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BioNTech CEO optimistic about protection against Omicron vaccines

BioNTech and Pfizer vaccine against COVID-19 likely to offer strong protection against serious disease from new Omicron mutation, BioNTech chief executive told Reuters, as his company considers the need to upgrade its vaccine for the new executive.

Laboratory tests are scheduled for the coming weeks to evaluate the reaction of people who have taken two or three doses of the BioNTech vaccine to see if their antibodies inactivate Omicron. This will determine if new vaccines are needed.

“We believe that it is possible for people to have significant protection against serious illness from Omicron,” said BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin.

He added that he expects laboratory tests to show some loss in the protection offered by the vaccine against mild to moderate disease in the case of Omicron, although it is difficult to estimate the extent of the loss.

The biotechnology company is focusing on an upgraded version of its vaccine, though it is not yet clear if this will be needed, he said.

Sahin also said that the third dose of the vaccine, the booster dose, is likely to offer an extra layer of protection against Omicron compared to people who have only taken the two doses.

“In my opinion, there is no particular cause for concern. The only thing that worries me at the moment is that there are people who have not been vaccinated at all,” Sahin added.

The restrained optimism of the head of BioNTech contradicts the pessimistic assessments made recently by the CEO of Moderna, who referred to the possibility of a large drop in protection against the new coronavirus mutation.

Sahin also said regulators were not expected to ask for new tests on volunteers and an analysis of their immune system’s response to an upgraded vaccine for the Omicron mutation.

“The advantage is that we have been testing for months now at the pit stop … and if we need to change tires we will actually be able to say that we have shown this for one mutation and two mutations …,” Sahin said.

He said he still waits for the initial batch for a new vaccine to be for 25-50 million doses, with the time required being about 100 days, provided it has been given the green light by regulators.

Sahin did not want to speculate on whether Omicron would become the dominant figure, like Delta. “But even if it does, that in itself is not a cause for panic,” he said.

The European regulator, meanwhile, announced on Tuesday that it could approve custom vaccines for Omicron within three to four months if needed, although existing vaccines are expected to continue to provide protection.

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Source From: Capital

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