LONDON, Nov 30 Reuters -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that booster COVID-19 vaccinations would increase protection against severe disease from the new Omicron variant, even if effectiveness against infection was reduced.
The booster is everywhere and we think it's overwhelmingly likely that the booster and getting vaccinated will give you more protection, he told broadcasters.
Johnson said that Bancel was probably right but stressed that it did not mean that vaccines would be rendered totally ineffective, despite Moderna MRNA.O Chief Executive Stephane Bancel's comments that there was likely to be a material drop in vaccine effectiveness with Omicron.
He's not saying that this will mean that the vaccines will not be effective against serious illness or death. He said they may be less effective in preventing transmission.
There are some evidence from South Africa. It's not clear how much Omicron is transmitted between people who have been vaccinated, but it's not clear how much it means that you're going to get a severe case of Omicron.