Shots

Blake Farmer plays with his kids, Louisa, 2, and Turner, 8, on the trampoline in their backyard in Nashville, Tenn. After Thanksgiving, the family all had breakthrough COVID cases, resulting in a couple weeks spent at home. The trampoline served as a distraction for the kids, Farmer says. Erica Calhoun for NPR hide caption

A firefighter tests the seal on his N95 mask at the start of his shift in Glen Burnie, Md. With the spread of omicron, experts say to wear high-filtration respirators in public indoor spaces for the best protection. Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Health authorities have been urging Americans to get a booster shot six months after their second dose of the vaccine, especially now that the omicron variant is dominant in the U.S. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Grief is tied to all sorts of different brain functions, says researcher and author Mary-Frances O'Connor. That can range from being able to recall memories to taking the perspective of another person, to even things like regulating our heart rate and the experience of pain and suffering. Adam Lister/Getty Images hide caption

A Cornell University student waits for a ride with luggage in tow at the campus in Ithaca, N.Y., Thursday, Dec. 16. Cornell University abruptly shut down all campus activities on Tuesday and moved final exams online after hundreds of students tested positive over three days. Heather Ainsworth/AP hide caption

Researchers are learning that the coronavirus can infect neurons and may cause lasting damage in some cases. Kateryna Kon/Science Source hide caption

James Bond (Daniel Craig) and Dr. Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) drive through Matera, Italy in No Time To Die. A scientific review of Bond's decades of international adventures concludes that the famous secret agent has consistently neglected critical travel health precautions. Nicola Dove/DANJAQ, LLC AND MGM hide caption

Booster shots are authorized for all U.S. adults, but some are wondering if they need them. A nurse fills a syringe with a Pfizer-BioNTech dose at a pop-up vaccine clinic in the Arleta neighborhood of Los Angeles. Robyn Beck /AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Safeway pharmacist Shahrzad Khoobyari administers a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster shot into the arm of Norman Solomon in San Rafael, Calif., in October. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

LiceDoctors technician Linda Holmes checks the heads of everyone in the Marker family for lice, including preschooler Hudson. It cost more than $200 to get the four-person household checked — eyebrows and Dad's beard included. Rae Ellen Bichell/KHN hide caption