"Based on these initial reports, it seems that the third dose of our vaccine enhances protection."
Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE recently announced that a booster injection of their vaccine protects against the newest coronavirus type, Omicron. "While two doses of the vaccine may protect against severe illness caused by the Omicron strain, preliminary data shows that protection is enhanced with a third dose of our vaccine," stated Albert Bourla, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pfizer. "The best course of action to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is to guarantee that as many people as possible are fully vaccinated with the first two-dose series and a booster." Read on to learn everything you need to know.
Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX) reported today that serum antibodies produced by the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine (BNT162b2) neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant after three doses in an initial laboratory investigation. Sera collected one month after receiving the booster vaccination (third dosage of BNT162b2 vaccine) neutralized the Omicron variant to levels comparable to those seen after two doses of the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.
Sera from people who got two doses of the current COVID-19 vaccination had more than a 25-fold reduced neutralization titer against the Omicron variant than wild-type, indicating that two amounts of BNT162b2 may not be enough to protect against infection with the Omicron variant. However, because the mutations in Omicron do not affect the vast majority of epitopes targeted by vaccine-induced T cells, the companies believe that vaccinated individuals may still be protected against severe forms of the disease. They are closely monitoring real-world effectiveness against Omicron around the world.
According to the companies' additional studies, a third dose could provide more strong protection, which shows that a booster with the current COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech increases antibody titers by 25-fold. According to preliminary data from the companies, a third dose produces neutralizing antibodies against Omicron at the same level as two doses against wild-type and other variations that appeared before Omicron. These antibody levels are associated with high efficacy against wild-type and variant viruses. A third dose significantly increases CD8+ T cell numbers against numerous spike protein epitopes, which are thought to be linked to disease protection. The majority of these epitopes are unchanged in the Omicron spike variant compared to the wild-type virus.
"While two doses of the vaccine may protect against severe sickness caused by the Omicron strain, preliminary data shows that protection is better with a third dose of our vaccine," stated Albert Bourla, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pfizer. "The best course of action to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is to ensure that as many people as possible are fully vaccinated with the first two-dose series and a booster."
"Our preliminary studies suggest that a third dose could still provide enough protection from disease caused by the Omicron variant of any severity," stated Ugur Sahin, M.D., CEO and Co-Founder of BioNTech. "Global vaccination and booster campaigns could help us better protect people around the world and get through the winter season." We are continuing to develop an adapted vaccination that, in comparison to the current vaccine, we believe will help to induce a high level of protection against Omicron-induced COVID-19 disease as well as a longer duration of security."
How to Stay Safe Out There
Get vaccinated as soon as possible; if you live in an area with low vaccination rates, wear an N95 face mask, avoid large crowds, don't go indoors with people you aren't sheltering with (especially in bars), practice good hand hygiene.