JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Two years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic turned our world upside down.
Since then, we’ve gone through several spikes of the virus.
The number of reported cases has remained low since the most recent omicron surge earlier this winter. However, Tuesday, it was announced Pfizer and BioNTech will seek emergency authorization for a second booster shot of their coronavirus vaccine for people 65 and older.
The announcement comes after Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said a fourth dose of the company’s COVID-19 vaccine will be needed by all adults to fight off new variants in the future.
“I'm proud of him for doing that – to remind people that there are still vulnerabilities out there and we can protect ourselves," local doctor Michael Koren said.
Koren has been leading Pfizer vaccine trials in Northeast Florida.
He says the company’s push for the FDA’s authorization of a fourth shot is based on data his local clinical trial helped develop, which shows that the third shot is very effective.
However, it’s also because six months after getting the vaccine, people’s immunity to the virus decreases.
“So, given the number of infections we had in the last few months and given the number of vaccines that were distributed, both primary course and boosters, the relative immunity of the population is high at this point," Koren explained. "But, probably by the end of the summer, we'll see that drops off and the population will be much more vulnerable.“
He says considering a second booster shot now may be difficult for people to do since the number of reported cases are low, but getting the dose will protect them from the coronavirus months down the line when another spike inevitably happens.
“As we speak, we're involved in studies that are looking at the fourth dose," Koren added.
He said the Jacksonville Center for Clinical Research is looking at boosters for multiple manufacturers that are specific to omicron, and comparing them to the baseline vaccines.