The debate over how long vaccines currently approved will offer protection against the new coronavirus is underway, but at least one industry giant believes that in the coming years it could be an annual injection, similar to the flu vaccine.
“Unfortunately, as [the virus] if it spreads, it can also mutate, “Alex Gorsky, CEO of Johnson & Johnson, recently told CNBC.” Each time it changes, it’s almost like another click on the dial, so to speak, where we can see another variant, another mutation that can impact your ability to ward off antibodies or to have a different type of response not just to a therapy, but also to a vaccine. “
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is pending FDA emergency use authorization, is a one-dose vaccine that was being developed using an adenovirus instead of the mRNA technology trusted by Moderna and Pfizer. Interestingly, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine showed 66% efficacy in one global trial, while the other two showed about 94% to 95% efficacy against the virus.
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The company also has a two-dose vaccine in development, but test data is not expected until the end of this year, Gorsky told CNBC.
Both Moderna and Pfizer have attested to the ability of their vaccines to prevent variants of the coronavirus, although Dr. Anthony Fauci said the South African variant could be problematic as it has been shown to have “clinical consequences”.
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Fauci said that the variants should serve as a “warning” for governments and companies currently developing vaccines that it is essential “to be agile to be able to readily adjust, making versions of the vaccine that are really specifically targeted to any mutation is really prevalent in anytime. “
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That said, Pfizer had already praised the “flexibility” of its mRNA technology, which could easily allow adjustments to the product, if necessary.