Pfizer and BioNTech say they have asked the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve a second booster dose of their vaccine. Covid-19 for adults over 65 years.
The request is based on data gathered in Israel in the midst of a wave of the epidemic caused by the variant strain Omicron of the coronavirus, the companies said in a statement.
According to Pfizer and BioNTech, data from Israel show that "an additional booster dose of mRNA technology vaccine increases immunogenicity and reduces rates of infection and serious illness."
That's why companies have asked the FDA to approve a second booster dose.
More antibodies with the fourth dose
Israel was the first country to start giving a fourth dose of the vaccine covid-19 from the beginning of January to those over 60 years old, while from the end of the same month the program was extended to all adults over 18 years old who belong to vulnerable groups.
The fourth dose of the vaccine allows three to five times more antibodies to be produced than the third dose, according to the Israeli Ministry of Health.
Some countries - such as Denmark, Spain, Germany and Sweden - already give a fourth dose of the vaccine to specific population groups, such as the elderly and vulnerable groups.
Burla: You will need a fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine
It is noted that a few days ago the CEO of Pfizer had surprised with their statements, as he had admitted that a fourth dose against coronavirus is finally necessary.
"Right now, the protection we have from the third installment is pretty good. "In fact, it is quite good against hospitalization and death, it is not so good against infection, but it does not last long," said Burla.
Pfizer and other pharmaceutical companies are working on vaccines that will protect against future mutations in the virus, he added.
"Omicron was the first to be able to bypass the immune protection we have given, but also the duration of protection is not very long," he said.
"What we are trying to do and we are working very carefully right now is to make a vaccine that will not only protect against all mutations, including Omicron, but will also be able to protect for at least a year," he concluded.
in.gr