Two strikes far less protective than Omicron infection, UK data shows | Corona Virus

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Two doses of the Covid vaccine provide less protection against cross-infection with omicron than delta, with a lower level of protection against the new variant even after a booster hit.

According to the latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Omicron is expected to become the dominant alternative in the UK by mid-December, based on current trends, while there could be more than a million infections by the end of the month – the number that will dominate It is Omicron.

Vaccine efficacy data indicate that subjects who took two doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca 25 or more weeks ago had significantly lower protection from symptomatic infection with Omicron than Delta. While the data suggests around 40% protection against Delta at this time, it does indicate that protection against Omicron may be less than 10%. There is a great deal of uncertainty about this number, though, due to the small number of people studied and the fact that Oxford/AstraZeneca has been given largely to the elderly or the most frail.

A similar trend was observed for those who took two doses of the Pfizer vaccine, with approximately 60% protection from Delta at 25 weeks or more since the second dose, and less than 40% protection from Omicron at the same time – though again, there are doubts about numbers.

Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunization at the NHS UK, said: “These initial estimates should be treated with caution, but suggest that a few months after the second stab, there is a greater risk of developing an omicron variant than for the Delta strain.

“The data shows that this risk drops significantly after a booster vaccine, so I urge everyone to take the booster when they are eligible. We expect vaccines to show higher protection against serious complications of Covid-19, so if you haven’t taken your first and second doses, we expect the vaccines to show higher protection against serious complications of Covid-19. Please book an appointment immediately.”

For both groups, the booster injection of Pfizer increased the level of protection against both Omicron and Delta, providing about 70-75% protection against symptoms of infection in the first.

More details soon…

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