The New York Times: Booster Dose Will Help to Rescue Older People from Omicron

Laboratory studies, genomic analysis and data from Botswana, South Africa and Europe strongly suggest that the omicron strain will cause many more serious cases of disease because it is able to avoid antibodies produced by vaccines or previous illnesses, The New York Times reported.

While there is no conclusive evidence on the severity of the disease caused by this strain, the available evidence suggests that it may pose a serious threat to the elderly, as the immune response becomes less robust with age and even the common cold can cause an outbreak in nursing homes.

It is known that a person between the ages of 75 and 84 is about six times more likely to be killed by the virus than people between the ages of 50 and 65. And the risk for people over 85 is about 15 times higher. This means that there is a need to strengthen the protection of older people in nursing homes, nursing homes and retirement communities, especially as the omicron demonstrates its ability to proliferate. For example, about 100 out of 120 people became infected at a holiday party in Norway, which was attended by one single carrier of the strain. Similar cases of superproliferation have been reported in Denmark and the UK.

The surest step in this situation seems to be an immediate booster vaccination for all elderly people. Research has long shown that booster vaccinations can improve both the quality and quantity of antibodies to covid.

It takes several weeks for the booster dose to take effect, so it's important to start now, says Swiss immunologist Andrew Croxford, who says "the third dose is of paramount importance for the elderly." This applies not only to the permanent residents of nursing homes, but also to the staff who work there.