Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, marketed under the brand name ‘Comirnaty,’ may require a third dose to be effective against the original strain of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), according to a statement released by the companies the day before. According to preliminary data from an ongoing vaccine trial, the third Covid-19 shot will also provide better protection against the Beta variant, which was first discovered in South Africa, and the Delta variant, which was discovered in India.
In light of interim trial data showing that a third dose can push antibody levels five to ten times higher against the said variants of the coronavirus compared to the first two doses alone, Pfizer and BioNTech announced on Thursday that they would seek regulatory approval for the third dose of their Covid-19 vaccine. According to the statement, this will provide better protection than the current practise of administering two shots.
The news comes after the vaccine was found to be less effective against the SARS-CoV-2 virus’s Delta variant. According to a study published in the journal ‘Nature,’ a single dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, or even the AstraZeneca vaccine, “barely” induces neutralising antibodies against the Delta Covid-19 strain.
The Israeli government said earlier this week that the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine was losing efficacy after six months. According to Bloomberg, data from Israel’s health ministry showed that between June 6 and early July, the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine protected 64 percent of the country’s people against the virus, down from 94 percent earlier.
According to the data, this decline coincided with the emergence and rise in cases of Delta variant in the country. Pfizer-BioNTech, in a statement, stated that the third dose may be required six to twelve months after the full vaccination for complete protection.
In light of these findings, Pfizer and BioNTech announced that they are working on a Delta-specific vaccine, with the first batch already being produced at BioNTech’s Mainz facility.
