Pfizer data suggest third dose of Covid-19 vaccine ‘strongly’ boosts protection against Delta variant
https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/28/health/pfizer-third-dose-data-bn/index.html
A third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine can “strongly” boost protection against the Delta variant – beyond the protection afforded by the standard two doses, new data released by Pfizer on Wednesday suggests.
The data posted online suggest that levels of antibodies that can target the Delta variant grow fivefold in people 18 to 55 who get a third dose of the vaccine.
Among people ages 65 to 85, the Pfizer data suggest that antibody levels that should protect against Delta grow 11-fold more than following a second dose.
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“Receiving a third dose more than six months after vaccination, when protection may be beginning to wane, was estimated to potentially boost the neutralizing antibody titers in participants in this study to up to 100 times higher post-dose three compared to pre-dose three,” Dolsten said in prepared remarks. “These preliminary data are very encouraging as Delta continues to spread.”
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But in an unusual move, the FDA and CDC said at the time Americans don’t need third doses quite yet and that it was not up to companies alone to decide when an additional dose might be needed.
US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy repeated that point Wednesday morning, telling CNN’s Poppy Harlow, “People do not need to go out and get a booster shot.”
