COVID-19
Pfizer CEO Says Fourth COVID Booster Shot Necessary
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said on Sunday that people will need a fourth COVID booster to help manage the virus. A fourth dose is necessary to keep hospitalizations down. It can also help maintain mild symptoms for patients.
RELATED: No Evidence That Healthy Kids and Adolescents Need COVID Booster Shots, Says WHO
Fourth COVID Booster Necessary, According to Pfizer CEO
Bourla, appearing on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” is pushing for a fourth COVID booster on the population. He said that based on what Pfizer sees, a fourth COVID booster is necessary at the moment.
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He also admitted that the third booster dose “is good enough, actually quite good for hospitalizations and deaths.”
However, Bourla said that the third dose is not that good against infections. Plus, the dose’s effectiveness doesn’t last very long.
He did clarify that Pfizer is submitting all the data they gathered from their studies to the Food and Drug Administration. The company will also wait for the opinion of experts “outside Pfizer.”
FDA Fully Approved Pfizer COVID Vaccine For Ages 16 and Up
Last August, the FDA gave full approval to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for people 16 years old and above. This approval involved two doses given weeks apart.
In addition, the FDA also granted emergency approval for a third dose. Now, Bourla is telling the media that Pfizer plans to submit data for a fourth COVID booster shot.
On CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Bourla said that in an omicron-infested environment, there’s a need to boost the immune response.
In fact, countries like Israel, Chile, and Germany already started recommending a fourth COVID booster dose for high-risk groups.
Confusion Over Third Dose
During Bourla’s appearance on “Face the Nation,” host Margaret Brennan asked Bourla about the chaos surrounding the third dose.
She asked if the Pfizer CEO expects to avoid the same snafu over boosters shots. He said that it will need coordination between the industry, the CDC, and FDA.
However, Bourla insisted that Pfizer’s goal remains a vaccine effective against all variants of COVID for longer periods. He said that they are working to produce a vaccine that protects against all variants.
That vaccine should also protect against the virus for at least a year. He said that if they manage to achieve that goal, everybody can go back to live the way they used to.
How Many Doses Do Healthy Adults Need?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of doses depends on many factors. Currently, anyone aged 12 and up who received a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine must wait five months.
Only then can they get a third dose. Then, Americans aged 18 and up who got a two-dose Moderna vaccine can get the third dose after six months. Those who received a single Johnson & Johnson dose can get a booster shot after two months.
Meanwhile, immunocompromised adults who already received three doses of vaccines can already get the fourth one.
However, it remains unclear if healthy teens and adults will need a booster shot, much less a fourth COVID booster dose.
Watch the WTHR news video reporting that Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla says fourth shot may be necessary due to omicron:
Loading ...Why are the FDA and the CDC allowing pharma executives to give advice on booster shots? Also, why can’t the government provide a clear ruling on vaccines and booster shots?
Let us know what you think about COVID booster shots. Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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