The speed with which Pfizer and BioNTech have brought a vaccine tailored to the omicron variant to human studies — just two months after the strain was identified by South African researchers — is a testament to messenger RNA technology, which can be quickly adapted to combat new viral threats.
That pace has positioned Pfizer and BioNTech to run a study just as infections from the highly transmissible variant are peaking in many parts of the U.S. and abroad. And that trial will yield crucial information not just for Pfizer, but all vaccine developers, as the results could help determine whether variant-specific shots are necessary.
