Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness drops after 6 months -study

FILE PHOTO: A patient receives their coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine booster during a Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination clinic in Southfield, Michigan, U.S., September 29, 2021. REUTERS/Emily Elconin/File Photo

(Reuters) - The effectiveness of the Pfizer Inc/BioNTech SE vaccine in preventing infection by the coronavirus dropped to 47% from 88% six months after the second dose, according to data published on Monday that U.S. health agencies considered when deciding on the need for booster shots.

The data, which was published in the Lancet published medical journal, had been previously released in August ahead of peer review.