COVID-19 variant omicron is unlikely to cause severe illness in vaccinated people, BioNTech founder says
Dr. Sahin advised people not to 'freak out'
The omicron variant of the coronavirus could lead to more infections among vaccinated people but they will most likely remain protected from a severe course of illness, according to the inventor of one of the first COVID-19 vaccines.
While the new variant might evade the antibodies generated in reaction to the vaccine, the virus will likely remain vulnerable to immune cells that destroy it once it enters the body, BioNTech SE co-founder Ugur Sahin said.
"Our message is: Don’t freak out, the plan remains the same: Speed up the administration of a third booster shot," Dr. Sahin said in an interview Tuesday
