The Omicron variant wave: Where are we now and what are the prospects?

Mong Lien Wang, Yang Lin, Ju Fen Hou, Yi Ping Yang, Yueh Chien, Yi Chen Sun, Kung Hao Liang, De Ming Yang, Tai Jay Chang, Cheng Hsien Wu, Shou Yen Kao*, Kai Feng Hung*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Omicron variant BA.2 is the dominant form of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak in many countries, including those that have already implemented the strictest quarantine mandates that effectively contained the spread of the previous variants. Although many individuals were partially or fully vaccinated, confirmed Omicron infections have far surpassed all other variants combined in just a couple of months since the Omicron variant emerged. The ChAdOx1-S (AstraZeneca), BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech), and mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccines offer protection against the severe illness of SARS-CoV-2 infection; however, these currently available vaccines are less effective in terms of preventing Omicron infections. As a result, a booster dose of BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 is recommended for individuals >12 years old who had received their second dose of the approved vaccines for >5 months. Herein, we review the studies that assessed the clinical benefits of the booster dose of vaccines against Omicron infections. We also analyzed public data to address whether early booster vaccination effectively prevented the surge of the Omicron infections. Finally, we discuss the consideration of a fourth dose of vaccine as a way to prevent possible upcoming infections.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)135-137
Number of pages3
JournalJournal of the Chinese Medical Association
Volume86
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Feb 2023

Keywords

  • BNT162b2
  • Booster-dose vaccine
  • Omicron variant
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • mRNA-1273

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