Amid Omicron threat, UK study finds booster shots useful

With the Omicron variant of the
coronavirus on the rise and speculation within the scientific community that
the highly-mutative variant may elude vaccine protection, scientists across the
world have started working on booster shots that can help fight the variant. A
UK study testing seven different COVID-19 vaccines found that most of them
increased antibodies, with shots from Moderna Inc and the Pfizer Inc-BioNTech
SE partnership performing best. 

There
were, however, large variations between antibody and cellular immune responses
of the different vaccines, with the biggest boost seen from the messenger-RNA
vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. The antibody levels were quantified four
weeks after the booster shot was given. 

Booster
shots for COVID-19 vaccinations have been considered and approved by several
countries already. Now, with a new variant on the block, the need for booster
shots is being more acutely felt. Several countries like the United States and Israel
approved booster shots even before the Omicron variant was detected in South
Africa’s Gauteng province. 

For
this new study, seven vaccines have been tried. The study found that all seven
vaccines were safe to use as third doses. Only the Valneva SE vaccine, which is
still in trials and has not been authorised for use yet, did not show any
increase in antibodies after a third dose. This, however, was only tested on
100 people. 

The
other vaccines tested include the ones produced by Johnson & Johnson,
CureVac NV and Novovax Inc. The doses were administered 10 to 12 weeks after a
second dose of AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccines. 

Initially, countries were considering booster doses only for
immunocompromised or older patients, however, the spread of the Omicron variant
may push more countries the booster way. Moderna, the US pharmaceutical giant that
produces one of the main COVID-19 vaccines in use in the United States, has
already announced that it is possible that their current vaccine may not work
on the Omicron variant and the firm also seeks to have a new vaccine ready by
January.