People will “likely” need a booster shot of a coronavirus vaccine within the first year of full vaccination, says Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.
In a video of an April 1 event with CVS Health made public Thursday, Bourla told CNBC’s Bertha Coombs that yearly vaccinations may be necessary.
“A likely scenario is that there will be likely a need for a third dose, somewhere between six and 12 months and then from there, there will be annual revaccination, but all of that needs to be confirmed,” Bourla said, CNBC reported. “And again, the variants will play a key role. It is extremely important to suppress the pool of people that can be susceptible to the virus.”
Bourla’s comments echo Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky, who said in February that revaccination may have to occur annually.
Pfizer says its two-dose vaccine is more than 91% effective at protecting against the coronavirus and more than 95% effective against severe disease for up to six months after the second dose.
