Pfizer launches study of omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccine

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Pfizer and BioNTech will be conducting a clinical trial to test an omicron-specific version of their vaccine. They are moving forward with studies of a new vaccine because of concerns that the original shot isn't preventing infections with the newest variant of coronaviruses.

The original two-dose series of the gene-based COVID-19 vaccines, made by Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna, don't seem to offer much protection against the omicron variant with the virus. It's not clear how long that protection lasts after a third booster dose. The second and third shots are still effective against severe illness and death.

Omicron has a number of changes that make it more difficult to block the original form of the virus, which are the types generated by the vaccines. The hope is that an omicron-specific form of the vaccine, which should push the body to produce omicron-specific antibodies, would provide longer- lasting protection against infections and serious cases of COVID-19.

1,420 people will be tested in the study. People who have already received two doses of the original vaccine will get an additional dose. If you have already received three doses of the original, you will get an additional dose or one dose of the omicron shot. Three doses of the omicron-specific shot will be given to a third set of people who have never been vaccined.

This study is part of our science-based approach to develop a variant-based vaccine that will achieve the same level of protection against omicron as it did with earlier variant but with longer duration of protection.