Health experts are assessing whether a fourth jab against Covid should be offered to millions of people across the UK in the new year
The major study showed people with Omicron are up to 70% less likely to go to hospital compared to previous Covid strains.Israel has became the first country to announce it would go ahead with offering a fourth dose, for all people aged over 60.
Dr Jenny Harries, the chief executive of the UKHSA, said: "Our latest analysis shows an encouraging early signal that people who contract the Omicron variant may be at a relatively lower risk of hospitalisation than those who contract other variants. "Cases are currently very high in the UK, and even a relatively low proportion requiring hospitalisation could result in a significant number of people becoming seriously ill."
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: "This new UKHSA data on Omicron is promising - while two doses of the vaccine aren't enough, we know boosters offer significant protection against the variant and early evidence suggests this strain may be less severe than Delta. "However, cases of the variant continue to rise at an extraordinary rate - already surpassing the record daily number in the pandemic. Hospital admissions are increasing, and we cannot risk the NHS being overwhelmed."Earlier this week, research from Imperial College London indicated people with PCR-confirmed Omicron are 15 to 20% less likely to need admission to hospital, and 40 to 45% less likely to require a stay of one night or more.
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