Rethinking the global 70% COVID vaccine goal

Watch our 'one-way masking' video [View this email online]( [NPR]( Goats and Soda editor's note Aleksandra Shchebet As an editor I need to be fair-minded and detail-minded. Is this story presenting all sides of a story? Did we spell the names correctly? Are all the commas in the right place? But sometimes a tear wells up in my objective editorial eye. That's how I felt when reading NPR reporter Ari Daniel's [profile of a young Ukrainian neurologist]( who fled Kyiv during the Russian bombing but decided not to leave her country. From her new base in the northwest of the country, Dr. Aleksandra Shchebet (pictured above) offers medical advice online and on the phone and works long and exhausting shifts in a warehouse packing up donated medical supplies and food to send to parts of Ukraine under siege. "It's our country," she says of her courageous decision to stay and help. "It's our home. We can't leave. I hope the war will end as soon as possible." [Read the story here.]( Marc Silver Editor, Goats and Soda --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- top story of the week Credit: Nick Underwood/NPR [The goal: Vaccinate 70% of the world against COVID. Scientists are proposing a reboot]( As the world enters the pandemic's 3rd year, some ask whether the 70% vaccination goal set by WHO and the Biden administration could in fact be detrimental. Also: See our map of global progress. in the news Mstyslav Chernov/AP [Russia's strike on Ukraine maternity hospital is part of a terrible wartime tradition]( The attack on the facility in Mariupol reflects an unfortunate trend in wars in Syria, Ethiopia and other countries. The impact on health care in the short-term and the long run is beyond devastating. [A burning train is a symbol of the anger of India's out-of-work youth]( The country is in the midst of a job crisis. The rate of unemployment is about 13% among educated youth. Those who work in the informal sector vie for jobs with no security. Why are things so bad? [Seen as heroes at home, Filipino workers feel 'abandoned' amid Hong Kong's COVID surge]( Many of the domestic workers say they were banished from their employers' homes after getting sick — and fired — even though terminating an employee for falling ill is against Hong Kong law. photos Ruhani Kaur for NPR [The precarious lives of India's COVID widows]( No matter how the pandemic proceeds, women who lost a husband — and sole family breadwinner — will lead irrevocably altered lives in the patriarchal society that is India. coronavirus FAQ Joan Mateu/AP [What does endemic mean — and are we there yet?]( Two years ago, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic. Now there's talk that we may be approaching a new stage for SARS-CoV-2. Let's unpack the word "endemic." video [Watch our video guide to one-way masking]( At this stage of the pandemic, many people are going maskless -- but some people still want the protection offered by an N95 or KN95. Check out this video on one-way masking. And we've got [a story on the subject.]( links we like - The New Yorker explains why kids love the[Mexican wrestler Súper Muñeco.]( - The BBC interviews [Africans who want to go fight in Ukraine.]( One Nigerian who wants to take on an "undeniable enemy" adds"'being a soldier in Ukraine would be better than being here." - [The Maasai believe in protecting nature.]( Vox interviews Kimaren ole Riamit, a member of the Maasai community in Kenya. - Arooj Aftab, whose hometown is Lahore, Pakistan, put up a banner outside her Brooklyn apartment: ["TWO TIME GRAMMY NOMINEE LIVES HERE."]( She talks to NPR about her music and her nominated song "Mohabbat." --------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Find a Station]( What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [goatsandsoda@npr.org](mailto:goatsandsoda@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Health, Daily News, Code Switch and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Goats and Soda emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]