BLOOMBERG – The head of BioNTech SE, the German company that developed the first Covid-19 vaccine, said a new formula should be needed by mid-2022 to protect against future mutations of the virus.
BioNtech co-founder and CEO Ugur Sahin told the Financial Times that while current variants of Covid-19, such as the contagious Delta strain, are not distinct enough to undermine current vaccinations, new strains are emerging, who could escape the booster shots. and the body’s immune system.
“This year [another vaccine] is completely unnecessary, but by the middle of next year the situation could be different,” he said.
“It’s an ongoing evolution, and that evolution has only just begun.” BioNTech has partnered with US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. to develop its Covid-19 vaccine.
Last month, the companies submitted initial data on the use of the vaccine in children aged 5 to 11 to US regulators, moving closer to vaccinating school-aged children.
