Third Dose of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 Shot Neutralizes Omicron, Lab Studies Show

Two new laboratory studies have confirmed previous findings that a booster dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is effective in generating neutralizing antibodies against the Omicron variant.

Peer-reviewed findings from one study by the companies published in the journal Science demonstrated that the blood serum antibodies of individuals given three vaccine doses showed full protection against Omicron while those given two doses only had limited antibody protection.

In addition, pre-print findings from the University of Texas indicated that one month after receiving a booster the participants had a 22-fold increase in neutralizing antibodies against Omicron vs. those who only received two doses.

Both studies are in line with real-world data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week showing that a third dose of vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna slashed Omicron-related COVID-19 hospitalizations by 90 percent.