Fauci: ‘Virtually No Degree of Neutralization Protection’ Against Omicron Without Booster

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Dr. Anthony Fauci on Friday emphasized the importance of getting a booster shot to be protected against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Fauci said during an appearance on CNN’s “At This Hour” that there was “virtually no degree” of protection against the Omicron variant without a booster shot.

“If you look at the sensitivity of variants to neutralization by people who were vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine, if you look again, five months after the second dose, and look under Omicron, the red circles, nominal. In other words, virtually no degree of neutralization protection,” Fauci outlined. “Again, one month after the third dose, it goes well within the protective range.

“We are in a situation where we are now facing a very important Delta surge, and we are looking over our shoulder at an oncoming Omicron surge. Clearly, unvaccinated individuals … are really at a high risk of serious involvement, including hospitalization. The fully vaccinated are doing much better off, but as I’ve shown you in the previous five or six slides, the optimal protection is fully vaccinated plus a boost. So, the bottom line of what we’ve been telling you all along, it is critical to get vaccinated. If you are vaccinated, it is critical for optimal protection to get boosted.”

Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent