US National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins said that data from Israel on vaccine effectiveness waning over time helps show the need for booster shots eight months after initial vaccination.

Collins’s comments largely confirmed what was first reported by The New York Times late Monday night, that the Biden administration is poised to recommend booster shots after eight months.

“As you may have seen from the information overnight, the notion is to encourage boosters eight months after initial vaccinations,” Collins said on “The Hugh Hewitt Show.”

Looking at data from Israel, “unsurprisingly, vaccine protection does gradually wane over time,” Collins said.

“And so in the Israeli data the people who got immunized in January are the ones that are now having more breakthrough cases,” he added. “Mostly of course these are symptomatic but not serious, but you’re starting to see a little bit of a trend towards some of those requiring hospitalization.”

Collins said officials, who have been meeting “almost daily,” are also reviewing U.S. data.

Biden walks fine line on vaccine mandates

The Biden administration is walking a fine line on vaccine requirements, as it encourages employers to mandate shots for their workers but stops short of promoting other measures.

The White House, in an effort to boost a vaccination rate that has slowed from its April peak, has praised businesses that are mandating vaccinations for employees. Those steps in the private sector largely followed President Biden’s requirement last month that federal workers get vaccinated or submit to regular testing.

But there are several far-reaching measures Biden could impose — and that some experts are calling for. So far, the president has decided against implementing the kind of requirements implemented by U.S. allies.

Among them:

• Requiring vaccines for air travelers, as Canada announced on Friday
• Giving a full-throated call for more cities to follow New York and San Francisco’s lead in requiring proof of vaccination for activities like indoor dining.

“I think he’s leaving a lot of effective tools on the table,” Lawrence Gostin, a public health law expert at Georgetown University, said of Biden, while giving him “high marks” for his actions on vaccines for federal workers.

Pressure ramps up: Over 100 lawmakers ask FDA about timeline for vaccines for children

A group of more than 100 House lawmakers on Tuesday sent a letter to the FDA asking for an update on its timeline on authorizing COVID-19 vaccines for children, given the current “alarming” situation.

“As transmission rates increase and schools reopen for in-person instruction, parents need to know when their kids will be able to get vaccinated,” states the letter, led by Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Katie Porter (D-Calif.).

The lawmakers wrote that they “respect the scientific process and the FDA’s dedication to safety,” but say that the current rise in cases due to the delta variant adds urgency to the situation.

They request a briefing from the FDA within 10 days on its timeline and where it is in the process of reviewing data from vaccines for children under 12.

“The current situation is alarming for parents, whose children ages 2-11 will be in months of school without vaccinations available,” the lawmakers wrote.

What’s happening: Attention has been rising on the lack of vaccines for children under 12 as schools go back into session and the number of cases rise among children, though outcomes are still generally seen as less severe for them.

Read more here.

WHO warns Afghanistan’s collapse could worsen coronavirus crisis

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned Tuesday that the collapse of Afghanistan’s government could worsen the COVID-19 crisis as people are displaced amid the Taliban’s takeover.

The chaos in Afghanistan following the U.S. withdrawal of troops has sparked fear among diplomats and citizens seeking to flee the country, making coronavirus precautions difficult to maintain, WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said during a United Nations briefing.

“Obviously, when we have situations with people on the move, these individual and collective measures are difficult to put in place and thus increases the risk of COVID-19 but other infectious diseases as well,” Jasarevic said.

The pandemonium at Kabul’s international airport is also “delaying urgently needed” health supplies, he said, noting that “disruption to health services can have a dire” effect.

“The ongoing conflict is setting a heavy toll on the already fragile health system in Afghanistan that has been facing a shortage of essential medical supplies and equipment in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Jasarevic said.

At the same time, COVID-19 vaccinations have slowed in the country, Jasarevic noted, saying he hopes they pick up again “depending on the security situation.”

Read more here.

Masks are back: National Park Service reinstates mask mandate in buildings, crowded public spaces

The National Park Service on Monday reinstated mask requirements, ordering visitors at national parks around the country to don face coverings when they are inside buildings or in crowded outdoor spaces.

According to the National Park Service, the requirement will apply to all park-goers, regardless of their vaccination status.

“Visitors to national parks are coming from locations across the country, if not across the world,” National Park Service Deputy Director Shawn Benge said in a press release.

“Because of this, and recognizing that the majority of the United States is currently in substantial or high transmission categories, we are implementing a service-wide mask requirement to ensure our staff and visitors’ safety,” Benge added.

“Masking in addition to being vaccinated will help prevent the spread of new variants and protect those who are more at risk of severe disease,” Capt. Maria Said, an epidemiologist in the National Park Service Office of Public Health, said. “This simple act of kindness allows us to be safe while we continue to enjoy the benefits of our national parks.”

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WORLD STATS

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