Pfizer 4th dose to be needed ‘sooner than expected’: Pfizer CEO

The statement comes in conjunction with preliminary data released by the pharma giant, showing that the first two doses possibly don't protect people against Omicron the same way they do against other variants of the virus, and that a third booster shot may help significantly. Bourla had previously stated in Aug. 2021 that a more vaccine-resistant variant of COVID 19 was "likely to emerge"

According to CNBC, "Bourla noted that a preliminary study by the company was based on a synthetic, lab-created copy of the variant and more data is needed from tests against the real virus. Those real-world results will be more accurate and are expected in the next two weeks, the Pfizer CEO said."

Bourla commented during the CNBC interview, "When we see real-world data, will determine if the omicron is well covered by the third dose and for how long. And the second point, I think we will need a fourth dose."

While Bourla and Pfizer had additionally recommended the fourth dose a year after the third dose "With omicron we need to wait and see because we have very little information. We may need it faster," opined Bourla.

In Nov. 2021, Bourla also famously called people who spread "misinformation" about the vaccines "criminals."