Omicron variant, vaccine obligation and third dose: the point

With the Omicron variant, the idea of ​​making the anti-covid vaccine mandatory is gaining ground. In Europe, some countries open to this hypothesis, others have been carried away. In Greece, for example, there is a fine of 100 euros per month for people over 60 who refuse to be vaccinated against Covid. The measure was announced by the prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, to incentivize the population to immunize themselves against the virus. Read also In Austria, in lockdown since Monday 22 November, the vaccine against Covid-19 will be mandatory from 1 February 2022. In Germany, ready to launch a new tightening on anti-covid measures, Olaf Scholz said he was in favor of compulsory vaccination against the coronavirus. The next German Chancellor expressed his position during the summit with outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel and the presidents of the German landers, dedicated to the health emergency. According to rumors reported by Bild, Scholz said that as a member of the Bundestag he will vote in favor of the measure if it is brought to the attention of the House. The Chancellor in pectore also said he was in favor of a provision banning the unvaccinated from accessing all non-essential businesses. Israel Meanwhile, there are signs of optimism from Israel in the campaign against the spread of the new Omicron variant. Three doses of the covid vaccine protect, Israeli health minister Nitzan Horowitz said, according to which individuals fully vaccinated against covid can also be protected against the Omicron variant. In Israel, four cases of positivity to the variant have so far been confirmed. “In the next few days we will have accurate information on the effectiveness of the Omicron vaccine, but there is already room for optimism, and there are initial indications that those who have been vaccinated with a still valid vaccine or booster will also be protected. from the variant, “he said. “It is good news if they have carried out the experiments, it takes some time to do them”, said the president of Aifa, Giorgio Palù, a guest of Porta a Porta covid. “You need to have the virus in culture and isolate it , in Israel either they have had cases or if they were sent from South Africa, or you have to use a chimeric virus that has on the outer surface the protein S with which the virus attacks our cells, which is needed for the vaccine – he explained – To develop it for synthetic biology it takes some time and then you have to test the immunizing capacity. If they have obtained this result, it is a good data “. WHO For its part, WHO, for which it still remains “to determine how dangerous and contagious” this new variant is, advises against travel for frail people and people over 60. The warning comes from the World Health Organization, which in a note invites ” all travelers to remain vigilant ” and ” get vaccinated when it’s their turn ”. In particular, WHO targets “ people who are unwell or are at risk of developing a serious Covid-19 disease and dying, including people aged 60 or over or those with comorbidities ” . Citing ” for example heart disease, cancer and diabetes ”, WHO states that these people ” should postpone the trip ”. Omicron variant and vaccines Existing Covid vaccines may be much less effective against the Omicron variant of the virus. This is the alarm raised by the CEO of Moderna, Stephane Bancel, in an interview with the Financial Times, according to which the high number of mutations of the new Spike protein strain and the rapid spread of the variant suggest that vaccines current will have to be changed next year. “I think there will be a material decline (in efficacy, ed). I don’t know how much, because we have to wait for the data. But all the scientists I’ve talked to … they say ‘this is not good,'” Bancel said. In the meantime, Moderna and Pfizer are working to possibly modify the vaccine and contrast the variant. Moderna could take months to complete the mission, as explained by Bancel. The efficacy of current vaccines against the Omicron variant is unknown. To buffer the eventual emergency, the company could make a booster dose of 100 micrograms available in a short time: “The higher dose could arrive quickly. We could decide to provide a higher dose of the current vaccine to protect perhaps the subjects with high risk, immunosuppressed, and the elderly “who” may need a fourth dose. “Biontech, Pfizer’s partner in manufacturing the other mRna vaccine, announces the start of development of an adapted vaccine as a” precautionary measure. ” The research that will go on in parallel with the study of the nature of the new Omicron variant. “To avoid wasting time, we are pursuing these two objectives in parallel until data is available and we will have no other information to determine whether the currently available Covid vaccine actually needs to be adapted or not,” explains the spokesperson. of the company in an interview with the Dpa. “The goal of this approach is to move quickly in case a new variant-specific vaccine is needed.” our Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 16 and 17. Our hope is to provide strong protection to as many people as possible, particularly in light of the new variant, “tweets Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla. Johnson & Johnson, on the other hand, will evaluate his anti-Covid vaccine and to do so is testing the blood serum of participants in the completed and ongoing recall studies, so as to verify the neutralizing activity against the new mutant. At the same time, the US company is working on a specific vaccine against the Omicron variant and will carry it out as needed. This is what J&J explains in a note in which he takes stock of the activities related to the new mutant. Since the appearance of the Covid pandemic, the note reads, “Johnson & Johnson has closely monitored the new emerging variants of Covid-19. In Collaborating with academic groups in South Africa and around the world, the company has evaluated the efficacy of its vaccine for several variants, including the rapidly spreading new Omicron variant. Omicron, points out Mathai Mammen, Global Head of Janssen Research & Development, J&J, “highlights the importance of ongoing surveillance, testing and vaccinations to prevent hospitalizations and deaths from Covid. We remain confident in the robust humoral and cell-mediated immune responses generated by Johnson & Johnson’s Covid vaccine, demonstrated by the duration and breadth of protection against the variants found so far in clinical trials. “But, added the expert,” we will not limit ourselves to this. Building on our longstanding collaboration with field scientists in South Africa and ongoing clinical practice efficacy studies with Johnson & Johnson’s Covid vaccine, we will work together to generate new data on Omicron. In parallel, we have begun work to design and develop a new vaccine against Omicron and will rapidly move it forward in clinical trials if necessary. “