Pfizer pushes for 3rd shot as variant spreads

On Jul 9, 2021

US: Pfizer and BioNTech announced Thursday they would seek authorization for a third dose of their COVID-19 vaccine to boost its efficacy, as the Delta variant drove devastating outbreaks in Asia and Africa and cases rose again in Europe and the United States.

The decision comes just two weeks before the opening ceremony.

Delta is the most infectious strain of the virus since the start of the global pandemic in early 2020.

This led the World Health Organization to warn that the world was at a “perilous point” as the official global death toll passed four million.

Pfizer and BioNTech said they expect that a third dose will perform well against the Delta strain, and that they will be seeking authorization in the United States, Europe and other regions in coming weeks.

Initial data from an ongoing trial showed a third shot pushed antibody levels five to 10 times higher against the original coronavirus strain and the Beta variant, first found in South Africa, compared to the first two doses alone, according to a statement.- BBC