#Johnson & Johnson working on vaccines for COVID-19 variants

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’re working on several next generations of vaccines,” J&J Chief Executive Alex Gorsky said Thursday during an online discussion, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Gorsky expressed optimism that its current vaccine could offer some protection against new COVID-19 strains.

But, he said, “We have to be prepared,” the newspaper reported. “We should prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”

Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in late February.

The FDA affirmed J&J’s finding that the vaccine was 66 percent effective overall at warding off moderate and severe COVID-19 cases and 85 percent effective at preventing the most serious infections.