Omicron variant, Ricciardi: “Pfizer vaccine seems effective”

“Pfizer vaccine appears to protect” from the Omicron variant. Walter Ricciardi, consultant to the Minister of Health Roberto Speranza, thus replies to DiMartedì on the efficacy of vaccines against the Omicron variant, which has just risen to prominence. “The transmission speed is higher than that of the Delta variant. The data from South Africa says it has milder symptoms. The propagation is impressive,” Ricciardi says. “The contagiousness must worry even if from a clinical point of view it was not dangerous”, he adds, highlighting that Italy must continue with the identified strategy: “We are going well for vaccination coverage and circulation of the virus. the antigenic swabs from the green pass “, he reiterates. The AIFA opinion on the vaccine for the 5-11 year old group is on the way, which has already obtained the approval of Ema, the European drug agency. “The vaccine for children is safe and immunogenic. It is not true that children do not get sick: in England thousands get sick, hundreds are hospitalized and dozens die,” he says. No to compulsory vaccination, which is a topic of discussion in Germany. “In Germany they have lifted the emergency and liberalized everything, now they are in a position to include the vaccination obligation. We are not in this situation”, says Ricciardi. Is it possible that the pandemic will never end? “No, there will be an end. It depends on us. We could have already been out of it if the whole world had taken measures and vaccinated