A Fourth Dose of the COVID-19 Vaccine May Be Necessary, the Pfizer CEO Says

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By Inside Edition Staff

First Published: 8:16 AM PDT, March 15, 2022

CEO Albert Bourla recently spoke about the vaccine while appearing on "Face the Nation."

In an interview with "Face the Nation," Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla stated that a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine might be necessary, according to CBS News.

"Right now, the way that we have seen, it is necessary, a fourth booster right now," he said. "The protection that you are getting from the third, it is good enough, actually quite good for hospitalizations and deaths. It's not that good against infections."

He also stated that Pfizer is submitting this data to the Food and Drug Administration.

Steven Danehy, a spokesperson for Pfizer, explained that Bourla is referring to preliminary data from a study done earlier this year. In it, the pharmaceutical company examined a fourth dose and a dose specifically targeting the Omicron variant, CBS News said.

"We will continue to collect and assess all available data," Danehy said in a statement, "and remain in open dialogue with regulators and health authorities to help inform a COVID-19 vaccine strategy as the virus evolves."

Bourla also shared that Pfizer is working on creating an entirely new vaccine to protect patients for at least a year against all variants.

"Omicron was the first one that was able to evade in a skillful way the immune protection that we're giving," he stated. "But also, we know that the duration of the protection doesn't last very long."

If a fourth dose is approved, it will be especially vital for people more susceptible to breakthrough infections.