The COVID-19 pandemic hasn't diminished despite the number of vaccines available

The coronavirus even spawned a more dangerous variant, the Delta, first discovered in India

However, a vaccine manufacturer claims its vaccine is waning, which requires a third dose to optimize the protection level

Pfizer said Thursday that its COVID vaccine is found with diminishing immunity

It is now working on a booster dose and will soon publish data about it

Once the data is available, it will also submit details to regulators, including the US FDA and European Medicines Agency

Pfizer plans to seek emergency use authorization for the booster in August

Though, two federal agencies in the US didn't agree with Pfizer

The agencies said that companies alone can't make decisions whether a booster dose is needed

Just hours after Pfizer made the announcement, the FDA and CDC released a joint statement

"Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot at this time," they said

The statement noted that fully vaccinated people are "protected from severe disease and death, including from the variants," currently invading the US like Delta

But those who aren't vaccinated remain at risk of severe symptoms, hospitalization, and premature death

Both two agencies explained that a "rigorous" process is required to determine if a booster is necessary

This process considers laboratory, clinical trial, and cohort data, yet not exclusively relying on those

The World Health Organization told CNN that no one knows whether boosters will maintain protection against COVID due to limited information

There's no concrete evidence yet on how long current doses will last

Plus, no sufficient data has determined if these boosters are truly beneficial or which groups will benefit the most

But why did Pfizer suddenly make an announcement without seemingly coordinating with federal agencies?

The company likely based its decision on the data released from the Israel Ministry of Health

That data suggested dwindling efficacy on preventing infection and symptomatic disease at 6 months after vaccination

While preventing severe disease remains high even at 6 months

The announcement can be a big deal worldwide

Not every nation has vaccinated at least 50% of its population

The booster dose may mean expanding protection among fully vaccinated but may restrict access of those unvaccinated due to limited resources

Right now, the best approach is to have as many people fully vaccinated against COVID-19