'Omicron' is expected to have greater transmissibility and potential immune escape.
The new Covid variant Omicron needs much study to determine its nature and effects, but vaccine makers are already at work to adapt their shots to the virus that's considered to be highly infectious. German biotech company BioNTech SE, along with partner Pfizer Inc., plans to ship the new version of their shot within 100 days, Bloomberg reported.
US-based vaccine maker Moderna expects a similar time-frame for a new vaccine tailored for 'Omicron'. It will possibly be available by early next year, Moderna's chief medical officer Paul Burton has told BBC.
"If people are on the fence, and you haven't been vaccinated, get vaccinated... This is a dangerous-looking virus," Mr Burton said.
Vaccine makers and scientists have been united in their appeal for urgent vaccination with any available Covid vaccine because a rapid spread of infection, even if not severe, can cause stress on healthcare services.
Scientists, however, say they need more time to study the virus to come to any conclusion regarding its infectious nature, the severity of the disease it causes, and how well vaccines protect against it. Bloomberg reported that BioNTech, while saying in a statement that it is starting vaccine development now, added that the "first steps of developing a new vaccine will overlap with research to evaluate whether a new shot will be needed".
Earlier today, the World Health Organisation said the "main uncertainties" about 'Omicron' are:
- How transmissible the variant is and whether any increases are related to immune escape, intrinsic increased transmissibility, or both;
- How well vaccines protect against infection, transmission, clinical disease of different degrees of severity and death; and
- Does the variant present with a different severity profile.
India's top bio-medical scientist Dr Gagandeep Kang said data showed individuals who contracted Covid and were later vaccinated, were either asymptomatic or had mild infection after contracting 'Omicron'.
Greater transmissibility doesn't necessarily mean greater severity, she added.
"Fortunately, in India, we have a small advantage because a lot of our people were infected before they were vaccinated. And we know that a combination of vaccination and infection gives you the broadest possible immune response. So, we may be lucky there," she told NDTV.