People who receive a second dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccination are shown to be well protected against the omicron variant, a South African study found.

Research from the South African Medical Research Council found that levels of protection against COVID-19 rose in the following weeks after receiving the booster, even after the surge of the easily transmissible omicron variant.

After a booster dose was given to those who previously received the J&J vaccine, it was shown to prevent 85 percent of hospitalizations in those who had received the second jab one to two months ago, an increase from 63 percent for those who had got their booster within the past two weeks.