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Vaccine effectiveness against severe COVID drops slightly, still 'significant protection' - WHO

Middle East

15-12-2021 | 01:42

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Vaccine effectiveness against severe COVID drops slightly, still 'significant protection' - WHO

COVID-19 vaccines appear to have become slightly less effective in preventing severe disease and death but do provide "significant protection", the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.

The Omicron variant first detected in South Africa and Hong Kong last month has now been reported by 77 countries and is probably present in most worldwide, but should not be dismissed as "mild", WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

"Omicron is spreading at a rate we have not seen with any previous variant," Tedros told an online briefing. "Even if Omicron does cause less severe disease, the sheer number of cases could once again overwhelm unprepared health systems."

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