Johnson & Johnson Says COVID Vaccine Lasts At Least 8 Months & Protects Against Delta Variant
BOSTON (CBS) - Johnson & Johnson says its vaccine is effective for at least eight months and protects against the Delta variant.
20 people in Boston were part of a small study conducted by doctors at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School.
Doctors found the vaccine generates both a strong antibody response and creates immune cells known as T-Cells, which can help protect people longer from severe illness.
"The durability - the length of time these immune responses last - is really remarkable. We've tested eight months and there's really no evidence of decline over the eight-month period, so we do believe these responses will go on for a lot longer than that," said Dr. Dan Barouch, Director of the Center For Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel.
A second study including people in Boston and across the country also found the vaccine is effective against a range of variants, including Delta and those first detected in South Africa and Brazil.