Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Had Your Covid Shots? You May Need A Booster In The Fall
Axios: Coronavirus Vaccine Boosters Could Be Necessary In The U.S. As Soon As The Fall
The first Americans to be vaccinated against the coronavirus could require a third "booster" shot as early as September, the CEOs of Pfizer and Moderna told Axios. "The data that I see coming, they are supporting the notion that likely there will be a need for a booster somewhere between eight and 12 months," Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said yesterday during an Axios event. (Owens, 5/20)
CNN: Covid-19 Booster Shot Will Likely Be Needed Within A Year Of Vaccination, Fauci Says
While the world may be opening up because of the increase in Covid-19 vaccinations, top medical experts say there may be another round of shots needed within about a year. A booster Covid-19 vaccine for people who have already been vaccinated may be needed as soon as eight to 12 months after their second shot, according to Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla and Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. (Langmaid and Vera, 5/19)
The Wall Street Journal: Covid-19 Vaccine Booster Shots Raise Tough Issues For Health Authorities
While most countries are still cranking up their vaccination drives, some are already making plans to deliver millions of booster shots into arms later this year. Concerns that Covid-19 may morph into a seasonal menace are driving preparations in the U.S., the European Union and the U.K. for a winter vaccine booster program. The plans are precautionary, according to public-health officials, and it isn’t yet certain they will be put into operation or at what scale. Disease experts say the need for a winter vaccine drive will depend on whether vaccine-induced immunity fades over time and if the current crop of vaccines are effective against virus variants. (Douglas, 5/20)
Reuters: Fauci Expects COVID-19 Vaccines For Kids In Late-2021, Sees Need For Booster Shot
Kids in the United States will likely be able to get COVID-19 vaccinations by the end of this year or the first quarter of 2022, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said at an event on Wednesday. The United States earlier this month cleared the way for the use of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) and partner BioNTech SE in adolescents aged 12 and above. Fauci also noted the need for a COVID-19 booster shot within a year or so after getting the primary shot. (Khandekar and Roy, 5/19)
Politico: Coronavirus Vaccine Booster Trial Begins In UK
A study looking at coronavirus vaccine boosters has launched in the U.K. to test the effects of an extra dose. The trial, hailed by the British government as a world-first for the COVID-19 jab, will assess Oxford/AstraZeneca, BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna, Novavax, Valneva, Johnson & Johnson and CureVac vaccines as potential booster shots that would be given 10 to 12 weeks after a second dose is given as part of the country’s ongoing vaccination campaign. The booster shot could be a different brand from the one originally used. Drugmakers are already carrying out studies on the response to booster shots but the U.K. trial will specifically examine the immune response of different brands of vaccine side-by-side. (Furlong, 5/19)
