Omicron Mutation – WHO: Pharmacists should plan to adapt their vaccines

Message to them vaccine manufacturers against coronavirus sent today, Friday his spokesman World Health Organization, stating that they should be prepared for the “possibility” of having to adapt their products in order to protect themselves against Omicron mutation.

In particular, o Christian Lindmeier, speaking at a press conference UN in Geneva, said the service is examining the transmissibility and severity of the new variant, first identified in South Africa in November. “There is a strong recommendation that vaccine manufacturers start preparing and planning for the possibility of having to adapt an existing vaccine,” he said. “It’s good do not just wait until the last alarm soundsHe said.

South African scientists studying the Omicron outbreak believe that the symptoms are less severe for those who are re-infected with COVID-19 from the new variant or become infected after vaccination, a senior scientist said yesterday, Thursday. THE Maria van Kerkov, head of the WHO technical team for COVID-19, said on Wednesday that the agency expects to have more information on Omicron’s contagion “within days”.

Omicron Mutation – WHO: No Death Information

“It will take some time even if we do not rush to conclusions here,” Lindmeier said today. “Preliminary data show that there is greater transmissibility. “But that’s all we basically have so far,” he said, adding that the Delta mutation remains the dominant variant worldwide, it accounts for more than 90% of infections. “So Omicron can grow, and we can reach a point where it will surpass the dominant variant, but at this point the very dominant variant remains Delta,” he said, according to the APE-MPE.

“Restrictions imposed in many countries just two weeks ago, the re-closure of the economy, lounging in some areas, the closure of Christmas markets in parts of Europe, this happened before Omicron due to an increase in Delta cases . “Let us not lose sight of this”, he noted ..

Lindmeier said so far WHO has no information on possible deaths from the new Omicron variant of the virus that causes COVID-19. “I have not seen any information about Omicron-related deaths,” he said. As more and more countries are testing to find the new variant, “we will have more cases, more information, and – although I hope not – possible deaths,” he said.

The new variant, which was described as worrying by the WHO, first detected in southern Africa but after South African authorities informed the WHO on 24 November, Omicron infections have been detected in about 30 countries on all continents. Outside of southern Africa, the first infections may have been generally associated with people traveling to the area, but since then the first cases of domestic transmission have begun to occur, in the United States or Australia, for example.

WHO considers it to be “Increased” the possibility of Omicron to spread globally, although many parameters remain unknown: infectivity, efficacy of existing vaccines, severity of symptoms.