Connections: Understanding COVID-19 vaccines and protection against severe illness

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, preventing severe disease and death from the virus and the variants that cause COVID-19. But, as medical experts point out, vaccines providing complete immunity to COVID -- and to any infection -- is unachievable. The notion of sterilizing immunity is a myth. This hour, we're joined by medical experts who weigh in on the purpose of vaccines, how infections work, and what they think the public should understand about protection against severe illness. Our guests: Stephen Cook, M.D. , associate professor of pediatrics, and pediatrician at Golisano Children's Hospital Elizabeth Murray, D.O. , assistant professor of pediatrics, and pediatrician at Golisano Children's Hospital Deborah Pierce, M.D. , clinical associate professor of family medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center