Medical research

German biotech company BioNTech should be able to adapt its coronavirus vaccine relatively quickly in response to the Omicron variant, said its CEO Ugur Shahin, adding that despite the mutations, the vaccines must continue to protect people against serious illness.

COVID vaccination will probably be needed each year. This was stated by the CEO of Pfizer. Scientists believe they have found a link between the appearance of blood clots and the Astra Zeneca vaccine.

Turkey is closely following developments in the wake of the emergence of the new COVID-19 strain, Omicron, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has said, adding that the current situation does not necessitate taking additional measures.

He recalled that Turkey immediately acted after the new variant was detected in the world and imposed travel bans on certain countries.

The number of coronavirus vaccinations in the world has exceeded 8 billion. More than half of them (4.16 billion) are in three countries - China (2.5 billion), India (1.2 billion) and the United States (0.46 billion).

The World Health Organization has no data that there is a reduction in effectiveness of existing coronavirus vaccines following the emergence of the Omicron variant.

The EU Could Approve a Vaccine against Omicron in 3-4 Months

The European drug regulator announced on Tuesday that it would approve vaccines adapted to Covid's new version, Omicron, within three to four months if necessary, but existing drugs would continue to provide protection, Reuters reported.

The head of drugmaker Moderna said Covid-19 vaccines were unlikely to be as effective against the coronavirus Omicron variant as before, raising new concerns in financial markets about the trajectory of the pandemic, Reuters reported.

BioNTech has begun work on a vaccine specifically for the new variant of the coronavirus Omicron, which was first identified in South Africa.

The development of an adapted vaccine is part of the standard procedure.

The first steps for a possible new vaccine are carried out in parallel with the assessment of whether one will be needed after the advent of Omicron.

Will the vaccines stop the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the New York Times asks. The new version raises new concerns, because if it turns out that the existing vaccines do not affect it, they will have to be modified, the American publication notes.

Britain has announced that it will convene an emergency meeting of G-7 health ministers tomorrow to discuss developments in the new coronavirus variant, Omicron, Reuters reported.