Stéphane Bancel, the CEO of the American laboratory Modern, it does not go with turns. And it has always been to the point. From the beginning, he warned that the world will have to learn to live with the coronavirus forever. Now, in an interview with the Financial Times, he assured that “what comes is not good” with the Omicron variant.
The head of the pharmaceutical company also said that it is unlikely that COVID-19 vaccines will be as effective against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus as they have been previously, generating a new concern in financial markets on the trajectory of the pandemic.
“I think there is no world where (efficiency) is at the same level … as we had with Delta,” Bancel told the Financial Times.
Moderna vaccine vials. Photo: AFP
“I think it’s going to be a material drop. I don’t know how long because we have to wait for the data. But all the scientists I’ve talked to … they tell me ‘this is not going to be good.’
Resistance to vaccines could lead to more illnesses and hospitalizations and prolong the pandemic, and his comments triggered the sale of assets exposed to growth such as oil, stocks and the Australian dollar.
Modify vaccines
Bancel added that the large number of mutations in the protein spike using the virus to infect human cells meant that it is likely the current crop of vaccines may need to be modified.
Moderna had previously announced that data on its vaccine’s ability to neutralize the Omicron variant would be expected in weeks. Photo: AFP
He had previously said on CNBC that it could take months start shipping a vaccine that works against Omicron.
The fear of the new variant, despite the lack of information on its seriousness, it has already caused delays in some economic reopening plans and the re-imposition of some travel and circulation restrictions.
The interview put another scare in the financial markets, with the Dow industrials YM00 contract futures, -1.15% losing more than 500 points.
Moderna had previously announced that data on its vaccine’s ability to neutralize the Omicron variant would be expected in weeks as it works to rapidly advance a booster candidate specifically against the variant.
Sales of its coronavirus vaccine products accounted for $ 4.81 billion of Moderna’s $ 4.97 billion in revenue in the third quarter.
Clarín newsroom with information from FT and Market Watch
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