Hope of tailored Omicron booster in months

Pfizer and BioNTech have begun the first human trial of a vaccine tailored for Omicron, raising the prospect that bespoke boosters could be available before the northern autumn. Initial results from the study, which will recruit 1420 healthy adult volunteers, are expected during the first half of the year. It is hoped that the vaccine will give better protection against infection and mild disease. Professor Ugur Sahin, the chief executive of BioNTech, said the original vaccine that his company developed with Pfizer still gave strong protection against severe disease when faced with Omicron.