South African Study Shows Omicron Variant Could Escape Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Protection

A new private study by South Africa’s Discovery Health suggests that Pfizer Inc PFE and BioNTech SE’s BNTX COVID-19 vaccine is just 33% effective against infections by the omicron variant.

• However, the Company reported that the variant appears to cause less severe disease. 
• Based on 211,000 positive COVID-19 cases, the data showed that the risk of hospitalization was 29% lower than in South Africa’s first wave back in mid-2020.
• The Pfizer/BioNTech shot was 70% effective at preventing severe disease that requires hospitalization, which health officials are saying is essential. Discovery Health added that these data are still preliminary.
• The news comes as Omicron has already become the dominant strain in South Africa.
• “The Omicron-driven fourth wave has a significantly steeper trajectory of new infections relative to prior waves. National data show an exponential increase in both new infections and test positivity rates during the first three weeks of this wave, indicating a highly transmissible variant with rapid community spread of infection,” Discovery Health CEO Ryan Noach said in a statement.
• Related Link: Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 Shot Provides Partial Protection Against Omicron, Study Shows.
• Price Action: PFE shares are up 1.02% at $55.77, while BNTX stock is down 1.88% at $273.00 during the market session on the last check Tuesday.
• Photo by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay