Amid the drop witnessed in the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against the Omicron variant, pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca has said that the booster dose of its vaccine works well against the new strain. This came after pharma majors Pfizer and Moderna said that the efficacy of their vaccines dropped against Omicron, however, their boosters work well against the new ‘variant of concern’. This comes as a glimmer of hope as global concern has risen over the strain, which is said to be highly transmissible and able to evade the immune response generated by vaccines and prior infections.
Oxford Study On Efficacy Of AstraZeneca’s Booster Shot Against Omicron Variant
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The said COVID vaccine was developed by British-Swedish pharmaceuticals firm AstraZeneca in a collaboration with the University of Oxford. The said study was also conducted at Oxford University but by a different group of researchers. This is what it found out:
- The antibodies generated in people a month after getting the booster dose of AstraZeneca’s vaccine were able to neutralise the Omicron variant.
- The level of antibodies after getting boosted was found to be comparable to those against the Delta variant after getting the two doses of the vaccine.
- Not only that, the level of antibodies generated following the third dose was found to be higher than in those previously infected with the novel coronavirus, including the Delta variant, and recovered on their own.
Although developed at AstraZeneca-University of Oxford, the vaccine is manufactured in India, where it’s called Covishield, and South Korea, where it’s called Vaxzevria.
The study findings come at a time when concerns have arisen over the efficacy of the current COVID vaccines. Some days back, AstraZeneca had also announced that it would develop a vaccine specific to the Omicron variant.
Also read: These Are Top 5 Symptoms Of Omicron COVID Variant, UK Study Reveals
How Have COVID Vaccines Fared Against Omicron?
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AstraZeneca’s isn’t the only vaccine that showed lowered efficacy against Omicron but offered greater protection following the booster dose.
Pfizer COVID Vaccine
This is how the COVID vaccine developed by the US pharma major Pfizer, in a collaboration with Germany’s BioNTech, fared against Omicron:
- Pfizer reported a drop in the protection offered by the standard two doses of its COVID vaccine against Omicron.
- However, efficacy increased following the booster dose.
- Not only that, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said earlier this month that people might need a fourth dose as well.
Moderna COVID Vaccine
Another US pharma major, Moderna, has reported similar results for its COVID vaccine.
- As per a study, Moderna’s two-shot COVID vaccine was found to be 50% less effective against Omicron as compared to the original COVID strain first identified in Wuhan, China.
- The booster dose, however, showed to work well against the strain.
- Not only that, the Moderna said the antibodies level after administering the booster shot rose 37-fold against Omicron as compared to when the standard two doses were administered.
These findings reflect the need to boost the population especially since the Omicron variant is spreading fast across the world. This is especially the case with AstraZeneca’s shot, not just because of Omicron, but because, the immunity generated by Covishield starts waning three months after the administration of the second shot, a study has shown. This is vital for India since Covishield, which is AstraZeneca’s shot, is the primary vaccine administered in India.
Omicron Spread In India & The World
Just when the world saw some respite from the COVID pandemic, the Omicron variant was identified in South Africa.
- The first case of infection with Omicron was reported in South Africa on November 9.
- It was reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
- The world health body classified it as a ‘variant of concern’ on November 26.
As of Friday, India has recorded over 300 cases of Omicron. This came after the over 80 cases jump recorded on Thursday, taking the tally to 358. Maharashtra has the highest caseload with 88 Omicron cases, followed by Delhi’s 67. Due to the looming threat, states have announced various restrictions, given the Christmas and New Year celebrations are just around the corner. While Delhi has banned large gatherings on the two holidays, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have announced night curfews.
Also read: Omicron COVID-19: 10 Guidelines By Govt. To Avoid Omicron Infection This Christmas Week
Just like India, cases are rising in other parts of the world as well. The United States and the United Kingdom are among the worst-hit right now. While the US is recording 100,000 new COVID cases almost daily, the UK is witnessing a record number of cases, higher ever since the pandemic began. Globally, the novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, has infected 278,150,880 people and killed 5,386,854 of them.
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