Pfizer and BioNTech announced Thursday that they plan to seek authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a third dose of their COVID-19 vaccine, saying it would provide even stronger protection.
In a statement released Thursday afternoon, the companies said they have seen “encouraging data” from an ongoing trial of the booster shot, adding that it provides levels of neutralizing antibodies five to 10 times higher, when administered six months after the second dose. The companies plan to submit data “in the coming weeks.”
It will be up to U.S. regulators — the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — whether to recommend a third dose. Continue reading.