Interior Health’s Dr. Fenton addresses talks of third dose of vaccine

Talks of a third vaccine booster shot has started after German vaccine manufacturer Bio’N’Tech recently said that offering a third dose of its established two-shot vaccine is the best response to immune protection against the highly-contagious delta variant.

Bio’N’Tech is the company that partnered with Pfizer to create its vaccine, which expects to generate $33.5 billion in Covid-19 vaccine sales this year.

Interior Health medical health officer Dr. Carol Fenton told CFJC News she’s confident in the two doses.

“The conversations around that third booster dose are primarily driven by the companies that are selling that vaccine, so you have to pay attention to your sources. Right now, the data is showing us in the Interior and in B.C. that the vaccine is working really well,” said Dr. Fenton.

The World Health Organization is opposed to countries distributing a booster shot and would rather they donate the vaccine to poorer countries that still haven’t received it.

“That’s where the variants are developing, the variants emerge in populations that have very low vaccine, and we need to make sure that that global access is a focus and that equity is a focus so that we can stabilize globally,” Dr. Fenton said.

Many countries, including Canada, are researching if booster shots will help people with compromised immune systems. The American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to announce a third vaccine shot for immunocompromised people on Friday.