Bill Gates admits the need for a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine

Microsoft founder, multi-billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates expressed the opinion that in connection with the new strains of coronavirus, a third dose of the vaccine may be needed.

“There’s a discussion going on right now about whether we just need to achieve very high coverage with the current vaccine, or whether we need exactly the same third dose, or whether we need a modified vaccine,” Gates told CBS News.

“Those people who have already received two vaccinations may need a third. I think it is likely that we will have an improved vaccine to be absolutely sure that when these variants (coronavirus – ed.) reach the United States, the vaccines will protect, ” – said the multi-billionaire.

The United States has started mass vaccination of the population, which is still going on with delays. The Joe Biden administration intends to provide 100 million doses of vaccination in its first 100 days, that is, by the end of April. Each of the two US-approved vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech) requires two doses.

The United States leads the world in the number of coronavirus infections and the number of deaths. According to the latest data from Hopkins University, which summarizes data from federal and local authorities, as well as the media and other open sources, more than 27.7 million people have already been infected in the country, and almost 490 thousand have died.