Three doses of Covid vaccine could become standard regimen, Fauci says

Fauci's remark comes even as the Biden administration faces criticism over a plan to make third doses available to Americans eight months out from their second shot.

File photo of US epidemiologist Anthony Fauci | Photographer: Al Drago | Bloomberg

Washington: Three doses of Covid-19 vaccine may become the standard regimen for most people, White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci said Thursday at a briefing.

A study in Israel showed dramatic improvement in protection among recipients of three doses of the vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, normally given in two doses, Fauci said. If the gains last, “you’re going to have very likely a three-dose regimen being the routine regimen,” he said.

The durability of immunity will need to be confirmed when data are presented to the Food and Drug Administration, Fauci added.

The Biden administration is facing criticism over a plan announced last month to make third doses available to Americans eight months out from their second shot, starting in late September. Some critics have said the White House is getting ahead of U.S. public-health and drug authorities, who still must give their go-ahead.

Health experts are still unsure about whether Covid-19 vaccines will administered on a regular, repeating schedule, like annual flu shots.-Bloomberg