American pharmaceutical major Pfizer has announced to test a Covid-19 booster shot. The company said that it will explore the possibility of coadministration of its pneumococcal vaccine along with a jab of Covid vaccine. It will be the third dose of the Covid drug. The study will be conducted on older adults. Pfizer along with BioNTech has developed a vaccine that provides protection against Covid-19 infection. BioNTech is a German biotechnology company. The vaccine is being widely used in the US for inoculation exercise. Several other countries have also approved the vaccine. During the clinical trial, the vaccine showed an efficacy rate of 95 percent. The decision to explore pneumococcal jab with a booster shot of Covid vaccine comes amid reports that fully people vaccinated could require a third booster. Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine is a two-dose drug.
Pfizer said that those above 65 years and who have already taken the two doses of the Covid vaccine will be part of the study. Participants should have taken the second dose at least six months before joining the coadministration study. They will be given the 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. This will be followed by a booster dose of the Covid vaccine. The objective is to study the safety of both vaccines when co-administered in a person. A follow-up study will be done after six months of vaccination. The firm will measure the immune responses of each of the vaccines in the recipients. Pfizer will divide the participants into three groups. The first group will be given 20vPnC and Covid booster shot. The second group will be given 20vPnC plus placebo. The third group will be administered the Covid booster plus placebo. 20vPnC is used for the prevention of invasive disease and pneumonia.
Pfizer said that the company is ready to explore the boosters and new versions of Covid vaccine candidates against the variants. Its CEO Albert Bourla has already announced that vaccine recipients will probably require a third dose anytime between six and 12 months after receiving the two doses. It is also conducting tests on a third booster on people who are fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, another pharmaceutical major Moderna has said that a third dose rapidly increases the level of antibodies and prepares the body to fight off the infection. Moderna is also an American pharmaceutical firm. Its Covid vaccine is also being used to inoculate Americans.
