Why Booster Dose Of Covid-19 Vaccine Is Required Annually, Explains Pfizer CEO

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said that there is a possibility that a booster dose of a Covid-19 vaccine will be required within 12 months of getting fully vaccinated.

"A likely scenario is that there will be likely a need for a third dose, somewhere between six and 12 months and then from there, there will be an annual revaccination, but all of that needs to be confirmed. And again, the variants will play a key role," he said in an interview with CNBC that was recorded on April 1.

"It is extremely important to suppress the pool of people that can be susceptible to the virus," Bourla said.

Meanwhile, David Kessler, the chief science officer on Joe Biden’s Covid-19 response taskforce, said on Thursday that they are studying the durability of the antibody response. "So I think for planning purposes, planning purposes only, I think we should expect that we may have to boost,” he added.

“The current thinking is those who are more vulnerable will have to go first,” Kessler said as reported by The Guardian.

Earlier, Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky said that people may need to get vaccinated against Covid-19 annually.

Pfizer said earlier this month that its Covid-19 vaccine was more than 91 percent effective at protecting against the virus and after the second dose, it was more than 95 percent effective against the severe disease for up to six months.

In the meantime, Biden and former President Barack Obama will soon appear in a special to promote Covid-19 vaccinations, reported CNN. The "Roll Up Your Sleeves" special will air on Sunday on NBC.

While Biden will make remarks during the special, Obama will appear along with former NBA stars Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal to urge Americans to get vaccinated.

Biden's chief Covid-19 adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci will speak on "separating fact from fiction about the vaccines." He will be interviewed by actor Matthew McConaughey.

Former first lady Michelle Obama as well as celebrities like Sterling K. Brown, Faith Hill, Jennifer Hudson, Ken Jeong, Joe Jonas, Eva Longoria, Jennifer Lopez, Demi Lovato, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ellen Pompeo and Amanda Seyfried will also feature in the special.