The COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and Piontech is still “effective” on the Omicron mutant after “3 doses,” Biontech announced Wednesday in a statement, noting that the two companies intend to develop a custom vaccine for the mutant “by March.”

According to studies conducted by laboratories, “the vaccine is still effective against Covid-19, especially against the Omicron mutant, if 3 doses are taken of it” so that “only two doses may not be enough to neutralize the mutant.”

On the other hand, the World Health Organization announced that the mutated Omicron of the Corona virus was detected in 57 countries, and cases of Covid-19 increased in southern African countries, including Zimbabwe, and it is expected that the number of patients who need hospital treatment will increase with the spread of the disease.

In its weekly epidemiological report, the WHO said more data is needed to assess the severity of symptoms caused by Omicron and whether its mutation may limit the protection offered by vaccines.

And the organization continued: “Even if the severity of symptoms is equal to or less than the delta mutant, expectations remain that the number of patients who need hospital treatment will increase if more people are infected and there will be a time difference between the increase in infections and the increase in deaths.”