“As already clear from the practical application data collected by the Israeli Ministry of Health, the protective effect of the vaccine against infections and symptomatic diseases decreases six months after the second vaccination,” it said on Thursday (local time) in a joint statement.
“Although protection against serious illness remains high for six months, efficacy against symptomatic cases can be expected to decrease over time and the emergence of variants,” said the two companies. Therefore, a third dose may be required six to twelve months after the first vaccination.
Initial data from a study showed that a third vaccination increases the amount of antibodies five to ten times. According to the information, the companies also expect that a third dose will reliably work against the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus.
The German company Biontech is also currently working on a vaccine that will specifically protect against the Delta variant. The first samples are in production at a plant in Mainz. According to Biontech and its US partner Pfizer, the clinical trials could begin in August.
Shortly after the statement by Pfizer and Biontech, a statement from the FDA and the CDC circulated by US media on Thursday said that Americans who were fully vaccinated do not currently need a booster vaccination. But be prepared for the administration of booster doses if scientific evidence shows that they are necessary. US health officials looked into the question, but did not rely solely on data from pharmaceutical companies.
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