Full vaccine approval is sought

Governors say it would help persuade vaccination holdouts

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — As U.S. regulators weigh giving the final stamp of approval for certain COVID-19 vaccines, governors in states hard hit by the pandemic hope the move will help persuade the many holdouts in their states to finally get the shot.

The governors of Arkansas and Ohio — where cases and hospitalizations are climbing — have appealed publicly in recent days for full approval, saying it would help combat vaccine hesitancy and could also clear the way for more businesses to require their employees to be inoculated.

It’s a topic that Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson has confronted as he holds town halls throughout Arkansas, which leads the nation in new cases per capita and has one of the lowest vaccination rates. Only about 35 percent of the state’s population is fully vaccinated.

“Anytime you have low vaccination rates, you want to eliminate every objection that people have, and one of the objections that’s been expressed is that this is only approved under emergency use authorization,” said Hutchinson, who also recently took over as chairman of the National Governors Association.

All three vaccines authorized for use in the U.S. went through a fast-track approval process — but that didn’t skip the normal massive testing required of any vaccine. Pfizer and Moderna have applied for full approval, and a Pfizer decision is expected soon.

The Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines were studied in tens of thousands of people to show they prevented symptomatic coronavirus infections — especially serious illness — and that they were safe. In other developments:

■ A new poll shows that most Americans who haven’t been vaccinated against the coronavirus say they are unlikely to get the shots. About 16 percent say they probably will get the vaccine. The poll conducted -NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found 35 percent of adults who have not yet received a vaccine say they probably will not, and 45 percent say they definitely will not.

■ New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Friday urged the city’s private sector businesses to institute vaccine requirements for their employees, saying the “limits of a purely voluntary system” have been reached.

■ The top public health official in Washington state’s most populous county is asking everyone to wear masks in indoor public spaces because of the rise of the COVID-19 delta variant — even if they have been vaccinated. Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officer at Public Health — Seattle & King County, made the recommendation Friday.

■ St. Louis city and county officials say they will require masks in some public places starting Monday. Masks will be mandatory in indoor public places and on public transportation for everyone age 5 or older, even for those who are vaccinated, officials said in a news release on Friday.

■ Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards is encouraging everyone, whether vaccinated or not, to wear masks indoors if they can’t stay distanced from others.