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Stepping up the state’s game on mental health care — making it more accessible and affordable — was always a priority for Senate President Karen Spilka. And so it was no surprise when, back in February 2020, senators gave unanimous approval to a sweeping mental health parity bill. It was a good bill at the time, and a much-needed one. (11/14)

It was an exercise in frustration last week as an editorial writer tried to track down when guidance is coming for those who received Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 shots months ago and are still waiting for the green light for a booster. Answers are needed soon from federal health authorities. Minnesota and other states are in the midst of another COVID surge, a troubling place to be as winter weather drives us inside and holidays loom, creating conditions ideal for viral spread. (11/13)

Cue the collective sigh of relief from many parents across the country. While the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine has been available for children ages 12 and up since mid-September, as of now 28 million even younger school-age children between the ages of 5 and 11 are eligible to receive it. As an emergency medicine physician and a parent, that reassures me. As a member of the global community, it gives me hope we’ll soon return to some level of normalcy. (Shaun Carstairs, 11/15)

I am a 10-year-old who volunteered for the Pfizer COVID vaccine trial. I want to tell you why I did it and how it felt. I really wanted to participate in the trial because I knew that getting vaccinated was key to keeping myself safe and helping all of us get out of the pandemic. (Kartik Dimino, 11/14)

It’s imperative that we vaccinate the youngest Americans so that school and other aspects of their lives and everyone’s lives can go back to normal. Yet even well-meaning parents will need convincing. Instead of busting out the pitchforks, our country needs to do more soul-searching on how to better persuade families about the benefits of the shots. (11/13)

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the world, the fight against the virus remains the most pressing task for us all. Virus knows no borders. Only when countries pull together and fight by science's rules can we defeat the pandemic. Origin tracing of COVID-19 is of great importance to effective prevention and control of the pandemic. It is a serious scientific subject about which scientific conclusions should and can only be made by scientists based on facts and rigorous analyses. (Zhao Jian, 11/14)

Bret Stephens: Hello from Covid quarantine, Gail, breakthrough-case edition. It’s been six months since my second shot of Moderna, and — presto! — I got it. Gail Collins: Bret! I’m so sorry you’re sick. Or sickish? Do you think the vaccine protected you from really serious illness? Basically want to know how this affects your thoughts on the vax debate. (Gail Collins and Bret Stephen, 11/15)