According to a news update about Covid-19, it was found that AstraZeneca is claiming the third booster dose provides an effective protection against Omicron. It is mainly done by significantly raising the level for neutralizing antibodies against the Omicron variant. This is a major finding by the drugmaker which was tested in the Oxford University lab. A more detailed finding about the test reveals that other companies who offer booster shots including Pfizer and Moderna also provided an enhanced protection against Omicron.
Here are some key facts for the findings,
- As per the press release, the Oxford University study revealed that antibodies which are generated by the third dose of vaccine against Omicron were easily comparable to those first two doses given against the delta variant.
- According to Forbes, “The drugmaker said that omicron neutralizing antibody levels were higher among people who received a booster shot compared to those who had recovered from a previous Covid-19 infection.”
- As per the company officials, the trials for the test reflected that the third dose for the vaccine has given at least six months to a six fold increase with the levels of antibodies.
- Mene Pangalos, AstraZeneca’s biopharmaceuticals research head, noted that “it was important to look beyond antibodies to better understand how vaccines offer protection against Omicron. As we better understand Omicron, we believe we will find that T-cell response provides durable protection against severe disease and hospitalisations.”
Within this week, AstraZeneca announced that it was working with Oxford University for the purpose of developing a vaccine which can specifically tackle the new variant Omicron. After the announcement, a UK government study identified that two doses for the vaccine generated have no detectable level of neutralizing antibodies against the omicron variant. However, there is a rapid emergence of omicron variants in the country which has led to a scramble in the booster dose all across the world. Moreover, the vaccine makers have indicated that omicron-specific vaccines will take some time to roll out in the market.
