Dec 15, 2021 - Health

EU official: Omicron expected to be dominant variant by mid-January

Omicron is expected to be the dominant COVID-19 variant in Europe by mid-January, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday.

Driving the news: Early research shows the variant is spreading very quickly, including among vaccinated people, Axios' Caitlin Owens reports.

Von der Leyen noted that the rate at which it takes the number of cases to double is around two or three days.

Details: Despite concerns, von der Leyen expressed some optimism, saying that Europe was in a "better position" to fight the virus.

She noted that more than 66% of the EU population is fully vaccinated and that 62 million people have received a booster.

What she's saying: “Like many of you, I’m sad that once again this Christmas will be overshadowed by the pandemic,” she said.

"The most important thing now is to increase the number of people who are vaccinated in Europe as quickly as possible."

Go deeper: Europe is again at epicenter of pandemic, WHO says