Biontech boss Uğur Şahin expectedthat the existing Covid-19 vaccine of the Mainz manufacturer also with the new one Omicron variant offers protection against serious illnesses. “We think it is likely that those who have been vaccinated will have significant protection against serious illnesses caused by Omikron,” Şahin told Reuters on Tuesday. “We assume that this protection is even more pronounced when the people have received their third vaccination.”
There is certainty about the effectiveness of the vaccine against the new variant only after the evaluation of the laboratory data and infection data from the real world. With more clarity Şahin reckons in about two weeks. “We expect that the protection against infections can be reduced to a certain extent, but how strong we have to see.” So far there is no evidence that infections with Omikron were more severe. However, it is not yet known whether the virus is more infectious and spreads faster than the current Delta variant. “From my point of view, there is no reason to be particularly concerned. The only thing that worries me at the moment is that there are people who have not yet been vaccinated. “