Pfizer vaccine suitable for Omicron will be ready in March, CEO assures

The boss of the Pfizer laboratory assured Monday that a version of the Covid-19 vaccine adapted to the Omicron variant will be ready if necessary in March while his counterpart at Moderna mentioned the preparation of a similar vaccine for the fall.

“I don’t know if we will need it, I don’t know if or how it will be used, but we will be ready. The factory has already started production, ”Albert Bourla told US financial channel CNBC.

The goal of a more protective vaccine against infections

He had indicated at the end of November that his company had already started working on a new version of the vaccine targeting more specifically Omicron.

“We hope to be able to come up with a product that will protect much better against infections in particular, because the protection against hospitalizations and severe cases is quite reasonable with the current vaccines if you have had the third dose,” explained Albert Bourla on Monday.

However, further studies are needed to find out whether a fourth dose is necessary, he added.

A special Omicron recall of Moderna “soon” in clinical trial

The Managing Director of Moderna, Stéphane Bancel, for his part indicated that his laboratory was working on a booster dose for this fall also targeting Omicron, which should enter a clinical trial “soon”.

“We are currently in discussions with health officials around the world to decide what we think is the best strategy for the potential recall for fall 2022,” he told CNBC. “We think it will contain Omicron” but could also include other elements, he added.

“We must be careful to try to stay one step ahead of the virus, and not stay behind,” said the boss of Moderna.