Will COVID-19 booster shots be needed? Pfizer to make its case to health officials

Pfizer is set to meet with top U.S. health officials, including the Food and Drug Administration Monday to make the argument that a COVID-19 booster shot will be needed.

Last week, Pfizer announced it will ask the FDA for emergency authorization for its third dose. The company says a third dose or booster may be needed within a year.

Pfizer’s Dr. Mikael Dolsten said early data from the company’s booster study suggests people’s antibody levels jump five- to 10-fold after a third dose compared to their second dose. Pfizer says these results supports the need for a booster.

Dr. Anthony Fauci didn’t rule out the possibility a third dose will become necessary in the future, but said it was too soon for the government to recommend another shot right now. He said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the FDA did the right thing last week by pushing back against Pfizer’s assertion. The two agencies released a statement saying they did not view booster shots as necessary “at this time.”

“Right now, given the data and the information we have, we do not need to give people a third shot,” Dr. Fauci said. “That doesn’t mean we stop there,” he explained, “There are studies being done now ongoing as we speak about looking at the feasibility about if and when we should be boosting people.”

Dr. Fauci said it was quite possible the government may urge a booster in the coming month, based on things like age and underlying medical conditions. “Certainly it is entirely conceivable, maybe likely at some time, we will need a boost,″ Fauci said.

Right now, only about 48 percent of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated. Some parts of the country have far lower immunization rates. The delta variant is surging in those places. Last week, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said the latest developments are leading to “two truths”; highly-vaccinated parts of America are getting back to normal, while hospitalizations are rising in other places.

While the United States waits on giving out third doses, Israel announced Sunday it will start doing just that. Right now, Israel is only giving out boosters to adults with weak immune systems. Officials there are still weighing whether to make the booster available to the general public.

The video above includes a full interview with Dr. Payal Kohli. Straight Arrow News reporter Taylor Knight talks with the cardiologist about whether or not a booster shot is necessary, or will become necessary in the future.