According to the U.K. Health Security Agency, Covid booster shots protect against mild Covid symptoms from the omicron variant.
People wait in line to get tested for Covid-19 at a testing facility in Times Square. The photo was taken by Spencer Platt.
The images are from the same company.
The Pfizer-BioNTech booster increased vaccine effectiveness against the omicron variant to 71.4% two weeks after it was received by people with their primary doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine followed by a Pfizer-BioNTech booster gave 92.6% protection against the delta variant, while two doses of the AstraZeneca jab followed by the Pfizer booster gave 93.8% protection.
The study looked at over 56,500 cases.
The study has not yet been peer reviewed.
The study said there was not enough data to estimate vaccine effectiveness.
The omicron variant would make up more than half of all Covid cases in the UK by mid-December, according to the agency.
Mary Ramsay, the agency's head of immunization, said that the Omicron variant is more likely to be caught after the second jab.
Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of the U.K., said omicron looks to have higher transmissibility and milder symptoms than other Covid variants. He said it was too early to say for sure.
The key background.
Britain was one of the first countries to detect the variant. Air travel was restricted and public transportation was required to have masks on. Britain could be a testing ground for omicron according to the New York Times. The Times reported that it has robust travel with South Africa and has been more tolerant of restrictions.
Two vaccine doses don't stop you from catching Omicron.
It is not clear how bad the wave will be. The New York Times.
Early reports from the UK, Norway, and South Africa suggest that Omicron variant causes milder covid-19.
Covid-19 vaccine makers plan to tackle Omicron.
