Corona current
BioNTech vaccine may need a boost after six months
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The vaccine manufacturers BioNTech / Pfizer suspect that the protective effect of their vaccine wears off after six months. A third vaccination may be necessary.
Two vaccinations may not be enough: According to a data collection by the Israeli Ministry of Health the protective effect of the vaccine from the pharmaceutical manufacturers BioNTech and Pfizer decreases after about six months. Both in terms of infections and symptomatic diseases. The manufacturers now have a common approach Message published that picks up this data. It is assumed that “a third dose will be required within six to twelve months after the full vaccination.”
Third vaccination study ongoing
In fact, the companies are currently working on a new study for a third vaccination, which, according to the press release, provides “encouraging data”. It can be assumed that a third dose of the vaccine would guarantee the highest level of protection against all corona virus variants tested so far. Accordingly, the antibody levels of vaccinated people after the third dose increase by five to ten times compared to the second, as Mikael Dolsten, head of research at Pfizer, said. The vaccine manufacturers also assume that the third dose of their mRNA vaccine will also work reliably against the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus. At the same time, an adapted version of the vaccine is already being developed against this variant, and efforts are being made to obtain approval as soon as possible.
Data will be made available shortly
In the next few weeks, however, the data on the third vaccine dose should first be submitted to the US drug authority FDA, the European authority EMA and other regulatory authorities. In addition, they are to be published in a detailed version in a scientific journal.
Shortly after the joint announcement by BioNTech and Pfizer, the US media reported on a communication from the FDA and the American health authority CDC. Accordingly, Americans who are already considered fully vaccinated do not currently need a booster vaccination. However, if scientific data prove that such a refreshment is necessary after a certain period of time, one should be prepared. The US health authorities also collect their own data and do not rely solely on the manufacturer’s statements.
Sources used: Communication from BioNTech / Pfizer, zeit.de