Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said that people would likely need a third shot of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine within 12 months after being fully vaccinated.
During an event with CVS Health, which was recorded April 1 but released on Thursday, Bourla said it's likely possible people will need to get vaccinated against the coronavirus annually, CNBC reported.
“A likely scenario is that there will likely be a need for a third dose, somewhere between six and 12 months," Bourla said. "And then from there, there will be annual revaccination, but all of that needs to be confirmed."
Bourla said during the event that COVID-19 variants would "play a key role" in determining what vaccinations will be needed in the future.
Bourla added that the nation's primary focus at the moment should be vaccinating the population now to prevent the virus's spread.
It's still unknown how long the vaccines would protect someone once they've been fully vaccinated.
Earlier this month, Pfizer said its vaccine was more than 91% effective after a study was conducted on more than 46,000 trial participants.
Pfizer said that after people received their second dose, the vaccine was 95% effective.
