Pfizer hopes to obtain U.S. approval for a third booster shot as the delta variant of the COVID-19 virus continues to spread worldwide, according to Reuters.
Mikael Dolsten, the company’s Chief Scientific Officer, said the vaccine’s effectiveness tends to decline after six months as antibodies begin to wane. Hence, Pfizer suggests administering a third shot since a recent study showed promising signs against the virus with a five-to-ten-fold increase in antibody levels following a booster dose.
However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have told fully-vaccinated Americans that they do not yet need a booster shot. Scientists and medical/health authorities have affirmed that the vaccine is still effective in fully vaccinated people who show mild symptoms after contracting the delta variant.
The conflicting reports are leaving many feeling uncertain and wary.
Initiating a third dose currently would mean inflating demand for the vaccine, while many parts of the U.S. and around the world remain unvaccinated due to production constraints. Dolsten said that Pfizer is aiming for the production of 3 billion vaccines this year, and 4 billion next year. Pfizer expects to earn $26 billion in revenue from the sale of vaccines in 2021.
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