South Africa study shows boosters failed to block omicron, bolstering case for face masks, distancing and hand washing

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Fri, 2022-01-21 10:03 — mike kraft

South Africa study shows boosters failed to block omicron, bolstering case for face masks, distancing and hand washing A study of some of the first breakthrough cases of COVID-19 caused by the highly infectious omicron variant found that booster shots of the mRNA vaccines... Ciara Linnane MarketWatch

A (small) study of some of the first breakthrough cases of COVID-19 caused by the highly infectious omicron variant found that booster shots of the mRNA vaccines failed to block that strain, although the infections involved only mild or moderate symptoms, confirming they are effective in preventing serious illness and death.

The study involved a group of seven Germans visiting Cape Town in South Africa who had the first documented breakthrough cases of COVID between late November and early December after receiving three vaccine doses, including at least two of the mRNA shots developed by Pfizer PFE, 0.09% with German partner BioNTech SE BNTX, -6.14% 22UA, -6.76% or Moderna MRNA, -2.79%. Findings were published in the medical journal the Lancet.

The group comprised five white women and two white men between 25 and 39 years of age, four of whom were participating in clinical training at hospitals, while the others were on vacation. All seven developed respiratory symptoms between Nov. 30 and Dec. 2 and tested positive for the omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The study was approved by Stellenbosh University and the University of Cape Town.

“These findings support the need for updated vaccines to provide better protection against symptomatic infection with omicron and emphasize that non-pharmaceutical measures should be maintained,” the authors wrote. ...

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