The chief executive of Pfizer said people will probably need a third dose of his company’s Covid-19 vaccine within a year of being fully vaccinated.
Albert Bourla also said annual vaccinations against the coronavirus may be required.
"We need to see what would be the sequence and for how often we need to do that, that remains to be seen," Mr Bourla told CNBC.
"A likely scenario is that there will be a need for a third dose, somewhere between six and 12 months, and then from there there will be an annual revaccination, but all of that needs to be confirmed," he said. Variants will play a "key role", he said.
The interview was recorded on April 1.
“It is extremely important to suppress the pool of people that can be susceptible to the virus,” Mr Bourla said.
Researchers do not know how long vaccines provide protection against the coronavirus.
Pfizer published a study this month that said its vaccine, developed in partnership with German company BioNTech, was more than 91 per cent effective at protecting against the coronavirus, and more than 95 per cent effective against severe cases of Covid-19, up to six months after the second dose.
But researchers say more data is needed to determine whether protection lasts beyond six months.
David Kessler, the head of US President Joe Biden's Covid-19 response team, told a congressional committee on Thursday that Americans should expect to receive booster shots to defend against coronavirus variants.
“We don’t know everything at this moment,” Dr Kessler told the House coronavirus crisis subcommittee. “We are studying the durability of the antibody response.
"It seems strong but there is some waning of that and no doubt the variants challenge. For planning purposes only, I think we should expect that we may have to boost."
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine plays a leading role in American and European vaccination campaigns.
The pharmaceutical giant announced in February that it was testing a third dose of its vaccine to better battle emerging variants.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
What is a calorie?
A food calorie, or kilocalorie, is a measure of nutritional energy generated from what is consumed.
One calorie, is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1°C.
A kilocalorie represents a 1,000 true calories of energy.
Energy density figures are often quoted as calories per serving, with one gram of fat in food containing nine calories, and a gram of protein or carbohydrate providing about four.
Alcohol contains about seven calories a gram.
Profile of Hala Insurance
Date Started: September 2018
Founders: Walid and Karim Dib
Based: Abu Dhabi
Employees: Nine
Amount raised: $1.2 million
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, AB Accelerator, 500 Startups, private backers
MATCH INFO
Day 1 at Mount Maunganui
England 241-4
Denly 74, Stokes 67 not out, De Grandhomme 2-28
New Zealand
Yet to bat
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Race card
6.30pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
7.05pm: Meydan Cup – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,810m
7.40pm: UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,600m
9.50pm: Meydan Classic – Conditions (TB) $$50,000 (T) 1,400m
9.25pm: Dubai Sprint – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,200m
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
THE BIO:
Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.
Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.
Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.
Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.
