A COVID-19 vaccine developed specifically for the Omicron variant has been approved for clinical trials on Saturday (April 16).
A Sinopharm and Sinovac subsidiary called China National Biotec Group (CNBG) has developed the vaccine.
During the trial, researchers found the effectiveness of the third dose of the SARS-CoV-2-mRNA vaccine wanes quickly in the period in which Omicron is pre-dominant.
The existing Sinopharm vaccine’s fourth dose did not lift the antibody levels against Omicron. It was administered six months after a third booster dose to a regular two-dose regimen.
Following the third dose, the fourth dose restored antibody levels to around the peaks.
CNBG will conduct further trials on candidates as boosters in those who have already received two vaccine doses.
Also read | BA.2 Covid variant driving new infections in some parts of US
Researchers believe that new vaccines will offer a better alternative as future alternatives. Several studies are being conducted to combat ‘stealth’ Omicron which has become dominant across the world.
Antibodies elicited by vaccines that are based on older variants show weaker activity to neutralise the highly transmissible variant.
Scientists are also upgrading injections against emerging variants as well.
Also read | Australia: Authorities on alert as first case of Covid XE variant emerges
“We are beyond the time when you can eradicate SARS-CoV-2,” said director-general of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) Thomas Cueni.
Meanwhile, Pfizer has said it is striving to make a COVID-19 vaccine for all variants before the end of 2022.
“I hope, clearly by autumn… that we could have a vaccine,” said the company’s chairman Albert Bourla.
“It is a possibility that we have it by then. It is not a certainty,” he added.
The US pharmaceutical giant is also working on producing a vaccine that provides strong protection against coronavirus for a whole year.
(With inputs from agencies)
