Pfizer and Moderna bosses differ on fourth anti-COVID vaccine

Top executives at two of the biggest COVID-19 vaccine makers disagree on the need for a fourth dose for the majority of the world’s population.

Pfizer Inc. CEO Albert Bourla said in an interview for CBS on Sunday that the protection from three vaccines will wane and a fourth dose is needed “right now”. Then, in an interview, Moderna Inc. Chairman Stephen Hoge noted that a second booster is probably only necessary for people who are elderly or immunosuppressed, and that the rest of the population may be more selective about receiving the dose, he reported. Business Insider.

Both agreed that the virus is here to stay.

Many countries are trying to strike a balance between living with COVID-19, dealing with a public tired of the virus or sometimes reluctant to get vaccinated, and trying to thwart sudden outbreaks of severe cases that can once again overwhelm healthcare resources. . Research suggests that booster doses help reduce the consequences of an infection, although some vaccines work better than others in preventing infections caused by the omicron variant.

A fourth dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was insufficient to prevent infection by omicron, although it provided partial defense against the variant, according to preliminary data published in January from a trial in Israel. The country, along with South Korea, is one of the few that is giving fourth doses and, so far, only for the most vulnerable.

Vaccine makers also face the likelihood of more variants emerging as the virus mutates.

Last week, Bourla said in an interview with Bloomberg News that Pfizer will soon submit data to U.S. regulators on the effects of a fourth dose of its COVID-19 vaccine, and he is optimistic about developing a vaccine that attacks to the omicron variant along with the previous variants.

Moderna is optimistic that a bivalent booster, which can attack both omicron and the original variant of the virus, may be available this year, according to Business Insider’s report.

While he maintained that young, healthy people can opt out of getting a booster, he intends to get vaccinated annually to protect against the long-term effects of the virus.

“It is necessary? I think it’s a strong word. I think it will provide a benefit to anyone who receives it”, he said, referring to the reinforcements. “Whether or not public health continues to recommend it for everyone is a bit more complicated, because not everyone wants to get the first two” booster dose.