The threat of omicron is looming large this holiday season. Governments all over the world desperately try to distribute Covid-19 booster shot to increase protection.

The World Health Organization has designated the “variant of concern” omicron Covid strain as a variant of concern less than one month ago. Prior to this, studies had shown that the immunity provided by Covid vaccines waned after around six months — meaning that booster shots are essential to increasing protective antibodies to fight potential Covid infection.

Because of the emergence and spread of Omicron, booster shots have become even more crucial. This is because a number of early studies — which have been published prior to peer review due to the urgency of the situation — have shown that Covid vaccines are less effective against the omicron variant compared to the globally dominant delta strain and other variants.

But the same studies have indicated that three vaccine doses — the two preliminary shots plus a booster dose — significantly increases the level of protection against omicron.

Below is a list of all the published studies and their findings.

The U.K.’s Health Security Agency published a report last FridayCiting initial results from a real world study, it stated that a 2-dose Covid vaccine course was significantly less effective than the delta version. It found, however that the aforementioned study was not conclusive. “moderate to high vaccine effectiveness of 70 to 75% is seen in the early period after a booster dose.”

The booster dose that was assessed was the Pfizer-BioNTech shot, with participants in the study having their first two doses of either the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine or Pfizer-BioNTech’s.

UKHSA however cautioned it would be several weeks before the effectiveness against severe omicron disease will be known. It also stated that “the length of restored protection [after mRNA boosting] is not yet known.”

Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech’s shots are mRNA — or messenger RNA — vaccines which teach our cells how to make a protein that will trigger an immune response in our bodies. The immune response produces antibodies which protect against Covid infections.

On Saturday, more research was done in Israel. Researchers also found that there is a 3-shot course for the. Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine provided significant protection against omicron.

Sheba Medical Center’s Central Virology Laboratory and Health Ministry’s Health Ministry compared blood samples from 20 individuals who received 2 vaccines 5-6 months prior to the same amount of people who received a booster 1 month earlier.

“People who were given the second dose five or six months ago are not able to neutralize the omicron. They do however have some antibodies against the delta [strain]According to a Reuters report, Gili RegevYochay, the director of Sheba’s Infectious Diseases Unit, stated that “that is what it means.”

It increases by approximately a hundredfold when you add the booster dose. It provides significant protection. She said that it is less than the neutralization capability against the Delta, which is about four-times lower.”

A new study from Monday’s U.K. showed that two doses of Oxford-derived omicron vaccine can be used to strengthen our knowledge about their impact.AstraZeneca or Pfizer–BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines were substantially less effective at warding off omicron compared to previous variants of the virus.

Two weeks after the second vaccine dose, researchers tested blood samples from people. Researchers found that the levels of neutralizing antibodies which fight Covid had dropped significantly after omicron was administered to these samples.

Although a booster shot is not proven to be effective against severe infections, there are rapidly increasing numbers of cases of Omicron in Europe, America, and Southern Africa, where it was first discovered.

Anecdotal and early studies suggest that omicron may be more transmittable than other viruses, but it is less dangerous. There was further evidence that two doses of a Covid vaccine — which have already been proven to greatly reduce the risk of severe infection, hospitalization and death when confronted with previous Covid variants — do help to reduce the risk of hospitalizations with omicron infections.

Two doses of Pfizer BioNTech vaccine in South Africa provided 70% and 33% respectively protection against infection. Reuters reported. Researchers who conducted the study warned that their findings must be taken as a guide.

The phenomenon occurs when omicron triggers an increase in Covid instances. British scientists believe that Omicron cases double every 2 to 3 days. and said the country should brace itself for a million cases by the end of the year.

At least 20% of all confirmed cases are now in England. U.K. Health Secretary Sajid javid said that the new variant is responsible for 44% and will likely become the predominant variant within the capital in the coming 48 hours.

People waited in long lines to get their booster jabs all over the United Kingdom, and the vaccine booking website for the nation crashed Monday due to a spike in demand.

In an effort to fulfill its ambitious booster vaccine campaign, the U.K. government stated that it plans on bringing in more volunteers and troops as well opening additional hubs. Book a booster shot for over 30s now, or book your appointment starting Wednesday for all other age groups.

On Monday, more than half a billion people booked booster shots in the U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted.