The internal research team of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday (11th) that the current new crown vaccine may have to be re-developed to ensure that the vaccine is effective once morest the new coronavirus variant strain Omicron or a possible new variant strain in the future.
The research team, set up by independent experts, said it would change the composition of the vaccine, stressing that vaccination must be more effective in preventing infection. The technical group was established to make recommendations to WHO.
The research team said in a statement that the current new crown vaccine composition needs to be updated to ensure that vaccination provides the level of infection prevention recommended by the WHO, and pointed out that strategies to repeat or boost existing vaccine doses may not be appropriate or sustainable.
However, the statement does not advocate the use of a vaccine once morest Omicron at this stage, saying only that more research is needed and calling on manufacturers to share data.
Pfizer (PFE-US) CEO Albert Bourla said a few days ago that a new crown vaccine that can deal with the Omicron variant strain will be launched in March and is now ready for production. Its competitor Modena (MRNA-US) also said it is working on a vaccine tailored for Omicron, which is expected to be launched in the fall.
A WHO official has previously said the issue of vaccine ingredients requires “global coordination” and should not be left to manufacturers to decide.
