According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the variant, known to escape vaccine immunity, has spread to about 90 countries.
"We must be aware that even triple-vaccinated people are likely to transmit the disease. It is obvious we are far from the 95 percent effectiveness that we obtained against the initial virus," Euronews quoted Ugur Sahin, CEO of Germany-based BioNTech, as saying to the French daily Le Monde on Monday. BioNTech partnered with US drugmaker Pfizer to develop the two-dose revolutionary Covid jab, based on mRNA technology.
Despite this, Sahin noted that early data from the UK and South Africa are providing us with "reassuring information".
The latest research from South Africa, where Omicronwas first reported, suggested that two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine offered 70 percent effectiveness in reducing the risk of hospitalisation. Israeli researchers have also found that the booster doses of the vaccine work against Omicron.
"There will be a loss of effectiveness against Omicron over time, it's very likely, but it's still to be measured how quickly. I will not base predictions on preliminary laboratory data but on real-life data, which is much more appropriate," the German immunologist said.
Sahin said testing for Covid-19 is important, especially for the elderly and during winter, as are other protective measures such as mask-wearing, adding, "otherwise we will not be able to control the rapid expansion of this new variant".
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The German company is already designing a coronavirus vaccine adapted to the new variant, using Omicron's spike protein and its 32 mutations as an antigen. Sahin announced this should be ready by March, the report said.