Sandy West - Kaiser Health News

Legislators in Kansas are pushing bills to expand exemptions for school vaccines, allowing religious exemptions for all vaccine requirements without families having to provide any proof of their beliefs. Similar bills are being introduced around the nation.

Among the people still reluctant to get vaccinated are firefighters, many of whom also respond to medical calls as paramedics and EMTs and have witnessed the ravages of the pandemic firsthand.

While bed shortages have happened in pockets throughout the country since the spring, the pressure on hospitals is widespread now — reaching into urban and rural communities at an alarming pace.

Having a kid with a food allergy is hard. But for low-income families of color, such allergies can be especially deadly.