Author Archive
Caroline Chen
Reporter
Caroline Chen covers health care for ProPublica. Previously, she worked at Bloomberg News, where she wrote about Valeant Pharmaceutical’s use of a mail order pharmacy to boost reimbursements for its drugs, the tactics used by a rare disease drugmaker to scare patients into staying on therapy, and the plight of medically complex babies who get stranded in hospitals because of a lack of home-care nurses. She received her Master’s degree from the Stabile Program in Investigative Journalism at Columbia University, where she was awarded a Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship.
Caroline Chen covers health care for ProPublica. Previously, she worked at Bloomberg News, where she wrote about Valeant Pharmaceutical’s use of a mail order pharmacy to boost reimbursements for its drugs, the tactics used by a rare disease drugmaker to scare patients into staying on therapy, and the plight of medically complex babies who get stranded in hospitals because of a lack of home-care nurses. She received her Master’s degree from the Stabile Program in Investigative Journalism at Columbia University, where she was awarded a Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship.
Oversight
What’s Holding Up the COVID Vaccines for Children Under 5?
For months, parents have been told COVID vaccines for their little ones are coming. But opaque communication from the FDA, shifting timelines, delays and misinformation have left parents frustrated and confused. Here’s everything we know at the moment.
- Caroline Chen, ProPublica
Oversight
A Tiny Number of People Will Be Hospitalized Despite Being Vaccinated. We Have to Learn Why.
Experts say we should investigate “breakthrough infections” to look out for variants and understand who’s vulnerable. In many cases, that’s not happening. Crucial pieces of the puzzle are being tossed in the trash.
- Caroline Chen, ProPublica
Management
How Operation Warp Speed Created Vaccination Chaos
States are struggling to plan their vaccination programs with just one week’s notice for how many doses they’ll receive from the federal government. The incoming Biden administration is deciding what to do with this dysfunctional system.
- Caroline Chen, Isaac Arnsdorf and Ryan Gabrielson, ProPublica
Management
Most States Aren’t Ready to Distribute the Leading COVID-19 Vaccine
A review of state distribution plans reveals that officials don’t know how they’ll deal with the difficult storage and transport requirements of Pfizer’s vaccine, especially in the rural areas currently seeing a spike in infections.
- Isaac Arnsdorf, Ryan Gabrielson and Caroline Chen
Management
Who Decides When Vaccine Studies Are Done? Internal Documents Show Fauci Plays a Key Role.
Dr. Anthony Fauci will see data from government-funded vaccine trials before the FDA does. One caveat: Pfizer’s study, which is ahead of the others, isn’t included in his purview.
- Isaac Arnsdorf, Caroline Chen and Ryan Gabrielson, ProPublica
Oversight
How — and When — Can the Coronavirus Vaccine Become a Reality?
It is likely we’ll eventually have a coronavirus vaccine — but perhaps not as quickly as some expect. From development, to clinical trials and distribution, ProPublica reporter Caroline Chen explains the tremendous challenges that lie ahead.
- Caroline Chen, ProPublica
Management
Internal Emails Show How Chaos at the CDC Slowed the Early Response to Coronavirus
The CDC fumbled its communication with public health officials and underestimated the threat of the coronavirus even as it gained a foothold in the United States, according to hundreds of pages of documents ProPublica obtained.
- Caroline Chen, Marshall Allen and Lexi Churchill, ProPublica
Management
The FDA Is Forcing the CDC to Waste Time Double Testing Some Coronavirus Cases
The FDA’s strict guidance on test confirmations is one of several obstacles that has slowed the federal government’s response to COVID-19. The FDA could change its rules to speed things up, but hasn’t.
- Caroline Chen and Lydia DePillis, ProPublica
Management
House Democrats Probe Faulty Test Kits’ Role in Delaying Coronavirus Response
The House Oversight Committee cited ProPublica’s reporting in requesting documents from the Trump administration.
- Isaac Arnsdorf, Caroline Chen and Marshall Allen, ProPublica
Management
Key Missteps at the CDC Have Set Back Its Ability to Detect the Potential Spread of Coronavirus
The CDC designed a flawed test for COVID-19, then took weeks to figure out a fix so state and local labs could use it. New York still doesn’t trust the test’s accuracy.
- Caroline Chen, Marshall Allen, Lexi Churchill and Isaac Arnsdorf, ProPublica