Abstract

The emergence of the Omicron variant (and its derivatives) was a tipping point from the 2020/2021 Covid-19 pandemic to a surprisingly early endemic situation. Contrary to what is sometimes discussed, a replacement of Sars-CoV-2 Omicron by another variant that produces more clinically problematic courses is only a theoretical possibility; in practice, it will not happen. Therefore, now is the time to tailor new vaccines not only against the Sars-CoV-2 virus, but also to protect entire populations against OC43, HKU1, 229E, and NL63, which have been known for a long time. These coronaviruses are, as of February 2022, a greater public health threat than the Sars-CoV-2 virus in its Omicron variant.