Omicron weakens vaccine efficacy, higher transmissibility rate, WHO warns

World Health Organisation – WHO on Sunday, informed that Omicron has a much higher transmissibility rate as compared to the Delta COVID variant and reduces the efficiency of the vaccines. 

WHO further highlighted that the new COVID-19 variant is causing less severe symptoms, as per the data which was released earlier, adding that till now, Omicron has been found in around 63 nations across the world. 

The international health organisation, while briefing the media, cited, “The early evidence indicates that Omicron induces a reduction in the COVID-19 vaccine efficacy against infection and transmission. Given the presently available data, it is likely that Omicron would outpace the Delta variant where community transmission occurs“. 

Meanwhile, no death has been recorded yet amid the Omicron variant. 

WHO further stated that still, the data is insufficient to predict the clinical severity of Omicron. 

Since the discovery of this new COVID-19 variant in South Africa, several states have put a travel ban and stricter guidelines on the passengers arriving from the South African nations in order to curb the spread of the new variant. 

Several countries around the world have sped up the COVID-19 vaccination drive, encouraging the general public to get themselves vaccinated against the deadliest virus. 

The international health organisation has named Omicron as the ‘variant of concern”. Omicron initially was identified as ‘B.1.1.529’ by WHO. 

WHO earlier put it into the category of ‘most-troubling category of Covid-19′.

The organisation has further asked the individuals residing in different nations to strictly follow the COVID-19 health protocols and guidelines that have been established by their governments, in addition, which has also urged the unvaccinated individuals to get themselves inoculated against COVID-19.