Three doses of AstraZeneca vaccine against coronavirus are effective against the Omicron variant, the British-Swedish pharmaceutical industry has announced, citing a new study from the University of Oxford.
The British researchers found that the full three-dose regimen is generally just as effective against the new two-dose variant as the Delta variant.
The AstraZeneca vaccine was developed by Oxford researchers, but the study of the effectiveness of the three doses was done by scientists who were not involved in the manufacturing process.
The company said that the level of antibodies against Omicron from the booster dose is higher than the antibodies that people with a previous infection have.
AstraZeneca also said that despite the encouraging findings, it is working with the University of Oxford to develop a new vaccine that will specifically target Omicron.
In the United Kingdom the booster dose is given to people aged 16 and over, as well as to vulnerable minors aged 12-15. The vaccines offered as a third dose, however, are from Pfizer and Moderna.
(KYPE / THG / AGK)