'Covid-19 vaccines remain effective even against Omicron': Egypt's presidential health advisor

CAIRO - 7 December 2021: Dr Mohamed Awad Tageddin, the presidential health advisor, has assured that Covid-19 vaccines are still effective, even against its new variant, Omicron.

No vaccine is 100-percent effective though, Tageddin said in statements to Extra News Channel on Tuesday.

Some of the vaccines are highly effective as they prevent the spread of the virus and reduce its intensity, he noted.

Tageddin made it clear that most of the vaccines prevent severe complications from the disease.

Symptoms of the new variant, Omicron, are yet to be monitored, he said, assuring, however, that the available information show that it is a simple variant with no severe complications.

There is no need to worry because it is just one of many variants of Covid-19, Tageddin said, stressing at the same time the need to abide by all precautionary measures.

The Health Ministry said on Monday night that 871 new coronavirus cases were detected in Egypt over the past 24 hours, upping the total number of infections to 364,033.

Health Ministry spokesman Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said 43 patients died from the virus over the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 20,770.

As many as 951 patients were discharged from hospitals after receiving medical care, taking the number of recoveries to 302,259, it added.