March 15, 2022 — The CEO of vaccine maker Pfizer made news over the weekend when he said people who have already gotten three shots of his company’s COVID-19 vaccine will need a fourth dose.
Albert Bourla, PhD, said data the company has submitted to the FDA — but has not yet released publicly — shows this need.
Although a third dose of an mRNA vaccine can still lessen the risks of hospitalization and death, a fourth dose is “necessary” to prevent future cases of infection, he said on CBS’s Face the Nation.
Pfizer is also expected to ask the FDA this week to approve a fourth shot for people 65 and older, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.
With all this happening, we asked infectious disease experts to weigh in, especially as daily new case numbers continue to drop to levels not seen since July 2021.
“Whether that is with the vaccines currently available, an Omicron-specific vaccine, a vaccine directed towards some future variant, or some combination of those remains to be determined,” he says.
Ask Your Doctor
If you think you might need or want a fourth shot, reach out to your doctor or other health care provider, especially if it’s been 6 months or longer since your last shot.
“If patients are fully vaccinated and boosted, and transmission is low in their communities, I’d advise no further vaccination for them.”
Karen Tashima, MD
At this time, the CDC recommends vaccination and a booster for everyone 12 and older and two doses for those 5 to 11. People with weakened immune systems are already encouraged to get another dose.
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Cite this: Pfizer’s CEO Says Fourth COVID Shot Is Needed. Is He
Right? – Medscape – Mar 15, 2022.
Source:
https://www.webmd.com/vaccines/covid-19-vaccine/news/20220315/is-fourth-covid-shot-needed
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