Vaccine maker COVID-19 Moderna will make available to Americans a third booster shot for its two-dose vaccine for the fall, CEO Stéphane Bancel said this week.
The Moderna vaccine is more than 90% effective against coronavirus six months after the second shot, studies show. What is still unclear is how long immunity to the virus lasts.
The same goes for the two-dose COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer.
“A third dose will probably be needed, between six and twelve months. And from there, there will be an annual revaccination. But all of that has to be confirmed,” Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said Thursday. event hosted by CVS Health.
A third reinforcement shot The virus against the virus is not yet necessary, but health experts say it could provide additional immunity against COVID-19 variants that are beginning to spread to the United States from Brazil, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
“Everyone suspects they can evade the protection that vaccines offer,” Justin Gill, a professional emergency care nurse, told CBSN.
There is also the possibility that fully vaccinated individuals may become infected with the virus, as none of the available vaccines provide 100% immunity to COVID-19.
“We know that some [who are fully vaccinated] they still get infected and test positive for COVID-19, but there are still a lot of unknowns about those people who end up testing positive, ”Gill said.
These “advanced” infections are thought to be very rare, but can occur when vaccinated individuals are exposed to variants or a significant viral load.
Although drug manufacturers are developing a booster shot, people who have already received two doses of the Modern or Pfizer vaccine can be sure they are well protected against COVID-19.
“In the end, it still provides great protection,” Gill said. “But we know that some will still have the COVID-19 virus and it is essential that they continue to follow these public health guidelines, wear a mask and be alert when they are around other people.”
Confidence in vaccines has increased among people in the United States as more Americans have seen their friends and family get vaccinated, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
To date, approximately 38% of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of the vaccine and 24% are fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.