Rob Stein
Rob Stein is a correspondent and senior editor on NPR's science desk.
An award-winning science journalist with more than 30 years of experience, Stein mostly covers health and medicine. He tends to focus on stories that illustrate the intersection of science, health, politics, social trends, ethics, and federal science policy. He tracks genetics, stem cells, cancer research, women's health issues, and other science, medical, and health policy news.
Before NPR, Stein worked at The Washington Post for 16 years, first as the newspaper's science editor and then as a national health reporter. Earlier in his career, Stein spent about four years as an editor at NPR's science desk. Before that, he was a science reporter for United Press International (UPI) in Boston and the science editor of the international wire service in Washington.
Stein's work has been honored by many organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Association for Cancer Research, and the Association of Health Care Journalists. He was twice part of NPR teams that won Peabody Awards.
Stein frequently represents NPR, speaking at universities, international meetings and other venues, including the University of Cambridge in Britain, the World Conference of Science Journalists in South Korea, and the Aspen Institute in Washington, DC.
Stein is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He completed a journalism fellowship at the Harvard School of Public Health, a program in science and religion at the University of Cambridge, and a summer science writer's workshop at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass.
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Pfizer and BioNTech are poised to formally ask the Food and Drug Administration to authorize the first COVID booster shot for kids ages 5 to 11.
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Data show that a third dose can help boost kids' immunity. Some experts are skeptical that another shot is needed for younger kids. -
CDC has unveiled a new pandemic forecasting center, but officials say there's along way to go to make pandemics as predictable as the weather.
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The company says this version targets both the original coronavirus and the beta variant, and appears to provide broader and longer-lasting protection against different strains, including omicron. -
The pandemic drove U.S. life expectancy down again in 2021 even though life-saving vaccines were widely available. -
Federal health officials are convening with outside advisers April 6 to talk about a vaccine plan, whether that's another booster in the fall, an omicron shot or one that targets more than one strain. -
The Food and Drug Administration has authorize fourth shots for those age 50 and older. The move is aimed at shoring up waning immunity, especially as the U.S. faces the possibility of another surge.
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With the FDA poised to OK another booster for people 50 and older, questions remain: Is the evidence strong enough to warrant a fourth shot, does the timing make sense, and will there be much demand?
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People who are 50 and older and certain immunocompromised individuals may get a second Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine booster four months after they received the first. -
Moderna says a low-dose version of its vaccine is safe and effective for kids, including those under age 6. The company plans to ask the Food and Drug Administration for emergency authorization.
