Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

Experts: Booster Vaccines May Be Effective against Omicron Strain


Fri 03 Dec 2021 | 02:12 PM
Ahmad El-Assasy

A large trial of six booster vaccines indicated that all of them boosted immunity against contemporary virus strains, with mRNA jags – the ones now given in the UK – providing the best protection, THE SCOTSMAN reported.

As the UK grapples with a new strain, scientists have lauded the CovBoost study as "excellent news."

The findings of the study, which were published in the Lancet, were reported to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) in order to inform its recommendations on booster vaccines.

While the research was conducted before the appearance of Omicron, samples have now been sent to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for further investigation into how boosters influence the new variety.

However, given their effectiveness against Alpha and Delta, scientists stated they were "hopeful" that boosters might minimise Omicron-related hospitalizations and fatalities.

Professor Saul Faust, study lead and head of the NIHR Clinical Research Facility at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, said, "As scientists, our expectation is that protection against hospitalisation and mortality will remain intact."

The study was described as "excellent" by Jonathan Ball, a professor of molecular virology at Nottingham University.