Coronavirus: Third jab boosts Omicron antibodies ‘significantly’, AstraZeneca study finds

‘The third dose … neutralised the Omicron variant to levels that were broadly similar to those ...after the second dose against the Delta variant’, said report

The study was conducted by investigators from the University of Oxford, which is the academic institution that helped AstraZeneca develop the vaccine last year

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Astra Zeneca’s third dose booster vaccine protects ‘significantly’ against Omicron. Photo: Reuters

Published: 5:15pm, 23 Dec 2021Updated: 2:20pm, 24 Dec 2021

British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca said Thursday that a third, or “booster”, dose of its Covid-19 vaccine Vaxzevria “significantly” lifted antibody levels against the Omicron strain in a laboratory study.

“Vaxzevria significantly boosted levels of antibodies against the Omicron Sars-CoV-2 variant (B. 1.1.529) following a third dose booster,” the company announced in a statement citing the study.

“The third dose booster vaccination neutralised the Omicron variant to levels that were broadly similar to those observed … after the second dose against the Delta variant,” it said.

Levels of neutralising antibodies were also higher with the booster jab than with individuals who had previously been infected and recovered naturally from Covid-19.

A medical worker prepares a syringe of the Astra Zeneca vaccine. Photo: AP

The study was conducted by investigators from the University of Oxford, which is the academic institution which helped AstraZeneca develop the vaccine last year.