Rob Stein

Rob Stein, NPR News.

The three scientists are two Americans, Mary Brunko and Fred Ramsdell, and one Japanese, Shimon Sakaguchi.

The researchers won for explaining something called peripheral immune tolerance.

This is a key part of how the immune system protects but does not harm the body.

The Nobel Committee says the trio made groundbreaking discoveries that explain the function of cells the committee calls the immune system's security guards, cells called regulatory T-cells.

Those cells help prevent other immune system cells from attacking healthy tissue.

The three scientists will share more than $1.1 million.

Rob Stein, NPR News.

The three scientists are two Americans, Mary Brunko and Fred Ramsdell, and one Japanese, Shimon Sakaguchi.

The researchers won for explaining something called peripheral immune tolerance.

This is a key part of how the immune system protects but does not harm the body.

The Nobel Committee says the trio made groundbreaking discoveries that explain the function of cells the committee calls the immune system's security guards, cells called regulatory T-cells.

Those cells help prevent other immune system cells from attacking healthy tissue.

The three scientists will share more than $1.1 million.

Rob Stein, NPR News.

The CDC has yet to issue final guidelines for the COVID vaccines nearly two weeks after receiving the recommendations from the agency's advisors.

That's highly unusual.

Typically, the CDC acts within days, sometimes even hours of receiving recommendations from the advisory committee because of the urgency of getting people vaccinated for the winter surge.

The delay has prevented a federal program from shipping out free vaccines for kids and has meant that a patchwork of state rules has prevented adults from getting shots in many places too.

Federal officials have not explained the delay.