The Moderna CEO says existing COVID-19 vaccines will likely be less effective against the new Omicron variant. “I think it’s going to be a material drop,” he said. “I just don’t know how much, because we need to wait for the data.'
“Even if the new variant becomes more widespread, the vaccines we have will continue to provide protection,” Emer Cooke, executive director of the European Medicines Agency, told the European Parliament.
Cooke said the agency could approve new vaccines that target the Omicron variant within 3 to 4 months, if needed. Moderna and Pfizer have announced they are beginning to tailor a shot to address the Omicron variant in case the data shows they are necessary. Also on Tuesday, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control announced that 42 Omicron cases had been identified in 10 European Union countries, accordingThe cases were mild or had no symptoms, although they were found in younger people who may have mild or no symptoms anyway.
The University of Oxford, which developed a COVID-19 vaccine with AstraZeneca, said on Tuesday that there’s no evidence that vaccines won’t prevent severe disease from the Omicron variant, according“Despite the appearance of new variants over the past year, vaccines have continued to provide very high levels of protection against severe disease and there is no evidence so far that Omicron is any different,” the university said in a statement.
Reuters: “EU could approve shot against new coronavirus variant in 3-4 months,” “Forty-two cases of COVID-19 Omicron variant confirmed in 10 EU states,” “Oxford University says no evidence yet that vaccines won’t protect against severe disease from Omicron.”
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