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There’s long been a gap between the relatively small number of organs available for transplant and the long waiting lists of potential recipients. This week, the world got a little closer to a future in which pigs — yes, pigs — could narrow that gap. (Lisa Jarvis, 10/12)

Last week, I received my updated coronavirus shot. The decision was straightforward: I recently suffered a bad bout of bacterial pneumonia and am still on steroid medications for ongoing lung problems. The last thing I want is to be hospitalized again for another lung infection. The coronavirus vaccine will reduce that risk. (Leana S. Wen, 10/12)

Respiratory syncytial virus, or R.S.V., is a nasty bug. It’s the leading cause of hospitalizations among American infants and results in thousands of deaths among the elderly each year. (Charles M. Blow, 10/11)

In the 14 months since the Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health rescinded the constitutional right to abortion access for millions of people, every Southern state has passed extreme and restrictive abortion laws, except Virginia. But make no mistake—the future of abortion rights is on the ballot in Virginia. (Jennifer McClellan, 10/12)