The pursuit of second-generation COVID-19 vaccines, including shots that could offer broader protection against a range of emerging coronavirus variants, is intensifying in the face of the omicron threat.
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, a group working to spur vaccine development, expects to commit more funds soon to researchers focused on future COVID-19 shots, said Richard Hatchett, its chief executive officer. CEPI, launched in 2017 with backing from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and others, provided the first funds last month to developers of potential "variant-proof” shots under a $200 million program.
Whether or not the current vaccines maintain effectiveness against omicron, it’s critical to invest in a variety of approaches, including inoculations that could target multiple versions of the pathogen in a single shot, according to Hatchett, a former White House adviser. The work also is expanding beyond programs focusing on the distinctive spike protein that the coronavirus uses to invade human cells.