Life could ‘return to normal’ by end of next year, says Pfizer chief

Life could ‘return to normal’ for developed countries by the end of this year, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla has said.

By the end of 2022, there should be enough COVID-19 vaccine doses for most countries – including developing nations – to inoculate their populations against the virus, Bourla told American business journalist and author Andrew Ross Sorkin at the CNBC Evolve Global Summit on Wednesday.

“I think the whole world will have enough volumes [of vaccine doses] by the end of 2022 to vaccinate, to protect everyone,” he said. “And I think that by the end of this year, the developed world will already be in this situation.”

Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech reached the milestone of manufacturing 1 billion vaccine doses last week, Bourla told CNBC. The two companies plan to produce up to 3 billion doses this year.

Also read: Uncertain if vaccinated person can transmit COVID: Pfizer chief

The companies have pledged to provide 2 billion doses of the vaccine to low- and middle-income countries.

Bourla said Pfizer has contracts with more than 120 countries, but admitted that the majority of the doses so far have gone to developed countries, because they placed their orders in advance.

As developed nations finish vaccinating their populations, more vaccines will likely go towards poorer countries, he said.

Pfizer is also preparing to manufacture booster shots, Bourla said. The CEO had previously told CNBC that people will likely need booster doses within 12 months of getting fully vaccinated and potentially additional doses every year.