Vaccines are still proving to be effective as the severity of the disease has not surged to a new level.
Citing various factors that account for the vaccine's effectiveness, Dr Soumya Swaminathan states that the number of Covid-19 cases hasn't surged to a whole new level.
While the Omicron variant is infecting both vaccinated and unvaccinated people globally, experts claim that vaccination primarily protects against severe disease. As per WHO Chief Scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan, vaccines are still proving to be effective as even though the numbers are going up exponentially in many countries, the severity of the disease has not surged to a new level.
Sharing a tweet on Wednesday, Dr Swaminathan said, "As expected, T cell immunity holding up better against #Omicron. This will protect us against severe disease. Please get vaccinated if you have not". As affirmed by experts, either vaccination or prior infection with Covid-19 triggers the human T cell response.
Dr Swaminathan explains various factors that account for the vaccine's effectiveness at a WHO press briefing on Wednesday. She further stated that although most of all WHO emergency use listed vaccines have very high protection rates against severe disease and death, the vaccine efficacy varies between vaccines.
She also emphasised how biological factors affect the impact of a vaccine. It includes age, underlying illnesses, and we know and proved it with all the variants that the older you are, the more the underlying illnesses and co-morbidities, the more vulnerable you are to get the disease," she said.
Referring to the third factor which decides vaccines' effectiveness, Dr Swaminathan said, "It is the time since vaccination and the waning of the immunity, and we know that there is some amount of meaning, but again there is more waning for infection against infectious, and that is why we are seeing a lot of breakthrough infections now especially with Omicron because Omicron does have the capacity to overcome pre-existing immunity, and needs higher levels anti-bodies and protection".
Further, she said that the evidence about Omicron is just emerging, and it would be premature to conclude definitely. Meanwhile, all lab studies are pointing towards a reduction in neutralisation capacity. It is clinically seen that vaccinated people and those with prior infections are still getting breakthrough infections with Omicron.
"That is why the numbers that we are seeing around the world today are extremely high because these infections are occurring in both vaccinated and unvaccinated people. However, it appears that vaccines are proving to be still protective", she added.
She also stressed that hospitalisations and even within hospitalised people the need for ventilation, the need for critical care does not seem to be going up proportionately. This is a good sign, and it is telling us that previous immunity is either due to vaccines or, in some cases, due to natural infection by the virus is providing some protection against the severe disease. "And this is what we had expected because immunity, immune responses are much more than just neutralising antibodies," she added.
(With ANI inputs)
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 "COVID-19: WHO Chief Scientist says THIS about vaccine effectiveness against Omicron")
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