Something that could bring more mandates and help with hesitancy? Full FDA approval of vaccines

Pressure is building for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to fully approve the COVID-19 vaccine, a step that could lead to more mandates and help address hesitancy.

The latest mandate came Monday, when Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced he would move to make the vaccine mandatory for troops by mid-September but would act “immediately” if it received full approval before then.

Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious diseases expert, added to the chorus on Sunday, when he expressed hope that the approval would move quickly.

“I hope, I don’t predict, but I hope that it will be within the next few weeks,” Fauci said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “I hope it’s within the month of August.”

Drew Altman, president of the Kaiser Family Foundation, said full approval could be an “opportunity for a restart on vaccine messaging” if President Biden, health officials and governors take advantage.

The move could give “new cover” to businesses to feel comfortable about mandates for their employees, and requiring proof of vaccination for customers, he said.

Polling from Kaiser at the end of June found that 31 percent of unvaccinated people said full approval would make them more likely to get the shots, higher than the percentage who said the same for a chance to win a million dollars or a mobile clinic coming to their neighborhood.