Fact Check: Pfizer CEO's remarks on limited COVID-19 vaccine protection taken out of context
A post claiming that Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla has said that two shots of the COVID-19 vaccine will provide very limited protection against coronavirus is doing the rounds of social media.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 31 Jan 2022 7:00 AM GMT
Hyderabad: A post claiming that Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla has said that two shots of the COVID-19 vaccine will provide very limited protection against coronavirus is doing the rounds of social media.
The post reads, "After once claiming his shots are "100% effective," Pfizer CEO now says 2 COVID shots "offer very limited protection, if any," protection against COVID-19 (sic)."
Fact Check:
The claim is misleading.
NewsMeter found a BBC video from 9 December 2021 that said a study by Pfizer Biotech has suggested that three doses of the vaccine are required to protect against the Omicron variant.
Yahoo News had published a transcript of Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla's discussion about the development of a new COIVD-19 vaccine. Mr. Bourla said, "We know that the two doses of the vaccine offer very limited protection if any. The three doses, with the booster, offer reasonable protection against hospitalization and deaths – and, again, that's, I think, very good – and less protection against the infection. Now, we are working on a new version of our vaccine – the 1.1, let me put it that way – that will cover Omicron as well. And, of course, we are waiting to have the final results. The vaccine will be ready in March. And the vaccine, we'll be able to produce it massively."
A CNBC report had also quoted Mr. Bourla as saying, "The two doses, they're not enough for Omicron. The third dose of the current vaccine is providing quite good protection against deaths, and decent protection against hospitalizations."
Hence, the claim is misleading. Users are sharing only a part of the speech to claim that Pfizer CEO is saying two COVID-19 doses are not working against the virus. He had said two doses may not be enough for the Omicron variant.
