Thursday, a third dose of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine is 95.6 percent effective against symptomatic infection, according to the published results of a study conducted by the Pfizer and BioNTech laboratories.

A statement said that clinical trials for the third dose, which included “10,000 people over 16 years of age,” showed “a relative efficacy of 95.6 percent” and demonstrated a “favorable safety profile.”

“These results provide further evidence of the benefits of boosters as we aim to keep people well-protected against this disease,” said Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.

The companies said in a statement that the preliminary results will be shared “as soon as possible.”

The booster shots have been approved by several countries to further increase the immunity of vaccinated individuals, whose protection may have decreased after several months.

The total number of global COVID-19 cases has surged to 242.1 million, as of Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins University.