The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States has reported 40 new cases of the "Omicron" variant among vaccinated individuals against the coronavirus. According to CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, nearly three-quarters of the Omicron infections in the United States are among vaccinated people.
However, Walensky noted a positive sign that those infected with the new variant are currently experiencing mild symptoms. She added that data on the new variant is still limited, pointing out that the CDC is working on analyzing the data and information available to predict what impact "Omicron" may have.
The British newspaper "The Guardian" quoted Walensky as saying, "What we generally know is that the more mutations a variant has, the more we need to boost immunity, which is what the booster doses of the COVID vaccine help with." She indicated that the symptoms of "Omicron" observed so far are mild, including cough, congestion, and fatigue, and confirmed that no deaths due to the variant have been recorded in the United States.
BioNTech announced on December 8 that the vaccine developed in collaboration with Pfizer remains effective against "Omicron" after three doses. The company stated its intention to develop a vaccine specifically for the variant by March.
