Omicron: South African study says Pfizer shots 70% effective against COVID-19 hospitalization

JOHANNESBURG — A new South African study has found that the two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine is about 70% effective at preventing hospitalizations but offers only 33% protection against infection as the omicron variant drives a resurgence of cases in the country.

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According to Reuters and The Washington Post, the preliminary real-world study by South African insurer Discovery Health and the South African Medical Research Council examined 211,000 COVID-19 cases from mid-November through Dec. 7. Researchers estimated – but have not confirmed – that about 78,000 of those cases were caused by the new variant, Reuters reported.

The updated efficacy figures mark a significant decline from South Africa’s delta wave, when the vaccine offered 80% protection against infection and 90% protection against hospitalization, Reuters reported.

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The new study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, also found that omicron poses a higher risk of reinfection than previous variants, according to The Associated Press. Meanwhile, the risk of hospitalization appears to be about 29% lower than it was during South Africa’s initial coronavirus wave last year.

The news comes just two days after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is fully vaccinated, tested positive for COVID-19, the AP reported. It was not immediately clear whether Ramaphosa’s case had been attributed to the omicron variant.

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Last week, Pfizer and BioNTech said an initial lab study demonstrated that a third, or “booster,” dose of their vaccine appeared to “neutralize” the omicron variant. The third dose increased neutralizing antibodies against omicron 25-fold compared to two doses, the companies said in a news release. That study also has not been peer-reviewed, the AP reported.

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According to Oxford University’s Our World in Data project, about 31% of South Africans have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while nearly 26% of residents are fully vaccinated.

– The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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