JAKARTA - A COVID-19 vaccine that specifically targets the Omicron variant would be 'prudent' even if it might not ultimately be needed, the top United States infectious disease official said Tuesday, as Pfizer announced trials for such a vaccine.
"It's reasonable to think at least setting up an Omicron-specific booster," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, a health expert and chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden and a member of the White House COVID-19 Response Team, told MSNBC, citing Reuters January 26.
"We may not need it, but I think it is wise to at least prepare for the possibility, it may be a persistent variant that we may have to deal with, even if it is at a very low level," Fauci said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Pfizer Inc., and its partner BioNTech SE said they had started clinical trials for a version of their vaccine that targets the highly contagious variant, which has circumvented their current two-dose protection and is leading the way for breakthrough infections.
While most states are still grappling with high Omicron infections even as cases subside in some states, Fauci said eventually enough public immunity would be expected to build up to prevent major spikes, such as waves four to five driven by variants so far.
"I don't think we'll see it indefinitely," he said, adding that COVID was impossible to eradicate.
As previously reported, the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Dr. Tedros Adanom Ghebreyesus warned on Monday it was dangerous to assume the Omicron variant would mark the end of the most acute phase of COVID-19, urging countries to stay focused on beating the pandemic.
"It's dangerous to assume Omicron will be the last variant and we're at the end of the game," said Dr. Tedros is at a WHO executive board meeting on a two-year pandemic that has killed nearly 6 million people.
"On the other hand, globally the conditions are ideal for more variants to emerge," he continued, warning.
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