Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said Tuesday his company plans to have an omicron-specific vaccine for COVID-19 by March.
Mr. Bourla said he thinks that the current vaccines, particularly with a booster, offer reasonable protection against hospitalization but that a variant-specific vaccine would protect against overall infection.
“I don’t know if we will need it, I don’t know if and how it will be used. But it will be ready,” Mr. Bourla told CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”
For now, federal officials are focused on getting Americans up to date with a third dose of the messenger-RNA vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna or a booster of any kind after initial vaccination with a Johnson & Johnson shot.
Some places, including Israel, are exploring the impact of a fourth shot, though many scientists say it is too early to tell when another booster will be needed.
“We are doing everything we can so we can stay ahead of the virus. I don’t know if there is a need for a fourth booster, that is something that needs to be tested,” Mr. Bourla said. “I don’t think we should do anything that is not needed.”
The CEO said Pfizer is working as fast as it can to churn out an antiviral pill that cuts the risk of hospitalization and death by nearly 90% in trials.
The U.S. secured 265,000 courses through January and 10 million through June.
“It’s going to go exponentially up month after month,” Mr. Bourla said, as CNBC displayed a graphic showing that U.S. supplies could reach 30 million by September. “We are going really, really big.”
For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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