People will need a fourth dosage of vaccine to help fend against another wave of Covid-19, according to Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla on Sunday.
“The protection we are getting from the third (dose) it is good enough — actually quite good for hospitalizations and deaths,” Bourla said.
However, protection after three doses is “not that good against infections” and “doesn’t last very long” when faced with a variant like Omicron.
Anyone aged 12 and above who has received a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine within the last five months is eligible for a third dose.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, anybody aged 18 and older who received the two-dose Moderna vaccination should obtain a booster injection six months following the second dose.
The CDC recommends that anybody who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccination get a booster shot after two months.
According to the CDC, certain moderately or severely immunocompromised persons who have had three doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna Covid-19 vaccinations can already get a fourth dosage.
It’s unclear whether or when the US Food and Drug Administration would approve a fourth dosage of Covid-19 vaccination for healthy teenagers and adults.