2021 Top Ten: COVID

US Army Creates Single Vaccine Against All COVID & SARS Variants, Researchers Say // Tara Copp: Within weeks, Walter Reed researchers expect to announce that human trials show success against Omicron—and even future strains.

800,000 Deaths // Clint Smith: The number is so enormous that we risk becoming numb to its implications.

Army Commanders Relieved Over Vaccine Refusal // Elizabeth Howe: Battalion COs among the six soldiers removed from their jobs as service deadline passes.

State Guards’ Vaccine Refusal Sets Up Fight with Feds // Tara Copp: Six governors are rejecting the Pentagon’s order to inoculate their troops against COVID. Is a lawsuit next?

The Future of COVID // Sara Sawyer: Why some viruses become endemic, and how they can be stopped.

When George Washington Ordered His Troops to Get Vaccinated // Maurizio Valsania: Washington and his fellow Founding Fathers agreed on one thing: circumstances often require public officials to pass acts that abridge individual freedoms.

We ‘Blew It’ On Battling COVID Disinfo, Say Army's Pandemic Response Leaders // Elizabeth Howe: The U.S. Army scrutinized its response to the pandemic, and found fault with its strategic communications efforts.

Catholic Troops Can Refuse COVID Vaccine, Archbishop Declares // Elizabeth Howe: “No one should be forced to receive a COVID-19 vaccine if it would violate the sanctity of his or her conscience,” Broglio wrote.

America Should Help Iran Get COVID Vaccines // Sina Toossi: There are at least two national-security reasons Biden should seize this opportunity.

We’re Already Barreling Toward the Next Pandemic // Ed Yong: This one is far from over, but the window to prepare for future threats is closing fast.