White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci suggested a third shot for recipients of Pfizer’s two-dose COVID-19 vaccine would be “entirely conceivable, maybe likely.”
Fauci appeared on CBS’s “Face the Nation” program on Sunday to discuss booster shots. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says recipients of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine do not need boosters “at this time,” as reported by The Associated Press.
“Certainly, it is entirely conceivable, maybe likely that at some time we will need a boost,” Fauci answered, adding that it could be “differentially needed” depending on age and underlying conditions.
Will Americans need a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot? “Certainly, it is entirely conceivable, maybe likely that at some time we will need a boost,” Dr. Fauci says. “It may be differentially needed depending upon the age of individuals and their underlying conditions.” pic.twitter.com/SipcCtPyVX
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) July 11, 2021
Fauci also stated that an official, final recommendation will be based on data from “both laboratory and clinical studies,” adding that the National Institute of Health is conducting these studies in conjunction with the CDC and other agencies, AP reported. (RELATED: Elderly, Vulnerable Will Need Yearly COVID-19 Boosters, WHO Says: REPORT)
Earlier in July, Fauci appeared on MSNBC and told Americans who were hesitant to receive the vaccine to “just get over it” and “save the lives of yourselves and your family.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci says the US government is not yet telling Americans who are fully vaccinated that they need a booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, based on the current data https://t.co/igl3Epben1
— CNN (@CNN) July 12, 2021
Pfizer is planning to meet with health officials from the Food and Drug Administration on Monday to discuss an emergency use authorization for the third dose of the vaccine, AP reported.
Preliminary data from booster shot studies suggested that antibody levels jump five- to 10-fold in those who receive the third dose in comparison to patients who only receive two, Dr. Mikael Dolsten told the AP.
Biotechnology company Moderna, which also produced a COVID-19 vaccine, announced in June it would begin producing booster shots in an attempt to protect vaccine recipients from virus variants.