Pfizer says third vaccine dose strongly boosts protection against COVID Delta variant

WASHINGTON: American biopharmaceutical company Pfizer said Wednesday a third dose of its COVID-19 vaccine can "strongly" boost protection against the Delta variant.

Antibody levels against the Delta variant in people aged 18 to 55 who receive a third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine are greater than five-fold than following a second dose, Xinhua reported, quoting data posted at the company's teleconference.

Among people aged 65 to 85, the Pfizer data suggest that antibody levels against the Delta variant after receiving a third dose are greater than 11-fold than following a second dose.

Pfizer anticipates applying for emergency use authorisation for a third dose of its vaccine as soon as next month, Mikael Dolsten, who leads worldwide research, development and medical for Pfizer, was quoted by CNN as saying at the teleconference.

-- BERNAMA