US Authorities Say Majority Of Cases Of Omicron Variant Found In Fully And Booster Vaccinated

President Joe Biden inspects a COVID-19 vaccination center. (Wikimedia Commons/Official White House Photo)

JAKARTA - Most of the 43 cases of COVID-19 caused by the Omicron variant identified in the United States so far have occurred in fully vaccinated people, with a third of them having received a booster dose, according to a US report published on Friday.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said of the 43 cases attributed to the Omicron variant, 34 had been fully vaccinated. Fourteen of them had also received booster doses, although five of those cases occurred less than 14 days after the booster dose before full protection began.

Although the numbers are minuscule, they add to growing concerns that the current COVID-19 vaccine may offer less protection against the new highly contagious variant.

The Omicron variant of the coronavirus has been found through testing in about 22 countries so far, having first been identified in southern Africa and Hong Kong in late November.

Among the Omicron cases, 25 cases occurred in people aged 18 to 39 years and 14 of them had traveled internationally. Six people have previously been infected with the coronavirus.

Most of them experienced only mild symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath and fatigue, the report said, and one person was hospitalized for two days. Other symptoms reported less frequently include nausea or vomiting, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, diarrhea and loss of taste or smell.

The CDC says, while many of the first reported cases of Omicron appear to be mild, there is a lag between infection and a more severe outcome. Symptoms are also expected to be milder in people who are vaccinated and those who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 before.

The first known case of the US Omicron variant was identified on December 1, when a fully vaccinated person who had traveled to South Africa. The CDC says the earliest date for symptoms to appear is November 15 in someone with a history of international travel.

Despite this, the Delta variant still accounts for more than 99 percent of all US cases. However reports from South Africa suggest that the Omicron variant is highly contagious.

Even if most cases are mild, the highly contagious variant can cause enough infections to overwhelm health systems, the CDC warns.

To note, laboratory studies released this week suggest the Omicron variant will blunt the protective power of two doses of Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines, although a third dose may restore that protection.

Meanwhile, US authorities have authorized booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for all Americans 16 years of age and older.