Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla suggested that people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 may need to receive a third shot within 12 months. He made the comments during a panel discussion hosted by CNBC that was taped on April 1. Bourla said during the discussion, which was aired on Wednesday (April 15) that it is likely that people may need to be inoculated every year, just like the flu vaccine.
"There are vaccines that are like polio that one dose is enough...and there are vaccines like flu than you need every year," he said. "The COVID virus looks more like the influenza virus than the polio virus."
In February, Pfizer announced it was testing a third dose of the vaccine to determine its efficacy against the new strains that have developed.
The panel discussion was taped on the same day that Pfizer announced its vaccine is 91% effective after six months.
On Wednesday, Moderna revealed that its vaccine has a 95% efficacy after six months. The drug company's CEO, Stephane Bancel, said that he hopes to have booster shots ready for distribution by the fall.
"I want to make sure there are boost vaccines available in the fall so that we protect people as we go into the next fall and winter season in the U.S.," Bancel said in an interview on CNBC'sSquawk Box.
As of April 15, more than 198 million vaccines have been administered in the United States, and 30.3% of adults are considered fully vaccinated.
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