Fauci says we won't need a 'variant-specific booster' to fight Omicron

• Fauci says people don't need a "variant-specific booster" to fight the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
• "Our booster vaccine regimens work again Omicron," he said at a White House briefing Wednesday.

Dr. Anthony Fauci says people don't need a "variant-specific booster" to fight the Omicron variant of coronavirus at this time.

"Our booster vaccine regimens work against Omicron," Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a White House COVID-19 briefing Wednesday. "At this point, there is no need for a variant-specific booster."

Omicron has reached at least 36 states in the US and has affected more than 75 countries, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Rochelle Walensky said at the briefing.

She said that early data suggests Omicron is more transmissible than Delta, though the CDC said last week that the majority of Omicron cases thus far have had mild symptoms, like coughing and fatigue.

White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients also urged people to get their boosters during Wednesday's briefing.

"If you're eligible for a booster shot, it's critical that you get boosted today," he said.

Real-world data from a UK study published last week found that Pfizer's initial two-shot vaccine with a booster was about 70% to 75% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 caused by the Omicron variant, Business Insider previously reported.

A real-world study in South Africa also found that boosters "will help" prevent hospitalizations, Business Insider reported.