Last Minute Allocation Shake Up? Pfizer’s One-Dose Data Could Change COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout

New data released ahead of 10 December advisory committee is raising questions about whether the US government’s plan to hold back doses of Pfizer/BioNTech’s vaccine is the right move. Still, most experts don’t expect this to be a one-and-done vaccine. But testing the hypothesis might help FDA solve its dilemma on when to vaccinate placebo patients.

illustration from Pfizer briefing document and photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Pfizer likely needs more data to bring the efficacy of a single dose of its COVID-19 vaccine into focus, but such a study could solve the dilemma of what to do with patients in the placebo arm of the trial. • Source: illustration from Pfizer briefing document and photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Pfizer Inc.and BioNTech SE’s COVID-19 vaccine appears to offer some benefit after the first dose of the planned two-course regimen, but Pfizer, the US Food and Drug Administration and independent health policy experts say it’s too soon to pivot to a one-and-done vaccination campaign. 

That’s because the amount of data on patients with one dose is limited by the short period of time between...

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