MUCH remains unknown about the new coronavirus variant Omicron, and one of the biggest questions is whether vaccines will be effective against Omicron.
Data and real-world evidence so far shows that vaccine-induced immunity is more robust than infection-acquired natural immunity in all coronavirus variants so far.
However, preliminary research suggests hybrid immunity in people who previously had COVID-19 and were later vaccinated may have a higher concentration of antibodies against Omicron.
Pfizer has also released data confirming that a booster dose produces a similar and better antibody response than two doses alone.
The Omicron variant has been found in 57Trusted Source countries and 19 states across the United States, and it continues to spread.
Many countries, including the United States, have ramped up their COVID-19 vaccine and booster rollout to better equip their populations against this new variant.
In fact, the United States recorded its highest rate for booster doses last week, administering 1 million shots per day, White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said Tuesday.
Amidst it all, preliminary reports have started to surface about how effective vaccines will likely be against it.
So far, the data indicates that a booster dose is needed to effectively neutralize the Omicron variant.
Two studies were released this week on the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine’s efficacy against Omicron.
While both of them show a reduced antibody response against Omicron, the overarching theme is that a third (booster) dose or vaccination after infection is needed for the widest range and most robust antibodies.
One study was a series of lab experiments that analyzed the immune responses of 12 people who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine by experts in South Africa.
The small study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, looked at people vaccinated with a two-dose regimen of the Pfizer vaccine, to see if the Omicron variant was better able to evade antibodies compared with the original coronavirus strain.
They found people had a 41-fold reduction in neutralizing antibodies against Omicron with the standard two-dose regimen of the Pfizer vaccine.
