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Covid-19: Pfizer Launches Clinical Trial For Vaccine Targeting Omicron Variant

New York-based Pfizer and its European partner BioNTech have launched a clinical study to evaluate a COVID-19 vaccine that specifically targets the Omicron variant.

Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

Photo Credit: Flickr US Secretary of Defense

The study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of an Omicron-based vaccine among healthy adults ages 18 through 55, Pfizer announced on Tuesday, Jan. 25.

According to a recent update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Omicron variant is estimated to have accounted for 99.5 percent of circulating variants of COVID-19 in the United States between Sunday, Jan. 9, and Saturday, Jan. 15.

Pfizer said up to 1,420 people will participate in the study.

“While current research and real-world data show that boosters continue to provide a high level of protection against severe disease and hospitalization with Omicron," said Kathrin Jansen, the senior vice president and head of vaccine research & development at Pfizer, "we recognize the need to be prepared in the event this protection wanes over time and to potentially help address Omicron and new variants in the future.

“Staying vigilant against the virus requires us to identify new approaches for people to maintain a high level of protection, and we believe developing and investigating variant-based vaccines, like this one, are essential in our efforts towards this goal.”

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