A booster dose of Johnson & Johnson Inc’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine was 84% efficient at stopping hospitalization in South African healthcare staff who grew to become contaminated because the Omicron variant unfold, researchers stated on Thursday.
The true-world examine, which has not been peer-reviewed, was based mostly on a second dose of the J&J vaccine administered to 69,092 staff between Nov. 15 and Dec. 20.
An preliminary course of inoculation has been proven to supply solely tremendously lowered safety in opposition to an infection by Omicron, which is spreading rapidly via many international locations after first being recognized in late November in southern Africa and Hong Kong.
Nevertheless, a number of research have urged {that a} booster dose offers important safety in opposition to extreme sickness from the variant.
The South African examine confirmed the J&J vaccine’s effectiveness at stopping hospitalization rose from 63% shortly after a booster was administered to 84% 14 days later. Effectiveness reached 85% at one to 2 months post-boost.
“It reassures us that COVID-19 vaccines proceed to be efficient for the aim they have been designed, which is to guard folks in opposition to extreme illness and demise,” stated Linda-Gail Bekker, the examine’s co-lead investigator.
“That is one more piece of proof that we’ve not misplaced that affect even within the face of a really mutated variant.”
Bekker stated the jury was “nonetheless out” on the problem of additional boosters of the J&J shot.
“What we’re exhibiting is that two doses actually restore full safety, and I don’t suppose we are able to extrapolate from this that we’re going to want a 3rd or a fourth enhance in any respect.”
Researchers stated their evaluation had a number of limitations, together with brief follow-up occasions, which averaged eight days for healthcare staff who had acquired their enhance throughout the earlier 13 days, or 32 days for these boosted for 1-2 months earlier, and which might skew general vaccine effectiveness.
One other South African-based examine this month confirmed {that a} first spherical of inoculation with two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine had been much less efficient in South Africa at holding folks contaminated with the virus out of hospital for the reason that Omicron variant emerged.
(Reuters)