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A third booster dose of Covid-19 vaccine provides 70-75 per cent protection against symptomatic infection from the Omicron variant, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Friday.
In its latest technical briefing, the agency said that two doses of both the Oxford/AstraZeneca — administered in India as Covishield — and Pfizer/BioNtech vaccines provide “much lower levels” of protection against symptomatic infection compared to the currently dominant Delta variant of Covid-19.
Boost immunity
However, a third top-up dose does seem to boost immunity against the new Omicron variant, based on an analysis of data from 581 Omicron cases.
Also see: New York's Covid-19 surge is back and so is its mask mandate
“The preliminary data showed that effectiveness against the new Omicron variant appears to increase considerably in the early period after a booster dose, providing around 70-75 per cent protection against symptomatic infection. Due to the early nature of the findings, all estimates are subject to significant uncertainty and are subject to change,” it said.
Health experts reiterated that vaccines were still likely to offer good protection against severe Covid which required hospital treatment.
Early estimates
Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation, UKHSA, said, “These early estimates should be treated with caution but they indicate that a few months after the second jab, there is a greater risk of catching the Omicron variant compared to Delta strain.”
Also see: India reports 9 new cases of Covid Omicron variant, total now at 32
“We expect the vaccines to show higher protection against the serious complications of Covid-19, so if you haven’t yet had your first two doses please book an appointment straight away,” she added.
She highlighted the current guidance of working from home where possible, consistently wearing masks in crowded or enclosed spaces, washing hands regularly, and isolating and getting tested if you feel unwell as vitally important in reducing the impact of Covid-19.
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