Omicron: Vaccines likely to protect against severe cases, says WHO top scientist

Vaccines will likely protect against severe Covid-19 cases from the new omicron variant, a World Health Organization official said, seeking to ease concerns that the strain might get around the most effective tool for fighting the pandemic. 

“We know that vaccines are likely to have some protection,” WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said in a press briefing. “We still need to find out if there’s any loss of protection, but we think vaccines will still protect against severe disease as they have against the other variants.” 

The WHO’s statement is the latest in a series of efforts from public health authorities to reassure the public on vaccines even as scientists seek to answer a range of questions about the new variant. 

The WHO expects more data on omicron transmission within days, Maria van Kerkhove, the agency’s technical lead officer, said at the same press conference. 

Omicron Reaches Nations From U.K. to Brazil in Widening Spread

Meanwhile, the organization’s director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned against a blanket travel ban, saying it won’t stop the spread of the new variant. A number of countries have cut off or restricted travel from southern Africa in response to the emergence of the new variant.

WHO officials also urged people to continue to get vaccines or booster shots, saying it’s essential to fight the delta variant first in order to stop omicron too.