You Got The Vaccine, What's Next?

-- both short term and long term.

Waay 31's max cohan spoke to dr. neil lamb from the hudson alpha institute.

He joins us live after learning what could happen next.

Right now -- doses of both the pfizer and moderna vaccines are being distributed around the united states -- but as we move in later phases of distribution both here in alabama and around the country -- dr. lamb says we'll likely have an entire toolbox of vaccines to get the job done... dr. neil lamb -- hudson alpha institute "you're going to have multiple options to choose from, some that maybe only a single dose, most that'll probably be two doses, some that may have different storage conditions."

Dr. neil lamb vice president for education outreach at the hudson alpha institute says he believes that several other vaccine candidates -- such as astrazeneca and johnson & johnson -- will have received approval by the end of february.

Looking ahead to a period when large portions of the population will be getting vaccinated, lamb says it's important to know that you aren't protected as soon as you get the shot.

"within those first 10 or 12 days, you don't have any protection and if you come in contact with the virus, you're at the same risk of anyone else of contracting it."

Lamb says data from pfizer and moderna indicates that after that initial period -- the vaccinated group separates itself in terms of immunity.

But how long will it last?

Lamb says thats the 64-thousand dollar question..

"we know that the people that first got the original doses way back in phase one trials, back in april, that they still have protection, so we know that you're talking about nine months at a minimum."

Now lamb says that the vaccine may give people a year and a half to two years of protection -- but we won't know until we get to that point...adding that it may just end up be something you get a shot for every year or every other year..live in huntsville, max cohan, waay 31 news.