The German Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (vfa) expects a second generation of vaccines to be available this year. "Several companies are already testing their next-generation vaccines in studies with volunteers. The first approvals should be possible this year. But longer-term projects in which protection against variants is based on completely novel concepts can also make an important contribution to protecting against further corona outbreaks in the coming years," vfa President Han Steutel told the Rheinische Post newspaper.