine injection is one-fifth of the original dose. It means five times as many people could get monkeypox vaccines.

Monica Casey, WRAL Durham reporter

White House, public health leaders hold briefing on their monkeypox response effort

The White House National Monkeypox Response team and federal public health leaders are holding a briefing to provide updates on the monkeypox response effort.

Know which vaccines are required for back-to-school

The state health department is encouraging families to make sure their students are vaccinated before they return to school in late August.

US health leaders issue warning amid limited monkeypox vaccines and testing

Health leaders fear that monkeypox in the U.S. could keep spreading rapidly.

25 million children missed vaccines in 2021

According to data published by UNICEF and the WHO on July 14, worldwide vaccine coverage continued to decrease in 2021.

North Carolina health leaders: Knowledge, testing key to limiting spread of monkeypox

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services released a four-page plan on how it is addressing the recent monkeypox outbreak.

Mark Bergin, WRAL senior multiplatform producer

NC health experts say more monkeypox tests, vaccines are on the way

On Wednesday, the state health department told WRAL News that they carry no constraints when it comes to testing. But they do need providers to be willing to test.

Joe Fisher, WRAL reporter

Monkeypox testing and vaccines becoming more prevalent with cases increasing

Thousands of additional monkeypox vaccines are on the way to North Carolina. We're looking into the state's response to the new threat -- and how officials are working to increase testing for the virus.

FDA calls for fall COVID boosters to target omicron subvariants

Officials have called on vaccine makers Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna to produce bivalent vaccines which are intended to target the original strain of COVID-19 as well as its subvariants.