The U.S. rollout of COVID-19 vaccines is reportedly ramping up with news that nearly all available doses will soon be released to the American public.

"The new COVID-19 variants are traveling quickly, and this is a warning that we need to take precautions," says Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group.

Dr. Poland says these new variants are a consequence of an RNA virus being transmitted from human to human. "Even after we get our vaccines, we still need to wear masks out in public. We still need to maintain physical distancing. And we still need to wash our hands until about 80% of people get their COVID-19 vaccines," Dr. Poland emphasizes.

In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Poland goes into detail about the COVID-19 vaccines, including "sterilizing immunity," testing for antibodies after receiving the vaccine, the possibility of booster doses in the future and much more.

Research disclosures for Dr. Gregory Poland.