Omicron! Oxford-Astra Zeneca COVID-19 vaccine protection declines after 3 months

The growing number of patients with omicron has raised serious questions about vaccine safety. Now there is a disturbing report about the vaccine. Safety with the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine decreases 3 months after both doses. Most people in India have been vaccinated against AstraZeneca. Therefore, this report of Lancet is worrying for Indians. 

The researchers analyzed data from Brazil and Scotland. Those taking the AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine need to take a booster dose to protect themselves from serious illness. The study is based on 2 million people in Scotland and 4.2 million in Brazil who have been vaccinated against AstraZeneca. In Scotland, the number of hospital admissions has increased fivefold, compared to two weeks after the second dose of the vaccine, five months after the first dose. The effects of the vaccine appear to subside after about 3 months. After 3 months of taking the second dose, the risk of hospitalization and death increases.

In Scotland and Brazil the risk of hospitalization and death is three times higher than the initial safety. Similar figures are found in Brazil. Aziz Sheikh, a professor at the University of Edinburgh in the UK, said the vaccine was needed to fight the corona pandemic. But diminishing its impact is a matter of concern. A booster dosage strategy should be devised to find out when the effects of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine diminish. The effect of the vaccine reduces due to the transition to a newer variant.

Meanwhile, experts warn that these figures need to be understood. This is because it is difficult to compare those who have not been vaccinated with those who have been vaccinated. What is special is that most adults are fully vaccinated. Srinivas Katikireddy, a professor at Glasgow College, said that data from Scotland and Brazil showed that the effect of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine on Covid 19 safety was less. Our job is to underline the importance of booster doses. Even if you have taken both doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine, the possibility of omicron infection cannot be ruled out.