WHO said there are “considerable uncertainties” about the omicron variant. “The overall global risk … is assessed as very high.”The WHO stressed that while scientists are hunting evidence to better understand this variant, countries should accelerate vaccinations as quickly as possible. The omicron infections have underscored the difficulty in keeping the virus in check in a globalized world of jet travel and open borders. While the initial global response to COVID-19 was criticized as slow and haphazard, the reaction to the omicron variant came quickly. Up until now, booster shots were available only to those 40 and over and people particularly vulnerable to the virus.
