Pfizer CEO Says Skipping Second Coronavirus Vaccine is ‘Big Mistake’

A leading coronavirus vaccine may provide some protection after a single dose, but the most dramatic benefits come from getting a second booster shot as well.
Data released Tuesday suggested that people get partial protection from Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine about 10 days after receiving the first injection. The vaccine is given as two doses, 21 days apart, and the vaccine is much more effective after the second dose, the data show.
Albert Bourla, Pfizer’s CEO, said on a Tuesday press call that it would be “a very big mistake” for people to only get one dose.
The UK began giving people Pfizer’s vaccine on Tuesday, as US regulators entered the final stages of their review. An expert panel is set to meet Thursday to review the company’s application for an emergency OK in the US. By all accounts, public-health authorities around the world plan to give Pfizer’s vaccine only as a two-dose regimen.