Pfizer First To Announce 3rd Vaccine Dose Likely Within A Year

A major development was just announced in the race to get people vaccinated against the coronavirus...something that was recently speculated by local officials.

Get our free mobile app

People are likely to need a third dose of a Covid-19 vaccine within a year of getting fully vaccinated and may subsequently need annual shots to protect against the coronavirus, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told NBC News on Thursday.

Pfizer and its German partner, BioNTech, are in the process of studying how long the vaccines' protective immunity will last. Their findings will guide healthcare professionals and global leaders on whether additional booster shots will be necessary.

Bourla said it's "likely" that a booster will be needed within 12 months of the initial two-shot regimen. "It is extremely important to suppress the pool of people that can be susceptible to the virus," Bourla was quoted as saying Thursday during an event with CVS Health.

Pfizer and BioNTech said this month that data from their clinical trials suggest that their vaccine offers high levels of protection six months after the second dose, with no serious safety concerns, side effects have been reported with some vaccines, but have been mild. The vaccine has also found to be effective against several known coronavirus variants, including what has been described as the U.K. variant and another that was thought to have emerged in South Africa.

Johnson and Johnson has recently had their vaccinations paused after blood clots were reported in some individuals.

READ MORE: https://961thebreeze.com/erie-co-health-commissioner-says-covid-booster-shots-in-the-works/