As more and more Americans continue to get their COVID vaccines, a booster shot could be necessary as soon as this fall.
Individuals who were among the first to receive their vaccine shots may need to get a third booster dose by September, according to Axios.
The CEOs of both Pfizer and Moderna confirmed the news at an event sponsored by the outlet.
“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," said Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.
Doing the math, Americans who were first vaccinated in December 2020 and January 2021 would possibly need to get the booster as early as September or October.
"I think as a country we should rather be two months too early, than two months too late with outbreaks in several places," Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel wrote in an email to Axios.
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"People at highest risks (elderly, healthcare workers) were vaccinated in December/January," Bancel added. "So I would do [a] September start for those at highest risk."
Dr. Anthony Fauci was less specific with a timeframe, but believes a booster will most likely be necessary at some point.
"I think we will almost certainly require a booster sometime within a year or so after getting the primary [shot] because the durability of protection against coronaviruses is generally not lifelong," Fauci said at the event.
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But other experts advised that while planning for boosters is appropriate, it is still unclear if they will actually be necessary.
“As of now, we don’t have any evidence that protective immunity has dropped to a troubling point, and certainly not for people immunized in December, January, February," Cornell professor and virologist John Moore said.
“It's hard to say where we will be in November because right now it’s May.”
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