Moderna to Soon Launch Clinical Trials for Omicron Vaccine

American pharmaceutical company Moderna will begin clinical trials for its coronavirus vaccine in the coming weeks, according to director Stéphane Bancel. "The development of the vaccine is nearing completion. It will undergo clinical trials in the coming weeks. We hope to have data by March that we can share with experts to determine the next steps," Bancel stated during an online conference at the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Additionally, the CEO of Moderna noted that the company aims to develop an annual booster that targets both COVID-19 and influenza. "In this way, people will not face issues fulfilling vaccination requirements when they do not wish to receive two or three doses in the winter; they will have the opportunity to prepare a single powerful vaccine that will protect against both the coronavirus and the flu," he mentioned.

According to him, in the best-case scenario, such a booster could be available by the autumn of 2023 in at least a few countries.