Omicron significantly reduces Covid antibodies generated by Pfizer vaccine, stud

$Pfizer(PFE.US)$ People who have previously had Covid or been vaccinated have far less protection against omicron than they do for other variants, according to the first data of its kind.

Scientists from South Africa grew live samples ofthe omicron variantand performed lab experiments to see if, and how, omicron was affected by antibodies in blood samples from 12 people who had been vaccinated. Six of the people also had previously had Covid.

The world has been waiting for these neutralising studies to gauge how pre-existing immunity from both vaccination and prior infection will hold up againstomicron.

The new study is the first to showhow omicron compares to previous variants, such as beta and delta, on a level playing field and the preliminary data shows antibodies in blood samples are 41 times less effective for omicron than for the 2020 strain.

“This doesn't mean vaccines will be 40x less effective,” said Dr Muge Cevik, an infectious disease expert at the University of St Andrews who was not involved in the research.
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