Omicron, the latest variant of COVID-19, has led to a surge in cases and hospitalizations, raising talk of fourth booster shots and variant-specific vaccines. But what if there were a universal coronavirus vaccine that protected against omicron and all new COVID-19 variants?
At Wednesday’s press briefing, White House Chief Medical Adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci explained the term “pan-coronavirus vaccine.”
Said Fauci: “There have been five SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern: alpha, beta, gamma, delta and now the current omicron. And so obviously, innovative approaches are needed to induce broad and durable protection against coronaviruses that are known and some that are even at this point unknown. Hence, the terminology ‘pan-coronavirus vaccine.'”
In a surprise twist, it’s not Moderna, Pfizer or any pharmaceutical company that is leading the research into pan-coronavirus vaccines — it’s the US Army.
Read more at CNET.