Pfizer’s plan to offer a third dose of vaccine … What you need to know

Although biopharmaceutical company Pfizer has announced it is time to consider giving people a third dose of the coronavirus vaccine, many doctors and public health officials argue that it is better to focus on administration. vaccines to unvaccinated now rather than scheduling third doses. Immuno-boosters already fully vaccinated.

Dr William Schaffner, Professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, said: ‘It’s great to have a booster vaccine approved for emergency use authorization – ready to use anytime. . But I don’t think we need it now, “according to CNN.

And on Thursday, Pfizer-Biontech announced that a third dose of the coronavirus vaccine, six months after the second dose, appears to maintain the “highest levels of protection” for those vaccinated.

Both companies made their announcement without releasing any new data, but indicated their intention to release updated information soon. A spokesperson for Pfizer later told CNN that the company plans to file an emergency use authorization application for a booster dose with the United States Food and Drug Administration in August.

Vaccines are effective against new strains

Vaccine makers are looking at what might be needed in the future, while public health officials are focusing on current vaccination needs, said Dr Jerome Adams, chief surgeon for the United States under the Trump administration.

“Businesses are thinking about how the situation will evolve, while the government and health authorities are looking at the current situation,” Adams said. “They want to reassure Americans that their best protection is vaccines, and that they have great immunity even against new strains of the virus and waning immunity.”

And factual evidence of decreased immunity with the “Pfizer” vaccine against the “Corona” virus emerged in Israel, as the Health Ministry issued a brief statement on Monday, saying the analysis showed the coronavirus vaccine was somewhat less protective against serious illness than before, She linked this change to the spread of the “Delta” strain, which is a more transmissible and possibly more dangerous strain than the “Corona” virus .

And when it comes to whether boosters are needed to help protect people specifically against variants of the emerging coronavirus, Schaffner said Pfizer and others have already proven they still provide some protection.

He explained, “It’s really unusual for a vaccinated person to be admitted to hospital today due to a disease related to (Corona), which reinforces the idea that these vaccines still work against the variants. “

Overall, because vaccine protection against severe symptoms of Covid-19 remains high, Schaffner said people who have been fully vaccinated should not be concerned.

When will we need a third dose?

Experts say more data is needed to decide if and when people will eventually need a booster dose of Covid-19 vaccines.

Vaccine advisers made it clear at a meeting in June that the increase in so-called “epidemics” could provide a glimpse of the problem in the future. “Breakthrough” infection refers to cases of “corona” that occur after a person has been fully vaccinated.

At last month’s meeting, members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices discussed when the agency might deem it appropriate to make recommendations for booster doses of the vaccine.

Committee members mostly agreed that more data was needed on the benefits of booster vaccines, but that high rates of “breakthrough” cases could be a sign in the future that immunity is waning and that ‘It’s time to give people these doses.

* Does everyone benefit from the doses?

In the future, some people may benefit from a booster dose of the coronavirus vaccine more than others, including those who are immunocompromised. Schaffner said patients who fall into this category represent between 2 and 4 percent of the US population.

For example, organ transplant recipients may not have an adequate response to coronavirus vaccines because they are taking drugs to suppress their immune system. This helps reduce the risk of the body rejecting new organs, but it can also limit responses to vaccines.

A third dose of the Corona vaccine may help increase antibody levels in some organ transplant recipients who have not had strong responses to two doses of the vaccine.