Pouch: "Three Vaccine Doses Are the Best Way to Protect Against the Omicron Variant"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and a leading authority on infectious diseases in the United States, emphasized that additional COVID-19 vaccinations (booster shots) are the best way to protect against the spread of the Omicron variant.

On the 12th (local time), Fauci stated in an interview with ABC News that "the Omicron variant may evade antibody protection from existing monoclonal antibodies and convalescent plasma," adding, "a booster shot is essential for optimal protection." He further emphasized, "Three doses of mRNA vaccines not only dramatically increase the level of protection but also extend the duration of immunity from an immunological perspective."

Fauci explained, "The severity of the Omicron variant appears to be slightly lower than that of the Delta variant, but this is still uncertain," adding, "This may be a phenomenon resulting from higher vaccination rates compared to before, but since only preliminary experimental results are available as data, it is still necessary to observe carefully."

In particular, fear is spreading as research shows that even those who have completed two doses of vaccination may not achieve sufficient immune effects without receiving a booster shot against the Omicron variant. The previous day, the UK Health Security Agency (HSA) reported initial experimental results indicating 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. It warned that people who completed two doses of the Pfizer vaccine more than 25 weeks ago have 60% preventive effect 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 increases the preventive effect against the Omicron variant to 70-75%.

Currently, U.S. health authorities maintain the vaccination completion criteria as two doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines and one dose of the Janssen vaccine. However, last month, U.S. health authorities strongly recommended booster shots for all adults aged 18 and older, and as the new COVID-19 variant Omicron spreads worldwide, on the 9th, they expanded the eligible age for booster shots to those aged 16 and older.

Fauci emphasized, "Among the 200 million fully vaccinated people in the U.S., only about 25%, or 50 million, have received booster shots," adding, "There are still 60 million unvaccinated people, so rapid vaccination is recommended." According to U.S. health authorities, about 60% of the U.S. population has completed vaccination so far, and the daily confirmed cases recorded 118,000 yesterday, approaching 120,000.

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