For example, Omicron – the latest variant – has been shown to evade the attention of some of the antibodies induced by vaccination.
Nonetheless, three doses of COVID-19 vaccines offer very high levels of protection against dying from Covid caused by an Omicron infection, being hospitalised and having an infection with symptoms.
This protection wanes over time, but is likely to be maintained for the most serious outcomes for several months.
What’s more, evidence shows that people who are not fully protected with a full course of primary COVID-19 vaccines and a booster dose are at higher risk of becoming infected, with those in high-risk groups susceptible to serious illness, hospitalisation and death.