Hear from researchers stuck at Ukraine’s Vernadsky Station in Antarctica. Plus, take a deep dive into how Omicron overtook Delta and learn why ‘COVID zero’ regions struggle with vaccine complacency.
. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Hong Kong: as of 7 February, only a third of people over 80 years old had received one vaccine dose, and hospitals are already being overwhelmed by people with Omicron. “With the low vaccination rate we have currently, I’m really concerned,” says epidemiologist Benjamin Cowling. “Omicron, we know it’s a little bit milder, but actually in people that are not vaccinated, it’s not that mild.
Some regions have been able to overcome early complacency. In Tonga, the Ministry of Health, supported by the World Health Organization and the United Nations children’s charity UNICEF, visited every village — including those on remote outer islands — to speak to people about vaccines and answer questions.