Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine will require a third dose 9-12 months after the first

Two doses will not be enough. The Covid Vaccine – 26 from Pfizer-BioNtech will require a third booster, said Ugur Sahin, co-founder of the German company BioNTech this week.

During a video conference, Sahin indicated that this additional dose would be necessary to maintain the high levels of protection offered by the vaccine and he estimated that it should be administered between 9 and 12 months after the first injection .

He explained that studies show that the effectiveness of the vaccine decreases over time and that it falls from 95% to 91% during the first six months.

“After eight months we see that the antibodies generated by the vaccine are reduced. That is why we need a third dose to bring the vaccine back close to 100%, ”he said.

The possibility that this vaccine would need a third booster had already been suggested in mid-April by Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.

Sahin indicated that, in his opinion, it will be necessary for people to continue vaccinating against covid – 19 regularly every year or every 18 months.

Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine is based on messenger RNA technology. The same one that uses Moderna’s vaccine.

The CEO of the latter company, Stephane Bancel, told the US network CNBC in mid-April that they are working on the development of a booster doses they hope to have ready by fall of 2021. The idea is that this booster provides greater immunity against new variants of the coronavirus.

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