Annual COVID-19 Vaccines May Be Necessary For Several Years: J&J Chief

New York: People may need to get vaccinated every year against COVID-19, just like seasonal flu shots, for the next several years, Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky told CNBC on Tuesday.

“Unfortunately, as (the virus) spreads it can also mutate,” Gorsky said. “Every time it mutates, it’s almost like another click of the dial so to speak, where we can see another variant, another mutation that can have an impact on its ability to fend off antibodies or to have a different kind of response not only to a therapeutic but also to a vaccine.”

Some experts have also pointed out that COVID-19 may become an endemic disease and will be present in communities at all times and not go away completely.

J&J’s vaccine is expected to be approved this month in the US. The US government has already ordered 100 million doses of this vaccine, which is likely to be delivered by the end of June.

J&J’s will be the first COVID-19 vaccine to be given as a single shot. The company is, however, testing two-shot doses in clinical trials.

Pharma company Biological E Ltd is looking to make 60 crore J&J vaccine doses in India.

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