COVID booster shots can reduce hospitalisation from Omicron variant by 90% — CDC

Receiving a COVID-19 booster shot can reduce a person’s risk of being hospitalised with the Omicron variant by 90 per cent, a new report from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed. The study, published by the agency, further highlights the need for boosters and their importance during the recent Omicron variant […]

Receiving a COVID-19 booster shot can reduce a person’s risk of being hospitalised with the Omicron variant by 90 per cent, a new report from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed.

The study, published by the agency, further highlights the need for boosters and their importance during the recent Omicron variant wave.

The Omicron, first discovered by South African health officials in late November, has displayed an ability to evade vaccine protection and many available treatments.

However, only 39.5 per cent of the 210 million in the US who had been considered “fully vaccinated” have yet to get a booster shot, according to latest figures from the CDC – a  stark contrast from the 70 per cent of those eligible in the UK who have gotten a third jab.

Data from the CDC strengthens the case that the additional shots are necessary to control the Omicron variant and limit the harm it can cause. The agency reports that the variant now makes up around 99.5 per cent of COVID-19 cases in the US.

“All unvaccinated persons should start vaccination as soon as possible,” the CDC wrote in a summary of its findings.

“All adults who have received mRNA vaccines during their primary COVID-19 vaccination series should receive a third dose when eligible, and eligible persons should stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations,” it further advised.

The agency performed three separate studies to come to its conclusions. First, it gathered data from 88,000 hospitalisations in 10 US states within December and January.

The agency split hospitalised patients based on their vaccination status, then adjusted the data based on vaccination rates in the population and other factors like age and comorbidities the patients might have.

They found that people who were fully vaccinated – having received two shots of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or one shot of the Johnson & Johnson – had their risk of hospitalisation drop by 57 per cent compared to an unvaccinated person.

Those that had received a booster shot were at a 90 per cent decreased risk of hospitalisation when compared to someone who had received no shot at all.

A second study, which looked at 200,000 hospitalisations in 10 states, found that booster shots could reduce hospitalisation by 82 per cent.

A third study published by the agency on Friday included 13,000 Omicron confirmed COVID-19 cases, and found the additional shot was 66 per cent more effective at preventing a person from feeling symptoms when compared to just the original vaccine regimen.

Booster shots have become a key part of the fight against the new variant, in both the US and abroad.

Mail Online