A third dose of the Pfizer vaccine might be needed to be fully inoculated against COVID-19, the CEO of the global pharmaceutical company has said.

The third dose would be needed within a six to 12 month timeframe, Albert Bourla continued. He also said that it may even result that the vaccine would need to be taken on a yearly basis to remain fully effective.

“A likely scenario is that there will be likely 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. And again, the variants will play a key role,” he told CNBC in an interview.

Similarly, Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky said back in February that people may need to be vaccinated annually just like a “seasonal flu shot”.

Till now, only two doses are being given out to the public. 

It’s not yet known how long the vaccine continues to work after receiving a dose. A study published by Pfizer showed that the vaccine is 91% effective in protecting a person against the virus and 95% effective against severe cases up till six months from the second dose.

However, researchers made it clear that more work needed to be done to get more accurate timelines.

Would you be willing to take an annual COVID-19 shot?