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For the first time, the United States is rolling out COVID-19 vaccines updated to match variants that are currently dominant, as well as the original strain. This bivalent character will provide a better response not just to the most threatening variants today but probably to future variants too, because when the immune system faces different versions of the same virus it generates broader protections overall. (Zeynep Tufecki, 9/15)

Recently my daughter, Lisa, called from Texas where she moved last year when she got married. She and her new husband are hoping to start a family when she finishes grad school. “Mom, I’m worried about what’s happening in Texas. What if something goes wrong when I’m pregnant?” Lisa said. “I won’t be able to get help.” (Pamela Jane, 9/15)

Sen. Lindsey Graham's 15-week abortion ban bill is an affront to women across the country and not what the majority of Americans want. (9/15)

My partner and I have been together for nearly a decade. We both knew early on, like 1 in 5 American adults, that we wanted to be a child-free couple. For my partner, this decision has meant years of exploring the wide range of birth control methods available to women — including hormonal, barrier and emergency contraception. Each method comes with its own financial and physical costs. Meanwhile, my contribution to keeping us child-free has been much more straightforward: wearing a condom. (Kevin Frazier, 9/15)