Mounting evidence points to the effectiveness of getting a booster shot to stave off the threat of Omicron. The variant has been shown to avoid some of the attention of antibodies induced by two shots of a Covid vaccine. However, the booster shot increases protection by at least 70 percent, the latest evidence suggests.
Crucially, Omicron appears to result in a more mild form of the disease, this is in part owing to vaccine-induced immunity.
However, you can still experience a breakout infection of Omicron after getting your booster.
You can also experience symptoms, albeit in a milder form, according to a New York-based ER doctor.
Doctor Craig Spencer took to Twitter to report on the “mild” symptoms of Omicron he is seeing in the triple jabbed.
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The ZOE Symptom Study gathers data from users to its app, providing real-time updates on the symptoms and spread of Covid.
ZOE data scientists analysed symptom data from positive cases recorded in the ZOE COVID Study and compared with data from early October when Delta was dominant.
The analysis found no clear difference in the symptom profile of Delta and Omicron, with only 50 percent of people experiencing the classic three symptoms of fever, cough, or loss of sense of smell or taste.
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The top five symptoms in both periods were:
- Runny nose
- Headache
- Fatigue (mild or severe)
- Sneezing
- Sore throat.
Contributor reports also identified loss of appetite and brain fog as common symptoms.
These findings line up with a small batch of data from contributors who reported that their positive PCR results were suspected or confirmed Omicron infections.
This may come as a surprise to some, as the UK government never updated guidance on COVID symptoms beyond the classic three symptoms.
Many months ago, the ZOE COVID Study helped to identify over 20, mostly mild, cold-like symptoms.
Booster vaccine – are you eligible?
You can get a booster dose if you had a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at least three months ago and:
- You are aged 18 or over
- You are aged 16 or over with a health condition that puts you at high risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19
- You are a frontline health or social care worker
- You live or work in a care home
- You are aged 16 or over and are a main carer for someone at high risk from COVID-19
- You are aged 16 or over and live with someone who has a weakened immune system (such as someone who has HIV, has had a transplant or is having certain treatments for cancer, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis).
People who are pregnant and in one of the eligible groups can also get a booster dose.
Most people can book a vaccination appointment online for an appointment at a vaccination centre or pharmacy.
You can also:
- Go to a walk-in vaccination site to get vaccinated without needing an appointment
- Wait to be contacted by a local NHS service such as a GP surgery and book an appointment with them.
Source: Daily Express
