On Tuesday, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. Across the country, more than 28 million kids are now eligible to start receiving their shots.

And while this will make a dent in COVID-19 cases, Dr. Robert Wachter, the chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, fears the virus will remain in our lives for the long term.

"I would love it to get better. I think as the kids get vaccinated that will help a little bit. On the other hand, the vaccine efficacy is waning over time," Wachter told "Inside the Issues" host Alex Cohen.

Currently, 30% of adult Americans are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The USCF medical expert said he believes few vaccine-hesitant individuals will be swayed to get the shots at this point in the pandemic.

"The risk benefit decision is a total no brainer. So I'm still amazed that a lot of people don't, but a lot of people have not, and so we're not going to reach that herd immunity idea where the virus just has no place to go," he added.

Wachter said COVID-19 will remain in our lives for at least the next several years and possibly forever. The virus will eventually become like the common cold, cancer or flu. The virus will be treatable and preventable to some degree but will never be eliminated. 

And with this new reality, the doctor notes it's time to begin reassessing risks as we enter this new normal. 

"We're no longer dealing with something that was really terrible for 18 months and maybe two years and then it goes away and we go back to our old lives. I think we're probably dealing with a threat that we need to add to other threats that we deal with and confront," Wachter explained.

The UCSF chair of the Department of Medicine has begun taking more risks in his own life. He is hosting conferences again and eating outdoors at restaurants. Wachter said his decision-making process focuses on reducing risk while also returning to some of the joys of living and connecting with others.

"There's now a little part of my brain that says, 'OK, that's reasonable, but you may be saying you're never going to do that thing. Is that the right call?' And that has me leading to somewhat different decisions than I would have made six months ago when it felt more dynamic," Wachter said.

Let "Inside the Issues" know your thoughts and watch at 8 and 11 p.m. Monday through Friday on Spectrum News 1 and the Spectrum News app.