Seasonal COVID and flu booster vaccines will become the norm after Omicron, Moderna and Pfizer – Vaccine makers

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COVID-19 vaccines will be here for the long-term, and could become part of the annual range of booster shots offered, leading vaccine makers predicted on Monday.

COVID-19 mRNA vaccine manufacturers Moderna and Pfizer are each working on new versions of their jabs geared towards tackling the Omicron variant, company bosses said.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Monday, Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said his company planned to offer a seasonal booster shot that would cover COVID-19 as well as other respiratory illnesses like flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Asked when the COVID-flu-RSV booster could be available, he responded that “a best case scenario would be the fall of 2023”.

But Bancel also suggested that the issue of vaccine inequality could continue, saying of the estimated 2023 introduction for the combined booster: “I don’t think it will happen in every country.”