BioNTech: Omicron mutation vaccine rapidly adapted

BioNTech will be able to adapt its coronavirus vaccine relatively quickly to treat the new mutant strain Omicron, the company’s CEO Ugur Sahin said on Friday, speaking at Reuters Next.

Sahin also added that the existing vaccines will logically continue to provide protection against the serious disease, despite the mutations.

“This mutation could infect vaccinated people. We expect that those who have been vaccinated will continue to be protected from the serious disease,” Sahin said.

The CEO of BioNTech also stressed that mutations in the new coronavirus make annual vaccination more likely to be necessary, as is the case with seasonal flu.

It is noteworthy, however, that not much information is yet known about the new mutant strain Omicron, which was first identified in South Africa last month and has already been identified in more than 20 countries around the world, while some countries Europe was already hit by a new wave of cases due to the Delta variant.