According to early laboratory data presented on Wednesday by the pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine may not be sufficient to provide adequate protection against the Omicron coronavirus variant.
Two Vaccines May Not Be Enough To Protect Against Omicron
Three doses, on the other hand, seem to be adequate to eliminate the infection. According to the businesses, two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine resulted in an average loss in neutralization capacity against the Omicron variation when compared to the previous virus.
Consequently, the businesses believe that two doses of BNT162b2 may not be adequate to protect against infection with the Omicron variety, as stated in their press release. According to pharmaceutical companies, two doses may still be adequate to provide protection against severe sickness in certain instances.
While two doses of the vaccine may still give protection against severe illness caused by the Omicron strain, early research shows that protection is improved with the third dose of our vaccine, according to Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla. Making ensuring that as many people as possible are thoroughly vaccinated with the first two-dose series and a booster vaccination as soon as it is possible is the most efficient approach of preventing the spread of COVID-19, according to the World Health Organization.
Early laboratory trials used serum obtained from persons who had received two or three doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, which was developed in collaboration with BioNTech. In accordance with their reaction to the medicine, sera were collected from the participants three weeks after their second dosage or one month after their third dosage. With regard to Omicron, Pfizer and BioNTech are still in the process of creating a variant-specific vaccine, which they hope to have available by March if it becomes necessary. Nothing of the material that was made public on Wednesday has been peer-reviewed or published anywhere else yet.
In a preprint report released on Tuesday, researchers from South Africa proved that the Omicron coronavirus variant is capable of circumventing the protection afforded by the Pfizer immunization in certain circumstances. Following a previous infection and a subsequent vaccination, people are expected to be effectively protected, according to the research. Alex Sigal of the Africa Health Research Institute in Durban, who led the study team, has told the media that booster shots are also likely to be effective in protecting against the virus. A booster injection, according to Sigal, will provide further protection, especially against severe illness.
Since reports of the Omicron strain first surfaced in November, health officials in the United States have advised people to be vaccinated and increase their immunity against it. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States began recommending that all adults get a Covid-19 immunization booster as a preventative measure. The Pfizer or Moderna Covid-19 immunizations are available for those over the age of 18 who have received their second injection and are eligible for a booster dose six months after their first injection. Anyone who got the Johnson &Johnson one-shot vaccine within two months of obtaining their first dose of the vaccine is eligible to receive a booster dose of any authorized immunization at no additional cost.