April 15 (Reuters) – The United States prepares for the
possibility that a reinforcement shot is needed between nine and nine
12 months after the initial vaccination of people
COVID-19, a White House official said Thursday.
While the duration of immunity after vaccination is being
studied, booster vaccines may be needed, David Kessler, chief
science officer of President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 response task
Force said this at a congressional committee meeting.
“Current thinking is the most vulnerable
you have to go first, ”he said.
Meanwhile, Pfizer Inc. CEO Albert Bourla
said people are likely to need a third dose of COVID-19 booster
vaccines within 12 months and may need annual shots, CNBC
reported on the basis of his April 1 comments, which were made
public Thursday. (https://cnb.cx/2Q4MXS1)
Initial data has shown that Moderna Inc. vaccines.
and partners Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE
they retain most of their effectiveness for at least six
months, although for how long it has not been determined.
Even if this protection lasts well over six months,
experts have said that variants of the
coronavirus and others that may arise may lead to need
for regular booster shots similar to annual flu vaccines.
The United States also monitors infections in people who
have been completely vaccinated, Rochelle Walensky, director of the
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told the House
hearing of the subcommittee.
Of the 77 million people vaccinated in the United States, there
there have been 5,800 such innovative infections, Walensky said,
including 396 people who needed hospitalization and 74 who
he died.
Walensky said some of these infections have occurred because
the vaccinated person did not give a strong immune response.
But the concern is that in some cases they occur in
people infected with more contagious virus variants.
Earlier this month, Pfizer and its partner BioNTech
said his vaccine was about 91% effective in prevention
COVID-19, which cites updated test data that includes more than
12,000 people completely inoculated for at least six months.
(Report by Manas Mishra to Bengaluru and Julie Steenhuysen
in Chicago, additional reports from Mrinalika Roy; Editing of
Bill Berkrot and Arun Koyyur)