Omicron variation was detected in 2 people with booster shots in Singapore

Omicron variation was detected in 2 people with booster shots in Singapore.

Even after receiving the Covid-19 booster shots, two Singaporeans may still have caught the Omigran variant, sometimes highlighting the protection provided by the third dose vaccine.

A 24-year-old airport passenger-service employee has given Omigran an initial positive test, which could be the city-state's first local case, the health ministry said in a statement late Thursday. The second person is believed to have been imported after returning from Germany on December 6 via a vaccinated route. Both have received third-dose vaccines, the ministry said.

Early this week Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE may need a third dose of their Covid-19 vaccine to neutralize the Omigron variant, according to initial laboratory studies. Institutional researchers observed a 25-fold reduction in the neutralization of antibodies against the mutation in those who received two shots, compared to the original strain of the virus. However, stimulation with an additional shot of the vaccine restored protection to a level similar to the initial two-dose regimen.

"As a result of the high prevalence and the spread to many parts of the world, we should expect more Omigron cases in our borders and in our communities," the Singapore Ministry of Health said.

The two individuals are recuperating in confinement at the National Center for Infectious Diseases, and all nearby contacts will be set in 10-day quarantine at assigned offices, the service said.

The airport employee was checked in as part of a weekly check for leading border staff. According to the report, she was asymptomatic when diagnosed. In the second case, the 46-year-old tested negative for the polymerase chain reaction when he arrived. However, the next day he had a runny nose and sought medical treatment the next day, when he tested positive.

Singapore has seen a sharp drop in social litigation over the past month and a significant easing of hospital burdens. City-state has one of the best vaccination rates in the world, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. 87% of the total population is fully vaccinated, while 96% of those who qualify are fully vaccinated, most with Pfizer or Moderna. 29% also got booster.