Pfizer CEO said Thursday that people will likely need a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine within a year of inoculation – as a top US scientist has warned that immunity to photos appears to be declining finally.
A booster is “likely” to be needed within 12 months of the two-dose regimen, said Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer.
“It is extremely important to suppress the group of people who may be susceptible to the virus,” Bourla told CNBC.
He said people may need an annual COVID-19 shot.
Earlier in the day, Dr. David Kessler, head of science on President Biden’s coronavirus response team, told Capitol Hill lawmakers that research indicates that vaccine immunity levels appear to be declining over time.
“We don’t know everything right now,” he said.
“We study the durability of the antibody response. It seems strong, but there is some decrease in this and no doubt the variations [are a] challenge … They make these vaccines harder to work with. ”
But Kessler said Americans can expect to receive a recall that brought down the line.
“I think we should expect them to have to grow and we probably have to grow again,” Kessler said.
“No decision, but the current thinking is that certainly those who are more vulnerable might have to go first,” he added.
“But I think [as] you have a lot of vaccines, we understand that [at] at some point in time, we have to grow, whether it’s nine months or 12 months. We’re getting ready for this. ”
