Current COVID-19 Vaccines Still Provide a Degree of Effectiveness Against the Omicron Variant
The Claim
Existing COVID-19 Vaccines are totally ineffective against the Omicron variant.
Emerging story
Since discovering the recently described Omicron variant in South Africa, false information about the most recent COVID-19 variant has spread widely. As many began to argue for the ineffectiveness of existing vaccines against Omicron, debates over COVID-19 Vaccination gained traction on social media.
Misbar’s Analysis
According to the World Health Organization, Omicron is "a variant of concern," which is the most serious category used for tracking such issues. Variants that may spread quickly or cause severe disease or decrease vaccine or treatment effectiveness are given this designation following an emergency meeting of the health body. Even those who have been vaccinated may become infected, according to the World Health Organization.
When compared to Delta, the most recent COVID-19 variant classified similarly to Omicron, experts expressed concern that Omicron could be even more contagious and resistant to vaccinations. Vaccines are still expected to provide some protection against the variant, despite Omicron's ability to evade some antibodies acquired from COVID-19 vaccination or infections. Experts say this is because "current vaccines stimulate not only antibodies but immune cells that can attack infected cells."
Vaccine developers BioNTech and Pfizer stated that they have begun investigations into the variant and that more data from laboratory tests should be available in two weeks at the most. According to the statement, the results of the tests will help determine whether the new variant will necessitate a change in the current vaccines. Pfizer and BioNTech expect to be able to produce and distribute an updated version of the COVID-19 vaccine for the emerging variant within 100 days if the current vaccines fail to protect against the virus.
While the current vaccine's ability to protect against infection is still unknown, experts emphasize that vaccination-induced immunity is still likely to protect against severe disease. When it comes to getting sick or dying from the flu virus, the vaccine "may cause some discomfort, but it greatly reduces your chances of going to the hospital, requiring intensive care, or sadly dying," Sage expert Dr. John Sage told BBC.
To summarize experts' views, one could conclude that more research is needed to determine whether current vaccines can prevent Omicron infection. Nonetheless, it has been demonstrated that they can, at the very least, lessen the severity of the disease. As a result, Misbar considers the widely circulated claim that vaccines are completely ineffective against the Omicron variant misleading.
