Pfizer Begins Study Evaluating COVID-19 Vaccine That Targets Omicron Variant

A medical worker prepares the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine booster in Hartford, Conn., on Jan. 6, 2022. Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images

Pfizer and its German partner on Tuesday launched a clinical study that will evaluate an updated version of their COVID-19 vaccine.

The updated formulation targets Omicron, a variant of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. Omicron became dominant in the United States last month; the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has proven much less effective, especially against infection, versus the strain.