Johnson & Johnson to evaluate its COVID-19 vaccine against new omicron variant

a vaccine against the Army crone variant could be ready in early 2022. According to a CNBC report. Moderna's chief medical officer, Paul Burton said in the upcoming weeks, we will know about the ability of the current vaccine to provide protection against the new variant. But the remarkable thing about the M. RNA vaccines is that we can move very fast quote if we have to make a brand new vaccine, I think that's going to be early 2022 before that's really going to be available in large quantities. The World Health Organization has classified are micron a variant of concern. It's been found to be more contagious and could potentially be resistant against the Covid 19 vaccine. Moderna researchers are already studying the new variant. They added current Covid 19 vaccines can still offer protection depending on how long ago a person was injected.

Johnson & Johnson announced Monday that the company has been closely evaluating the efficacy of its COVID-19 vaccine against the new, rapidly-spreading omicron variant, which has put the world on high alert.The company said in a media release that it is testing blood serum from participants in completed and ongoing booster studies to look for neutralizing activity against the variant. Related video above: Moderna could roll out a reformulated vaccine to fight omicron in early 2022On top of that, Johnson & Johnson said it is also pursuing an omicron-specific variant vaccine and will continue to work if need be.“The new Omicron variant highlights the importance of continued surveillance, testing and vaccination to prevent hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19," said Dr. Mathai Mammen, global head for Janssen Research & Development LLC, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. "We remain confident in the robust humoral and cell-mediated immune responses elicited by the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine demonstrated by the durability and breadth of protection against variants to date in clinical studies."With its sudden emergence, countries around the world have scrambled to protect themselves from the largely unknown omicron variant, including the U.S., which banned travel to and from eight southern African countries.The World Health Organization has designated omicron as a "variant of concern," adding that it poses a very high global risk."The emergence of the highly-mutated Omicron variant underlines just how perilous and precarious our situation is," WHO stated in a report Monday. "Omicron has an unprecedented number of spike mutations, some of which are concerning for their potential impact on the trajectory of the pandemic."The overall global risk related to the new variant... is assessed as very high."All adults 18 years old and above in America are eligible for the Johnson & Johnson single-dose COVID-19 vaccine, as well as the company's booster shot.The booster dose may be administered at least 2 months after the primary vaccination.“We will not be complacent. Building on our long-term collaboration with scientists on the ground in South Africa and the ongoing real world effectiveness studies being conducted with the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, we will work together to generate new data on Omicron," Dr. Mammen said. "In parallel, we have begun work to design and develop a new vaccine against Omicron and will rapidly progress it into clinical studies if needed.”

The company said in a media release that it is testing blood serum from participants in completed and ongoing booster studies to look for neutralizing activity against the variant.

Related video above: Moderna could roll out a reformulated vaccine to fight omicron in early 2022

On top of that, Johnson & Johnson said it is also pursuing an omicron-specific variant vaccine and will continue to work if need be.

“The new Omicron variant highlights the importance of continued surveillance, testing and vaccination to prevent hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19," said Dr. Mathai Mammen, global head for Janssen Research & Development LLC, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. "We remain confident in the robust humoral and cell-mediated immune responses elicited by the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine demonstrated by the durability and breadth of protection against variants to date in clinical studies."

With its sudden emergence, countries around the world have scrambled to protect themselves from the largely unknown omicron variant, including the U.S., which banned travel to and from eight southern African countries.

The World Health Organization has designated omicron as a "variant of concern," adding that it poses a very high global risk.

"The emergence of the highly-mutated Omicron variant underlines just how perilous and precarious our situation is," WHO stated in a report Monday. "Omicron has an unprecedented number of spike mutations, some of which are concerning for their potential impact on the trajectory of the pandemic.

"The overall global risk related to the new variant... is assessed as very high."

All adults 18 years old and above in America are eligible for the Johnson & Johnson single-dose COVID-19 vaccine, as well as the company's booster shot.

The booster dose may be administered at least 2 months after the primary vaccination.

“We will not be complacent. Building on our long-term collaboration with scientists on the ground in South Africa and the ongoing real world effectiveness studies being conducted with the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, we will work together to generate new data on Omicron," Dr. Mammen said. "In parallel, we have begun work to design and develop a new vaccine against Omicron and will rapidly progress it into clinical studies if needed.”

Johnson & Johnson to evaluate its COVID-19 vaccine against new omicron variant

TRACKING THE COVID-19 VACCINE

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