COVID-19 vaccines offer hope we’re on the road back to normalcy, but it won’t happen overnight.

Even people who’ve recovered from the coronavirus or already gotten the shot should keep taking precautions, according to Dr. Farshad Marvasti, director of public health, prevention and health promotion at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix.

"While it gives peace of mind, based on the research that's been done to show how efficacious it is in terms of preventing severe illness, it doesn't necessarily keep you from being a source of infection to other people," Marvasti said. “Moderna has come out with some news about claiming that immunity from their vaccine will last at least a year, but there’s not really much data to back up that claim as of yet. I mean, these vaccines haven’t even been in existence for a year."

Some people who’ve gotten sick and recovered have shown immunity in the form of antibodies up to six months later, Marvasti said, noting that studies are currently underway to determine how long immunity lasts and how new variants of the virus might affect immunity.

Until they come out in a few months' time, Marvasti recommends wearing masks and maintaining a safe social distance, even after recovering from COVID or getting a vaccine, to protect those around you.

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