A variant called ‘Omicron’ has appeared in South Africa in recent weeks. This variant started to spread all over the world, causing people to fear and governments to turn to new restrictions. The effects of the vaccines, which are described as the best weapon against the epidemic, against this variant, which is still unknown, were a matter of curiosity.
A recent study showed that the Sinovac vaccine, which is also applied in our country, is not effective against the variant. In tests performed on two doses of BioNTech vaccine, it was seen that the effect against the variant was low. That’s why experts investigated the effects of the booster, that is, the reminder dose vaccine. Last week, a study was published showing that the BioNTech third dose vaccine was 75% against Omicron. Now, a study in the UK has revealed new and comforting data on how effective the ‘reminder dose’ is against the variant.
Third dose, 80% effective against severe disease
Scientists at the University of Imperial College in London, the capital of the United Kingdom, as a result of their research, revealed that the reminder dose is 80% effective against the increasingly widespread Omicron variant. According to the BBC, the researchers added that they still think there is a high level of uncertainty about the effects of the new variant, and that the modeling they developed is based on short-term data.
In the published study, experts revealed that there was a 20% to 40% decrease in the rate of antibodies found in fighting the virus in people who had received two doses of the vaccine. As a result of the examinations carried out in people who received the third dose, it was determined that the protection rate against severe disease caused by the variant was between 80% and 85%. In addition, the analyzes revealed that the human body not only uses antibodies to fight the virus, but also makes use of T cells (the type of lymphocyte that destroys infected cells).
The Omicron variant seen in Turkey is increasing rapidly. Recently, Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca announced that there is nothing to worry about the variant for now and that the duration of the third dose of vaccines has been reduced to 3 months. The World Health Organization, on the other hand, made frightening statements about the variant, expressing that health systems could be blocked, and urged people to get the third dose of vaccine.
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