Here’s a breakdown on how the new variant impacts immunity, whether from the original vaccinations, boosters or a natural infection.
Scientists are betting that the coronavirus omicron variant will be able to outsmart at least some of the protection people gained through either a previous COVID infection or vaccination. But even if that proves to be the case, the highly mutated variant won’t be able to totally evade our immunity. Though omicron may wind up causing more breakthrough infections in vaccinated people and reinfections in people who previously had COVID, two vaccine doses still appear to provide strong protection against severe disease, hospitalization and death. Experts are also urging people to get a booster dose to increase their overall protection. Here’s everything to know so far about what this all means for you: How the shots hold up against omicron Data on whether and how vaccine booster shots can protect generally healthy people from omicron, compared with the initial vaccine doses alone, is sparse. But very preliminary evidence suggests a third dose may restore waning antibody levels, so people’s chances of getting even a mild or asymptomatic infection are slim. However, for those less likely to mount a strong immune response after vaccination — people who are immunocompromised, elderly, or have multiple health conditions — a third dose can be lifesaving. We’re in the very early stages of understanding how vaccines work against omicron, but preliminary evidence suggests that mild breakthroughs and reinfections may be more common with the variant. It also shows that two vaccine doses continue to provide strong protection against severe disease, and that a booster dose may help prevent most asymptomatic and mild infections. A preliminary study released recently suggests that antibodies — our first line of defense against the virus — aren’t quite as powerful at preventing omicron infections as they were with the ancestral coronavirus strain that hit in 2019, citing a 20- to 40-fold reduction in antibodies with two Pfizer doses.
