Executives of vaccine makers say the first booster shots could be necessary as soon as the fall 

The CEOs of Pfizer and Moderna told Axios that the first Americans who received their COVID-19 vaccines could need a “booster” shot as soon as September.

“The data that I see coming, they are supporting the notion that likely there will be a need for a booster somewhere between eight and 12 months.” Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said during a virtual event with the news outlet on Wednesday.

That means that those who received the vaccine early this year could require a booster shot in September or October to help protect against contracting, or spreading, COVID-19.

Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel agreed with the timeline, saying those at highest risks who were vaccinated in December and January should aim for a September booster.

“I think as a country we should rather be two months too early, than two months too late with outbreaks in several places,” Bancel told Axios in an email.

Grain of salt: This prediction is coming from the executives whose companies made billions in 2021’s first quarter, with a large amount coming from the vaccines.

President Biden’s chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci told NBC News that it’s still unknown whether a booster will be needed.

“The bottom line is, we don’t know if or when we will need booster shots,” he said. “But it would be foolish not to prepare for the eventuality that we might need it.”