UK Prime Minister: "Omicron wave is coming... Second dose alone is not enough"

"Increase Protection Level with Additional Vaccination"
UK Health Authorities "Booster Shot 70~75% Preventive Effect"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] As the number of confirmed COVID-19 Omicron variant cases in the UK surpasses 3,000 and the first hospitalization has occurred, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued a direct national statement warning that two doses of the vaccine alone do not provide sufficient protection. The UK health authorities also stated that receiving an additional booster shot increases the preventive effect against the Omicron variant to 70-75%, thereby enhancing protection. This has raised the likelihood that health authorities not only in the UK but also in other countries will mandate booster shots.

On the 12th (local time), Prime Minister Johnson, in a national address broadcast on TV, emphasized, "The tidal wave of Omicron is approaching, and now two vaccine doses alone do not provide adequate protection," adding, "Only by receiving a booster shot can the level of protection be raised again, so the authorities will strive to provide booster shots to all adults aged 18 and over in the UK by the end of the year."

Earlier, on the previous day, the UK Health Security Agency (HSA) announced initial experimental results showing that people who completed two doses of the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine have 40% immunity against the Delta variant but less than 10% preventive effect against the Omicron variant. Those who completed two doses of the Pfizer vaccine 25 weeks ago showed 60% effectiveness against the Delta variant and only 40% against the Omicron variant. However, the HSA stated that even for these fully vaccinated individuals, receiving a booster shot raises the preventive effect against the Omicron variant to 70-75%.

Accordingly, the UK government plans to maximize the speed of booster shot administration. According to the BBC, UK health authorities have set a plan to administer over one million booster doses per day to complete booster vaccinations for all adults aged 18 and over by the end of the year. So far, about 40% of adults in the UK have received the third dose.

The reason the UK government is rushing additional vaccinations is analyzed to be due to the exponential increase in Omicron infections. According to Sky News UK, the number of Omicron variant infections in the UK reached 3,137, surpassing 3,000 in just 15 days from only 2 cases on the 28th of last month. Currently, the daily confirmed cases in the UK fluctuate around 50,000, and there are concerns that the number will increase further due to the spread of the more contagious Omicron variant compared to the existing Delta variant.

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