Three doses of Pfizer vaccine neutralize Omicron variant, two ‘not sufficient’

Preliminary laboratory studies showed that ‘two doses show significantly reduced neutralization titers’, Pfizer and BioNTech, its partner in developing the jab, stated on Wednesday morning.

Blood samples from people who had taken two shots but not the booster ‘did exhibit, on average, more than a 25-fold reduction in neutralization titers against the Omicron variant’, the companies stated.

That indicates that two doses of its vaccine ‘may not be sufficient to protect against infection with the Omicron variant’, according to the companies, but could still protect against severe coronavirus cases.

Meanwhile, data showed that ‘a more robust protection may be achieved by a third dose’ which ‘increases the antibody titers by 25-fold’.

In essence, the booster restored antibodies to levels observed in individuals with two doses against the original coronavirus strain.

‘Although two doses of the vaccine may still offer protection against severe disease caused by the Omicron strain, it’s clear from these preliminary data that protection is improved with a third dose of our vaccine,’ Pfizer chairman and CEO Albert Bourla stated.

‘Ensuring as many people as possible are fully vaccinated with the first two dose series and a booster remains the best course of action to prevent the spread of Covid-19.’

The blood samples for the study were taken from people a month after they got a booster. The lab analysis cannot guarantee how the vaccines will perform in real life.

Pfizer and BioNTech have continued to work on developing a vaccine specific to protecting against the Omicron variant. They expect to have it out by March ‘in the event that an adaption is needed to further increase the level and duration of protection’, they stated.

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