The University of Oxford said it can rapidly update the COVID-19 vaccine if it needs to be modified to cope with the Omicron variant of coronavirus.
The university, which pioneered the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca PLC (LSE:AZN), said it has all the “necessary tools and processes” in place for updating the jab.
It pointed out that there is currently limited data on the Omicron strain and said it is evaluating the implications for vaccine immunity.
“Despite the appearance of new variants over the past year, vaccines have continued to provide very high levels of protection against severe disease and there is no evidence so far that Omicron is any different,” the university said in a statement.
“However, we have the necessary tools and processes in place for rapid development of an updated COVID-19 vaccine if it should be necessary.”
The boss of Moderna Therapeutics Inc, Stéphane Bancel, told the FT that he believes existing vaccines will be much less effective against the Omicron variant.
Meanwhile, Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE)’s chief executive Albert Bourla said the firm has already started making a vaccine against the Omicron variant.
“Within 95 days, basically we will have a new vaccine,” Bourla told CNBC.
READ: Omicron: All UK adults to get Pfizer or Moderna booster