• Pharmaceutical company seeks FDA approval for third dose
• Companies urged to instead prioritise less wealthy countries
After a sharp increase in US Covid cases and amid fears of a surge of the Delta variant, Pfizer on Monday said it was seeking federal authorisation for third doses of its Covid-19 vaccine to be delivered as booster shots.
However, World Health Organization officials insisted there was not enough evidence to show that third doses of coronavirus vaccines are needed, and said Pfizer should concentrate instead on improving vaccine access around the world.
Related: Vaccines ‘outpaced by variants’, WHO warns, as Delta now in 98 countries
