Coronavirus: BioNTech vaccine could be much less effective against Omicron, Hong Kong research team finds

Inoculation remains only effective way to protect against Covid-19, university researchers say, urging elderly and other high-risk groups to get booster shots

Little known so far about new variant’s severity, though early data from South Africa shows low rate of hospitalisation

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BioNTech may be at least 32 times less effective in handling the new Omicron variant, a new study has found. Photo: May Tse

Zoe Low

Published: 2:54pm, 12 Dec 2021Updated: 10:31pm, 12 Dec 2021

The German-made BioNTech vaccine is far less effective at neutralising the Omicron variant of the coronavirus but a booster shot greatly improves protection, a Hong Kong research team has found.

Receiving jabs remained the most effective protection against Covid-19, said the researchers from the University of Hong Kong and Chinese University who carried out the study and released their findings on Sunday. They urged the elderly and those with compromised immune systems or chronic conditions to get booster shots as soon as possible.

The Omicron variant reduced the antibodies of the BioNTech vaccine by at least 32 times, according to the research.

Data from a study involving the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine, the other jab offered in the city, will soon be available. The team noted that previous studies had shown Sinovac to be less effective in generating virus-killing antibody levels against other variants, which they expected to be true of Omicron as well.

Diagram shows how the Omicron variant can remain alive in vaccinated individuals. Photo: HKU Med and CUHK Med

“We expect that vaccines may still have a protective effect against severe disease and death,” said Chinese University respiratory expert Professor David Hui Shu-cheong, who is also a government pandemic adviser. “It is therefore important that all those who are eligible for vaccination get fully vaccinated.”

Coronavirus: BioNTech vaccine could be much less effective against Omicron, Hong Kong research team finds

Inoculation remains only effective way to protect against Covid-19, university researchers say, urging elderly and other high-risk groups to get booster shots Little known so far about new variant’s severity, though early data from South Africa shows low rate of hospitalisation

Inoculation remains only effective way to protect against Covid-19, university researchers say, urging elderly and other high-risk groups to get booster shots

Little known so far about new variant’s severity, though early data from South Africa shows low rate of hospitalisation