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