This week, Dr. Robin Patel, professor of microbiology and director of the Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory at the Mayo Clinic, returns to answer questions about the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) vaccines rolling out across the country. She covers:

Putting the vaccine into perspective: How impressive was speed of research?;

Whether the rush to market sacrificed safety and research into side-effects;

Reasons to take the vaccine;

What effectiveness rates mean with regard to the various vaccines;

How worried should we be about COVID-19 variants;

If you can still transmit COVID-19 once vaccinated;

If you should still get vaccinated if you’ve already contracted COVID;

Whether other allergies give you higher risks with this vaccine; and

If people should try to choose one vaccine over another.