An American response to Pfizer … no need for a third dose now

A few hours after the Pfizer / Biontech alliance announced its intention to seek authorization “in the coming weeks” to administer a third dose of its vaccine against Covid-19, particularly in the United States and Europe, in order to To provide enhanced immune protection to people who received the first and second doses, US health authorities seemed cautious.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) said in a joint statement Thursday evening that they were investigating whether there was “a need or not” for a third vaccine dose, according to AFP.

They also added that “Americans who are fully immunized do not need a (third) booster dose at this time. We are ready to give a booster dose, if and when science shows it is necessary.”

Delta exacerbation of the epidemic

Pfizer / Biontech’s announcement comes as a mutated Delta is exacerbating the epidemic in Asia and Africa and causing increased infections in Europe and the United States.

“Data from a preliminary study indicate that a booster dose six months after the second dose offers consistent safety by activating high levels of antibodies,” including against the beta mutant that appeared in South Africa, the researchers said. companies in a press release.

These levels were “between five and 10 times higher” than those seen after the first and second doses, they said.

Tests are in progress

In addition, they indicated that their vaccine had given good results in the laboratory against the delta mutant, so a third dose would also be able to strengthen the immunity against it, explaining that tests are underway to “confirm this hypothesis”.

And the delta mutant, which first appeared in India, is the most contagious since the outbreak of the epidemic in early 2020. Its spread and the lifting of health restrictions in several countries around the world have prompted the World Health Organization to put it into action. keep. that “the world is at a dangerous point” with this epidemic which has so far claimed more than four million lives worldwide.