Are Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccine booster doses on the way?

Israel has started administering a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech (NASDAQ: BNTX) to some adults. The decision was made after COVID-19 cases began to increase in the country due to the spread of the delta variant.

The Delta variant doesn’t just affect Israel, however. It is now the most prevalent strain of coronavirus in the United States, causing 58% of all COVID-19 cases.

While Israel has purchased large quantities of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the United States has purchased hundreds of millions of doses of several COVID-19 vaccines. The two most popular vaccines in the United States are those sold by Pfizer and Modern (NASDAQ: mRNA).

Could the United States soon follow in Israel’s footsteps? Are Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine booster doses on the way?

Image source: Getty Images.

Not so fast

The US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have an answer on the need for booster doses at this time. The two agencies issued a joint statement on July 8 that said, “Americans who have been fully immunized do not need a booster at this time.

So far in the United States, almost all hospitalizations and deaths related to COVID-19 have been with people who have not received a vaccine. Two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines (or one dose of Johnson & johnsonsingle injection vaccine) appear to provide sufficient protection against severe COVID-19.

Even in Israel, not everyone gets a third booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The country’s health ministry has chosen to give the booster doses only to severely immunocompromised people for now. This group includes organ transplant recipients and patients with cancer, multiple sclerosis, rheumatologic or autoimmune diseases.

And not all of these people should necessarily receive the third injection, according to Israel’s health ministry. The agency told healthcare providers via a public statement that most cancer patients would not need a booster dose.

Boost boosters

Meanwhile, Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna believe booster doses will be needed. Pfizer and BioNTech released a public statement on July 8 that noted the results of a real-world Israeli study that found waning efficacy of their vaccine due to the delta variant. The companies said: “We continue to believe that it is likely, based on all of the data available to us to date, that a third dose may be required within 6 to 12 months of the full vaccination. “

Moderna has also publicly expressed his belief that booster doses may be needed. On the company’s first quarter conference call in May, CEO Stéphane Bancel said, “We have said at this point that we think booster shots will be needed because we believe the virus is not going to go away. ”

Companies are taking the rise of new coronavirus variants very seriously. Pfizer and BioNTech hope to obtain Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in the United States for a third booster dose to more effectively protect against the delta variant.

Perhaps the best way forward, however, is a vaccine that specifically targets the delta variant. Pfizer and BioNTech plan to begin clinical testing of a vaccine specific to the delta variant in August. Moderna is evaluating a versatile booster vaccine candidate.

Why this is important for investors

The possibility that a third booster dose will be needed is obviously important for Americans who wish to minimize the likelihood of being diagnosed with COVID-19. This also matters to investors interested in Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna.

Each of these vaccine stocks could increase if booster doses are required to control the delta variant. The requirement for additional doses would result in increased sales for companies.

However, booster doses may not be on the cards for all Americans. Even if the United States chooses to allow a third dose, it could choose to do so only for people who are immunocompromised in a manner similar to what Israel has already done.

The bottom line, for now, is that it’s too early to count on boosting booster doses from Pfizer, BioNTech, and Moderna. However, it is also too early to rule out this possibility.