The Maricopa County Department of Public Health in partnership with the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health Mobile Health Units delivered COVID-19 vaccines to underserved community members at the Fillmore Gardens in downtown Phoenix on Tuesday. Residents trickled down to get vaccinated under canopies set up in the courtyard of Fillmore Gardens, which is subsidized housing run by the city for people 62 or older and people with disabilities.

Experts say that even after the pandemic is over, masking up on a plane is a smart idea — and for some, it should be common practice. “We still have high levels of transmission, the threat of new variants and limited vaccine access, ” said Kacey Ernst, an infectious-disease epidemiologist at the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, noting that global access will probably stay low even after the vaccine is readily available in the United States. “Air travel brings together people from all across the world, meaning risk gets pooled. As long as there is high levels of transmission, I expect the mask mandate will hold.

When there are barriers to accessing health care, Mobile Health Units meet people where they are.

To make COVID vaccine distribution more equitable, the College of Public Health is deploying Mobile Health Units to underserved populations in Maricopa County.

Interview with Dr. Michael Grandner, Director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the UArizona College of Medicine – Tucson.

While COVID-19 vaccines are proven to be effective, it is still unclear if a booster shot will be needed after the initial doses. Dr. Shad Marvasti with the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix says it depends on immunity response. “We don’t know ultimately how long the immunity will last from the vaccine. We know that it’s going to be at least three months, if not, maybe six months, potentially up to a year," Marvasti said.

The University of Arizona College of Nursing recently expanded its program. Connie Miller, a clinical associate professor, is interviewed.

UArizona Health Sciences researchers are improving health by studying the interactions that govern the immune defense system against invading microbes.

Columnist Joanna Allhands interviews medical experts about COVID-19 recovery. "When we say 'recovered,' it's in terms of how likely you are to transmit the virus to others," said Deepta Bhattacharya, an immunologist at the University of Arizona College of Medicine –Tucson.

In an editorial, University of Arizona College of Medicine virologists Felicia Goodrum Sterling and James Alwine, write: It is essential that until we meet vaccination goals, we must remain vigilant with masking, distancing, avoiding crowds and hand hygiene to contain the spread of variants until enough are vaccinated to control the pandemic.