Laboratories work on specific vaccines against the omicron variant of the coronavirus

Pharmaceuticals BioNTech, Moderna and Janssen are working on vaccines designed specifically against the omicron variant, if their current immunizers are not effective against the new strain of Sars-CoV-2, according to information released by the companies on Monday (29).

The emergence of the variant has triggered a strong global response, and countries, fearing it could spread quickly, even in vaccinated populations, have imposed travel restrictions, among others.

BioNTech said it has started work on a tailored vaccine for the omicron variant, along with its partner Pfizer. The companies’ vaccine is authorized for use in Brazil.

Meanwhile, Moderna —which has no immunizing agent used in Brazil— could take months to start selling a new vaccine, according to the company’s CEO, Stéphane Bancel, to the CNBC network.

Bancel said the effectiveness of existing Covid-19 vaccines for this variant is not known. According to him, there should be more clarity about this in the coming weeks.

Janssen is also evaluating the effectiveness of its omicron vaccine. “We have begun work to design and develop a new omicron vaccine and will rapidly progress into clinical trials if necessary,” said Mathai Mammen, global research director for the pharmaceutical unit of Johnson & Johnson.

One of the points that calls attention to the micron is the high number of mutations — more than 30 — in its S protein (which is used to fit into human cells and invade them), something not seen in other strains that appeared during the pandemic.

Experts fear that the new variant is more transferable than its predecessors. According to the WHO (World Health Organization), preliminary information indicates that, compared to previous variants, people who have already had Covid could be reinfected more easily with omicron.