Delta Still Dominates Say Experts, Urge Third Jab | The ASEAN Post

No one knows how effective vaccines will be in stopping people catching the newly discovered and fast-spreading Omicron variant of COVID-19 or how well they will protect against severe illness. Lab tests are under way to determine vaccine efficacy against Omicron with results expected within weeks.  In the meantime, the Delta variant remains dominant and experts, governments and vaccine makers are urging people to take advantage of booster jabs where they are available. Delta has proved able to evade vaccine defences against transmission better than the Alpha, Beta and Gamma COVID variants.  But jabs have remained highly effective at preventing severe illness from Delta, lowering the risk of overwhelming hospital resources. With Delta still dominant in Europe, some countries are trying to accelerate their third jab campaigns. United Kingdom (UK) prime minister Boris Johnson set a goal of offering a booster to all adults by the end of January and decreasing the waiting period between second and third jabs from six to three months. In the United States (US), Pfizer is seeking authorisation for its jab to be given as a booster to 16- and 17-year-olds. “It would be a serious mistake to slow down now,” said Alain Fischer, who…
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