Omicron Reduces Vaccine Efficacy, Spreads Faster: WHO

Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday that the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is more transmissible than the Delta strain. The variant also reduces vaccine efficacy but causes less severe symptoms according to early data.

The Delta variant, which was first identified in India earlier in 2021, is causing most of the world’s COVID-19 infections.

But South Africa’s Omicron, with a large number of mutations, prompted countries around the world to impose travel bans on southern African countries and reintroduce domestic restrictions to curb the spread last month.

According to WHO, Omicron had spread to 63 countries till December 9. South Africa, where Delta is less prevalent, and in Britain, where Delta is the dominant strain, witnessed faster transmission of the variant.

Early evidence shows Omicron causes “a reduction in vaccine efficacy against infection and transmission,” the WHO was quoted as saying in a technical brief by news agency AFP.

“Given the current available data, it is likely that Omicron will outpace the Delta variant where community transmission occurs,” the WHO brief added.

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