"Pfizer's 2nd Dose Shows Limited Effectiveness Against Omicron... 3rd Dose Increases Prevention Effectiveness by 100 Times"

[Asia Economy Reporter Ji-hwan Park] A study has found that while the existing COVID-19 vaccines have significantly reduced infection prevention effectiveness against the Omicron variant, receiving a booster shot (third dose) can substantially increase the efficacy.

On the 11th (local time), according to major foreign media, the Sheba Medical Center in Israel and the Central Virology Laboratory under the Ministry of Health obtained these insights from laboratory research on the Pfizer vaccine.

Gili Regev Yochai, Director of the Infectious Diseases Department, stated, "For those who completed the second dose of the vaccine 5 to 6 months ago, neutralizing ability against the Delta variant was partially maintained, but there was no neutralizing ability against the Omicron variant at all." However, he evaluated, "After receiving the booster shot, neutralizing ability increased 100-fold. Although it is four times lower than against the Delta variant, it still provides significant preventive effects."

This experiment was conducted by comparing the blood of 20 people who received the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine 5 to 6 months ago with 20 people who received the booster shot.

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