Vaccines still effective; will protect against severe disease: WHO chief scientist

New Delhi: Clearing the air, WHO Chief Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan said vaccines are still proving to be effective because even though the numbers are going up exponentially, the severity of the disease has not surged to a new level.

“As expected, T cell immunity holding up better against Omicron. This will protect us against severe disease. Please get vaccinated if you have not,” tweeted Swaminathan.

It may be noted that either vaccines or prior infections with COVID-19 trigger human T cell response.

Swaminathan also explained the factors concerning the same at a virtual press briefing of WHO on Wednesday. She said that vaccine effectiveness varies a little bit between vaccines though the majority of all of the WHO Emergency Use Listing vaccines actually have very high rates of protection against severe disease and death at least till the delta variant.

“Omicron infection numbers are high – occurring in both vaccinated & unvaccinated. But it appears that vaccines proving to be protective. The need for critical care doesn’t seem to be going up. It’s a good sign,” she said

She said there are biological factors that decide a vaccine’s effectiveness. “It includes age, underlying illnesses and we know and proved it with all the variants that the older you are the more the underlying illnesses and co-morbidities the more vulnerable you are to get the disease,” she said.

“It is the time since vaccination and the waning of the immunity and we know that there is some amount of meaning but again there is more waning for infection against infectious and that is why we are seeing a lot of breakthrough infections now especially with Omicron because Omicron does have the capacity to overcome pre-existing immunity, and needs higher levels anti-bodies and protection.”

Swaminathan pointed that now the evidence on Omicron is just emerging and it would still be premature to conclude definitely but all of the lab studies are pointing towards a reduction in neutralization capacity and also what it is clinically seen that people who have been vaccinated, people who have had prior infections are still getting breakthrough infections with Omicron.

“That is why the numbers that we are seeing around the world today are extremely high because these infections are occurring in both vaccinated and unvaccinated people. However, it appears that vaccines are proving to be still protective because even though the numbers are going up exponentially in many countries, the severity of the disease has not surged to a new level,” she added.