Pfizer recommends third vaccine dose as study shows protection decreases after six months

Pfizer recommends a third vaccine booster dose as an Israeli study shows drugs protection decreases after six months.

Pfizer has said that real-world evidence from Israeli scientists has shown a decrease in their vaccine efficacy over a six month period after people were fully vaccinated.

“While protection against severe disease remained high across the full 6 months, the observed decline in efficacy against symptomatic disease over time and the continued emergence of variants are key factors driving our belief that a booster dose will likely be necessary to maintain the highest levels of protection,” Pfizer said in a statement.

The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a joint statement on Thursday, July 8, evening pumping the brakes on the need for a booster shot yet, and encouraged people to get vaccinated in general. Less than 50% of the U.S. is fully vaccinated at this moment in time.

“Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot at this time,” the agencies said in the statement. “FDA, CDC, and NIH (National Institutes of Health) are engaged in a science-based, rigorous process to consider whether or when a booster might be necessary.”

Additionally, the companies are working on materials with a plan to test a new vaccine construct based on the delta variant — with plans to start clinical trials in August.

“While we believe a third dose of BNT162b2 has the potential to preserve the highest levels protective efficacy against all currently known variants including Delta, we are remaining vigilant and are developing an updated version of the Pfizer-COVID-19 vaccine that uses a new construct based on the B.1.617.2 lineage, first identified in India and also known as the Delta variant,” the companies said in a statement.

“The companies are already producing clinical trial material and anticipate beginning clinical studies in August, subject to regulatory approvals,” Pfizer and BioNTech added.

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