Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla revealed on Saturday that getting an annual vaccine against the coronavirus would be better than receiving repeated booster shots to combat the pandemic. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has proven effective against severe illness and death in cases involving the highly contagious Omicron variant, but it is less effective at preventing infection.
As cases rise, some countries have expanded their COVID-19 booster shot programs or shortened the intervals between doses while governments race to strengthen protection for their citizens. In an interview with Israel's Channel 12 News, Bourla was asked if he supported booster shots every four to five months on a regular basis; he responded, "That wouldn’t be a good scenario. What I hope is that we will have a vaccine that you take once a year." He added, "Once a year, this is easier in terms of convincing people to do it. It's easier for people to remember."
This came after initial data from a study on a fourth booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine showed it is insufficient to prevent infection from the Omicron variant. The study conducted by Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv, two weeks after starting the trial with 154 medical workers, indicated that the vaccine succeeded in raising antibody levels. However, the lead researcher in the trials, Gili Reggev Yochay, stated that it only provided partial defense against Omicron, adding that vaccines that were more effective against previous variants offer less protection against Omicron, according to Bloomberg.
