Dr. Anthony Fauci says people shouldn’t worry about getting an Omicron-specific vaccine to protect themselves against the new variant of the coronavirus. According to the top infectious disease expert, there is no need for it “at this time,” since booster shots have been shown to be effective. He pointed to data that shows boosters are 75 percent effective in preventing severe illness. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have also been shown to provide protection against Omicron, albeit less than for other variants. A study in South Africa released Tuesday found that Pfizer’s two-dose regimen was 70 percent effective in preventing hospitalization, but only about 33 percent effective in fighting off the virus overall. Moderna was not a part of the study, but is thought to be slightly more effective.
