December 15, 2021
Booster shots of the Covid-19 vaccines already in use are enough to combat the fast-spreading omicron variant, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the president’s chief medical adviser, said Wednesday at a media briefing.
That is, it is unlikely the shots will need to be reformulated to target omicron specifically.
“Our booster vaccine regimens work against omicron. At this point, there is no need for a variant-specific booster,” Fauci, also the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said.
While the delta variant still accounts for the vast majority of Covid-19 cases in the country, the omicron variant has been detected in at least 36 states. It currently accounts for about 3 percent of new cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In some states, it’s even higher, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during the briefing. The agency projects that omicron could account for 13 percent of new cases in New Jersey and New York.
The proportion of omicron cases is expected to grow in the coming weeks, Walensky said, adding that the number of new omicron cases doubles about every two days. In comparison, cases of the delta variant appear to double every two weeks.
While vaccine manufacturers have said they are looking into developing shots targeting omicron, Fauci suggested that may not be necessary.
Read more at NBC News.