Why Fauci thinks vaccines likely work against variants

Hello,

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

• Fauci explains to Insider why he thinks vaccines will likely work against variants;
• Why younger people and women can expect more severe side effects;
• What's contributing to a COVID-19 surge in Michigan.

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...

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Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, prepares to receive his first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at the National Institutes of Health on December 22, 2020 in Bethesda, Maryland.

Patrick Semansky-Pool/Getty Images

Fauci says vaccines likely work against coronavirus variants: 'I don't believe that there's anything to panic about'

• Immunity to the coronavirus involves more than just antibodies: T cells and B cells protect us too.
• Studies indicate that T cells can recognize variants, even those that partially evade vaccine-induced antibodies.
• According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, this suggests that vaccines should work well against variants.

Read more from our interview with Fauci here>>

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On March 1, 2021, a woman receives a COVID-19 vaccine at a newly-opened vaccination site just for Los Angeles Unified School District employees.

Al Seib / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Why you can expect more severe vaccine side effects if you're younger or a woman

• Women and younger adults tend to have the most severe side effects after their coronavirus shots.
• Side effects are also more common and severe after dose two of Pfizer's or Moderna's shots.

Check out more here>>

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Chaplain Kevin Deegan places his hand on the head of a COVID-19 patient while praying for him at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Los Angeles on January 9, 2021.

Jae C. Hong/AP Photo

Younger people seem to be contracting more transmissible variants, causing another COVID-19 surge in Michigan

• Michigan is experiencing another surge in coronavirus cases.
• The surge seems to be attributed to younger people getting infected with variants.
• CDC director Rochelle Walensky previously warned that the US could experience another surge.

Find out more about Michigan's surge>>

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More stories we're reading:

• Biden announces that all US adults will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine by April 19 (Insider)
• One Medical offices in DC charged some patients for COVID-19 vaccines (The Verge)
• An EU health official says regulators have found a link between AstraZeneca's COVID-19 shot and rare blood clots in younger women, but the exact cause is unknown, a top official said (Insider)
• The US invested big in a vaccine manufacturer. Problems are mounting, and 150 million remain unusable. (The New York Times)

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- Lydia

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