Pfizer CEO says we may Require a fourth vaccine dose to combat the Omicron

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said that a fourth dose of the drugmaker’s coronavirus vaccine may be needed amid growing concern about the Omicron variant. 

Pfizer said on Wednesday that its two-shot COVID-19 vaccine with a booster jab appeared effective against the Omicron variant, but that two doses alone produced a lesser response.

The CEO explained that he previously projected a fourth vaccine dose would be needed 12 months after a third shot, But the timeline might need to be moved up for a fourth dose. Previously, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, PhD, said another dose might be needed about a year after a third shot. Now the company’s scientists believe that a fourth shot, which targets the Omicron variant, could be required sooner.

“With Omicron, we need to wait and see because we have very little information. We may need it faster,” Bourla said. 

For now, Bourla said he believes “a third dose will give very good protection” during the winter months. 

Pfizer announced the results of preliminary trials on Wednesday,  claiming that the booster shot improved one's resistance to the omicron variant  25 fold.  While these results are positive, the results are based on a synthetic, lab-created version of the omicron variant. Real-world results will be more accurate and are expected to be released in the next two weeks.

That efficacy rate is why Bourla says that the most important thing is to roll out third doses this winter.

The Omicron variant has been reported in 57 countries so far, World Health Organization officials reported on Wednesday, and they expect that number to continue growing.

“Certain features of Omicron, including its global spread and large number of mutations, suggest it could have a major impact on the course of the pandemic. Exactly what that impact will be is still difficult to know,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, the World Health Organization’s director-general, said during a media briefing.