UK Scientist Study Says Two Doses Of Vaccine Did Not Induce Neutralizing Antibody Enough Against The Omicron Variant

Research illustration. (Unsplash/@luvqs)

JAKARTA - The two-dose COVID-19 vaccine regimen did not induce sufficient neutralizing antibodies against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, British scientists found, suggesting an increase in infection in those previously infected or vaccinated may be occurring.

Researchers from the University of Oxford published results Monday from a yet-to-be-peer-reviewed study, in which they analyzed blood samples from participants who were dosed with either AstraZeneca-Oxford or Pfizer-BioNTech in a large study examining vaccine blending.

The results came a day after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that two injections would not be enough to contain the Omicron variant, following a finding from the UK health agency last week that booster doses significantly restored protection against the variant.

The Oxford study said there was no evidence that lower levels of infection-fighting antibodies against the Omicron variant could lead to a higher risk of severe illness, hospitalization or death in those who had received two doses of the approved vaccine.

"These data are important but only one part of the picture. They only see neutralizing antibodies after the second dose, but they don't tell us about cellular immunity, and these too will be tested," said Matthew Snape, Oxford professor and researcher and co-author of the paper.

As previously reported, the UK is facing a 'tidal wave' of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, with two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine not going to be enough to contain it, UK PM Boris Johson warned Sunday, as he accelerated the launch of a booster dose program.

Speaking hours after government scientists raised the COVID-19 alert level to 4 on a scale of 5, PM Johnson said the booster program should go faster, as scientists don't yet know whether the Omicron variant is lighter than the other variants.

"The Omicron tidal wave is coming," PM Johnson said in a televised statement on Sunday evening.

"And I am concerned that it is now clear that two doses of the vaccine are not enough to provide the level of protection we all need."