JERUSALEM, Jan 22 (Reuters) – Pfizer Inc CEO Albert Bourla said on Saturday an annual COVID-19 vaccine would be preferable to more frequent booster shots in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
The Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine has been shown to be effective against severe disease and death caused by the Omicron variant, but less so against its transmission.
With the spike in the number of cases, some countries have expanded vaccine booster programs or shortened the interval between doses.
In an interview with N12 News in Israel, Albert Bourla said that a booster injection every four to five months would be “not a good scenario”.
“What I hope (is) that we will have a vaccine that you have to do once a year,” he added.
“Once a year, it’s easier to convince people to do it. It’s easier for people to remember it (..). From a public health point of view, it’s a situation ideal”, also said the CEO of Pfizer.
“We’re looking to see if we can create a vaccine that covers Omicron and doesn’t forget the other variants and that might be a solution.”
Albert Bourla said Pfizer could be ready to seek approval for a redesigned vaccine to fight Omicron and mass-produce it as early as March.
Citing three studies, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Friday that a third dose of an mRNA vaccine was essential to combat Omicron as it provides protection from 90% against the risk of hospitalization.
A preliminary study published Monday by Sheba Medical Center in Israel found that a fourth dose raised antibodies to even higher levels than the third, but was probably not enough to fend off Omicron. (Report Maayan Lubell, French version Benjamin Mallet)