Op-Ed: An omicron-specific vaccine sounds like a good idea. But it's not

Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna have both begun clinical trials with an omicron-specific vaccine. Sounds good in theory, given that the majority of infections in the United States are with the omicron variant. However, there are numerous reason why such a product will not provide any additional benefits beyond the vaccines that are already available.

The omicron variant emerged with little warning in southern Africa, and passed just as fast. It also emerged quickly in the United States, though it has already begun to abate in several areas. Though omicron has proven to be highly contagious compared to delta and previous variants, with its virulence on individuals less severe, the sheer volume of infections has overwhelmed the nation’s healthcare system.

A deeper dive into the hospitalization numbers indicates that the preponderance of such people across all age groups have been unvaccinated. Clearly, those fully vaccinated, which should mean two shots and a booster, are already highly protected against hospitalization.

Is omicron done yet?: COVID-19 cases drop fast but hospitalizations still high

More COVID coverage: More than 100,000 COVID cases reported in Indiana schools this year

The question is, would adding a new omicron-specific vaccine to the arsenal of vaccines available be any more appealing to those who remain unvaccinated, the group that are most vulnerable? The answer is no. Getting everyone fully vaccinated, including a booster, with the existing vaccines is the best strategy to remain protected against severe disease.

Omicron may be the current dominant variant, but it most likely will not be the last. As long as the virus circulates, new variants will emerge. This means that an omicron-specific vaccine may end up just being one of several COVID-19 vaccines available.

Prior to the emergence of omicron, a delta-specific vaccine was under consideration by Pfizer/BioNTech. Once omicron began to dominate, it would have made such vaccines less relevant, and possibly obsolete. We are seeing a similar phenomenon now with monoclonal antibodies, which were effective against early variants, but less so against omicron. As such, the Food and Drug Administration now limits their use to those infected with variants that will respond to the treatment, which excludes omicron.

Pan-coronavirus vaccines, universal coronavirus vaccine that will be protective against a wide swath of coronaviruses, are needed. Research funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is in progress to develop such products. Given the complexity of such an endeavor, it may take years before one is developed and gains FDA approval. However, the need for such a universal product is indisputable.

Variant-specific vaccines sound like a worthy pursuit, but are likely to be a waste of resources, often arriving too late to make any meaningful difference. Given that we are now two years into the pandemic, much has been learned to keep people as safe as possible, or more accurately, as safe as they choose to be.

The multiple layers of protections available, including taking advantage of the existing vaccines (including being boosted), wearing high quality N95 and KN95 face masks correctly, and physical distancing when possible, all work as an effective barrier to suppress the spread of the virus and keep people safe. However, like any countermeasures, they are only as effective as each person’s willingness to use them.

It is conceivable that by the time an omicron-specific vaccine gains FDA approval, there will not be a need for it, either because a new variant gained the dominant infection position in the country, or the virus transitioned to being endemic.

Pan-coronavirus vaccines are the next quantum leap forward to keep people safe and protected. More critically, they are needed to keep our nation functioning and preserving the freedoms we all have come to expect.

But most critically, it will protect our healthcare system from the next coronavirus pandemic. As has been learned during the pandemic, without a reliable and highly functioning healthcare system, all other freedoms become meaningless.

Sheldon H. Jacobson, is a founder professor of Computer Science and the Carle Illinois College of Medicine at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He applies his expertise in data-driven risk-based decision-making to evaluate and inform public health policy.

Have something to say about today's news? Submit a letter to the editor

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Op-Ed: Omicron vaccine obsolete on most variants