Johnson & Johnson is working to develop modified versions of its COVID-19 vaccine that may be needed to protect against virus variants, a report said.
“We are working on the next few generations of vaccines,” CEO Alex Gorsky said Thursday in an online discussion, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Gorsky expressed optimism that his current vaccine could provide some protection against the new COVID-19 strains.
But, he said, “We have to be prepared,” the newspaper said. “We should prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”
The Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in late February.
The FDA confirmed J & J’s finding that the vaccine was 66% effective overall in preventing moderate and severe COVID-19 cases and 85% effective in preventing the most serious infections.