The CEO of vaccine maker Moderna, Stephane Bancel, casts doubt over the efficacy of existing jabs against Omicron, prompting U.S. futures and the Nikkei to turn red. Oil also dips on the news, but U.S. energy envoy Amos Hochstein tells CNBC in an exclusive interview that the Biden administration is ready to release more special petroleum reserves if need be. As more countries weigh their measures to combat the new variant, the UK widens its Covid booster programme to all those aged over 18. Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden rules out lockdowns following the discovery of Omicron, saying travel restrictions will only help to slow the spread of the variant. And in China, manufacturing grows for the first time in three months following a fall in prices and an easing of supply chain pressures.

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