GMB: Dr Amir talks about mild effects of booster vaccine
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The variant is the fifth “variant of concern” to establish roots in the UK, as it follows the typical path taken by most viruses. And it is the most concerning of that crop due to its propensity for vaccine escape has left countries reliant on boosters for a desperate fix. They reforge immunity up to roughly 75 percent after a couple of weeks, prompting questions about vaccine effectiveness.
People have expressed fears that the future could involve endless booster doses.
But one team of researchers believes it has found a catch-all solution.
Scientists working with the Walter Reed Army Institute in the US said they believe their vaccine candidate could shore up protection against Omicrons.
And it could provide a blanket defence for each member of the SARS virus family.
The researchers have named their candidate the Spike Ferritin Nanoparticle COVID-19 vaccine (SpFN).
SpFN provides a defence against Covid by injecting a 24-sided protein.
Those 24 faces provide a platform for as many strains, allowing scientists to prepare the body for multiple variants at once.
Early studies have found the vaccine may provide effective protection.
SpFN has passed animal and phase one human trials so far – both with positive results.
The first human trials factored in cases of Omicron and other variants, showing tentative protection from the Covid family.
The latter trials wrapped up earlier this month, and the data it produced is still under review.
The candidate’s next step is to undergo the stage two and three trials it needs before public consumption.
Covid boosters are the best hope most countries have at present, as Omicron has so far multiplied quicker than health agencies could control it.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it has infected 38 of 53 countries under its European HQ’s jurisdiction.
Of those, officials believe it is dominant in the UK, Denmark and Portugal.
The latest data from British officials shows Omicron has pushed the country past a grim milestone.
For the first time since the pandemic began, cases in the country have passed 100,000.
The latest data posted to the Government’s Covid portal recorded 106,122 new cases on December 22.
The total pushes up the seven-day average by 238,350 (58.9 percent) to 653,219.
Previous case rates have almost consecutively broken records, with 90,000 or more infections per day since last week.
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