The European Medicines Agency says plans have been in place since developing the first Covid vaccines to allow for adaptations of the doses to be fast-tracked.
It comes as officials scramble to slow the arrival of the Omicron variant.
Emer Cooke, the EMA Chief, told the European Parliament's public health committee that it had put in place guidance to allow vaccine manufacturers to speed up changes to the jabs if it was needed.
While those plans will aid the development of new protective doses against stronger strains of the virus, Cooke says they don’t know yet if that’s necessary for the newly detected Omicron strain.
"We need to be very careful to say that we don't know yet whether this is needed. But we have the contingency plans in place,” she said.
"We're working with international regulators, we're working with the WHO, we’re working with ECDC to ensure that we prepare for the worst, even if we still hope for the best.”
The health chief said although these measures are in place, companies would still need substantial time to adapt their doses and carry out necessary trials.
Ms Cooke suggested that while South Africa deals with the effects of the new variant, Europe may cope differently due to the level of vaccination alone.
She referenced the fact that many EU countries are now rolling out the booster dose and so “there are a whole lot of factors ongoing at the moment that could impact the spread of the Omicron variants in Europe.”
South African health officials have so far administered 24.5 million doses of the Covid vaccine, but this accounts for less than 45% of the entire population.
Meanwhile, the Irish Cabinet is currently in talks over incoming restrictions to cope with the expected arrival of the Omicron variant.
Officials are expected to agree on a number of measures already laid out by NPHET which include:
- mask-wearing from third class and up - with an exemption for children with additional needs
- people arriving into Ireland may only be granted access with proof of a negative Covid test taken a maximum of 72 hours before arriving
- a ten-day isolation period for anyone living with a person who has returned to Ireland from one of the seven countries in southern Africa
- play-dates will still be an option or a day out to the panto - but not both under potential new advice
- re-introduction of mandatory hotel quarantine for some passengers
