Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla announced that people would “likely” need a third dose of a coronavirus vaccine within 12 months of getting fully vaccinated.
What We Know:
- According to CNBC News, Bourla made claims of requiring a third COVID-19 shot on April 1st, depending on the severity of mutating strains across the country. The CEO also suggested an annual COVID-19 shot to downsize the fatalities of the deadly virus.
“It is extremely important to suppress the pool of people that can be susceptible to the virus,” he stated.
- Research into the lasting effects of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is still unable to determine how long protection against the virus lasts once someone has been fully vaccinated. Pfizer and BioNTech said earlier this month that data from clinical trials suggest that their vaccine is more than 95% effective six months after the second dose, with no serious safety concerns.
- Pfizer’s vaccine has also been effective against varying strains stemming from the U.K. and South Africa. However, the data is limited on a base of roughly 12,000 vaccinated participants, making further research pivotal to understanding the long-term effects of vaccination.
- The statement comes after Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel announced that the National Institutes of Health started testing a new booster shot from Moderna designed to protect against the South Africa variant of coronavirus. “What we’re trying to do at Moderna, actually, is to get a flu vaccine in the clinic this year and then combine a flu vaccine to a Covid vaccine so that you only have to get one boost at your local CVS store, at your GP every year, that will protect you to a variant of concern against Covid and a seasonal flu strain,” Bancel said.
It has not been confirmed if or when Pfizer is expected to roll out a new vaccine.
