Third Covid-19 vaccine dose can boost effectiveness against Omicron to 88 per cent: Study

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left, watches Esther receive her Covid-19 booster vaccine at Stoke Mandeville Stadium in Aylesbury, England, on Monday. Pic/AP

A third dose of Covid-19 vaccine can provide up to 88 per cent protection against hospitalisation from infection by the Omicron variant of coronavirus, according to early results from studies conducted in the UK. The findings compiled in a report by the UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA) show significantly higher protection provided by third vaccine dose against the highly mutated variant, compared to two doses.

Eric Topol, professor of molecular medicine, and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in the US noted that vaccine effectiveness drops to 52 per cent against Omicron around six months after taking the second shot of a Covid-19 vaccine. However, a booster dose substantially increases immunity and lowers the odds of being hospitalised with Covid-19 infection.

"That's a big boost of protection for 3rd dose vaccine vs hospitalisation from Omicron infection. Vaccine effectiveness increased from 52 per cent (due to 2-dose waning after 6 months) to 88 per cent after the 3rd dose," Topol tweeted on Sunday. "It's pretty impressive that vaccines directed to the ancestral strain spike from 2 years ago, with the virus that's evolved through more than 290 million confirmed cases, and now to the hyper-mutated Omicron, have preserved efficacy of near 90 per cent vs severe disease with a 3rd shot," he said in another tweet.

The UKHSA report cited two studies which examined the association between both variant and vaccination status and risk of hospitalisation. Both found a substantial reduction in risk of hospitalisation for Omicron cases after three doses of vaccine compared to those who are unvaccinated.

‘CDC mulling Covid test requirement for asymptomatic'

As the Covid-19 omicron variant surges across the United States, top federal health officials are looking to add a negative test along with its five-day isolation restrictions for asymptomatic Americans who catch the coronavirus, the White House's top medical adviser Dr Anthony Fauci said Sunday.

Pentagon chief tests positive

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Sunday he has tested positive for Covid-19 and was experiencing mild symptoms while quarantining at home. In a statement Austin said he plans to attend key meetings and discussions virtually in the coming week "to the degree possible."

8,47,457
No. of new cases reported globally in the past 24 hours

29,02,26,395
Total no. of cases worldwide

54,45,274
Total no. of deaths worldwide

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