Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said during an interview on Wednesday he’s “almost certain” that Americans will have to receive a COVID-19 vaccine dose every single year.
During
an MSNBC interview, Bourla was asked if people should expect to take a new COVID-19 booster annually, Bourla issued his response.
“I’m almost certain about it. I say ‘almost certain’ because, of course, regulators have the final say in all of that. But that’s the beauty of mRNA,” Bourla said, adding that the pharmaceutical giant can “adapt” the booster “just by changing the sequencing.”
Bourla recently attended a World Economic Forum meeting with its leader, Klaus Schwab,
according to the Davos-based organization in a Wednesday update.
“I think we will see a lot of advancements with mRNA” after the COVID-19 pandemic, Bourla said during the event. “And the good thing after the success of the COVID vaccine is that right now we have a substantial wave of companies, biotechs and big pharma, that are working on mRNA.”
“They are working on multiple applications for mRNA. The first thing that I’m hopeful to see is other vaccines other than COVID: A flu vaccine with mRNA; A shingles vaccine with mRNA; And other vaccines with mRNA,” he added.
Vaccine Authorized for Kids
The CEO’s comment comes as federal health agencies signed off on giving Pfizer and Moderna vaccine doses to children aged 6 months to 5 years. On Tuesday, in a number of cities, parents brought their children to get vaccinated at various clinics or pediatricians.Starting in October 2021, only children aged 5 and up could receive the Pfizer vaccine, and only people aged 18 and older could get Moderna’s shot. Both use mRNA technology.
“We know that many parents, caregivers and clinicians have been anxiously awaiting today’s authorizations. We’re acutely aware of the importance of having vaccines available for our youngest children. And as we’ve seen with the older age groups, we expect that the vaccines for younger children will provide protection for the most severe outcomes of COVID-19, such as hospitalization and death,” Dr. Robert Califf, the head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
told reporters on a call.
But since October, federal
data suggest that only around 29 percent of children aged 5 to 11 are considered fully vaccinated after the Pfizer vaccine was authorized. About 36 percent in that age group have received one dose.
Studies have shown that children—especially young children—have exceptionally low mortality and hospitalization rates compared with other groups. In general, the elderly and individuals with compromised immune systems are the most at risk from COVID-19.
