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As COVID-19 vaccination numbers slowly rise amid the spread of the delta variant of the virus, breakthrough cases of those who were previously vaccinated have continued, resulting in some hesitant to get vaccinated to further doubt the vaccines.

The Food and Drug Administration has given full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on Monday. This could help convince people who may have resisted the vaccine and lead to more mandates.

Is school safe? Soccer? Birthday parties? Doctors suggest some principles to guide decision-making for parents with unvaccinated children.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for those 16 and older, announced Monday, is expected to pave the way for more vaccine mandates, including for teachers. But there are still many logistics to work out, including what happens to the teachers who refuse to get a shot.

Even before Americans learned of the Provincetown outbreak, nearly two-thirds said that they were worried about the rise of Delta.

Health officials still are collecting the data needed to decide.

Health departments are battling not only rising COVID-19 caseloads but restrictions, complaints and second-guessing from politicians and the public.

Scientists are raising serious questions about the wisdom of the push for Covid-19 boosters unveiled on Wednesday by President Joe Biden. It’ll be hard to judge whether extra shots for the vaccinated will be helpful or counterproductive until more of the data behind the decision become available.

That future may be hard to imagine with intensive-care units filling up yet again during this Delta surge. But the pandemic will end. One way or another, it will end. The current spikes in cases and deaths are the result of a novel coronavirus meeting naive immune systems.

Tensions are high right now. As the delta variant spreads like wildfire across the U.S., vaccination rates are still low in many places and parents and school staff are anxiously wondering what will happen as schools start up again. Should there be more mask mandates? Will businesses have to close again? Will big gatherings be banned?

Biden administration officials say the federal government is thinking about offering boosters to people starting about eight months after they’ve been fully vaccinated. But is it too soon to start talking about boosters for the general public? 

Biden administration health officials are expected to recommend COVID-19 booster shots for all Americans, regardless of age, eight months after they received the second shot, a source familiar with the plans confirmed to USA TODAY.