The South African variant is leading major vaccine makers to update their vaccines. We are, I suspect, looking at at least yearly vaccines to protect against this virus. Perhaps, as with influenza, vaccines that are not wholly effective will nonetheless protect against serious illness and mortality from the virus. I'm as hopeful as the next person that the current vaccinations, which are just barely beginning in the U.S., will dramatically reduce mortality. But I fear we are a very long time away from "normal" life.