4 Shots Likely Needed to Fight Omicron, Pfizer Says as Fauci, CDC Eye New Definition of ‘Fully Vaccinated’
Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla said Wednesday “preliminary research” shows people may need a fourth COVID shot, as Fauci, CDC signal definition of fully vaccinated will change.
Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla said Wednesday people may need a fourth dose of the COVID vaccine sooner than expected after preliminary research showed the Omicron variant can undermine antibody protection in people with only two doses.Pfizer and BioNTech released results from their initial lab study showing a third dose was protective against the new variant, but the initial two-dose series dropped significantly in its ability to protect against the new strain.
The two-dose series may still offer protection against severe sickness from Omicron, the companies claimed.
“Three doses against Omicron are almost equivalent to the two doses’ effectiveness against … the original variant,” Bourla said in an interview with TODAY. “If we need a new vaccine … we will be able to have a very good one.”
Bourla said the preliminary study was based on a synthetic, lab-created copy of the variant, and more data is needed from tests using the actual virus. Real-world results will be more accurate and are expected in the next two weeks, he said.
“When we see real-world data, we will determine if the Omicron is well covered by the third dose and for how long,” Bourla told CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “And the second point, I think we will need a fourth dose.”
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