NEW YORK CITY (NBC) – For the tens of millions of Americans inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine, they’ll likely need a third shot – a booster dose – within 12 months of being fully vaccinated.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said, “The variants will play a key role. It is extremely important to suppress the pool of people that can be susceptible to the virus.”
The Pfizer news comes as the future of the Johnson and Johnson shot remains unclear. But just the decision to pause the vaccine is having an impact.
NBC News medical contributor Dr. Kavita Patel said, “I saw patients today who were scheduled for Johnson and Johnson, and when I told them I needed to reschedule, they’re like, ‘no thank you.’”
With 7.6 million Americans already inoculated with J&J, the 6 women with rare blood clotting experienced it within 2 weeks. Roughly 3.8 million people are still in that window
Some hospitals said in recent days those inoculated with J&J are walking into the ER with no medical issues or symptoms, but instead simply concerned.
Its leading health officials sought to reassure the public.
In the meantime, in states across the country, there are tens of thousands of unfilled vaccine appointments at a time when COVID cases are climbing. Authorities are trying to ensure public confidence isn’t dropping.
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