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Moderna vaccine
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The new virus variant Omikron is fueling concerns about a setback in the fight against pandemics.
Now the boss of the vaccine manufacturer Moderna has spoken in the "Financial Times".
Stephane Bancel reckons that the current corona vaccines are unlikely to be as effective against the new Omicron variant.
He also said it will be months before drug companies can manufacture new variant-specific vaccines on a large scale.
He is currently not assuming an effectiveness like the Delta variant, says Bancel of the "FT" with a view to the current vaccines.
“I think it's going to be a significant drop.
I just don't know how much because we have to wait for the dates.
But all the scientists I've spoken to tend to say, 'That won't be good'. "
The Moderna boss is thus adopting a rather pessimistic tone.
A manager of Moderna competitor Pfizer said on Monday that experts had a certain degree of confidence that three vaccine doses would offer quite good protection against the Omikron variant.
US President Joe Biden had said with reference to expert opinions, Omicron was "a cause for concern, but not a cause for panic."
Moderna boss Bancel now said scientists are concerned because 32 of the 50 mutations in the Omicron variant affect the spike protein, which current vaccines focus on to boost the human body's immune system to fight Covid-19.
Most experts assumed that such a strongly mutated variant would only appear in a year or two, added Bancel.
Bancel said data showing how existing vaccines against the Omicron variant are working and whether they cause serious illness should be available within two weeks.
"The bill doesn't work out"
However, it will take several months before an Omicron-specific vaccine can be manufactured on a large scale, Bancel said.
Moderna and Pfizer couldn't make a billion cans next week, Bancel said.
“It doesn't work out.
But could we get the billion cans on the market by summer?
Sure, ”he added.
Moderna could therefore produce a total of two to three billion cans in 2022.
However, Bancel said it would be risky to switch all of Moderna's manufacturing capacity to an Omicron-targeted vaccine while other variants are still in circulation.
Until an adapted vaccine is available, it may make sense to give older people or people with weakened immune systems stronger booster vaccinations.
Moderna and Biontech-Pfizer have become the preferred vaccine suppliers in most industrialized countries due to the high effectiveness of their vaccines, which are based on messenger RNA (mRNA) technology.
Vaccines are considered to be the most effective way to get the global corona pandemic under control.
Investor sentiment is clouding over
Bancels statements also have an impact on investor sentiment on the stock market.
Investors in tourism and retail stocks are getting out of fear of further travel restrictions and new lockdowns.
The shares of the airline Lufthansa, the airport operator Fraport and the shopping center operator Deutsche Euroshop fell by up to 4.1 percent before the market.
Because of the fear of a setback for the global economy, the leading index Dax will start lower according to calculations by banks and trading platforms.
At the beginning of the week, the German benchmark index had stabilized again after the sell-off on Friday and had gone 0.2 percent more firmly from trading.
Commodity investors were also unsettled by the statements made by the Moderna boss.
The price of Brent crude oil from the North Sea fell by a good three percent to $ 71.20 a barrel.
mmq / Reuters / dpa