South African Researchers: "Pfizer Vaccine 23% Effective Against Omicron"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] Researchers in South Africa have revealed that two doses of the Pfizer vaccine provide only 22.5% effectiveness against the Omicron variant.

According to Bloomberg on the 11th (local time), the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI) in South Africa released additional data this week regarding earlier small-scale study results, reporting this finding.

Scientists led by Director Elex Siegel stated in a preprint released on the 10th that the Omicron variant "essentially impairs the vaccine's ability to protect against infection."

However, they added that the vaccine continues to provide sufficient protection against severe illness.

Previously, AHRI found that the Omicron variant caused a 41-fold reduction in neutralizing antibody levels produced in individuals who had completed two doses of the Pfizer vaccine compared to the coronavirus detected in China two years ago. The research team reviewed plasma samples from 12 patients.

This was the first concrete evidence showing that while the Omicron variant generally evades antibodies produced by Pfizer, it does not do so completely.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.