The Omicron variant of Covid-19 continues to remain in the spotlight of health authorities and governments around the world.

The question everyone asks is: are the vaccines already available really effective to contain it?

At the moment, the most popular hypothesis is that the current vaccines are still effective (although Moderna has already announced that it is working on a new "strengthened" vaccine ). But to be sure of this, further data and further studies are awaited.

As confirmed by the infectious disease specialist Massimo Galli: “Too much has been said about Omicron and also in a contradictory way. On the other hand, the data we have for now do not say much and do not say with certainty that the vaccines have holes ”, he explained to the microphones of the Rai Agorà broadcast. "Although with all the mutations it has it doesn't put us in a tranquil position, what appears to be is that vaccines continue to provide more than decent protection for infection and more than good coverage for severe disease."

For Galli, if there is a variant "with important diffusion capacities, even greater than the Delta, it is clear that you must pay attention to it". Therefore, "we must not bandage our heads but neither should we ignore the problem. As long as we have no other information we must be cautious, the certain thing is that the need for a third dose is further corroborated by the appearance of this variant".

“We have to wait a while for the feared possible reduction in the effectiveness of vaccines. Preliminary data from Israel here also comfort us, saying that with three doses the response is good, therefore necessity has made it from the institutional point of view to keep the attention and tracking capacity very high, which is already in difficulty ", he said. instead the virologist Fabrizio Pregliasco.