The omicron variant of the novel coronavirus has changed how the world’s fully vaccinated population reacts to the coronavirus.
Since its discovery, there’s been research to suggest that the omicron variant can evade the COVID-19 vaccines and reinfect people with natural COVID-19 immunity, as I wrote for the Deseret News.
- Moreover, the omicron variant has been known to infect doubly vaccinated people. COVID-19 vaccine booster shots have helped vaccinated people fight off the virus.
So why is the omicron variant causing fully vaccinated people to get sick and experience symptoms? Dr. Jeffrey Jahre, an infectious disease expert from St. Luke’s University Health Network in Pennsylvania, told WNEP-TV that the vaccine doesn’t offer perfect protection.
- “What was the main purpose of the COVID vaccine, is the same way that we look at an influenza vaccine, and that is to keep one away from the most serious consequences of getting the disease. What we are speaking about there is hospitalization and obviously very severe hospitalization and in intensive care unit and also tragically, death. In that situation, the COVID vaccine has been very good at doing its job,” he said.
Jahre said the unvaccinated shouldn’t dismiss the omicron variant because it provides mild COVID-19 symptoms. All people should try to get vaccinated against it.
- “Don’t disregard this, don’t put it aside and think that it is really nothing,” he told WNEP-TV. “It can be and particularly in people who are vulnerable. There is something you can do about it, and that something you can do about it is getting vaccinated and strongly consider a booster shot,”