Covid-19: Pfizer, BioNTech say booster dose of vaccine is effective against Omicron variant

Data released by pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and BioNTech on Wednesday showed that a third dose of their Covid-19 vaccine neutralises the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

The study found that people who received only two shots of the vaccine showed more than a 25-fold reduction in antibodies against the Omicron variant compared to the original strain of Covid-19. On the other hand, those who received a third dose had similar number of antibodies against Omicron as against the original variant.

Pfizer and BioNTech, however, said that people vaccinated with two doses may still be protected against severe cases of infections caused due to the Omicron variant.

Albert Bourla, the chief executive officer of Pfizer, said that the best course of action against Covid-19 was to vaccinate people with the two dose-regimen and a booster shot.

“Although two doses of the vaccine may still offer protection against severe disease caused by the Omicron strain, it’s clear from these preliminary data that protection is improved with a third dose of our vaccine,” he said.

So far, the science tells us that fully vaccinating as many people as possible with the first two dose series and a booster, as quickly as possible, remains the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

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