England Chief Sanitary Officer Whitty: vaccination will reduce the risk of death with the omicron strain named a way to reduce the risk of severe COVID-19 and death from infection with the omicron strain. His words are quoted by TASS.
According to the expert, vaccination with existing drugs against coronavirus may be enough to significantly reduce the likelihood of a severe course of illness or death. “There is a real possibility that this option will evade vaccines,” Whitty said, adding that it is easier for a virus to be able to cause infection by evading antibodies than it is to be able to cause severe illness or death.
He also noted that there is a possibility that if a strain has a certain or well-developed ability to evade the immune response, infecting a person and making him infectious, then vaccines, especially after a booster dose, or naturally acquired immunity enhanced by a vaccine may be sufficient.
A new strain of coronavirus code B.1.1.529 was detected in South Africa on November 11. The first confirmed cases of infection date from November 24. The strain was named with the Greek letter “omicron” and has already managed to recognize its danger at the level of the World Health Organization.