Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said a vaccine effective against the Omicron variant of COVID-19 will be ready in March.Bourla says the vaccine will also target the other variants currently circulating, CNBC reported.
Bourla doesn't know if there is a need for the fourth booster, but Pfizer will still prepare doses for countries that want it ready. He says Pfizer will conduct experiments to determine if another dose is necessary.
Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel told CNBC on Monday that the company is preparing a booster targeting Omicron for this fall and it will be entering clinical trials soon.
Bancel says people aged 50 and above, immunocompromised and other high-risk groups may need an annual booster.
Israel has made a fourth dose of Pfizer and BioNTechs's vaccine available to people over 60, the immunocompromised, and healthcare workers.
Israeli researchers found that the fourth booster increases antibodies that protect against the virus fivefold a week after the shot is administered.