UPDATE: How Long Does a COVID-19 Vaccine Last?

Kelly and I have been asking this question for weeks now on the 98.1 Morning Show: How long is a COVID-19 vaccine effective?

Minnesota and the rest of the country (and world) is racing to get shots in arms; to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. Three vaccines are now available in he state from the two-shot options from Pfizer and Moderna, to the single-dose vaccine from Johnson &  Johnson.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that fully-vaccinated extended family members can now gather indoors without masks and without social distancing. That sounds like a hug to me. How great is that?!?!

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Now, while we all celebrate what feels like the vaccines are steering us towards normalcy for the first time in a year -- the question we're asking is: How long does the protection from a COVID-19 vaccine actually last?

In the case of the flu, one shot a year does the trick, but influenza is a seasonal thing. COVID-19 has hit hard, non-stop for the entirety of the last year without letup. So the question remains.

The official word from the Centers for Disease Control:

We don’t know how long protection lasts for those who are vaccinated. What we do know is that COVID-19 has caused very serious illness and death for a lot of people. If you get COVID-19, you also risk giving it to loved ones who may get very sick. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is a safer choice. Experts are working to learn more about both natural immunity and vaccine-induced immunity. CDC will keep the public informed as new evidence becomes available.

Needless to say, that's not a lot of help -- but to be fair, just the fact that vaccines are available a year into the pandemic is amazing in itself.

My parents have been vaccinated in the Twin Cities, and I will be at my first available opportunity, likely a few more eligibility phases down the road here in Minnesota.