MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th December, 2021) Two Pfizer vaccine doses offer just 22.5% protection against symptomatic infection with the Omicron coronavirus variant, a study published by scientists concluded.
"(The level of neutralization of the Omicron variant) is estimated to correspond to a vaccine efficacy of 22.5% against symptomatic infection, essentially compromising the ability of the vaccine to protect against infection," the study, which was published on the MedRxiv platform, said.
The currently observed level of neutralization will be able to protect the person who was inoculated with the vaccine from severe illness, but does not protect them from getting no symptoms ill at all, the scientists added.
"Based on these results, high neutralization capacity of SARS-CoV-2, which can arise with a combination of previous infection and vaccination, would be expected to confer protection against Omicron infection," the study concluded.
Booster shots may have a higher efficacy in beating the new strain, however, further research would be needed into the issue, the scientists added.
The study involved patients who were inoculated with two doses of the Pfizer vaccine and tested positive for the Omicron variant.
On Saturday, a different study conducted by Israel's Sheba Medical Center similarly said that two doses of the Pfizer vaccine are not enough to protect people against the new coronavirus strain, while the booster shot's protection is much lower than that with respect to other variants.
On December 8, Pfizer released a statement that three doses of its COVID-19 vaccine are able to neutralize the Omicron strain.
The Omicron strain was first identified in South Africa in late November. The World Health Organization designated the strain as a variant of concern due to its high transmissibility rate.
