Calls rise for FDA to fully approve COVID-19 vaccines Calls are rising from some experts for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to move faster to fully approve the COVID-19 vaccines, in what could be a key step to address vaccine hesitancy. Peter Sullivan TheHill

Calls are rising from some experts for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to move faster to fully approve the COVID-19 vaccines, in what could be a key step to address vaccine hesitancy.

A study finds that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines could offer protection for years

The vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna set off a persistent immune reaction in the body that may protect against the coronavirus for years, scientists reported on Monday.

The findings add to growing evidence that most people immunized with the mRNA vaccines may not need boosters, so long as the virus and its variants do not evolve much beyond their current forms — which is not guaranteed. People who recovered from Covid-19 before being vaccinated may not need boosters even if the virus does make a significant transformation.

“It’s a good sign for how durable our immunity is from this vaccine,” said Ali Ellebedy, an immunologist at Washington University in St. Louis who led the study, which was published in the journal Nature.

The study did not consider the vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson, but Dr. Ellebedy said he expected the immune response to be less durable than that produced by mRNA vaccines.

A group of southern California lawmakers, including San Diego's mayor, called for an end to pandemic restrictions along the border with Mexico as part of an effort to boost the local economy.

"As the rate of COVID-19 cases continue to plummet, and other restrictions have been lifted, I see no reason to continue selective restrictions that impact our cross-border community," mayor Todd Gloria said in a press release.

The border has been closed to non-essential travel since March 2020. The Dept. of Homeland Security last Sunday extended through July 21 those restrictions for all land or ferry crossings into the US.

White House faces calls to embrace vaccine passports Health experts are calling on the Biden administration to do more to encourage and promote the use of vaccine mandates and passports. So far, the White House has stayed out of what they view as an Nathaniel Weixel TheHill

Health experts are calling on the Biden administration to do more to encourage and promote the use of vaccine mandates and passports.

So far, the White House has stayed out of what they view as an issue for private employers.

‘A tough slog’: White House struggles to increase vaccination rates as Delta variant surges Only about 46 percent of the U.S. population is vaccinated, and the number of doses administered has fallen by almost 300,000 per day since June 7, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. POLITICO

Top Biden administration health officials trying to slow the spread of the Covid-19 Delta variant have largely given up on the possibility of reinstating mask and social-distancing rules in favor of a grassroots vaccine education campaign.