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There is some degree of immunity after the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccines, but it's not optimal and we don't know how long it will last. We do know definitively that immunity increases dramatically after the second dose and lasts considerably longer.
A "bridging study" in children will probably begin in mid-January to make sure that the COVID-19 vaccines' efficacy and safety data are comparable to those of the successful adult vaccine trials. It's not necessary to vaccinate children before we reopen schools.
April could be "open season" for the general public to start receiving COVID-19 vaccines, as long as the current rollout to priority groups goes smoothly. We could have "umbrella protection" across the country — establishing herd immunity — by the end of summer 2021.
People who are hesitant to get a COVID-19 vaccine should be reassured that the approval process has been independent and transparent, made by people who have no allegiance to the federal government or to pharmaceutical companies.
Like all RNA viruses, this coronavirus has been mutating, and a new variant that has shown up in the United Kingdom may be more contagious.
