Pfizer is conscripting healthy adults in research to compare a modified COVID-19 vaccine for the highly contagious Omicron version. The trial was confirmed on Tuesday by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech. If global health authorities decide that an improvement is necessary, Pfizer will modify their vaccines to better match Omicron.
Omicron is more likely than earlier variations to incite illness. Although it’s uncertain whether a modification to the vaccine formula will take place. The initial immunizations are still beneficial in avoiding serious illness and death. Adding a booster dose improves that immunity and boosts the chances of preventing even a milder infection, according to studies conducted.
Pfizer plans to manufacture 4 billion vaccine doses in 2022
“We recognize the need to be ready in the event. This protection wanes over time and to potentially help address Omicron and new variants in the future,” Kathrin Jansen, Pfizer’s vaccine research chief, said in a statement. Up to 1,420 volunteers between the ages of 18 and 55 will be part of the trial. In the new US trial to evaluate the modified Omicron-based vaccines for use as a booster or main vaccination researchers will describe the safety of the modified vaccination to the original injections. And see how it influences the immune system.
Volunteers will receive vaccination doses and experimenters will regulate how long virus-fighting antibodies persist at high levels following an Omicron-adapted dosage vs a traditional booster. The full analysis outcomes will take months. Pfizer’s CEO told CNBC earlier this month that some Omicron-matched doses could be prepared as soon as March. However, the company’s “at-risk” manufacturing does not suggest that dosages will be accessible to the general population. Pfizer and other vaccine manufacturers have also formulated and tested exploratory doses to match earlier versions. Pfizer plans to manufacture 4 billion vaccine doses in 2022.