According to the director of vaccine manufacturer Pfizer, you “probably” need another dose of COVID-19 injection within 12 months of completing the vaccination course.
The makers of the two other shots authorized in the United States – Johnson & Johnson and Moderna – have made similar predictions.
And it is possible that the vaccine will become an annual ritual, the director, Albert Bourla, said on CNBC.
“We need to see what the sequence would be and how often we should do it, that remains to be seen,” he told the network’s Bertha Coombs at an event with CVS Health. “A likely scenario is that a third dose will likely be needed, somewhere between six and 12 months, and from there there will be an annual revaccination, but all of that needs to be confirmed. a key role. ”
He added, “It is extremely important to suppress the pool of people who may be susceptible to the virus.”
The chief executive made his comments on April 1, but they were aired on Thursday.
In February, the Johnson & Johnson CEO also told the network that those who receive the company’s COVID-19 shot may need to be vaccinated annually because they have the flu shot.
The use of Johnson & Johnson’s injection – which, unlike the Pfizer’s and Moderna’s – only requires a single dose – was suspended in the United States earlier this week during the investigation of reports that about one in a million recipients in those days a rare coagulation disorder. after the injection. The Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna shots require two doses.
Earlier this week, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel told the network that the company hopes to produce a booster by the fall.
Dr. David Battinelli, chief medical officer at Northwell, said the consensus within the medical community is that a COVID-19 vaccination booster might be needed.
“It’s a gamble that it’s an annual recording,” Battinelli said. “We’ll have a better idea as more data comes up.
“For the first few cycles, hopefully the shots will catch some of the variants as well,” Battinelli said.
Battinelli added that if boosters are needed, it’s important to get vaccinated people back for follow-up admissions to manage the pandemic.
He said that other viruses would not disappear until “we had vaccination rates of 90% to 100% for many, many years. This virus will not go away otherwise.”
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