Skopje, 1 February 2022 (MIA) – Omicron can evade delta immunity and it can also evade vaccine immunity if the jab was given too long ago. That’s why boosters and vaccines against Covid-19 are the only way to reduce the number of reinfections. Studies show that boosters protect against infections up to 80%, said Commission on Infectious Diseases president Aleksandar Petlichkovski on Tuesday. Petlichkovski, who heads the commission as of today, said they insist on keeping the current protection measures including face masks and physical distancing. Commission spokesperson Zlate Mehmedovikj said the ways in which Covid certificates are used would not change. “We believe this is the best way to protect the population that hasn’t achieved herd immunity yet. The virus is still highly transmissible. We’re in the middle of winter, when transmission is easier, and if we get rid of Covid certificates, and given our low vaccine rates, it would overload the healthcare system. Therefore, we’re not going to be looking into this measure while we’re still amid a crisis,” doctor Mehmedovikj told reporters. Commission member Ilir Demiri of the Clinic for Infectious Diseases said people should not relax and think that omicron is a lighter variant. “Omicron is indeed lighter for most people who got infected, but don’t forget that a good portion of those people have been vaccinated. Omicron can manifest severe symptoms in unvaccinated populations. Our capacities are currently full and we’re coordinating with other Covid centers. I haven’t seen a single patient who died from Covid with all of their shots and without underlying conditions, but I’ve seen plenty of patients with no underlying conditions and no inoculation who have died,” said doctor Demiri. He added, “people should get vaccinated because it’s the only way to be protected from Covid-19".