“We know that one of the things about omicron is that it makes your vaccines less effective. The vaccination protection with two doses of an mRNA vaccine against omicron is down in the 40-something percent range — so not great. But with a booster, that protection goes up over 75%,” said Dr. Melanie Swift, co-chair of Mayo Clinic’s COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation and Distribution Work Group. “We know that in addition to the fact that your immunity just wanes over time, omicron, in particular, is more susceptible to your immune response after the third or booster dose. So we are really encouraging people to get that booster dose.”
In a news briefing Tuesday, her colleague Dr. Gregory Poland, said the country is seeing more than 1 million cases of omicron every day, an “underestimate” due to testing and reporting inconsistencies.
“Nothing new is happening that we didn’t predict prior to the start of the holidays,” he said. “That has been doubling every day for two or three.”
Poland also noted pediatric hospitalizations are rising, not surprising given the low vaccination rates in young people and the different way omicron impacts the body. Just 15% of 5- to 11-year-olds and 50% of 12- to 17-year-olds are vaccinated.
“Unlike delta, omicron tends to be more upper airway,” he said. “That equates to decreased morbidity in adults who have large upper airways and is a decided negative in young kids who have narrow upper airways.”
David Lozano, a spokesperson for Banner Health, said Arizona’s largest hospital system is busier than ever.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here