The rapid spread of the Omicron variant across the world has led to a rise in global concern. Until now, the COVID vaccines were seen as one of the primary tools in the fight against viral disease. But this new variant has cast a question over that as well, as multiple vaccines have shown reduced efficacy against it. This was reported by multiple pharmaceutical giants, from USA’s Pfizer and Moderna to the UK’s AstraZeneca. This clearly means that being fully vaccinated might not provide effective protection against the highly transmissible Omicron. A booster shot can, however, raise your immune response considerably. This has again been reported by multiple pharma companies. Hence, let us see how the booster doses of various COVID vaccines have fared against Omicron, which is a variant of concern, as classified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) last month.
Response Of Booster Shots Against Omicron COVID Variant
Let us look at how well the booster doses of various COVID vaccines have worked against Omicron:
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID Vaccine
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The vaccine developed by the US pharma giant Pfizer in a collaboration with Germany’s BioNTech is among the most widely used vaccines across the world.
- In a statement dated December 8, the company said that the two doses of its jab “may not be sufficient to protect against infection with the Omicron variant.”
- A third dose, however, of the vaccine increased the antibody titers considerably, to as much as 25-fold.
- The latest data by the UK Health Security Agency suggests that the efficacy of Pfizer’s booster dose wanes within 10 weeks of getting jabbed for the third time. The data showed that the immunity afforded by the booster dose against symptomatic Omicron infection dropped from 70% to 45% within 10 weeks.
- Moderna’s booster fared better. For those who were jabbed twice with Pfizer’s vaccine, followed by Moderna’s booster, the protection against symptomatic Omicron infection stayed at around 70-75% within nine weeks of getting the third shot.
Moderna’s COVID Vaccine
The COVID vaccine developed by another US pharma major, Moderna, showed a similar response against Omicron.
- Reduced immune response of Moderna’s jab was also seen against Omicron.
- The Moderna's booster dose, however, fared better. The antibodies levels rose 37-fold after receiving the third vaccine dose, the company said in a statement. This happened when the dosage was 50 micrograms.
- When the dosage of the booster dose was raised to 100 micrograms, the antibodies levels soared by 80-fold.
- Moderna’s CEO Dr Paul Burton said that the current vaccine is safe and effective against the newest variant. The company has also announced its plans to develop an Omicron-specific jab.
AstraZeneca COVID Vaccine
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The COVID vaccine developed by British-Swedish pharmaceuticals firm AstraZeneca is manufactured at Pune’s Serum Institute of India and is marketed in the country as Covishield. It is one of the two primary vaccines being administered in India, the other one being Covaxin.
- AstraZeneca, too, said the booster dose of its COVID vaccine is effective against Omicron.
- In fact, the immune response against Omicron after getting boosted was similar to that against the Delta variant after getting the two doses.
- A study published in the journal The Lancet has found that immunity generated after two Covishield doses wanes within three months of getting fully vaccinated. This further highlights the need of getting boosted against COVID.
Also read: Covishield Vaccine Effectiveness Wanes After 3 Months: Lancet Study
Sputnik V
This vaccine, developed by Russia’s Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology, is another one being administered in India.
- A study found a dip in the immune response against Omicron by the Sputnik V vaccine.
- The vaccine developer, however, said that the vaccine remains effective against the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
- It also said that its booster dose elicits a strong immune response against Omicron.
Also read: These Are Top 5 Symptoms Of Omicron COVID Variant, UK Study Reveals
Sinovac Vaccine
The booster dose of China’s Sinovac COVID vaccine, dubbed as CoronaVac, elicits a strong immune response against Omicron, the company said in a statement. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese Hong Kong University, found the opposite. The study found that a third dose of CoronaVac was ineffective against Omicron.
These are insights for India that has announced booster shots to be administered to healthcare and frontline workers. They can get a third dose from January 10 onwards. Those above the age of 60 and with co-morbidities can also get jabbed for a third time as per their doctor’s advice. They can also get booster shots from January 10 onwards.
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