The effectiveness of vaccines against Omicron is insufficient with 2 doses of vaccine, however, the administration of a third dose offers immediate protection, said the president of the National Vaccination Committee Maria Theodoridou in the briefing on the evolution of the coronavirus pandemic in Greece.
In any case, Ms. Theodoridou added that it has not yet been clarified how long this protection lasts.
The rapid rise of Omicron has caused strong upheaval in dealing with the pandemic worldwide, he said, adding that WHO President Dr. Tendres says he is optimistic that not only will the acute phase of the pandemic be over in 2022, but that global health security will also be under way.
As he explained, the course of the Omicron variant has made it necessary to study the immune escape, ie the non-neutralization of the virus by antibodies produced either by vaccination or by disease.
“This subject of scientific research is complex mainly due to the different immune status of the population under study but also due to the different methodology and definitions, the different vaccination regimens,” he said.
Despite the differences, all studies converge that the effectiveness of vaccines with the appearance of the Omicron variant is reduced compared to other variants, Ms. Theodoridou summed up, adding that the effectiveness of the vaccines with respect to Omicron is insufficient with 2 doses of vaccine. However, the administration of a third dose offers immediate protection, although it is not yet known how long this protection lasts.
Referring to data from recent studies, Ms. Theodoridou explained that the effectiveness rates vary depending on the study and the variation is wide (From 33% in studies in South Africa to 55 or even 80% in studies in the United Kingdom and Scotland.
According to a recent study from the United Kingdom, in 815 people with confirmed Omicron infection, the third dose protects 90% of hospitalization.
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