The effectiveness of Covid vaccines and boosters are more important than ever as Omicron cases rapidly spread in Scotland and the UK.
A booster dose prevents symptoms in 75 per cent of Omicron cases, according to a report published yesterday by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
Vaccine effectiveness against Omicron was shown to be "significantly lower" compared to Delta.
The analysis showed two jabs of Pfizer do not offer strong protection from Omicron with an even greater reduction seen with AstraZeneca.
That said, the UKHSA said two jabs still provide good protection against serious illness and hospitalisation from coronavirus.
There was not enough data on Omicron and the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, but nothing suggests the findings would be different.
The UKHSA report based its analysis on 581 Omicron cases and 56,439 cases of Delta.
The Omicron variant is spreading faster than Delta which overtook the UK this time last year.
Health officials are urging people to get booster jabs when they are eligible.
Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at the UKHSA, urged people to get their booster as soon as possible to help fight the spread.
"These early estimates should be treated with caution but they indicate that a few months after the second jab, there is a greater risk of catching the Omicron variant compared to Delta strain," she said.
"The data suggest this risk is significantly reduced following a booster vaccine, so I urge everyone to take up their booster when eligible."
Close to 40 per cent of people in the UK have gotten a booster as the over-40s in Scotland have been invited for boosters since late November.
The latest figures show 16 out of 32 local authorities have the highest rates of infection in Scotland.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warned yesterday that Scotland could see "tsunami of infection", adding she was "virtually certain" the country is the middle of a surge in cases.
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2021-12-11 14:20:50Z
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