Variant-Based Vaccine Being Developed For Specific COVID-19-Related Strains

Most know that the world finds itself dealing with the COVID-19 variant anew, this time due to a new strain known as Omicron.

The best measure is still for people to get vaccinated, some even getting boosters for added protection. However, it appears Pfizer and BioNTech are planning to test a vaccine that is specifically made for the Omicron variant, USA Today reported.

The companies will reportedly run three simultaneous trials in adults aged 18 to 55 to figure out if an omicron-specific vaccine will prove to be more effective. Three shots are said to be enough but work is being done now to see if the vaccine known as Comirnaly can prove to be more effective.

“This study is part of our science-based approach to develop a variant-based vaccine that achieves a similar level of protection against Omicron as it did with earlier variants but (with a) longer duration of protection,” BioNTech CEO and co-founder Uğur Şahin said in a statement.

In the trials being made, the first one had 615 people receiving two doses of Comirnaly about 3 to 6 months ago who will get one or two shots of the omicron-specific vaccine.

In the second trial, 600 people who got three doses about 3 to 6 months ago will get one shot of the said vaccine.

The third trial will see 200 participants who have never been vaccinated will receive three doses of the omicron-specific vaccine.

It should be noted that the initial vaccine trials proved that shots were safe and effective at protecting against symptomatic and severe infections. Hence, the aim now is to show that altered vaccines are safe and trigger roughly the same immune response.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been approved for anyone 16 and over. It can be administered for those aged 5 and up under emergency use only if authorized.

A third booster dose is allowed for anyone over 12 who already received two doses of Comirnaty, applicable also to kids with a weak immune system.

“Staying vigilant against the virus requires us to identify new approaches for people to maintain a high level of protection, and we believe developing and investigating variant-based vaccines, like this one, are essential in our efforts towards this goal," Kathrin Jansen, Pfizer senior vice president and head of Vaccine Research & Development stated.