Moderna CEO: "Existing Vaccines Likely Less Effective Against Omicron"

"Several Months Likely Needed for Mass Production of Omicron-Specific Vaccine"

▲Stephan Bancel, CEO of Moderna

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Moderna CEO St?phane Bancel said on the 30th (local time) that "existing vaccines may not be as effective against the Omicron variant as they are against the Delta variant."

According to major foreign media on the day, CEO Bancel made these remarks during an interview with major foreign media at the company's headquarters located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.

He added, "It will take several months for pharmaceutical companies to mass-produce vaccines specifically targeting the new variant virus, Omicron."

Bancel's comments have drawn particular attention as other public health experts and politicians have expressed optimistic views that existing vaccines will be effective against Omicron.

The day before, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former FDA commissioner and currently a board member of Pfizer, expressed confidence in an interview with CNBC, saying, "If vaccinated at least three times, one can receive considerable protection against Omicron."

Furthermore, U.S. President Joe Biden stated, "Omicron is a cause for concern, not panic," and added, "The government and medical experts believe that vaccines will provide a certain level of protection against it."

Currently, Moderna and Pfizer are developing new vaccines capable of responding to Omicron, which the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified as a 'very high risk.'

Moderna CEO Bancel said that data showing how existing vaccines perform against Omicron and whether it causes severe illness will be released within two weeks.

However, he mentioned that it will take several months to mass-produce Omicron-specific vaccines, and stronger booster shots may be necessary for the elderly or immunocompromised individuals.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.