The pandemic could be coming to an end soon, according to Pfizer’s CEO Albert Bourla. During an interview on “This Week with George Stephanapoulos” Sunday (Sept. 26), Bourla suggested that the United States could return to normalcy by this time next year. Stephanapoulos asked Bourla if he agreed with Moderna’s CEO, who said this week that the pandemic is on schedule to be over in about a year.

“I agree that, within a year, I think we will be able to come back to normal life,” Bourla said. “I don’t think that this means that variants will not be continuing coming. And I don’t think that this means that we should be able to live our lives without having vaccinations, basically. But that’s again, remains to be seen.”

Bourla mentioned the need for an annual vaccination — similar to the flu shot — and boosters to fend off new variants that may come from other countries. “The most likely scenario for me, it is that, because the virus is spread all over the world, that we will continue seeing new variants that are coming out,” he said. “And, also, we will have vaccines that they will last at least a year. And I think the most likely scenario it is annual re-vaccinations. But we don’t know, really. We need to wait and see the data.”

Reuters reported earlier this week that Moderna’s CEO Stéphane Bancel told the Swiss newspaper Neue Zuercher Zeitung the pandemic would end “in a year.”

The director of the CDC, Dr. Rochelle Walensky authorized distribution of Pfizer’s COVID-19 booster shots for those in high-risk occupational and institutional settings on Friday (Sept. 24). Walensky approved the booster shots for older Americans and adults with underlying medical conditions who have had both shots for at least six months.

According to the CDC’s latest data, there have been over 42 million COVID-19 cases within the U.S. and close to 685,000 people have died from the infectious disease. Thankfully, both of the approved vaccine manufacturers’ leaders seem to believe there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Check out the full interview with Pfizer’s CEO Albert Bourla below: