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What we don’t know: In the midst of all this panic, it’s important to remember that we still know very little about the new variant and worry about variants that didn’t work in the past. The important questions are whether it increases infectiousness, worsens health outcomes (thereby increasing deaths and hospitalizations), and most importantly, does it erode the immunity conferred by vaccines or previous infections? We don’t yet have definitive answers to any of these questions – although it seems likely based on mutations that vaccines will affect their effectiveness to some degree.
If that’s the case, vaccine manufacturers will need to act quickly to find new versions. Fortunately, mRNA technology means that reformulating a vaccine is relatively easy. modern’Chief Medical Officer Paul Burton told the BBC On Sunday, he said his firm may have a new booster – one set to handle the Omicron – ready for rollout early next year.
Researchers around the world are now racing to gather the data we need to know how worried we should be. We also don’t know exactly how Omicron came to be. Experts have long warned that global vaccine access is uneven (South Africa, where Omicron appears to have had a 35% vaccination rate), posing a global risk as it gives the virus more opportunity to mutate.
What can you do: As during the pandemic, the best thing you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones is to get vaccinated. If you are offered a booster shot, take it. While it is possible for Omicron to reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine, it will not completely eliminate it.
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