Studying vaccinated people in the wild (not part of a pharmaceutical study) found that Pfizer and Moderna were about 90% effective after two doses and 80% effective 14 days after the first dose. The overwhelming majority of the people who got infected after being vaccinated got infected during the first two weeks after the first shot. So, you know, wait a couple of weeks before licking that bus seat.
(There is a difference between the "efficacy" noted in trials and the real world "effectiveness". Efficacy is directly compared to the placebo group, while effectiveness is a more appropriate indicator of your odds of getting the virus even after vaccinated. It should be noted that studies showed that if you DID get the virus after vaccination that it is overwhelmingly less severe. It should also be noted that people in this "real world" test were tested multiple times for Covid even if they were asymptomatic).
(Summarized from three articles, but here's a link to the VA article) Expect annual boosters (the VA is already planning to give booster shots later this year). According to VA Under Secretary for Health Richard Stone, they will be able to show in a new study to be released soon that vaccinated people are still protected after 9 months. Longer term studies will take more time, but the problem is that so long as the virus is still widespread, it will continue to mutate rapidly (the nine month projection includes mutations). If the virus can be brought under control, it will mutate more slowly, increasing the length of time that vaccines will remain effective. However, there's no end in sight to the infection, as most of the world lags far behind the US in vaccinations, so the thought is that booster shots, which are currently being developed to take into account mutations, will be needed annually. On average, coronaviruses mutate about 4 times slower than flu viruses, but the sheer number of infected is allowing Covid to mutate more rapidly. These new booster shots are expected to be ready by the time they are needed.
It should be noted, as far as booster shots go, that a subscription only article in Scientific American suggests that the mRNA vaccines should last for 2 or 3 years and possibly longer. The biggest hurdle to that currently is the South African mutation. Studies are ongoing as to how effective current vaccines are against this mutation (some vaccines not approved in the US have faired rather poorly), but the major US vaccine makers are already creating booster shots to address this mutation. It's possible that, eventually, yearly boosters won't be needed even if this becomes endemic, which many are predicting.
(There is a difference between the "efficacy" noted in trials and the real world "effectiveness". Efficacy is directly compared to the placebo group, while effectiveness is a more appropriate indicator of your odds of getting the virus even after vaccinated. It should be noted that studies showed that if you DID get the virus after vaccination that it is overwhelmingly less severe. It should also be noted that people in this "real world" test were tested multiple times for Covid even if they were asymptomatic).
(Summarized from three articles, but here's a link to the VA article) Expect annual boosters (the VA is already planning to give booster shots later this year). According to VA Under Secretary for Health Richard Stone, they will be able to show in a new study to be released soon that vaccinated people are still protected after 9 months. Longer term studies will take more time, but the problem is that so long as the virus is still widespread, it will continue to mutate rapidly (the nine month projection includes mutations). If the virus can be brought under control, it will mutate more slowly, increasing the length of time that vaccines will remain effective. However, there's no end in sight to the infection, as most of the world lags far behind the US in vaccinations, so the thought is that booster shots, which are currently being developed to take into account mutations, will be needed annually. On average, coronaviruses mutate about 4 times slower than flu viruses, but the sheer number of infected is allowing Covid to mutate more rapidly. These new booster shots are expected to be ready by the time they are needed.
It should be noted, as far as booster shots go, that a subscription only article in Scientific American suggests that the mRNA vaccines should last for 2 or 3 years and possibly longer. The biggest hurdle to that currently is the South African mutation. Studies are ongoing as to how effective current vaccines are against this mutation (some vaccines not approved in the US have faired rather poorly), but the major US vaccine makers are already creating booster shots to address this mutation. It's possible that, eventually, yearly boosters won't be needed even if this becomes endemic, which many are predicting.
