A three-dose course of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine, Covishield in India, is effective against the Omicron coronavirus variant, the pharmaceutical company said on Thursday, citing data from an Oxford University lab study.
The study, yet to be published in a peer-reviewed medical journal, showed antibody levels against Omicron after the booster shot were higher than antibodies in people who had been infected with and recovered naturally from Covid-19.
After a three-dose course of the vaccine, neutralising levels against Omicron were similar to those against the virus's Delta variant after two doses, the company added.
The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker said researchers at Oxford University who carried out the study were independent from those who worked on the vaccine, Vaxzevria, with AstraZeneca.
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