**Covid Vaccines Work, Studies Show, but Not As Well as Thought**.
Two large studies published Tuesday found that Covid-19 vaccines are less effective than expected at preventing symptomatic infections and transmission of the virus, particularly against the Omicron variant..
The studies, published in the **journal JAMA Internal Medicine**, found that the vaccines were about 30% to 40% effective at preventing symptomatic infections from Omicron, compared with about 50% to 60% for the Delta variant. The vaccines were also less effective at preventing transmission of Omicron, with one study finding that vaccinated people were about 25% less likely to transmit the virus than unvaccinated people, compared with about 50% for Delta..
The findings suggest that the Omicron variant is more resistant to vaccines than previous variants, and that vaccinated people may still be able to spread the virus to others, even if they do not develop symptoms themselves..
The studies also found that the effectiveness of the vaccines wanes over time, and that booster shots are necessary to maintain high levels of protection. A study published in the **journal The Lancet** found that the effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against symptomatic infection from Omicron dropped from 80% after two doses to 57% after 10 weeks. However, the effectiveness of the vaccine increased to 88% after a booster shot..
The findings of these studies are concerning, but they do not mean that vaccines are not effective. Vaccines are still the best way to protect against severe illness, hospitalization, and death from Covid-19. However, it is important to be aware that the vaccines are not perfect and that booster shots may be necessary to maintain high levels of protection..
Here are some key takeaways from the studies:.
* Vaccines are less effective against Omicron than against previous variants..
* Vaccinated people may still be able to spread Omicron to others..
* The effectiveness of vaccines wanes over time..
* Booster shots are necessary to maintain high levels of protection..
It is important to note that these studies are based on observational data, and more research is needed to confirm the findings. However, the findings are consistent with other studies that have shown that Omicron is more resistant to vaccines than previous variants..
The findings of these studies should not discourage people from getting vaccinated. Vaccines are still the best way to protect against severe illness, hospitalization, and death from Covid-19. However, it is important to be aware of the limitations of vaccines and to take steps to protect yourself and others, such as wearing a mask, social distancing, and getting a booster shot..
