need to be continued.
“We expect many cities, regions and countries to have to resort to another round of lockdowns and mandatory social distancing, at least until ‘second generation’ vaccines are available, covering the novel … variants,” analysts at investment bank SVB Leerink wrote to clients last month.
In all, about a dozen first-generation vaccines are in use in various countries. But the inoculations are so new that many Americans are hesitant to roll up their sleeves. And crucial questions are still under study: How long does immunity last? Can some vaccinated people — like many unvaccinated people — get asymptomatic infections and transmit the virus without realizing it? How well do the vaccines work in people with weakened immune systems or chronic illnesses?