A joint update released by Pfizer and BioNTech confirmed the effectiveness of their vaccine against the new Omicron variant with three doses.
Read moreA joint update released by Pfizer and BioNTech confirmed the effectiveness of their vaccine against the new Omicron variant with three doses. According to the preliminary laboratory studies, two vaccine doses significantly reduced neutralizing antibodies, while the third dose neutralized the variant after one month of the booster shot.
As the vast majority of viral features (epitopes) recognized by vaccine-induced T cells are not affected by the mutations in the Omicron variant, two doses may still confer protection against severe forms of the disease. But a booster shot is highly recommended as it restores protection to a level similar to the initial two-dose regimen against the initial COVID-19 virus.
They also confirmed that the development of an Omicron-specific vaccine is underway and is expected to be available in March 2022.
Source: Pfizer