European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for precautions and urgent action.
“We take the use of Omicron very seriously and we know that we are keeping up with the times,” von der Layen said during his visit to Latvia.
She added that not everything is known yet, as it will take scientists and manufacturers two to three weeks to get a full picture of the power of this option.
The general rule is: “Hope for the best, prepare for the worst,” she said.
She said the EU is “safe” when it comes to vaccines.
“The Pfizer / Biontech contract for 1.8 billion vaccines includes a clause that allows manufacturers to adapt a vaccine to new mutations within 100 days,” von der Layen said.
The UK, meanwhile, said it will host an emergency meeting of G7 health ministers on Monday.
To discuss the development of the situation around the new variant of the coronavirus – Omicron, Reuters reports.
On Saturday, the British government announced new measures in an attempt to slow the spread of the option. The rules for those arriving in the country have been tightened and the wearing of masks is compulsory at retail outlets and public transport in England.
Some students will also need to wear masks in public areas of schools.
BGNES recalls earlier today a statement from a senior U.S. health official that the country expects to receive information within 2-3 weeks on how effective the current vaccines are against the new Omicron coronavirus strain.