Covid-19 vaccine updates
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Protection against Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine is slashing from six to eight months after the second dose, according to data released Wednesday, as the company tries to convince regulators to approve a booster program.
Ahead of a crucial meeting of the Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisory committee on Friday, Pfizer presented an independent study by Kaiser Permanente in Southern California that suggested that vaccine effectiveness decreases with of time naturally, “regardless of the variant,” rather than as a consequence of the Delta strain eluding its spike.
Pfizer presented data showing how the vaccine became less and less effective at two-month intervals. Vaccine efficacy fell by approximately 6% every two months after the second dose, from 96.2% per week after full vaccination to 83.7% more than four months later.
The company also cited Israeli data showing that a third booster shot restored up to 95% protection against Covid-19, according to documents submitted to the FDA.
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The FDA advisory committee will meet Friday to decide whether it is recommended that the regulator authorize a booster dose of the BioNTech / Pfizer jab and for which populations. The FDA has already subscribed to booster doses of mRNA vaccines, such as Pfizer, for people with weak immune systems.
Documents released by the FDA show that Pfizer has asked regulators to approve a booster shot six months after people received their second hit.
In an independent evaluation of Pfizer vaccine data, the FDA said declining antibody levels among vaccinated individuals may have been related to the jump in cases seen over the summer as the variant has spread. Delta.
But officials said the data were inconclusive about whether the vaccine’s ability to stop symptomatic infection decreased, a sign of internal friction within the regulator about whether boosters are needed.
“Overall, the data indicate that currently licensed or licensed Covid-19 vaccines still offer protection against serious Covid-19 disease and death in the United States,” the agency said in a news release also published. Wednesday.
The Biden administration has said it wants to start the vaccine booster program next week alongside a dozen other countries that are concerned about an increase in advanced infections among vaccinated people.
The plan has proven controversial and has attracted criticism from two renowned American scientists, who recently announced their withdrawal from the drug surveillance dog in the United States.
These scientists, Philip Krause and Marion Gruber, co-authored a report this week that concluded that there was not enough evidence to justify a booster program at a time when vaccine supply remains restricted to other parts of the world.
Angela Hwang, president of Pfizer Biopharmaceuticals Group, said the available data supported a strengthening program to protect the public and help end the pandemic sooner rather than later.
“General image, increase is important, it is necessary to increase. It’s the way we need to protect people and the public, ”he told BofA Global Healthcare’s investor conference on Wednesday.
While the Biden administration is preparing to decide whether to give final approval to the booster plan, the U.S. president is also trying to quickly start the country’s vaccination rate.
Biden will have to meet with business leaders at the White House on Wednesday as he seeks to boost corporate support for his administration’s new vaccine mandates. The meeting aims to show strong support for its decision requiring medium and large companies to insist that their staff be vaccinated or that Covid-19 be tested at least once a week.
Attendees include Bob Chapek, Disney’s chief executive; Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, and Joshua Bolten, head of the business roundtable.