Australia is one of the most vaccinated countries in the world, but research is pointing towards booster shots being needed to bolster protection against the Omicron COVID-19 variant.
People wait to check Myer Christmas windows along Bourke Street Mall in Melbourne on 5 December 2021.As cases of COVID-19 and the Omicron variant spread in Australia and abroad, so does uncertainty and panic over the disease.
“We’ve seen that [Omicron has] very rapidly replaced Delta in South Africa and all of the modelling projections and predictions suggest [Omicron] is likely to replace Delta within the next few weeks in the UK,” Dr Trauer said. “With a bit of luck, it's going to be less severe. It's going to be milder in terms of your risk of death … but it's still too early to say that with confidence.”He said one of the greatest concerns is the increased burden that COVID-19 cases could place on hospitals over the holiday season, as border restrictions ease across the country.
Police on patrol at Waterloo Station, London, in the evening rush hour, where new restrictions have come into force to slow the spread of the Omicron variant.“And we've seen these huge overwhelming epidemics, particularly with Delta in places like India and Indonesia … so it's always a possibility and we have to make sure we continue to avoid that situation.
NSW Minister for Health Brad Hazzard has strongly emphasised the importance of booster doses in fighting the virus. “So it does actually look like boosters are going to be a really important part of fighting the variant.”He said emerging evidence shows those fully vaccinated with AstraZeneca would benefit from a booster shot, while Pfizer is “very effective and very protective.”
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