Preliminary study in Israel shows fourth Covid vaccine shots are less effective against omicron

[Becky1951]

PUBLISHED MON, JAN 17 2022 2:14 PM EST

KEY POINTS

• Israel's Sheba Medical Center has given second booster shots in a trial among its staff.
• It's studying the effect of the Pfizer booster in 154 people after two weeks and the Moderna booster in 120 people after one week.
• The findings, which the hospital said were the first of its kind in the world, were preliminary and not yet published.

A fourth shot of Covid-19 vaccine boosts antibodies to even higher levels than the third jab but it is not enough to prevent Omicron infections, according to a preliminary study in Israel.

Israel's Sheba Medical Center has given second booster shots in a trial among its staff and is studying the effect of the Pfizer booster in 154 people after two weeks and the Moderna booster in 120 people after one week, said Gili Regev-Yochay, director of the infectious diseases unit.

These were compared to a control group that did not receive the fourth shot. Those in the Moderna group had previously received three shots of Pfizer's vaccine, the hospital said.

The vaccines led to a increase in the number of antibodies "even a little bit higher than what we had after the third dose," said Regev-Yochay.

"Yet, this is probably not enough for the omicron," she told reporters. "We know by now that the level of antibodies needed to protect and not to got infected from Omicron is probably too high for the vaccine, even if it's a good vaccine."

The findings, which the hospital said were the first of its kind in the world, were preliminary and not yet published.

Israel was the fastest country to roll out initial vaccinations against Covid a year ago and last month started offering a fourth shot, or a second booster, to the most vulnerable and high-risk groups.

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2022/01/17...h-covid-vaccine-shots-are-less-effective.html

 

[Aunt Bea]

The fact that it doesn't prevent infections isn't of concern to me as long as the additional antibodies produced are able to limit the severity of the symptoms that lead to hospitalizations and death.

I have a feeling that the covid vaccination will end up becoming an annual event as we learn to coexist with the virus.

 

[Becky1951]

The fact that it doesn't prevent infections isn't a concern to me as long as the additional antibodies produced are able to limit the severity of the symptoms that lead to hospitalizations and death.

I have a feeling that the covid vaccination will end up becoming an annual event as we learn to coexist with the virus.

Unless they come up with a better longer lasting vaccine it will more then likely be semiannual.

 

[Warrigal]

Unless they come up with a better longer lasting vaccine it will more then likely be semiannual.

You could be right if Africa doesn't get sufficient vaccines to control Covid, making it less likely that new variants keep emerging and spreading.

 

[chic]

I don't know that vaccines will help this and could be part of the problem though I am a conspiracy theorist to even whisper that. Vaccinating masses during a pandemic is not advisable because we see more mutations resulting from it, as we are seeing now, as the virus tries to survive.

 

[Alligatorob]

Thanks for this, it is interesting. The study size is quite small, and results just preliminary but this is what it seems to be showing, so far anyway.

I doubt the size is sufficient to answer the question of the vaccine's effectiveness in reducing symptoms. That will take a larger study and more time.

 

[Becky1951]

GENEVA, Jan 4 (Reuters) - More evidence is emerging that the Omicron coronavirus variant is affecting the upper respiratory tract, causing milder symptoms than previous variants and resulting in a "decoupling" in some places between soaring case numbers and low death rates, a World Health Organization official said on Tuesday.

https://www.reuters.com/business/he...n-affects-upper-respiratory-tract-2022-01-04/

 

[Becky1951]

Thanks for this, it is interesting. The study size is quite small, and results just preliminary but this is what it seems to be showing, so far anyway.

I doubt the size is sufficient to answer the question of the vaccine's effectiveness in reducing symptoms. That will take a larger study and more time.

"That will take a larger study and more time."

Since Omicron produces milder symptoms and has a low death rate, it would be difficult to come to a conclusion regarding the vaccines effectiveness since non vaccinated have milder symptoms also.

 

[Liberty]

Could be the virus is morphing into a "cold" vaccine. Hey, we have tons of those and can't vaccine against the common cold. That could be good news if its getting beat down to that level.

 

[chic]

Could be the virus is morphing into a "cold" vaccine. Hey, we have tons of those and can't vaccine against the common cold. That could be good news if its getting beat down to that level.

Stick with rest, plenty of fluids, they thin mucous and help you expel it, lots of good HEALTHY food, especially chicken soup, and in a week you're fine again.

 

[Alligatorob]

Since Omicron produces milder symptoms and has a low death rate, it would be difficult to come to a conclusion regarding the vaccines effectiveness since non vaccinated have milder symptoms also.

Right it would take a very large number of people to know for sure. Lots more than in the Israeli test.

 

[Alligatorob]

Could be the virus is morphing into a "cold" vaccine. Hey, we have tons of those and can't vaccine against the common cold. That could be good news if its getting beat down to that level.

Assume you mean its morphing into something no worse than a cold. And it could be, lets hope it is.