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Update
Many unknowns still persist around the Omicron variant. Scientists are advancing slowly in their research into the effectiveness of vaccines. There is resistance, but the 3e dose might be effective.
Scientists know the Omicron variant to be a priori more contagious than the Delta variant, but not necessarily more dangerous. However, how does he behave in the face of the vaccine? It would be more resistant, as an infectious disease specialist explains. “Unfortunately, there is a decrease in the efficacy of the vaccine, which appears to be significant, in other words the neutralizing antibodies elicited by the vaccine neutralize this Omicron variant much less well.”, explains Anne-Claude Crémieux, infectious disease specialist at Saint-Louis hospital (AP-HP).
Indeed, according to a first South African study published yesterday, the vaccine would be 40 times less effective against Omicron. But the researchers qualify their results: it is still too early to say how the Omicron variant is resistant to the vaccine. According to preliminary studies from Pfizer-BioNTech laboratories, the results are reassuring. The Pfizer laboratory expects to be able to finalize a vaccine suitable for the new variant by March.