Pfizer has submitted initial data from the early-stage trial of the coronavirus vaccine booster to the US Food and Drug Administration, the pharmaceutical company announced Monday, as Israel hit the milestone of one million people inoculated with the third shot.
At the moment, Israel is the only country in the world administering a booster to a vast segment of its population – all individuals over 50 – while in some other countries, including the US, a booster is offered to immunosuppressed patients with specific pre-existing conditions. The authorities chose to move quickly as the immunity appeared to wane in the elderly who were fully vaccinated as early as mid-January.
According to the findings of the Phase I trial presented by the company, individuals who received a third shot presented a significantly higher amount of antibodies compared to that after the first two inoculations – five times higher in those ages 18-55 and eleven times higher in those ages 65-85.
The participants were vaccinated again after eight or nine months since they had completed their inoculation.
The booster was also found to have a high level of tolerability.
The company added that the results of Phase III trial will be submitted soon to the FDA, the European Medicines Agency and other international bodies.
“Vaccination is our most effective means of preventing COVID-19 infection – especially severe disease and hospitalization – and its profound impact on protecting lives is indisputable. Still, with the continuing threat of the Delta variant and possible emergence of other variants in the future, we must remain vigilant against this highly contagious virus,” said Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.
“The data we’ve seen to date suggests a third dose of our vaccine elicits antibody levels that significantly exceed those seen after the two-dose primary schedule,” he added.