COVID Vaccine Third Dose Likely Needed: Pfizer CEO

The number of coronavirus cases in India has touched a new all-time high.  India on Thursday witnessed more than 2 lakh Covid infections for the first time since the pandemic began more than a year ago.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla in an interview said that people will likely need a third dose of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine within 12 months of getting fully vaccinated.

Pfizer said in a report published earlier this month that its vaccine is more than 91% effective at protecting against Covid-19. It also said that up to six months after the second dose, the vaccine is 95% effective against serious cases of infection.

According to Reuters report, "US is preparing for the possibility that a booster shot will be needed between nine and 12 months."

Chief science officer for US President Joe Biden's Covid-19 task force, David Kessler told the House Coronavirus Crisis Subcommittee, "The current thinking is those who are more vulnerable will have to go first."

He further added that "I think for planning purposes, planning purposes only, I think we should expect that we may have to boost."

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told CNBC in an interview that, "We need to see what would be the sequence, and for how often we need to do that, that remains to be seen. A likely scenario is that there will be likely a need for a third dose, somewhere between six and 12 months, and then from there, there will be annual revaccination, but all of that needs to be confirmed."

He stated that "It is extremely necessary to suppress the pool of people who might be vulnerable to the virus."