A top vaccine expert thinks it may be a few years before we need coronavirus booster shots

Hello,

Welcome to Insider Healthcare. I'm Lydia Ramsey Pflanzer, and today in healthcare news:

• Top vaccine expert Dr. Paul Offit thinks we'll need COVID-19 booster shots in 3-5 years;
• We mapped out the most and least vaccinated counties;
• Here's how COVID-19 vaccines stack up against 4 variants, including the one found in India.

If you're new to this newsletter, sign up here. Comments, tips? Email me at lramsey@insider.com or tweet @lydiaramsey125. Let's get to it...

Why a top vaccine expert thinks we won't need COVID-19 booster shots for 3 to 5 years

• A leading vaccine expert said he thinks people won't need COVID-19 booster shots for years.
• Dr. Paul Offit said his best guess was that booster shots would be needed in three to five years.
• The rotavirus-vaccine coinventor said protection against severe disease should be long-lasting.

Get the full story>>

The most and least vaccinated counties in each US state, mapped

• Across US counties, vaccination rates range from 0.1% to nearly 100%.
• The contrasts between each state's most and least vaccinated county reveals stark disparities.
• Unvaccinated communities remain vulnerable to coronavirus outbreaks.

See the full map here>>

How COVID-19 vaccines stack up against 4 worrisome variants, including the one found in India

• Some coronavirus variants are more transmissible and can partially evade vaccine-induced antibodies.
• But COVID-19 vaccines appear to be effective against many variants, including those found in India.
• The charts below compare worrisome variants and how well leading vaccines work against them.

Find the charts here>>

More stories we're reading:

• We spoke with 21 young Americans about coming of age in 2021. They are looking ahead with cautious optimism.(Insider)
• Check out these graphics about the aging American population (Kaiser Health News)
• German scientists say they've figured out why AstraZeneca's and Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccines can cause rare blood clots (Insider)
• Silicon Valley is trying to keep dogs living longer (Bloomberg)

- Lydia