The president of Moderna Pharmaceuticals told the Financial Times that it is unlikely that Covid-19 vaccines will be as effective against Omicron as against the previous mutant Delta, according to Reuters.
Brent crude futures fell by $1.82, or 2.5 percent, to $71.62 a barrel by 06:05 GMT.
The price of West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell $1.61, or 2.3 percent, to settle at $68.34 a barrel.
The oil price tumbled about 12 percent on Friday, with other markets falling amid fears that the spread of the new mutation would trigger a new closing wave and limit global growth, which would harm oil demand.
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