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President-elect Joe Biden walks by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris before delivering remarks on his plan for economic recovery under his incoming administration. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

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A health care worker holds an injection syringe of the phase 3 vaccine trial, developed against the novel coronavirus pandemic by the U.S. Pfizer and German BioNTech company, at the Ankara University Ibni Sina Hospital in Ankara, Turkey. Dogukan Keskinkilic/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images hide caption

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Dogukan Keskinkilic/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Who Gets The Vaccine First? And How Will They Get It?

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Dr. Vivek Murthy, pictured in 2016, is the co-chair of President-elect Biden's coronavirus advisory board. Jessica McGowan/Getty Images hide caption

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Jessica McGowan/Getty Images

A traveler wears face masks at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday. While increased restrictions are being discussed across the nation, many people are not heeding mask-wearing rules. Damian Dovarganes/AP hide caption

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Damian Dovarganes/AP

A woman holds her 1-year-old son as they wait in line to get a coronavirus test. Boston Globe via Getty Images hide caption

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Boston Globe via Getty Images

Opinion: A New Phase Of Uncertainty

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Sarah Gonzales for NPR

A College Student Is Coming Home. Should The Whole Family Wear Masks?

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This taken in Oct. 2020 and provided by Pfizer shows part of a "freezer farm," a football field-sized facility for storing finished COVID-19 vaccines, in Puurs, Belgium. AP hide caption

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AP

The COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Results: What They Mean, What Comes Next

Interim results are in from a large trial of an experimental COVID-19 vaccine. Drug maker Pfizer, working with German company BioNTech, says its vaccine appears to be working really well--it was found to be more than 90 percent effective. Today on Short Wave, host Maddie Sofia talks to NPR science correspondent Joe Palca about what that efficacy number means, details of the study and what more information about the vaccine researchers are awaiting.

The COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Results: What They Mean, What Comes Next

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Medical staff members treat a patient in the COVID-19 intensive care unit at Houston's United Memorial Medical Center on Tuesday. Go Nakamura/Getty Images hide caption

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Hospitals Pushed To The Brink, Governors Warn Of Health Care Shortages

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A Call For Equity In Genomics Research

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These men, harvesting sweet potatoes in North Carolina, came to the U.S. on H-2A visas that are designated for seasonal agricultural workers. Such "guest workers" now account for about 10% of U.S. farmworkers. Dan Charles/NPR hide caption

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Dan Charles/NPR

Farmworkers Say The Government Is Trying To Cut Their Wages

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The CDC says that when it comes to cloth masks, multiple layers made of higher thread counts do a better job of protecting the wearer. Michael Stewart/GC Images hide caption

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Michael Stewart/GC Images

Butyric acid gives some cheeses their distinctively strong scent. Alexander Spatari/Getty Images hide caption

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Alexander Spatari/Getty Images

From Stinky Cheese To Cat Pee, Author Takes A 'Nose Dive' Into The Science Of Smell

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Kevin and Susan Boudreaux have survived multiple catastrophic floods in Cameron Parish, La. Storm surge from this year's Hurricane Laura severely damaged the RV park they own. Ryan Kellman/NPR hide caption

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Ryan Kellman/NPR

Gen. Gustave Perna tells NPR that if a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration in December, "10 to 30 million doses of vaccine will be available that we can start distributing" in the United States. Chip Somodevilla/AP hide caption

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Chip Somodevilla/AP

Operation Warp Speed's Logistics Chief Weighs In On Vaccine Progress

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Many long-haulers feel isolated and face disbelief from doctors and loved ones. Bobby Jon Calderon/Getty Images hide caption

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Bobby Jon Calderon/Getty Images

What's It Like To Be A COVID-19 'Long Hauler'

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From left, astronaut Soichi Noguchi of Japan and NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, Victor Glover and Michael Hopkins walk after arriving at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The four astronauts will fly on the SpaceX Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station scheduled for launch on Saturday. Terry Renna/AP hide caption

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Terry Renna/AP