Johnson & Johnson made a statement that its single-shot Coronavirus vaccine neutralizes the fast-spreading Delta variant and provides durable protection against infection.
The company said in a statement on Thursday, that recipients of its vaccine produced strong neutralizing antibodies over the course of at least eight months against all variants including the Delta variant, which was first seen in India and has been spreading across the globe.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine provides less protection initially than messenger RNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna and experts have been discussing whether some people may need booster shots to keep the virus at bay in the long-term.
“We’re extremely happy, actually, and confident there’s no need for the booster at the moment and we’re protected against different strains,” said Johan Van Hoof, J&J’s global head of infectious diseases and vaccines, in an interview.
The company stated that the vaccine neutralized the Delta variant within 29 days of a first dose and that the protection matured and improved over time.
With the latest data in hand, Van Hoof said J&J doesn’t believe people who have been given its vaccine should need a booster within a year of having gotten it. “And if a boost is needed,” he said, “we don’t think we’ll need to change the formulation.”
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