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Covid-19
Which countries are best protected against Omicron?
Boosters, or a combination of infection and vaccination, are needed against the new variant
FOR MOST OF 2021 people who had completed a course (usually two doses) of covid-19 vaccines were considered protected against the disease. People who had already been infected were also thought to be fairly safe. But by evading previous immunity, Omicron, the newest variant, has changed that calculation. Countries that are likely to have the best protection against Omicron are those that have administered lots of boosters, or have many people who have been both double jabbed and previously infected.
For 102 countries we estimated the percentage of the population that might have this level of protection. South American countries with high levels of previous infection and good vaccination rates seem best prepared for the new variant. But in most countries it is likely that less than half of people have adequate protection against Omicron. Countries like Australia, China, New Zealand and Norway, with strong vaccination programmes but few prior infections and a slow rollout of boosters, are particularly vulnerable.