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There’s a phrase often used by pediatricians and parents when discussing the infectious risks and benefits of daycare versus in-home care for pre-school age children: Pay now or pay later. (Shira Doron, Elissa Perkins and Westyn Branch-Elliman, 12/15)

My younger daughter and I both had the flu a few weeks ago. It seemed inevitable that my household wouldn’t escape the 2022 “tripledemic” — the end-of-year collision of flu, R.S.V. and Covid-19. (Jessica Grose, 12/14)

The threat posed by COVID-19 has not gone away, but we are entering a new phase of the pandemic, with new tools that can prevent severe illness. At this time of reflection, however, we must ask why these avenues remain the preserve of the richest. (Angel Gurria, 12/15)

Ninety-eight percent of the U.S. military is vaccinated against Covid-19. That success is due, in large part, to a summer of 2021 decision by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin that mandatory vaccination was “necessary to protect the force and defend the American people.” (Max Rose, 12/15)

There’s good news and bad news when it comes to teen drug and alcohol use. The good news is that fewer teens are drinking, a trend that has been steadily improving over the last two decades. The negative is that cannabis seems to be picking up alcohol’s slack. (Lisa Jarvis, 12/14)

Congress has the chance to enact groundbreaking legislation, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), that would close a dangerous gap in protections for pregnant workers. (Erika Bachiochi, Reva Siegel, Daniel Williams and Mary Ziegler, 12/14)

West Virginia increased their Medicaid reimbursement rates for private ambulances. This is a major milestone that will provide West Virginia’s more than 200 ambulance providers with an additional $11.8 million in reimbursements per year. (Darin Robinaugh, 12/15)

The fight to expand access to paid sick leave continues even after President Biden decided not to include more than one day of paid sick leave in the recently “settled” contract for rail workers. (Devan Hawkins, 12/14)