WHO warns Covid-19 vaccines will likely need adapting for Omicron variant

Early evidence suggests Omicron may be more transmissible and resistant to the current drugs for inoculation

A reminder for travellers to wear a face mask at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. The Netherlands and other nations temporarily banned most travellers from South Africa after a new variant of Covid-19 named Omicron was discovered. Getty

Dr Manjul Shukla transfers a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine into a syringe at a mobile clinic in Worcester, Massachusetts. As the US recorded its first confirmed case of the Omicron variant, doctors across the country are experiencing a surge in infections and the number of people being admitted to hospital in New England and the Midwest. AP

Jehna Kottori, 10, of Worcester, Massachusetts, prepares to receive a shot of the Covid-19 vaccine. AP

A mobile Covid-19 vaccination and booster shot site operates out of a bus on 59th Street, south of Central Park, in New York. AP

Kyna Bigornia receives her booster injection at a vaccination site in Romford, east London, as the UK government accelerates its Covid-19 booster programme to help slow down the spread of the new Omicron variant. PA

Passengers, some wearing masks, queue to board a taxi in Soweto, South Africa, a week after the Omicron variant was first detected in the country. AP

A vast quarantine centre with more than 2,000 beds, in Mumbai, India, a country that reported its first case of the coronavirus Omicron variant in the state of Karnataka. The government increased security measures and issued fresh guidelines for airport authorities, intensifying PCR tests for international passengers and visitors from other states. EPA

A vaccine dose is prepared in Massachusetts. AP

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson receives his booster jab of the coronavirus vaccine at St Thomas Hospital in London, where he was treated for Covid-19 last year. AP

Hope springs eternal in Sydney, Australia. New South Wales health authorities have confirmed six cases of the Omicron variant in the state. EPA

Dr Anthony Fauci, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director, answers the media's questions on the Omicron variant in the White House briefing room in Washington. The US will tighten testing for air travellers entering the country to try to mitigate the spread of the Omicron variant. EPA

A resident receives a dose of Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at a rural village in Aringay, La Union province, Philippines. The archipelago is rushing to vaccinate its population as it considers making vaccination mandatory to deal with the looming threat of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. The country, which has just approved booster shots for its adult population, launched a three-day national vaccination holiday on November 29 to December 1 with the goal of vaccinating at least nine million additional people. Getty Images

Live updates: follow the latest news on Covid-19 variant Omicron

Covid-19 vaccine makers will likely need to alter their inoculations to counter the Omicron variant, the World Health Organisation said.

Spokesman Christian Lindmeier said he was not aware of any deaths related to the mutation, the recent discovery of which has led many countries to tighten border restrictions and reintroduce measures to limit its spread.

Early evidence suggests Omicron may be more transmissible and resistant to the vaccines currently available.

“It is very recommendable that vaccine manufacturers already start planning ahead and plan for the likelihood for having to adjust the existing vaccine,” Mr Lindmeier said. “That's good not just to wait until the final alarm bell rings.”

He said he had “not seen reports of Omicron-related deaths yet”.

“We're collecting all the evidence and we will find much more evidence as we go along," he said.

“The more countries … keep testing people, and looking specifically into the Omicron variant, we will also find more cases, more information and, hopefully not, but also possibly deaths.”

Experts say it could take three to four months to approve an adjusted vaccine.

Manufacturer BioNTech said it expects that fully vaccinated people may become infected with omicron but will still have a high level of protection against serious forms of Covid. A modification for boosters will probably help prevent severe disease and fend off illness in general.

"Even if a booster dose of the current vaccine provides a high level of protection against omicron, an adaption might be needed to increase the duration and level of the immunisation,” the vaccine development firm said on Friday.

Even if the variant is able to elude antibodies in vaccinated people, it will probably still be targeted by other components of the immune system that are activated by shots, BioNTech chief executive Ugur Sahin said earlier this week as he urged the acceleration of booster shots.

Germany says it will block unvaccinated people from public activities except for essential business, while legislation to make vaccination mandatory will be drafted for early next year.

Countries such as the UK and US have brought forward plans to offer booster shots.

Takeshi Kasai, the WHO's western Pacific director, said border restrictions “can buy time” but “every country and every community must prepare for new surges in cases”.

“People should not only rely on border measures," he said. "What is most important is to prepare for these variants with potential high transmissibility. So far the information available suggests we don't have to change our approach.”