| With the Food and Drug Administration's decision to grant the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine full approval Monday, many are wondering whether the ruling will actually raise vaccination rates. On the one hand, 3 in 10 unvaccinated Americans have said they'd be more likely to get vaccinated if the FDA granted full approval. On the other, there's plenty of skepticism as to whether most of those people will find another reason not to get the vaccine. Yet as Dr. Leana Wen, a Post contributing columnist, points out, the FDA's ruling could boost vaccine uptake in several other ways. For one, it gives cover to institutions who want to institute vaccine mandates, with airlines, universities and even the Pentagon saying they'd implement vaccine mandates after the FDA's approval. Full approval also allows Pfizer to unleash its marketing machine. Though drug companies are frequently criticized for the amount they spend on promoting their products, "there can be little doubt that allowing their marketing expertise and advertising dollars will aid in the public health effort to ramp up vaccinations." But most importantly, Wen says, full approval cements the coronavirus vaccine as a normal part of American life. "Physicians speak to patients every year about the flu vaccine and routinely counsel patients to get vaccinated to protect against pneumonia, tetanus and shingles," Wen writes. "We need to adopt the same language when it comes to the covid-19 shot: Like any other vaccine, it is safe and effective, and can save lives." If you haven't already, sign up for Wen's newsletter, The Checkup With Dr. Wen, for guidance on navigating the pandemic and other public health challenges. It arrives in inboxes every Thursday.  (Brendan Mcdermid/Reuters) Five reasons the announcement could increase vaccine uptake. By Leana S. Wen ● Read more » | | | | Right-wing demagogues have indulged their followers' most infantile fantasies. By Catherine Rampell ● Read more » | | | The emergency use authorizations were the last quasi-reasonable excuse for not getting vaccinated. Now that it's gone, let's get this charade over with. By Eugene Robinson ● Read more » | | | | It's essential for companies to understand and mitigate the risks. But nothing is risk-free. By Carlos del Rio ● Read more » | | | | There are two problems with the administration's approach. By Perry Bacon Jr. ● Read more » | | | | Every side needs to be able to say it won. By Paul Waldman and Greg Sargent ● Read more » | | | This vote represents yet another attack on the notion that in a democracy you have to live with results you don't always like. By Matt Bai ● Read more » | | | | California Gov. Gavin Newsom is the top Democrat in the nation's biggest blue state. So why is he in danger of being recalled? By David Byler ● Read more » | | | | Kabul's fall immediately poses the sharply higher risk that Pakistani extremists will increase their already sizable influence in Islamabad, threatening at some point to seize full control. By John R. Bolton ● Read more » | | | | Our day of national mourning will now be a day of Taliban celebration. By Michael Gerson ● Read more » | | | High rates of vaccination, combined with tolerance of one's fellow citizens, is the best approach to the pandemic. By Henry Olsen ● Read more » | | | |
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