COVID vaccines are a priori effective against Omicron, which does not appear to be more dangerous than Delta, the variant that circulates the most in the world, senior scientists from the World Health Organization (WHO ) and the White House.
“There is no reason to doubt” that current vaccines protect patients infected with Omicron against severe forms of COVID-19, WHO emergency manager Michael Ryan said on Tuesday evening in a rare interview with AFP.
“We have some very effective vaccines that have been shown to be potent against all of the variants so far, in terms of disease severity and hospitalization, and there is no reason to believe that would not be the case.” with Omicron, whose discovery in South Africa at the end of November arouses a wind of panic, hammered the doctor Ryan.
He acknowledged, however, that vaccines may be less effective against Omicron, which is distinguished by a very high number of mutations. But “it is highly improbable” that the variant can completely escape the protection conferred by vaccines.
Very beginning of studies
The WHO official stressed that it was at the very beginning of studies of a variant detected only on November 24 by the South African authorities and which has since been spotted in dozens of countries.
“The general behavior we are seeing so far shows no increase in severity. In fact, some places in southern Africa report milder symptoms, ”insisted the doctor, like what Anthony Fauci, adviser to the White House had said earlier.
It is “almost certain” that Omicron does not cause more serious cases than Delta, the American scientist told AFP on Tuesday, adding that it would be necessary to wait “at least two weeks” to know if it even turns out. less dangerous. “There are some signs that it may even be even less serious,” he added.
However, Omicron is “clearly highly transmissible”, possibly more so than Delta, according to Dr Fauci.
Traffic restrictions
The appearance of this variant has caused some panic, especially in Europe which is already in the grip of a massive fifth wave of COVID-19 cases, caused by the Delta variant.
Several countries around the world had announced border closures, especially for South Africans, angering the city of Pretoria, which denounces unjustified ostracization.
The European Commission on Tuesday called on the Twenty-Seven to coordinate their movement restrictions in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak and concerns over Omicron, asking them once again to speed up vaccination campaigns.
Brazil, meanwhile, ruled out on Tuesday from requiring a vaccination certificate for foreigners arriving on its soil, after President Jair Bolsonaro compared this measure recommended by the health regulator to a “leash” for animals.
“You cannot discriminate between vaccinated and unvaccinated people to impose restrictions […] Science already knows that vaccines do not completely prevent the transmission of the virus, ”said the Brazilian Minister of Health, Marcelo Queiroga, after an interministerial meeting in the presidency.
He said, however, that with the precise characteristics of Omicron currently unknown, Brazil would require unvaccinated people to be “quarantined for five days”.
Norway also announced Tuesday to strengthen health measures to fight an outbreak of COVID-19 cases, including a limited number of people for home events, including Christmas celebrations.
The most affected children
Faced with the rebound of the pandemic in Europe, the WHO has also called for better protection of children, currently the most affected age group, while keeping compulsory vaccination of the population as an option of “absolute last resort” .
To avoid further class closures and the return of distance education, the organization’s European branch advises strengthening testing in schools and considering vaccination of schoolchildren.
The Portuguese health authority has recommended that children aged five to eleven be vaccinated against COVID-19, Portugal, which has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, experiencing an increase in contaminations.
Spanish health authorities have also authorized the vaccination of children aged five to eleven, which will take place from December 15, in the face of an upsurge in cases in Spain.
And Cuba has approved the emergency use of its Soberana Plus vaccine for children over two years old recovering from COVID-19.