Thread by @ASlavitt

NEWS: Pfizer to submit application for COVID specific booster to FDA. More here shortly.

Follow here if interested.

Having had a few conversations with the company and others about this, here is what I know. 2/

The first question is whether a booster will be needed and Pfizer believes that there is a significant boast in immunity if a third shot is given after 6 months.

This may be particularly useful among older people who are immunity wane faster. 3/

Many will argue they want to look at the data and indeed the FDA will review it. If immunity has begun to wane in Israel at the 8 month mark (see 👇), then a booster shot would address this. 4/

https://twitter.com/aslavitt/status/1412229839210254346

In Israel it appears to show that at a certain point seniors have become more prone to infection (asymptomatic largely & some mild cases, but nothing severe). Presuming that follows in the US, a third booster would ward that off. 5/

There have been variants (such as beta— first seen in South Africa) where the vaccine immune response hasn’t been as strong. The boost would apparently address that as well. 6/

So far the tougher variants (Beta and Delta-plus) — listen to @ScottGottliebMD and I address here —
are getting outcompeted by the more contagious but easier for the vaccine variants. First Alpha (UK), now Delta (India). 7/

https://twitter.com/inthebubblepod/status/1413128253292826626

So the pharma companies are always working on additional formulations that could address Delta specific and other variants. But so far these are not needed. This is good news. The current vaccine plus potentially a boost of the same vaccine for some do the trick. 8/

The wrong interpretation of any of this is that the boosters are a reaction to the vaccines not working. They’re working great. Near perfect against severe disease & close to it on infections. 9/

Since nobody wants to get infected, we will learn shortly whether getting boosted is a good option. These are key tests happening at the right time. The government from the time I was there procured enough vaccines to get boosted so we could be ready in case needed. We are. 10/

One final point. It is natural for people to be concerned about things being driven by pharmaceutical profits. I have been & remain a critic of pharma pricing. So let me make a couple opinions clear…11/

The federal government— the FDA and the CDC— make their own independent judgments— they don’t rely on the pharma companies. They are data driven, fact based and (now), free of political interference. 12/

Advice will come on who boosters are recommended for and when if that becomes the right decision as I suspect it will in some cases at some point. Hope this is helpful. /end