Since early March 2023 when COVID-19 restriction measures in Hong Kong were abated, a resurgence of local cases, caused predominantly by Omicron XBB and its descendant lineages, has been observed.^1,2 Given the enduring threat of COVID-19 infection and long COVID, vaccination remains the key prevention strategy to safeguard public health, particularly the high risk group.  In a recent interview with Omnihealth Practice, Prof. Thomas, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology in SUNY Upstate Medical University, shared his insights on the effectiveness of the new bivalent BNT162b2 vaccine (original/BA.4-5 strains) and the future global vaccination strategies in response to the emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.

From March 1, 2023, all the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) restriction measures have been lifted in Hong Kong including the mask mandate, getting the society back to normal.¹ However, there is a rebound of local COVID-19 cases caused by predominantly XBB, an Omicron sub-variant, and its descend