Johnson & Johnson is working to develop modified versions of its COVID-19 vaccine that may be needed to protect against virus variants, according to a report.
“We’re working on several next-generation vaccines,” Alex Gorsky, chief executive of J&J, said Thursday during an online discussion, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Gorsky expressed optimism that his current vaccine could offer some protection against the new COVID-19 strains.
But, he said, “we have to be prepared,” the newspaper reported. “We should prepare for the worst and expect the best.”
Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in late February.
The FDA stated J & J’s finding that the vaccine was globally effective at 66% to prevent moderate and severe cases of COVID-19 and by 85% to prevent more serious infections.