The new Omicron variant has been wreaking havoc across the globe, with studies indicating that this heavily mutated variant spreads quicker and is ineffective against the vaccine currently being rolled out.
However, Pfizer and BioNTech have recently revealed that through conducting a series of laboratory tests, they found that three doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine neutralised Omicron. This comes after immense pressure to speed up booster programmes with this test signalling that booster shots may be the answer to protecting the public against the newly identified variant, reports The Guardian.
During tests conducted by the pharmaceutical companies, antibodies in blood samples have offered insight into how far Omicron escapes immunity, showing a significant decrease in the predicted protection against infection for people who have had two doses. These discoveries suggest that when it comes to protection against the Omicron variant, Pfizer/BioNTech should now be viewed as a “three-dose vaccine”.
“The first line of defence, with two doses of vaccination, might be compromised and three doses of vaccination are required to restore protection,” BioNTech Chief Medical Officer Ozlem Tuereci said at a press conference.
Pfizer and BioNTech have indicated that they are working “at full speed” with plans to deliver and update their vaccine in order to specifically target the Omicron variant in March 2022 if needed, reports Reuters.
The companies are the first manufacturers of a COVID vaccine that have issued an official update on the efficiency of their jab against Omicron.
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