Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) Chief Executive Albert Borla said on Monday that moving towards a redesigned COVID-19 vaccine that is specifically targeted to combat the Omicron version of the coronavirus, is the “most likely scenario”, Reuters reported.
Speaking at the JPMorgan Healthcare conference, Baurla said that Pfizer and partner BioNTech SE are working on an Omicron-targeted vaccine version as well as a shot that would include both the previous vaccine as well as the vaccine targeted at the Omicron version.
Borla said the company could be ready to file for approval for the redesigned vaccine and begin production as early as March.
Meanwhile, South African doctors noticed that Omicron is lighter than Delta. “At the moment, almost everything points to it being a mild disease,” Willem Hannekom, director of the Africa Health Research Institute, said, citing national institute data and other reports. But he adds, “It’s early days, and we need to get the final data. Often hospitalizations and deaths happen later, and we’re only two weeks into this wave.”
Meanwhile, European countries are facing immediate staff shortages in essential services as Omicron reports a surge in positive tests. In France, the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 increased by 767, The biggest increase since last April 2021, although the total number, at 22,749 was still around two-thirds of the peak, which was set in November 2020.
Britain began using military personnel to support healthcare and alerted its largest private health company that it may need to deliver treatments, including cancer surgery.
Spain was bringing back retired medics. In Italy, the challenge of absenteeism with nearly 13,000 health workers with positive COVID-19 tests was compounded by suspensions for non-vaccination. Britain, Switzerland, Spain and Belgium have all shortened quarantine periods and eased conditions for employees to return to work.
(with Reuters inputs)
Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) Chief Executive Albert Borla said on Monday that moving towards a redesigned COVID-19 vaccine that is specifically targeted to combat the Omicron version of the coronavirus, is the “most likely scenario”, Reuters reported. Speaking at the JPMorgan Healthcare conference, Baurla said that Pfizer and partner BioNTech SE are working on an Omicron-targeted vaccine version as well as a shot that would include both the previous vaccine as well as the vaccine targeted at the Omicron version. Borla said the company could be ready to file for approval for the redesigned vaccine and begin production as early as March. Meanwhile, South African doctors noticed that Omicron is lighter than Delta. “At the moment, almost everything points to it being a mild disease,” Willem Hannekom, director of the Africa Health Research Institute, said, citing national institute data and other reports. But he adds, “It’s early days, and we need to get the final data. Often hospitalizations and deaths happen later, and we’re only two weeks into this wave.” Meanwhile, European countries are facing immediate staff shortages in essential services as Omicron reports a surge in positive tests. In France, the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 increased by 767, the biggest increase since last April 2021, although the total number, 22,749 was still around two-thirds of the peak set in November 2020. Britain began to use it. It alerted military personnel and its largest private health company to support the health service that there may be a need to deliver treatments, including cancer surgery. Spain was bringing back retired medics. In Italy, the challenge of absenteeism with nearly 13,000 health workers with positive COVID-19 tests was compounded by suspensions for non-vaccination. Britain, Switzerland, Spain and Belgium have all shortened quarantine periods and relaxed conditions for employees to return to work.
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