Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) CEO, Albert Bourla, has predicted a return to everyday life in the spring of 2022. Bourla explains that new treatments, increased vaccination, and testing will help the world emerge from the pandemic.
Vaccines and drugs have reduced death and severity of infection
However, while the vaccines have helped reduce the severity of infection and death by the virus, they have not stopped the spread of the omicron variant, which is highly infectious.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved the Paxlovid, a drug made by Pfizer and BioNTech SE (NASDAQ: BNTX), to treat COVID-19. The drug seems effective as deaths and hospitalizations among vulnerable patients have dropped by 90%.
However, Bourla points out that although people could go back to their everyday lives, new variants might still come. Moreover, people might have to get vaccinations for many more years.
Bourla is not the only one to have made this prediction as Moderna Inc’s (NASDAQ: MRNA) CEO, Stéphane Bancel, believes that pandemic could end in a year. He added that the increased vaccine production would enable the entire world to get immunized soon. Furthermore, those who don’t get immunization could be immunized naturally by the Delta variant.
Israel study shows that the fourth shot does not prevent omicron infection
Meanwhile, a study by Sheba Medical Center in Israel has found that while the fourth injection of vaccines boosts immunity more than the third, it does not stop Omicron infection.
Sheba is also testing the impact of the Pfizer booster on 154 people after two weeks. Moreover, it is investigating the Moderna booster effect on 120 people a week after receiving it. They compared the results to a control group that did not receive the fourth vaccine.
They found that the fourth shot increased antibodies. However, the increase was not enough to prevent infection from the omicron variant. This study is the first of its kind. Moreover, the researchers have not published it.
Fortunately, Moderna announced that it would start clinical development for its vaccine for the omicron strain. Bancel has stated that the company could share data with regulators in March. Moreover, the company plans to launch an RSV-flu-COVID vaccine in 2023.
