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A third dose of the Pfizer vaccine may be beneficial in maintaining the highest levels of protection against all known variants of COVID-19, including the highly contagious Delta variant, according to a statement released Thursday by Pfizer and BioNTech.
The vaccine’s effectiveness in preventing infections and symptomatic illnesses declined six months after vaccination, although the effectiveness in preventing serious illnesses remains high, according to pharmaceutical companies, which jointly developed the vaccine, which is licensed for emergency use in December in the United States.
“A decline in efficacy against symptomatic diseases over time and the continued emergence of variants are expected,” the companies said. “Based on all the data they have to date, Pfizer and BioNTech believe that a third dose could be beneficial. “
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Food and Drug Administration, however, said a booster was not necessary for fully vaccinated Americans. With the National Institutes of Health, the agencies are “engaged in a rigorous and scientifically-based process to determine if or when a recall might be necessary,” according to a statement from the CDC and the FDA.
“We are ready for booster doses if and when science shows they are needed. “
The United States is fortunate in having highly effective and widely available vaccines, the CDC and the FDA reported. “Fully vaccinated people are protected against serious illness and death, including against variants currently circulating in the country such as Delta. People who are not vaccinated remain at risk. “
In Michigan, more people have received the Pfizer vaccine than any other COVID-19 vaccine. About 2.65 million people – or about 54% of the vaccinated population – have received at least one dose of the vaccine, the only brand approved for use in children 12 years of age and older. The state reports approximately 4.9 million vaccinations throughout Michigan.
Pfizer and BioNTech plan to submit data to regulatory authorities, including the FDA, in the coming weeks on the steps necessary to obtain clearance for subsequent shots.
A third dose may be needed within six to 12 months of the full vaccination, according to the release.
The companies are developing an updated version of the vaccine that targets the Delta variant, which originated in India and is now the dominant strain in the United States. Pfizer and BioNTech expect clinical studies to begin in August, subject to regulatory approvals.
Those who have two doses of the vaccine are highly protected against the Delta variant, according to data from a Nature article cited in the statement from Pfizer and BioNTech. One dose of a two-dose vaccine “barely” inhibited the variant, which can escape antibodies, according to the journal report.
Michigan health officials are concerned about the variant, which is believed to be up to 60% more contagious than the older Alpha variant, discovered in England. In the past four weeks, 93 percent of Michigan’s specimens were Alpha and 1.7 percent were Delta. There had been 53 Delta cases reported in 15 counties, according to state data updated on Tuesday, July 6. Only a small portion of positive COVID-19 tests, however, are genome-sequenced to identify variants of the virus.
Viruses are constantly changing. Genetic variations occur over time and can lead to the emergence of new variants with different characteristics, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Other vaccines require booster shots, and the time period varies. A tetanus toxoid vaccine is given every 10 years. Flu shots are distributed annually.
The number of COVID-19 cases has slowed significantly since the April highs in Michigan, in large part due to vaccination. About 62 percent of Michigan adults are immune to the virus. Health officials say vaccination is the best way to prevent further infections and to alleviate epidemics in the fall.
Learn more about MLive:
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Michigan vaccinations drop dramatically in June
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