Vaccine effect But they haven’t vanquished the virus. Cases have quadrupled in the past year, vast parts of the globe haven't gained access to vaccines and concerning variants keep emerging, bringing new waves of infections, the return of lockdowns and restrictions on travel.
And now, two years into the pandemic, there is omicron, a heavily mutated variant that emerged in recent weeks. It’s put the world on edge, leaving everyone desperately waiting for information on the severity of the strain and how well vaccines will work against it. “Vaccines are a major miracle of modern science," said Sarah Pitt, a virologist at the University of Brighton in England.